Need help from USA member that can repair a circuit board

[coachgeo]

ok.. so Im an IDIOT. Went to fix a amplifier that the cables were broke off leaving the center pin from RCA jack stuck inside. They were broke off while in transport by the owner bringing it to me as a one day loaner for an event I hosted.

Got the end of the RCA Jacks out finally...... but broke the circuit board in the process?? Didn't find this out till I buttoned it all back together and had no sound. Took it back apart and found the problem.

I had not choice but to buy a new one for them. It was just the right thing to do. A 600 dollar mistake... Anyone able to fix boards on here? Prayer is I can find someone who can so I can sell it and try to recoup a tiny amount of this painful chunk of money.

[TedV]

I would need to see pictures. Is it just structural? are there electrical traces inside the broken board area?

last electric board I attempted to fix was a MegaSquirt fuel injection computer that a local kid with no money sent unregulated alternator voltage through the car from an alternator "OOPS". His laptop computer stopped logging data at 30 Volts. After several hours inspecting, tracing down schematics, etc. it was determined to be cheaper and more reliable to just get another board. Life sucks sometimes.

[coachgeo]

this is what it is

[coachgeo]

[IgorVigor]

you might be able to repair that...

the way I have seen it done, is to stick the board back together using glue (super glue/etc) and then use short lengths of wire to rejoin the broken board wires...

[Sphere]

Ewww...

Even it that isn't multilayered PCB it will take a big amount of TLC. I'm sure it could be done fixating the board with superglue or whatever is suitable for this plastic and fixing the traces with a small gauge wire but you have to think long and hard about the price someone would be willing to pay for a panel like this with a cracked PCB and if it would outweigh the cost.

Having said that, computer motherboards do get repaired like this, so it's not undoable. I just haven't heard anyone of buying/selling a motherboard like that.

[IgorVigor]

if you got it fixed, maybe you could keep it for future events?

and besides, when selling the amp, you dont have to tell them about the PCB damage do you?
or is it visible when the unit is complete?

as long as it works

[Sphere]

I jut Googled this mixer and if you replaced it for 600USD you got ripped off.

[coachgeo]

I jut Googled this mixer and if you replaced it for 600USD you got ripped off.

600 dollar replacement was a brand new 2010 model.EMX312. It was Sunday... had to have replacement installed ready for Jazzercise classes on Monday at 5:15am. They do sell used ones but had none in stock.

You break it.... you replace it... it's simply the right thing to do, so I did. Boyyyyyyy did it hurt but it was my responsibility and no one else.

[TedV]

The board is fixable. If it has internal traces it would take more time tho. Problem is, time spent on it might be more than price of good used one. Basic procedure if no inner traces would be, if clean break, epoxy back together with low viscosity epoxy. Water consistancy will wick into the crack. Takes a bit longer than superglue to set up. Might be able to use a quality CA like Zap, don't try Walmart superglue. Once board is back together scrape the coating off the traces and solder jumper wires across the crack. Its easier if you have a microscope to look thru while working. Or a big magnifying glass.

If it has innertraces, have to use dremel tool togrind away the board to expose inner traces and do the wire jumper work. Fill void with epoxy and jumper wire the surface traces. LOTS of tedious work.

[Stuart]

Yes, I'd second what TedV says. It looks fixable. I'd use a watery superglue along the crack, snap it back together and tip some activator on it to harden if off quickly. It doesn't look like a multi-layer board, at least the track layout (taken from Gerber files no doubt) doesn't look like the ones I'm used to. Once it's stuck you just scrap the solder resist off either side of the crack and put some solder on or lay some BTC (Bare Tin Copper wire) across the brocken tracks.
I've seen onboard rechargables go leaky and their acid eat copper track off. those are the really messy ones to fix

[coachgeo]

There are some very thin traces... 4 or 5... some right next to each other with what is almost hairs distance between them. Going to take some reallll serious skill that I dont have " yet" . Some I will just skip and run a wire from solder point over to solderpoint where trace orgnially snaked its way to. If it works I'll have my own PA.

Im looking for a used one now to replace with and take the new one back. This new one I can return in 30days with 15% restocking fee. The folk I bought the new one for is ok with this; thank god. she's been real cool about it.

[smokyjoe]

Hi coachgeo,

I wouldn't use superglue (CA) on anything electronic as when soldering the fumes are NASTY, and most importantly the fumes will put a non-conducting coating on everything they reach! This will ruin switches, jacks, potentiometers, etc. (same phenomena used to find latent fingerprints) I'd use a clear epoxy then do the scrape and solder wires thingy. I use 30 US gauge "wire wrap wire" for fine connections and whatever size tinned solid copper (not stranded) for bridgeing larger traces. I do this all the time. For fine soldering I use some almost hair-fine solder and a tiny iron, and sometimes a microscope. That break looks VERY fixable and it does look like it may be a 2 layer board (top and bottom only) making repair easier.

Can that circuit board be easily removed? I'd take lots of pictures before disconnecting anything!

Let me know if you need further help, I'll do what I can.

[coachgeo]

I've got the board removed. Took about 40 min. Just stubborn screws, knobs on potentiometers and nuts on jacks along with one plug for that bundle of wires pictured. Plug goes to second circuit board which I assume is power supply. and amplifier circuits. Second board is back by the amplifier heat sinks etc.

Guessing the damaged board only deals with sound inputs, manipulation of inputted sound, and output.

There is traces on only the back side. I could ship it somewhere easy to someone whose skill and tools match the job

[smokyjoe]

HEY COACHGEO,

Send me a PM, and I'll send you my snail mail address and I'll gladly fix it (or get the traces connected) for you. I'll be glad to help you out. Of course, I won't be able to test it without the whole dang rest of the amp on my bench, but it'll be better off than it is now!

Got to spend about 1 hour on my Diesel bike project tonight, so I'm on a roll. Bring it on!

Take care,
Brad

[coachgeo]

HEY COACHGEO,

Send me a PM, ...

PM Sent

[coachgeo]

my bad. Link to circuit board schematics didn't make it to this board. Have not heard from ya. You might have gave up on it LOL

http://www.eserviceinfo.com/download.php?fileid=54061

Believe there is a second link for another portion of the repair book