"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
.com...
I inherited a repair job that I can't get started because I can't get the
damn amp open.

It's a Galaxy Audio Core PA5X140 all-in-one PA. It's a tough little unit,
with a die-cast metal chassis set into a thick rugged plastic
(polypropylene?) case, that can sit on top of a mike stand. Similar to
this one: http://galaxyaudio.com/MSPA.jsp. The front of the chassis has 6
screws into the case, and there's one on the back I removed, but I still
can't get the chassis out of the case. I tried prying the case, thinking
there might be some cast-in lugs I could open, but no luck, and I didn't
want to risk chewing up the edge of the case.

Does anyone have any idea how to open up this unit?


--


Try emailing Galaxy and asking them ? They can only say no ...

Head up your email "Urgent - Please Pass to Service Department" You might
strike lucky and get a secretary that prints it out and passes it on without
'filtering' it. In my experience, most engineers don't mind helping others,
and unless the company has a really strict 'no help' policy, quite often if
you can get as far as direct communication with an engineer, you can get the
information you need.

Arfa

Hi!

Fine idea, and was my next tactic. As you say, what have I got
to lose?
It'll be interesting to see what kind of response I'll get. I've had
good luck with this approach in the past.

It will be interesting. Please do post back with their response.

Looking at the unit, I wondered if perhaps the cabinet was snapped
together internally at assembly time. I saw what to me looked like a
seam line, but the photos weren't really high resolution enough to
tell.

If that's true, it may mean that opening the unit will mar the finish
or break some/all of the things holding it together.

William

"William R. Walsh" wrote in message
...
Hi!

Fine idea, and was my next tactic. As you say, what have I got
to lose?
It'll be interesting to see what kind of response I'll get. I've had
good luck with this approach in the past.

It will be interesting. Please do post back with their response.

Looking at the unit, I wondered if perhaps the cabinet was snapped
together internally at assembly time. I saw what to me looked like a
seam line, but the photos weren't really high resolution enough to
tell.

If that's true, it may mean that opening the unit will mar the finish
or break some/all of the things holding it together.

William

Try fitting a piece of paper through the crack to see if it really is a
separate piece of metal.....Reminds me of the wooden beams that "hold up" my
living room ceiling.....Until I was able to put a sheet of paper between the
wall and the end of the beam.....turns out that its the other way
around....The ceiling is holding up the beams....:^)

On Sep 14, 5:03*pm, "Bill Graham" wrote:
"William R. Walsh" wrote in ...





Hi!

Fine idea, and was my next tactic. As you say, what have I got
to lose?
It'll be interesting to see what kind of response I'll get. I've had
good luck with this approach in the past.

It will be interesting. Please do post back with their response.

Looking at the unit, I wondered if perhaps the cabinet was snapped
together internally at assembly time. I saw what to me looked like a
seam line, but the photos weren't really high resolution enough to
tell.

If that's true, it may mean that opening the unit will mar the finish
or break some/all of the things holding it together.

William

*Try fitting a piece of paper through the crack to see if it really is a
separate piece of metal.....Reminds me of the wooden beams that "hold up" my
living room ceiling.....Until I was able to put a sheet of paper between the
wall and the end of the beam.....turns out that its the other way
around....The ceiling is holding up the beams....:^)- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Try dropping it if you don't hear from the manufacturer.

This product appears to be the pro-audio equivalent of most remote controls.

I'm sure most people in this group have noticed how remote controls are
generally held together with screws /and/ near-unreleasable tabs. I've never
understood why both are needed.

On 9/15/2010 9:52 AM William Sommerwerck spake thus:

This product appears to be the pro-audio equivalent of most remote controls.

I'm sure most people in this group have noticed how remote controls are
generally held together with screws /and/ near-unreleasable tabs. I've never
understood why both are needed.

No, it's not, and you're misunderstanding the packaging here.

There's a diecast metal front panel which covers the entire front of the
unit, with a deeply set grille for the speaker. Six screws attach the
metal panel to the plastic cabinet.

The plastic cabinet is ONE PIECE, totally seamless, covering the
remaining 5 sides. So it's not a clamshell like most remotes or
similarly packaged electronics.


--
The fashion in killing has an insouciant, flirty style this spring,
with the flaunting of well-defined muscle, wrapped in flags.

