Occasionally the contrast goes dark on my Pro Track 1, Serial number prefix KJ2.
When this happens I just go into the LCD adjustment menu, make the necessary adjustment, press store and wait for the clock indicator to disappear.
Is this a known fault and do any of you Huntron engineers have a solution to this intermittent fault.
Like most of the ProTrack settings, contrast for the LCD is stored in the flash memory. How often do you have to reset it?
The LCD contrast problem occurs several times a week or more depending on how much time I spend on the Pro Track.
Is this a known problem?
If the Flash prom had a problem I would expect to see it affecting other items on the menu.
This is not a known issue. Maybe the display has become temperature sensitive? That UK winter is approaching... ;)
Winter over here doesn't get that cold at least not the kind of winter you guys have near Seattle. that is where Huntron is?
I usually use the Pro Track in a nice warm workshop. I don't think the CRT EHT would like the rain we are having over here if I used my ProTrack outside.
Does Curtis know anything about this problem? Should I email Curtis on this problem?
Admin = Curtis :)
Got your email. Will respond there.
Thanks.
I have received email from Philippe at Huntron, France who has seen this problem before and thinks it is temperature related but has not has not found a solution to the problem. Is this a voltage regulation / thermistor problem in the LCD circuit?
Has anyone else had this problem with the ProTrack LCD contrast going dark?
Hi Curtis
I cant be the only engineer who has had this problem. Any more comments on it?
Recently had problem getting my Huntron ProTrack 1 Model 20 to communicate through its USB cable to my laptop running Windows XP Pro + SP3 and Workstation Ver. 3.54. I took off the cover and checked everything was plugged in and firmly in position after repair work sometime previously to sort loss of CRT trace as mentioned elsewhere on this forum. Powered back up, but still had the problem. I found that with cover on the low voltage PSU gets quite hot and I squirted some freezer spray in the area of the PSU & USB adapter card. Powered-up the ProTrack and all worked for the rest of the day and following days writing a program on Workstation and testing some boards with it. But one thing I noticed with the Huntron cover removed was that the LCD display no longer went dark after an hours use, and so required no adjustment to read it.
I also see that the newer ProTrack after serial number KJ2 have ventilation holes on the side of the outer case on the side of the mains / low voltage PSU.
So I will continue running my ProTrack with the cover removed until such time as I have cut some ventilation holes in the cover and possibly installed a 12 VDC fan to assist keeping the ProTracks PSU's cool.
Curtis await your comments on this!
The ProTrack went through several changes in its 15 year history. Allowing for better cooling was one of the mods made over the product lifetime. The last versions were USB which freed up space (by removal of the parallel connector) on the rear panel for a fan to be put in place.
As you may know Curtis I have two of the older ProTracks here, one with the USB conversion kit & other with with just the old style printer port. What with the high voltage modules there is not much room on the rear panel for a fan. So when I do put a fan on it will be on the mains input side were the newer ProTracks have ventilation holes.