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My heart is broken or my calculator's screen is messed up

Laurie

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Is there any tricks I can do to fix a screen on a calculator. I realize people could just send me to Let me google that for you but I can't seem to find much on google, either.

It's this type of calculator

HP-48G-M.JPG


The right side has the black stuff all smooshed all over the screen.

Help! This calculator got me through college!

(note: I had no idea where to place this post)
 

MacGuffin

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I hated those Reverse Polish notational HP calculators.

I just wanted to post that.
 

Grayscale

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The right side has the black stuff all smooshed all over the screen.

Sometimes if just the protective layers get cracked you can replace them, but it sounds like the liquid crystal display itself is damaged. Probably gonna have to replace it.
 

entropie

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I could fix it for you, depends on how industrial the LCD-connector is soldered to the board. If you have an electronics store in your neighbourhood, you should try and check it out. If you are lucky, one just has to screw it open and replace the LCD with a new one and of course the type of LCD still needs to be availiable.

It's tho nevertheless possible to built-in a new model of LCD, the connector pin connections are standardized.
 

Laurie

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Oh this sounds like fun!

I tried to replace an LCD on a laptop once and that was a fun time. I swear the soldering iron wasn't hot enough and the contacts were all messed up already. I swear! I use it with an external monitor now. Heh.

Broken Laptop - a set on Flickr
 

Athenian200

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Oh this sounds like fun!

I tried to replace an LCD on a laptop once and that was a fun time. I swear the soldering iron wasn't hot enough and the contacts were all messed up already. I swear! I use it with an external monitor now. Heh.

Broken Laptop - a set on Flickr

Wow. :shock: And I used to think I was so l33t because I knew how to hook up a computer to unusual devices like television sets, or configure obscure computer software.

I'd never have dreamed of trying to solder something. I can barely plug a card into a slot.

If I were in your situation, I'd just get a new calculator of the same model, or else pay a professional to repair it.
 

Laurie

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Well, the truth is, I can take stuff apart but I never get it back together right and/or I never get it working. I certainly have a blast doing it though! So if I decide to "fix" this calculator I might as well order one from ebay while I'm doing it.
 

entropie

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haha nice @laptop + I admire the courage, I never dared working on a laptop cause my soldering skills are that uncoordinated I am sure I am gonna burn a hole in it :D
 

runvardh

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Woman, you scare me.

"Oh boy, now what?" used a few times...

"... plastic thing..." :horor:

I am so glad you're no where near my stuff! LOL
 

Laurie

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Personally I think the comment on this one is priceless

How to unlock? on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

have a laptop that the cmos is passworded and i don't have the password pls sir tell me what to

I've actually taken quite a few things apart. I don't care much about putting things back together though. What do you need help with run?
 

Athenian200

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Personally I think the comment on this one is priceless

How to unlock? on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

have a laptop that the cmos is passworded and i don't have the password pls sir tell me what to

Tell him to open up the case, find and take the CMOS back-up battery out (usually shaped and sized like a coin in modern computers), and unplug the computer (and remove the laptop battery) for 15-20 minutes in order to reset the CMOS, but that he'll probably have to reconfigure the settings (especially the date/time and hard drive type/size) afterwards.
 

JAVO

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:laugh: @ flickr comment

Once the black blob attacks an LCD, it's gone. It's kinda like when a computer loses all of its gray smoke.
 

runvardh

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I've actually taken quite a few things apart. I don't care much about putting things back together though. What do you need help with run?

I have too, but I like trying to make it so I can put it back together. Then again, assembly pleases me more than disassembly. The only things I need help with right now are chemical and biomechanical. :doh:
 

Laurie

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Tell him to....

Haha he probably posted that and never came back to the pic. I just thought it was funny that he asked me that in a "I took my laptop apart and couldn't fix it" photoset.

Once the black blob attacks an LCD, it's gone. It's kinda like when a computer loses all of its gray smoke.

Is the black smoke inside what keeps the computer running and once it disappears it's dead! I KNEW it!

I have too, but I like trying to make it so I can put it back together. Then again, assembly pleases me more than disassembly. The only things I need help with right now are chemical and biomechanical. :doh:

Oh, so I can disassemble stuff and send it to you to put together?
 

JAVO

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Is the black smoke inside what keeps the computer running and once it disappears it's dead! I KNEW it!
Exactly. That's why the chips are all black. They contain black smoke, and they're non-refillable. :yes:
 

Laurie

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If the connectors, screws, screw holes, and joints aren't broken...

Yeah, that's normally my problem, I'm trying to fix something that is broken. All the pieces on that laptop were just mashed up, I should have probably replaced more pieces instead of just trying to replace the lcd bulb.
 

rhinosaur

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The good news is that if it's broken you don't have to worry about breaking it more when you try to fix it.

The bad news is that the LCD inside there is probably soldered on with like a million tiny little solder-points, that you could never do by hand.

If you have enough disposable time, a soldering iron, and a source for a new LCD screen, I say go for it. But don't be surprised if it turns into a huge waste of time. :p
 
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