Beseler Digi-Timer Cat 8187 Question

[Bill McMannis]

My Beseler Digi-Timer is becoming a little erratic in its functions. I suspect the contacts on the focus and print buttons are dirty. Before I started spraying contact cleaner in the buttons, I just wanted to check to see if anyone has another suggestion.

Many thanks.

[nolindan]

I never had much luck with contact cleaner and this timer. My conclusion was that the switches were just too cheezy for the application and simply broke. YMMV.

Owning this unit was what drove me into the timer business.

[Bill McMannis]

Nicholas, Thanks for the reply. For now I will have to make due.

[nolindan]

I think it uses standard switches. If the spritz of cleaner doesn't help you may be able to get replacement switches from digikey.com or mouser.com - the switches are soldered into a PC board so you need some equipment to get them out...

[Bill McMannis]

I will be cleaning the switches tonight. If that does not work then I will get out the soldering iron and have a whack at replacing the switches.

Thanks!

[nolindan]

If you aren't an expert at pulling parts out of a circuit board then may I give the following advice:

• The circuit board is double sided so you have to apply plenty of heat to melt the solder all the way through the plated-thru-hole;
• Just touch the soldering iron to the lead, use no pressure, a little blob of solder on the iron will help make a good thermal path from the iron to the lead;
• Hold the iron to the lead for as long as it takes - it won't hurt the PC board and the part is broken anyways - five to ten seconds should be a minimum;
• Do not apply the soldering iron to the traces or the lands (the doughnut around the lead) or the land will come off the circuit board;
• Lifted lands can be fixed by using a bit of wire from the lead of another part on the same circuit to the lead of the part where the land was lifted, be sure you also connect a wire to repair any open connections that were made by traces on the top of the board;
• If you don't have a 'solder sucker' or 'solder-wick' then it is best to destroy the part - crush it/cut its leads - and remove the leads/pins one by one;
• Even if you do have solder removal equipment your chances of damaging the circuit board are much less if you remove the leads one by one;
• Never use force - you are likely to pull the plating out of the hole;
• You can suck the solder out of the hole by heating it and then applying one of those bulb-type ear syringe thingies - or you may want to order some 'solder-wick' when you order the replacement parts.

[Bill McMannis]

Nicholas,

Thanks for the well thought out description of how to remove components from a printed circuit board. While I have experience at this, I am no expert and appreciate the review of how to do this.

Personally, I prefer the braided wire to wick away the solder as opposed to using a bulb.

Many thanks!

[Andre Noble]

I've had this timer for 12 years, so I know what you are talking about in terms of erratic. I often have to turn it off completely and then back on to get it to function again.

I recently bought the foot switch off Ebay. I saw compatible foot switches (branded "Kearsage" for sale today for $27 brand new in Simon's camera on Highland Ave in Los Angeles.

I would buy a foot switch for it before I fiddle inside it.