- Comment from an article on Antiwar.com (http://antiwar.com)

I'm sure most people in this group have noticed how remote
controls are generally held together with screws /and/ near-
unreleasable tabs. I've never understood why both are needed.

No, it's not, and you're misunderstanding the packaging here.

My point was about the /philosophy/ of the packaging. Why belts+suspenders,
when only one is needed?

On 9/15/2010 10:33 AM William Sommerwerck spake thus:

I'm sure most people in this group have noticed how remote
controls are generally held together with screws /and/ near-
unreleasable tabs. I've never understood why both are needed.

No, it's not, and you're misunderstanding the packaging here.

My point was about the /philosophy/ of the packaging. Why belts+suspenders,
when only one is needed?

Ah, so. Actually describes my problem here quite well; why doesn't this
damn thing open up when I remove the screws, which seemed to hold the
thing together quite securely?


--
The fashion in killing has an insouciant, flirty style this spring,
with the flaunting of well-defined muscle, wrapped in flags.

- Comment from an article on Antiwar.com (http://antiwar.com)

On Wed, 15 Sep 2010 10:33:24 -0700, William Sommerwerck wrote:

I'm sure most people in this group have noticed how remote controls
are generally held together with screws /and/ near- unreleasable tabs.
I've never understood why both are needed.

No, it's not, and you're misunderstanding the packaging here.

My point was about the /philosophy/ of the packaging. Why
belts+suspenders, when only one is needed?

I'd have to LMAO if the idiot still hasn't figured out how to get it
apart.

I'm sure it's snapped/latched together especially if the latch points are
not visible. It's a well adopted method to anyone who has even minor
experience




--
Live Fast, Die Young and Leave a Pretty Corpse

I'm sure most people in this group have noticed how remote
controls are generally held together with screws /and/ near-
unreleasable tabs. I've never understood why both are needed.

No, it's not, and you're misunderstanding the packaging here.

My point was about the /philosophy/ of the packaging.
Why belts+suspenders, when only one is needed?

I'd have to LMAO if the idiot still hasn't figured out how to
get it apart.

I'm sure it's snapped/latched together especially if the latch
points are not visible. It's a well-adopted method to anyone
who has even minor experience.

Not everyone knows everything about anything. It's interesting that, even
though you haven't seen the unit, you know "fer sure" how it fits together.

I've seen more than my share of remote controls that need tactical nuclear
weapons to dismantle, so I feel /some/ sympathy for this poster.

If the OP is still listening... It might be that you have to "pull like
hell" on the front. It might be that there are no latches, and the panel is
/so/ tight that it's stuck. You might also try removing the speaker (if
there are external screws holding it) and poking around inside.

On Wed, 15 Sep 2010 11:27:25 -0700, William Sommerwerck wrote:

I'm sure most people in this group have noticed how remote controls
are generally held together with screws /and/ near- unreleasable
tabs. I've never understood why both are needed.

No, it's not, and you're misunderstanding the packaging here.

My point was about the /philosophy/ of the packaging. Why
belts+suspenders, when only one is needed?

I'd have to LMAO if the idiot still hasn't figured out how to get it
apart.

I'm sure it's snapped/latched together especially if the latch points
are not visible. It's a well-adopted method to anyone who has even
minor experience.

Not everyone knows everything about anything. It's interesting that,
even though you haven't seen the unit, you know "fer sure" how it fits
together.

Yes I'm sure because it makes sense. Unless you can think of something
else that makes sense.



--
Live Fast, Die Young and Leave a Pretty Corpse

There's a diecast metal front panel which covers the entire front of the
unit, with a deeply set grille for the speaker. Six screws attach the
metal panel to the plastic cabinet.

The plastic cabinet is ONE PIECE, totally seamless, covering the
remaining 5 sides. So it's not a clamshell like most remotes or
similarly packaged electronics.

Many years ago, I had to take apart a Philbrick K2-XA (those of you
old enough to remember this op-amp will realize how long ago). I
couldn't figure it out and called the factory. One of the engineers
told me the plastic case came in two halves and they were glued
together at the factory. The cases were so cheap that when a unit came
back for repair the case was split with a chisel, and after the repair
was complete a new case was glued on.

Not everyone knows everything about anything. It's interesting
that, even though you haven't seen the unit, you know "fer sure"
how it fits together.

Yes I'm sure because it makes sense. Unless you can think
of something else that makes sense.

