Polysix battery damage: Fixable?

[GeorgeHayduke]

EDIT: NO LONGER AN ISSUE, I didn't buy synth..

So, someone's selling this one really cheap. Is this fixable, do you think? If so, how hard/expensive would it be?

[Kenton]

Difficult to say until the board has been cleaned up and you can see if any tracks have been etched away.
The problem with this fix is reliability afterward - if you don't get all the acid off the board it can continue to do damage.

The actual fix is just to do point to point wiring on any damaged tracks which is fiddly and time consuming to trace. It CAN be done but it would have to be VERY cheap for it to be worth taking the chance (IMHO).

K.



(Caveat: It has been a very long time since I've done one of these)

[GeorgeHayduke]

Alright, thanks. I could probably pick it up for 75$ or so.

The damage looks kind of minor to me, but I guess lots of trouble could be lurking and I might need to change some damaged chips too?

[Heathfinnie]

That's a good price regardless. As the other poster said it's really hard to tell until you are actually in there looking at it. I would imagine it could be fixed. If you were near by I would offer to look at it for you.

[backindauk]

As Kenton explained: it really depends on how many tracks or components are wrecked.

I repaired my own Polysix a few years ago. Two traces and both CMOS needed replacing, plus a new battery fitted. It was not a pretty sight but worked fine. Sold now...

That chip in the blue socket is the CPU and often the traces around it and the CMOS (smaller chips alongside) get damaged when those horrible batteries give up the ghost. (What were they thinking back then!??!)

$75 is certainly a bargain - it's worth more than that as parts...and if you're experienced with a soldering iron you can DIY.

Old Crow's Synth Shop: Korg Polysix Battery Repair

[grumphh]

Originally Posted by GeorgeHayduke

Alright, thanks. I could probably pick it up for 75$ or so.

The damage looks kind of minor to me, but I guess lots of trouble could be lurking and I might need to change some damaged chips too?

Thx, you have just given me GAS!

...but since i know that i am not handy with electronics i am not going to buy it from under your nose. And i don't have the space for it either.

But once they work they do sound great. :cry:

[The Real MC]

Looks like the damage has been done and you're looking at point to point repair

[flat earth]

Just buy it before someone else does.....quick >>>>>

[GeorgeHayduke]

Originally Posted by grumphh

..
...but since i know that i am not handy with electronics i am not going to buy it from under your nose....

But once they work they do sound great. :cry:

Thanks It's a small synth world here !

Hope I didn't keep you from it though 'cause it's gone now, and I decided to pass. The damage looked pretty severe, I figured I just didn't wanna bother picking it up, getting replacement board etc.

[grumphh]

Originally Posted by GeorgeHayduke

Thanks It's a small synth world here !

Hope I didn't keep you from it though 'cause it's gone now, and I decided to pass. The damage looked pretty severe, I figured I just didn't wanna bother picking it up, getting replacement board etc.

Well, looking at the prices working ones go for, if you can do electronics yourself you could make quite a profit. (Or get a good synth cheap).

But it is a bit of a hassle of course. - and personally i have two keyboards too many* already...


Just a warning - in love and synth buying there is no mercy.
If you really want a (cheap, i can't afford expensive stuff) synth - don't post here until you have actually paid for it. I have no problems getting into my car to drive a couple of hundred KM to get a bargain!


*Before i get banned from gearslutz for heresy - i do of course mean "too many" in the sense of having no room for them - because everyone knows that it is impossible to have too many synths.

[natrixgli]

Mine was worse than that. I jumped all the bad traces with small guage wire and got it back up and running in a flash. I'd certainly have a go at it if you are handy with a soldering iron and have a steady hand and some patience. If not, since you're getting the board for $75 I'd think it would be worth it to hire someone to fix it up.

[GeorgeHayduke]

Originally Posted by grumphh

.. I have no problems getting into my car to drive a couple of hundred KM to get a bargain!
...

Yea, I don't have a car, so if it's out in the country it's a pain, and it was. Had it been close by, or had I wheels, I'd have picked it up.

[grumphh]

Originally Posted by GeorgeHayduke

Yea, I don't have a car, so if it's out in the country it's a pain, and it was. Had it been close by, or had I wheels, I'd have picked it up.

And just what is wrong with cycling?

You have viking blood and all, a couple of minus degrees shouldn't prevent you from getting a deal?

[GeorgeHayduke]

If only I still had my old Velo, I'd go for sure, haha. Actually, tomorrow I'm picking up a Telefunken spring reverb which is five years older than my old '66 Velo. A spring reverb with germanium transistors! I'm so excited Polysix, pff...

[grumphh]

Originally Posted by GeorgeHayduke

If only I still had my old Velo, I'd go for sure, haha. Actually, tomorrow I'm picking up a Telefunken spring reverb which is five years older than my old '66 Velo. A spring reverb with germanium transistors! I'm so excited Polysix, pff...

You know you'll have to make some clips, now that you spilled the beans, right?

[Kenton]

One of the great things about the Polysix is that it is relatively simple to work on - it's pre surface mount components and not too densely packed.
Circuit diagrams are available online too.

Buy a bottle of Isopropyl Alcohol and a small stiff paintbrush and clean the board up (both sides), getting plenty under the IC's too where the acid may cling. Over a suitable bowl preferably.
The IC's should be fine BTW.
Once the area has been washed with alcohol and dried, perform a visual inspection with a magnifying glass and confirm breaks with a meter.

Broken tracks are probably best repaired by scratching the lacquer off the track either side of the break, tinning the exposed copper and bridging it with very light gauge insulated wire. Alternatively, you could go from an existing solder pad on one side of the break to a pad on the other.

It helps if you know how to read circuit diagrams and wield a thermostatically controlled soldering iron with a fine point.


The alcohol will be useful for cleaning up the key contacts too......

[covariance]

At worst case if unrepairable, a few SSM2044 left for Shruthi projects.

[GeorgeHayduke]

Originally Posted by grumphh

You know you'll have to make some clips, now that you spilled the beans, right?

Here ya' go!
Telefunken Echomixer, just bought one

[minime123]

$75 is an excellent deal. too bad they're not here in the US. we've repaired many P6's with battery acid damage. the damage is usually worse than it seems at first glance, but its nothing our tech hasn't done dozens of times.
mini