[russ at wxqa.com: RE: [wxsig] T238+ Characters and Heat...]

[Will Beals]

Scott:

Uh-oh, this might not be good.

I gather now that you have the hot regulator and black squares no matter if
the weather head is plugged in or not.

Any chance the LCD module was plugged in one pin off when you re-assembled
things?

Are any other components getting hot?  The backlight resistor will
(normally), but nothing else other than the regulator should be getting even
warm.

Also, try measuring the +5V rail with the problem, then sequentially remove
chips (CPU, MAX-232, LCD).  I'm hoping one of them may be the issue and once
you unplug it the +5V will go back to normal.

I'm in between trips, so may be silent until Saturday morning.

will

-----Original Message-----
From: wxsig-bounces at lists.tapr.org [mailto:wxsig-bounces at lists.tapr.org] On
Behalf Of Scott Hedberg
Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 2:13 PM
To: wxsig at lists.tapr.org
Subject: RE: [russ at wxqa.com: RE: [wxsig] T238+ Characters and Heat...]

Adjusting the potentiometer makes the black squares more black or less
black.  I had initially adjusted the potentiometer during the setup and the
text was very readable before.  I was also able to input all the parameters
into the T238+ after I attached the weather station and did confirm that the
display was showing me temp, wind speed, and wind direction.  The heat sink
was only warm to the touch.

I powered back down and then attached the radio interface (DB9 on the modem
board), powered everything backup and got the black squares and the very,
very hot heat sink.

I disconnected the radio interface, powered up, and am still getting the
black squares and very hot heat sink.  The heartbeat LED still does what it
should be doing.

I disconnected the modem board, powered up, and am still getting the black
squares and very hot heat sink.  The heartbeat LED still does what it should
be doing.

Did I accidentally short something or otherwise fry one of the components?

73 Scott AD7MI




  -----Original Message-----
From: Beals, William [mailto:William.Beals at echostar.com]
Sent: Sunday, September 17, 2006 2:58 PM
To: russ at wxqa.com
Subject: Fw: [wxsig] T238+ Characters and Heat...

   Scott:

   The regulator does get hot as Mike points out below. This should be the
case if the weather head is plugged in or not. Lower main supply voltage is
the best "cure".

   A good experiment to try is hot plugging and unplugging the weather head.

It won't hurt anything. If plugging in the head makes the LCD go from normal
to black squares, the something fishy is going on. It looks like +5V is OK
as the cpu is still working. The LCD also relies on a -9V supply from the
MAX232 to generate the bias/contrast for the LCD. Plugging in the weather
head should not affect it, but you may have a soldering error or something. 
Check the bias voltage before and after pligging in the head to see if this
is the cause or a wild goose chase.

   It may be an obvious question, but just in case: You are plugging in the
weather head into the "telephone" connector, not the serial port via the
AAG-supplied adapter, right?

   Response from me is a bit slow as I'm out of the country and have only
intermittent access to personal email and need a proxy to get info on the
reflector. Thanks Russ!

   will
   ------Original Message------
   From: Mike C.
   Sender: wxsig-bounces at lists.tapr.org
   To: TAPR Weather Station SIG Mailing List
   ReplyTo: TAPR Weather Station SIG Mailing List
   Sent: Sep 16, 2006 9:50 PM
   Subject: [wxsig] T238+ Characters and Heat...

   Scott,

   Try adjusting the contrast potentiometer on the T238+ board. As you go
   through the adjustment range the blocks should become
   characters of info. As far as the 7805 5volt  1 amp regulator getting
   HOT. If you are running it on 13.8 vdc it will run hot.
   I had the same problem. I decided to run an 8 volt regulator 7808  in
   front of the 7805 to distribute the heat, between the two devices.

   Good Luck!

   Mike C.

   KA6DAC


   _______________________________________________
   wxsig mailing list
   wxsig at lists.tapr.org
   https://lists.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wxsig



   -------
   Sent with thumbs on a PDA.
   Recycled electrons are 100% local content.

----- End forwarded message -----

_______________________________________________
wxsig mailing list
wxsig at lists.tapr.org
https://lists.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wxsig



_______________________________________________
wxsig mailing list
wxsig at lists.tapr.org
https://lists.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wxsig