I like to say I would rather be wrong because I express a carefully
considered point of view, than right because I agree with everyone else. So
on that basis, I'm on your side.

I suspect that, as I said in the preceding post, something is badly stuck
and won't come loose. By "stuck", I do /not/ mean "held in place with
clips". I mean "jammed in some way".

"William Sommerwerck" wrote in
:

I'm sure most people in this group have noticed how
remote controls are generally held together with screws
/and/ near- unreleasable tabs. I've never understood why
both are needed.

No, it's not, and you're misunderstanding the packaging
here.

My point was about the /philosophy/ of the packaging. Why
belts+suspenders, when only one is needed?

Because an average remote gets dropped at least a few times a
week (my statistics), and is occasionally thrown at various
inanimate objects and assorted life forms.


--
"Anytime I hear the word "culture", I reach for my iPad."
- 21st Century Humanoid

"thanatoid"

What a handle -- "the form of death".

David Nebenzahl wrote:

On 9/15/2010 9:52 AM William Sommerwerck spake thus:

This product appears to be the pro-audio equivalent of most remote
controls.

I'm sure most people in this group have noticed how remote controls are
generally held together with screws /and/ near-unreleasable tabs. I've
never
understood why both are needed.


No, it's not, and you're misunderstanding the packaging here.

There's a diecast metal front panel which covers the entire front of the
unit, with a deeply set grille for the speaker. Six screws attach the
metal panel to the plastic cabinet.

The plastic cabinet is ONE PIECE, totally seamless, covering the
remaining 5 sides. So it's not a clamshell like most remotes or
similarly packaged electronics.


it most likely has a sealant between the front and plastic case to
prevent vibration at the seem, which is common with that type of
construction.. These things will stick like mild glue..

With the screws half way, wrap the unit in a soft wrap of some kind
like foam rubber so you don't scratch it, rest it on a pillow and use
something like a piece of wood to hit lightly against the screws that
are half way out.. The shock should push on the plastic behind and break
the bond!.

"Jamie" t wrote in message
...
David Nebenzahl wrote:

On 9/15/2010 9:52 AM William Sommerwerck spake thus:

This product appears to be the pro-audio equivalent of most remote
controls.

I'm sure most people in this group have noticed how remote controls are
generally held together with screws /and/ near-unreleasable tabs. I've
never
understood why both are needed.


No, it's not, and you're misunderstanding the packaging here.

There's a diecast metal front panel which covers the entire front of the
unit, with a deeply set grille for the speaker. Six screws attach the
metal panel to the plastic cabinet.

The plastic cabinet is ONE PIECE, totally seamless, covering the
remaining 5 sides. So it's not a clamshell like most remotes or similarly
packaged electronics.


it most likely has a sealant between the front and plastic case to
prevent vibration at the seem, which is common with that type of
construction.. These things will stick like mild glue..

With the screws half way, wrap the unit in a soft wrap of some kind
like foam rubber so you don't scratch it, rest it on a pillow and use
something like a piece of wood to hit lightly against the screws that are
half way out.. The shock should push on the plastic behind and break
the bond!.



Ha! I was just about to come in with exactly the same observation, and you
beat me to it ! Quite a few of these powered speakers follow that general
style of construction, and it's common for something like the self adhesive
draught excluder foam strip that you fit around door and window frames, to
be used to form an airtight seal between the ally casting and the heavy
plastic case. It's not uncommon for this stuff to stick like a bitch when
it's been clamped up in that joint for a few years. If there genuinely is
just the six screws holding the front to the case, then likely as not, the
answer is just going to be brute force. Is there even the tiniest gap that
you could perhaps get something like a wide wood chisel into to see if you
can spring the plastic away from the metal a little ?

Arfa

"William Sommerwerck" wrote in
:

"thanatoid"

What a handle -- "the form of death".

Wow, I certainly DO appreciate you explaining it to me!

Sigh.


--
"Anytime I hear the word "culture", I reach for my iPad."
- 21st Century Humanoid

"thanatoid"
What a handle -- "the form of death".

Wow, I certainly DO appreciate you explaining
it to me! Sigh.

I wasn't explaining it... I was acknowledging it. Clever.

On 9/15/2010 1:03 PM Ron Weston spake thus:

There's a diecast metal front panel which covers the entire front
of the unit, with a deeply set grille for the speaker. Six screws
attach the metal panel to the plastic cabinet.

