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Martin Norberg
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 07:08 pm: | 
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I got a non working Minox35 EL that had a number of problems that I've been able to fix. Except for one tiny thing: The meter in the finder reacts when I wind on, but instead of showing the chosen speed it jumps to a little over 125 regardless of the lighting conditions. The actual exposure seems to vary as it should and when I press "test" the needle drops like a stone. The flash socket switch works, making 1/125 even in darkness.
Huh? Why doesn't it show the speeds?
A note on my repairs (long, sorry):
The shutter would click but not open when I first got it. Meter not responding. The counter was also dead. So, never having worked on Minoxes before and without a service manual, naturally I did everything wrong. To get the shutter and lens free, I unsoldered the 7 wires at the *lens* side, taking notes but still making it incredibly more difficult than necessary (also risked melting the lens!). Couldn't get it to work. Tired of the mess I let it sit in a drawer for 6 months until I felt more motivated.
Turns out that the main problems were (1) a loose yellow wire at the camera (connector board) end [resoldered all of them], (2) a loose and intermittent ASA dial [took apart, cleaned, pushed the retaining ring down firmly] (3) lots of dirt on the circuit boards [q-tips and ronsonol], (3) a loose and untensioned counter spring [wound up again, glued the ends tight], (5) stuck meter movement [found a small magnetic piece, like 1mm wire, jamming the meter coil against its tube. Got it out with a slice of paper].
I never actually had to dismantle the shutter to clean the blades, which was my intention at first.
-Oh yeah, and how do you put the click stopper pin back into the ASA dial? None of my tools are small enough to hold it in place while the bottom is mounted.
-I wish I had the manual! Is it (the *service* one) online somewhere?
-Also, what capacitors should be changed? The camera was made in 1978 and probably needs some new ones.
Martin |
Alberto
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 18, 2005 - 06:40 am: |
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Of the many problems I have seen on my many Minoxes, this one I never had. However the neddle circuit is connected indipendently with one of the fotocells in the lens. If the cell is gone or there is a short circuit or a component on the board is faulty you could have this problem.
As for the pin, all you need is a 1.2 mm screwdriver an a lot of patience.
I don't think there is a capacitor to be changed. The board is very simple and has only 1 transistor which never has any problem.Later models have more problems. |
charlie
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 07:25 am: |
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I am not familiar with the Minox but sometimes small parts can be held in place with a small dab of vaseline. |
Warren Yee
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 03, 2005 - 10:53 am: |
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Consider cleaning the under surface of the circiutboard. That little "thingey" that has small claw like contacts. I like using volume control cleaner, certain kinds leave a protective (oiley) coat that helps resists corrosion. The EL I'm guessing is similiar to the GL and PL in basic mechanisms so what I've observed in my four example seems to be what you are expierencing, intermitent power. The I have yet to solve the mystery of capacitor replacement, but the wind and power-up details are familiar. |
Don
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 08:32 am: |
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I agree with Alberto on getting the ASA pin back in... takes a lot of patience. This would work, but I spent 2 hours trying then tried with a feeler gauge such as used for checking spark plug gaps. I found a set and the smallest was almost like steel foil. Did the job quickly.
Good luck. |
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