Pioneers/48 life extension
Message #7 Posted by Randy Sloyer on 18 Mar 2004, 8:45 p.m.,
in response to message #1 by Warren Lavery
The foam pad problem occurs in a very small percentage of the population. As Paul mentions, it is quite repairable. It's not something I would be overly concerned with. This is hardly a consolation if it happens to yours where the sample size is typically one :-( They don't have to be old for it to occur as most times it is caused by the pad having been installed just a smidge out of position. The 48's have the same design and hence the same problem. Yes, they can loose their spring force over time but most often it is caused by manufacturing process variations with pad position and how well the lower twist tabs were closed.
Keyboards are the real Achilles heel of a Pioneer or 48 machine. Keep them clean and don't stab the keys with any more force than necessary and it should last for a good, long time. Most dead keyboards I see have been used outdoors. Fine dirt works it way inside the keyboard layers and acts as an abrasive. I've also seen ash from cigarettes do the same thing. The result is either a key that does not register with each key press or in extreme cases, a shorted key with the resulting dead calculator. Either way, it's not something that can be repaired easily. Pounding heavily on keys can break the keytop hinges. Once broken, it will lead to a shorted key, killing the unit. It may take years to occur once the hinge is broken but it will happen at some point. That's something to always ask a seller, although it is hard to describe the condition. I think it is best said that any key that wobbles like a loose tooth is broken. Pushing lightly on one side will result in the other side popping up with about the same amount of travel as it pivots about the actuation pin underneath in the middle. The ENTER key seem more prone to this failure due to it's width. Once a key is broken, it's shelfware or eBay fodder for the unknowing.
One note I must mention on prolonging the life of any Pioneer or 48 series machine: If they ever become saturated with liquid, remove the batteries immediately. Don't think twice about losing your programs because if you leave the batteries in, you'll loose the calculator as well. The combination of voltage and liquid results in electrolysis which will destroy the ON switch keyboard conductor. If the liquid was anything other than water, rinse the unit in distilled water a couple of times, shake all the excess out and leave to dry for two or three days. This is very important when the liquid has any acid content, juices and soda are killers. This is of paramount importance with these machines: - 14B
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17B
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17Bii (except for the last two years of production)
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22S
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27S
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32S (not the 32Sii)
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42S
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48S or SX
The reason here is the cpu chip is not encapsulated in plastic, but is exposed. Yes, the actual silicon die is open for all to see inside the case. Any acidic content and it will eat through the aluminum leads on the chip in a couple of hours. It is great design for shock resistance but it really falls short on environmental resistance.
Above all, don't loose sight of the fact that the 41 was the last machine designed by HP to be repairable. The Voyagers and Pioneers, from the start, were considered a disposable item. While the Voyagers are the most reliable machine they ever built, the Pioneers/48's are a close second and far ahead of all previous machines. While we hope they will work forever, it just can't be. But, with some common sense and a little TLC, they'll still be working to hand down to the next generation. Hopefully, they'll understand the actual math behind the graph on their <gasp> graphing calculator.
Edited: 19 Mar 2004, 9:40 a.m.
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