The plastic cabinet is ONE PIECE, totally seamless, covering the
remaining 5 sides. So it's not a clamshell like most remotes or
similarly packaged electronics.

Many years ago, I had to take apart a Philbrick K2-XA (those of you
old enough to remember this op-amp will realize how long ago). I
couldn't figure it out and called the factory. One of the engineers
told me the plastic case came in two halves and they were glued
together at the factory. The cases were so cheap that when a unit came
back for repair the case was split with a chisel, and after the repair
was complete a new case was glued on.

Heh; I'm totally not familiar with this device (almost old enough to be,
though), so when reading this I had visions of splitting open a 14-pin
DIP with a chisel, fixing it and gluing it back together.

Now *that* would be some repair.


--
The fashion in killing has an insouciant, flirty style this spring,
with the flaunting of well-defined muscle, wrapped in flags.

- Comment from an article on Antiwar.com (http://antiwar.com)

Arfa Daily wrote in message
...


"Jamie" t wrote in
message
...
David Nebenzahl wrote:

On 9/15/2010 9:52 AM William Sommerwerck spake thus:

This product appears to be the pro-audio equivalent of most remote
controls.

I'm sure most people in this group have noticed how remote controls
are
generally held together with screws /and/ near-unreleasable tabs. I've
never
understood why both are needed.


No, it's not, and you're misunderstanding the packaging here.

There's a diecast metal front panel which covers the entire front of
the
unit, with a deeply set grille for the speaker. Six screws attach the
metal panel to the plastic cabinet.

The plastic cabinet is ONE PIECE, totally seamless, covering the
remaining 5 sides. So it's not a clamshell like most remotes or
similarly
packaged electronics.


it most likely has a sealant between the front and plastic case to
prevent vibration at the seem, which is common with that type of
construction.. These things will stick like mild glue..

With the screws half way, wrap the unit in a soft wrap of some kind
like foam rubber so you don't scratch it, rest it on a pillow and use
something like a piece of wood to hit lightly against the screws that
are
half way out.. The shock should push on the plastic behind and break
the bond!.



Ha! I was just about to come in with exactly the same observation, and you
beat me to it ! Quite a few of these powered speakers follow that general
style of construction, and it's common for something like the self
adhesive
draught excluder foam strip that you fit around door and window frames, to
be used to form an airtight seal between the ally casting and the heavy
plastic case. It's not uncommon for this stuff to stick like a bitch when
it's been clamped up in that joint for a few years. If there genuinely is
just the six screws holding the front to the case, then likely as not, the
answer is just going to be brute force. Is there even the tiniest gap that
you could perhaps get something like a wide wood chisel into to see if you
can spring the plastic away from the metal a little ?

Arfa


The allied problem (Mackie powered speakers particularly) is long lazy
thread screws jammed into the plastic close to the point of shearing if
undoing them. I made a heated long shaft screwdriver for this, soldering
iron heater slid over the shaft.

"William Sommerwerck" wrote in
:

"thanatoid"
What a handle -- "the form of death".

Wow, I certainly DO appreciate you explaining
it to me! Sigh.

I wasn't explaining it... I was acknowledging it. Clever.

OK. Sorry. :-)

Oops! Sorry! %-# !!!

Not that clever, really, I was very depressed and suicidal for
most of my life. Recently I have been feeling better, but that's
another subject.


--
"Anytime I hear the word "culture", I reach for my iPad."
- 21st Century Humanoid

Not that clever, really. I was very depressed and suicidal for
most of my life. Recently I have been feeling better, but that's
another subject.

Welcome to the club. I have a very morbid personality. The German Requiem --
especially "All flesh is as grass" -- is my idea of light, frothy music. The
compensation is that I have a terrific sense of humor, which seems to go
with chronic depression -- qv, Brahms and Lincoln.

I would never try to talk someone out of their depression. There's often a
good reason for it, and drugs don't solve the problem.

On 9/16/2010 8:06 AM thanatoid spake thus:

"William Sommerwerck" wrote in
:

"thanatoid"
What a handle -- "the form of death".

Wow, I certainly DO appreciate you explaining
it to me! Sigh.

I wasn't explaining it... I was acknowledging it. Clever.

OK. Sorry. :-)

Oops! Sorry! %-# !!!

