Braun 370 BVC dismantling
Posted 28/11/2012 - 16:51
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After some thought and gently trying various things I managed to get it apart.
Sometimes capacitors can hold a nasty charge and give you a shock. Be wary.
There is no need to remove the cursor. One circuit board is at the back and there are contacts for the various controls that are on the back of the 'gun. It has a row of pins that a socket on the top board plugs into. Careful pulling removes the top board and the two side circuit boards that are joined to it.
The trouble seemed to be in the back circuit board. Some circuit strips and some contacts had green corrosion on them. This would have been caused by leaving the batteries* in until they had burst and sent noxious vapours out. The circuit board is three or four inches away from the batteries but still the damage occurred. Be warned!
I repaired anywhere that looked dodgy, resoldered some wires, and polished then wiped with solvent all the switch contacts.
If you remove the rear board, it's easier to reassemble if it's taken out through the back. Some clips hold the control panel into the back of the flashgun. This area is just full of tiny, easy to loose parts. I know, as when I knocked the soldering iron off the table and when I knocked it back on the table, I lost the ball bearing that allows to cursor to click into the right positions. It was about 3mm diameter, and in the end I used a bit sliced off the ink tube of a Bic biro. Lots of care and patience is required for reassembly of this bit.
I've just got it all back together, and it all seems to be working now.
*Really, the four 1.5 volt AAs that power the flash are not batteries but cells. The four together make a 6 volt battery. When you speak about a 12 volt car battery, you are referring to six 2 volt cells in a common case.
Sometimes capacitors can hold a nasty charge and give you a shock. Be wary.
There is no need to remove the cursor. One circuit board is at the back and there are contacts for the various controls that are on the back of the 'gun. It has a row of pins that a socket on the top board plugs into. Careful pulling removes the top board and the two side circuit boards that are joined to it.
The trouble seemed to be in the back circuit board. Some circuit strips and some contacts had green corrosion on them. This would have been caused by leaving the batteries* in until they had burst and sent noxious vapours out. The circuit board is three or four inches away from the batteries but still the damage occurred. Be warned!
I repaired anywhere that looked dodgy, resoldered some wires, and polished then wiped with solvent all the switch contacts.
If you remove the rear board, it's easier to reassemble if it's taken out through the back. Some clips hold the control panel into the back of the flashgun. This area is just full of tiny, easy to loose parts. I know, as when I knocked the soldering iron off the table and when I knocked it back on the table, I lost the ball bearing that allows to cursor to click into the right positions. It was about 3mm diameter, and in the end I used a bit sliced off the ink tube of a Bic biro. Lots of care and patience is required for reassembly of this bit.
I've just got it all back together, and it all seems to be working now.
*Really, the four 1.5 volt AAs that power the flash are not batteries but cells. The four together make a 6 volt battery. When you speak about a 12 volt car battery, you are referring to six 2 volt cells in a common case.
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11 posts
14 years
I have got as far as removing the front half of the case, but I cannot see how to remove the circuit boards from the rear half of the case, though I've managed to remove the transparent cursor.
Has anyone managed to get it apart? Is there anything that I need to look out for? I would ask Braun but they don't make flashguns any more.