Re: [NTLK] 2100 + Battery Rebuild = Fried Newton

From: matthiasm <mm_at_matthiasm.com>
Date: Sat Nov 01 2008 - 09:50:57 EDT

On 01.11.2008, at 07:13, Ryan Vetter wrote:

> Nice response!
>
> I am pretty sure it is fried off completely. The loud pop sounds as
> you described: a cap that explodes in the PCB. The fried smell is
> still present as ever. The Newt is not budging to power ups.
> Nothing.

All is not lost! Afried cap in the external power supply can easily be
fixed. Even a fried cap on the mother board can normally replaced.
AFAIK the Newton PBC has no multilayer board, so even damaged traces
can be replaced. A fried cap is smelly and the acid (electrolyte) is
poisonous. They tend to leave badly burnt PCB and everything look
desasterous.

But that doesn't mean the the whole machine is dead. Sometimes all you
have to do is replace the cap and your Newton will be a happy camper
again.

> Let this be a lesson to all: using rebuilt batteries can fry your
> Newton, subject to final testing I will verify this.

Maybe we should stick with the original capacity for cells instead of
trying to get 3.5 AmpH Nickel Titan Plutonium cells into our
oldies ;-). I use 2.2Ah NiMH in mine and the Newton seems fine - but I
am starting to get a bit scared. Maybe I should replace the caps just
in case... .

> Too bad, it was a mint 2100. So much time spent on it... getting it
> going. Very frustrating. Luckily, all of my stuff was saved to the
> flash card which is now in my backup 2000 that is working great.
> But now I am out the 2100.

Don't trash it. I'll be happy to take a look at it - not promising
anything. And if nothing else helps, I can still send it on to Herr
Gründel for spare parts. Or send it back of course, but I am in
Germany as well, so postage will be horrific as usual ;-)

Matthias

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Received on Sat Nov 1 10:30:25 2008

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