"James Sweet" wrote in message
news:WU3ff.18013$rO4.7132@trnddc05...


I've got a Sharp with the same problem, bad LCD display unit.
Like you said they want way too much for a replacement. In my case
nearly 50 bucks just for the crystal module.
all else works fine on the oven, you just have to push the buttons
carefully to get whatever time and cooking level desired.( I'll find a
donor some day with a dead magnetron that'll hopefully have a good
display. Untill then it's push the buttons slowly and carefully.)

Is there room to drill a hole in the board on each side of where the
ribbon connects? If so you could cut a little block of aluminum, file it
so it has a ridge down the middle, then thread holes in the ends and screw
it to the board so the ridge presses on the ribbon and holds it to the
contacts.

Should be room on the later model Sharps. As these are layered boards, be
careful with the locations of the clamp holes. If necessary, use a plastic
strip for the clamp, held down with nylon thru screws (or rivets) or plastic
spacers as feed-thru bushings for the metal screws if the nylons aren't
available.

From what I've since read on Sharp ovens, problem contacts don't appear to
be the common failure mode. Still, for those lucky individuals where the
only prob may be dirty or loose contacts, this is a perfectly acceptable
fix -- actually, it would be a much superior method over the crummy original
design!