Jobo ATL 3000 display dead or repairable?

albertphot · Sep 2, 2019

Hi,
My ATL3000 display functioned well before the summer and after not using it for two months, I noticed that yesterday three out of four buttons don't work anymore. What could be the problem and is there a way of fixing this?
Thanks for your thoughts.
Albert

AgX · Sep 2, 2019

What do you mean by the buttons not working any more?

-) having no effect on the process

-) resp. figures not showing up

Depending on the above, it may be faulty switches, bad contacts at the display, a fault at the CPU.

albertphot · Sep 2, 2019

What I mean is, when I press those three buttons, in the red circle, they don't make contact. No sound and no effect on the LCD screen or process. The first triangle, at the left, works fine.

AgX · Sep 2, 2019

So we can exclude the display.
Foil switches of course may fail. However hardly 3 at same time. The next thought would be the contacts or wiring of the switches-board. Here one may ask why 3 switches fail and one still works. Otherwise one may have considered failure of a common track (eg. ground).
I would take out that board and have a closer look at its circuit.
If this seem ok, the next stage to investigate would be the CPU...

albertphot · Sep 2, 2019

Ok thanks, will take a look at that.
Hopefully it's not the CPU, I have no knowledge in that domain...

shutterfinger · Sep 2, 2019

When you open it up post some pictures of the back side of the switch panel. Some more modern panels use an adhesive to attach the contact that will will separate with heat and age.

AgX · Sep 2, 2019

In that case only the LCD display or part of it would be dead. That is why I asked on the processing. On this the repective 3 switches are of no effect neither.

albertphot · Sep 4, 2019

I've taken out the control board and mesured the resistance off the switches and they don't seem to work at all...
In the mean time I found an adress in Germany of Herrn Klaus Seynsche who might have spare parts for these machines. I just send him an email to see if he can help me.

AgX · Sep 4, 2019

Alternatively you could exchange all switches for classic momentary switches.

(Still strange that 3 switches fail at a time.)

albertphot · Sep 4, 2019

Yes I agree, it's strange...
I've thought of changing the switches but I don't know how to fix them on the flat ribbon cable?

AgX · Sep 4, 2019

I'm ignorant on that assembly, but in case of re-building as repair I would either mount push-switches on the current board after cutting out those foil switches or alternatively make new small board just for the switches and mount and seal it on the current board or make a complete new board including main switch and display and inserit it instead in the casing. And then make the connections by soldering the respective strands of the ribbon cable to the switches, if needed lenghtened by wires.

shutterfinger · Sep 4, 2019

albertphot said:
I've taken out the control board and mesured the resistance off the switches and they don't seem to work at all...

albertphot said:
I've thought of changing the switches but I don't know how to fix them on the flat ribbon cable?

Either the metal has tarnished or /worn through. Flushing with 90% Alcohol or contact cleaner should correct tarnished contacts at least temporally but worn contacts will require switch replacement as I doubt they were designed to be repaired. Also check that the cable has not failed.

mshchem · Sep 4, 2019

I would call Omer Hecht at Catlabs. Also there are still a couple folks who work on Jobo. Don't mess it up until you have no choice. The switches could be dirty or gummed up.

albertphot · Sep 5, 2019

I got an email back yesterday from M Seynsche and he told me he has spare parts but is on holidays untill the endof next week.

shutterfinger said:
Flushing with 90% Alcohol or contact cleaner should correct tarnished contacts at least temporally but worn contacts will require switch replacement as I doubt they were designed to be repaired

Maybe it's doable but it's sealed in plastic and it seems to me quite troublesome to do it and to make it waterproof afterwards and that it will still fit in its original place well... I think it's not meant to be repaired :-(

shutterfinger · Sep 5, 2019

Yes, replace the switches.

mshchem · Sep 5, 2019

albertphot said:
I got an email back yesterday from M Seynsche and he told me he has spare parts but is on holidays untill the endof next week.

Maybe it's doable but it's sealed in plastic and it seems to me quite troublesome to do it and to make it waterproof afterwards and that it will still fit in its original place well... I think it's not meant to be repaired :-(

Sounds like you have a solution. Get the parts. That's quite the machine.

jim10219 · Sep 5, 2019

They're near the on/off switch which appears to have an opening below. It's possible that some liquid got in there and spread over those switches and corroded them. Since you're replacing the switches anyway, you might as well check around while you're in there for any more corrosion. Often times liquid exposure can start corrosion on a board and even after the liquid dries, the corrosion can spread. If that's the cause and you don't fully clean it out, you risk losing the other switch and possibly the display. Though it's hard to say anything without looking at the circuit itself.

Raphael · Nov 8, 2019

albertphot said:
I got an email back yesterday from M Seynsche and he told me he has spare parts but is on holidays untill the endof next week.

Hi,
I am glad to know that Herr K.D Seynsche is still on the circuit. If you can, can you give me his email address, please ? The last time I contacted him was through his business site, and it went down since.
BTW, any progress with your ATL3000 repair ?
In advance, thanks you,
Best regards,
Raphael

albertphot · Nov 8, 2019

Hi, I repaired my ATL last week!

Herrn Seynsche was very quick with sending me the new displayboard, but I had no time reparing my ATL untill last week.

It works now as before, I couldn't find any corrosion marks on the old one strangly...

His E mail adress is; kds@fotolaborservice.de

He reply's very quickly, even while he was on holidays!!!

Good luck!

Raphael · Nov 21, 2019

albertphot said:
Hi, I repaired my ATL last week!

Herrn Seynsche was very quick with sending me the new displayboard, but I had no time reparing my ATL untill last week.

It works now as before, I couldn't find any corrosion marks on the old one strangly...

His E mail adress is; kds@fotolaborservice.de

He reply's very quickly, even while he was on holidays!!!

Good luck!

@albertphot : Glad you have now a full functional ATL !
Thanks you very much for KD email
I also repaired my ATL1 this week, but I will need probably a spare themperature probe in a near future..
Thanks again,
Regards,
Raphael

Jobo ATL 3000 display dead or repairable?

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