Got my ART SGX2000 fixed

[bbassler]

Can I get the repair tech's info too?

I have an SGX 2000 Express that's having the flickering LCD backlight issue. Looking to see if it can be fixed. I'd appreciate any contact info for the guy that fixed yours way back,

[Hardrock69]

Wow.

I have to laugh. About once a year someone is googling this subject, and they wind up here.

It was a guy in West Virginia who fixed mine.

I have not spoken to him since he fixed mine, so I am not even sure he still lives there.

I have sent you a PM with his old address, and a possible phone number.

Let me know if he is still repairing these, so I can inform other people who come searching.

[Hardrock69]

You might check this guy out:

http://www.harmonycentral.com/t5/Gear-Wanted/Looking-for-non-working-Art-sgx-2000-units/td-p/13020203

[Matt White]

This thread is "the gift that keeps on giving"!

Nice work HR!

[Matt White]

Good times!

[ampman37]

ART no longer supports these AT ALL. They not even carry any parts for them any more.

So anyway, I found a guy in West Virginia who works on these things. I got my unit back today and it fucking rocks!!!

The backlight on the LCD screen was burned out.

For 100 bucks plus shipping, he replaced the LCD. The green background is now brighter than the original.

He upgraded the software from v1.05 to v1.10 (the most recent....1994 haha), and he put a brand new Sovtek 12AX7 tube in it.

I am impressed.

Here are a couple of fotos:

Hello, I am new to this site. I just bought a SGX2000 Express all updated for $90 works great. Anyway I was just wondering if you could send me the info on the guy that did your LCD repair. I am an electronics engineer
and plan on doing the repair myself. I just wanted to ask him what type LED lights it takes. If I don't rach him I will just pull the board and look and either order them or see what I have in stock. Thanks

[ampman37]

Repairs on electronics

Hello, I just wanted to let people know I repair rack effects, pedals, etc. I own my own car audio business repairing car amps and installing full systems. I also repair any electronics on the side. I have 20+ years doing this. My prices are great. Just letting people know. Hope to meet some good friends on here. Awsome site.

[Hardrock69]

Check your private messages.

[Jimbo Bigbelly]

Could somebody please send me the contact info on the West Virginia repair guy or any other person who might be able to replace the LCD display module? Ampman, could you send me your info? BTW, I think it's a pretty special display because looking around the net, I can't find a 16x2 display that's 80mmx27mm. So I don't think you're going to easily find a replacement. If you do, please post it here. Thanks!

[Hardrock69]

Hope you can find someone to repair it. I sent you what I know via PM.

[Jimbo Bigbelly]

Thanks to Hardrock69.
I was unable to get my SGX2000 display backlight fixed so I did some research and with a little wire splicing, I got a new display module to work. It's really easy. Here's how
Go to

http://www.ebay.com/itm/351080036231

The source is bgood2010

This is not a sticky ebay item. You may have to search for a 1602A in the electronics. I recommend bgood2010's store. I found many, some less expensive but were shipped from China. I've shipped internationally before, and it has failed for me because the item gets lost in customs. So this 1602A is shipped from California. It arrived in 2 days.
You'll notice it comes without a header, so you need to go to your local electronics store and buy a 16 or longer 0.1" space header. You can use your side cutters to cut it to the length you need (16 pins)
This 1602A part pinout is slightly different from the display used on the SGX2000, and the backlight needs 5V from the 5V supply rail. The SGX2000 backlight does not come from the 5V supply rail, and without a schematic I have no idea where it comes from. So to be safe, you need to put ground on pin 16 and 5V on pin 15 of the display connector.
First you have to cut the wire from pin 2 (5v) and the wire from pin 15 of the display connector. Splice the wire coming from the display connector pin 15 to the 2 wires coming from pin 2. This connection now has 3 wires and supplies the 5V to the display backlight as well as pin 2 of the display. Tape or use heat shrink tubing to make sure it's insulated.
Then cut the wire from pin 16 of the display. Splice the display side wire to the motherboard side wire coming from pin 15. This will connect ground to the display backlight. Again, use tape or heat shrink to insulate this connection.
You have one open wire coming from the motherboard side pin 15. You can insulate that one to be safe, but is probably unnecessary.
Mount the new display, plug it in, and Lo! you’re backlit again.

Now I'd like to find a source for the 27256 v1.10 eprom. If anybody knows of one, please post it here for us. Thanks!
Jimbo

[twonabomber]

I can't believe there isn't an A.R.T. forum. I know they sold pretty well back in the day, there has to be some kind of user base.

[Jimbo Bigbelly]

ART sent me a PDF schematic. How bout that customer service? Wow! So looking at the schematic, I see why these things are so expensive. Anyway, it turns out that the display has its very own 5V regulator. So to use the 1602A LCD display, all you have to do is to swap pins 15 and 16. So simply cut pins 15 and 16 from the motherboard connector and connect pin 15 of the motherboard to pin 16 of the display, and pin 16 of the motherboard to pin 15 of the display. I did this and it works fine. If you did the mod I suggested above, I would recommend changing to this mod because the 5V rail I used in the above post supplies all the logic, including the z80 processor. I don't know how much headroom that 5V regulator has, so I used the separate regulator (this post's mod) and it is working just fine.