Not that clever, really, I was very depressed and suicidal for
most of my life. Recently I have been feeling better, but that's
another subject.

I'm sorry to hear that (that you're feeling better, that is).


--
The fashion in killing has an insouciant, flirty style this spring,
with the flaunting of well-defined muscle, wrapped in flags.

- Comment from an article on Antiwar.com (http://antiwar.com)

"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
.com...
On 9/15/2010 10:33 AM William Sommerwerck spake thus:

I'm sure most people in this group have noticed how remote
controls are generally held together with screws /and/ near-
unreleasable tabs. I've never understood why both are needed.

No, it's not, and you're misunderstanding the packaging here.

My point was about the /philosophy/ of the packaging. Why
belts+suspenders,
when only one is needed?

Ah, so. Actually describes my problem here quite well; why doesn't this
damn thing open up when I remove the screws, which seemed to hold the
thing together quite securely?

Perhaps it will.....Have you used sufficient force?

On 9/16/2010 6:26 PM Bill Graham spake thus:

"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
.com...

On 9/15/2010 10:33 AM William Sommerwerck spake thus:

I'm sure most people in this group have noticed how remote
controls are generally held together with screws /and/ near-
unreleasable tabs. I've never understood why both are needed.

No, it's not, and you're misunderstanding the packaging here.

My point was about the /philosophy/ of the packaging. Why
belts+suspenders, when only one is needed?

Ah, so. Actually describes my problem here quite well; why doesn't
this damn thing open up when I remove the screws, which seemed to
hold the thing together quite securely?

Perhaps it will.....Have you used sufficient force?

More force is definitely not the answer (despite the many jokes here
about dynamite, angle grinders, etc.)

The key was removing the nut around a phone jack on the back of the
case, which you'd know if you read through the rest of the thread.


--
The fashion in killing has an insouciant, flirty style this spring,
with the flaunting of well-defined muscle, wrapped in flags.

- Comment from an article on Antiwar.com (http://antiwar.com)

"Jamie" t wrote in message
...
David Nebenzahl wrote:

On 9/15/2010 9:52 AM William Sommerwerck spake thus:

This product appears to be the pro-audio equivalent of most remote
controls.

I'm sure most people in this group have noticed how remote controls are
generally held together with screws /and/ near-unreleasable tabs. I've
never
understood why both are needed.


No, it's not, and you're misunderstanding the packaging here.

There's a diecast metal front panel which covers the entire front of the
unit, with a deeply set grille for the speaker. Six screws attach the
metal panel to the plastic cabinet.

The plastic cabinet is ONE PIECE, totally seamless, covering the
remaining 5 sides. So it's not a clamshell like most remotes or similarly
packaged electronics.


it most likely has a sealant between the front and plastic case to
prevent vibration at the seem, which is common with that type of
construction.. These things will stick like mild glue..

With the screws half way, wrap the unit in a soft wrap of some kind
like foam rubber so you don't scratch it, rest it on a pillow and use
something like a piece of wood to hit lightly against the screws that are
half way out.. The shock should push on the plastic behind and break
the bond!.

Yes.....Even if you were to crack the plastic, cracked plastic is a fairly
easy thing to fix, and/or live with. Consider cutting a large hole in the
back, which can later be covered with a glued- on piece of plastic, and used
as an inspection/access hole in the interim. ( I belong to the, "get a
bigger hammer" school of maintenance....:^)

"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
.com...
On 9/16/2010 6:26 PM Bill Graham spake thus:

"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
.com...

On 9/15/2010 10:33 AM William Sommerwerck spake thus:

I'm sure most people in this group have noticed how remote controls
are generally held together with screws /and/ near- unreleasable
tabs. I've never understood why both are needed.

No, it's not, and you're misunderstanding the packaging here.

My point was about the /philosophy/ of the packaging. Why
belts+suspenders, when only one is needed?

Ah, so. Actually describes my problem here quite well; why doesn't
this damn thing open up when I remove the screws, which seemed to
hold the thing together quite securely?

Perhaps it will.....Have you used sufficient force?

More force is definitely not the answer (despite the many jokes here about
dynamite, angle grinders, etc.)

The key was removing the nut around a phone jack on the back of the case,
which you'd know if you read through the rest of the thread.

As you probably know from reading my posts on other forums, David, I do my
emailing serially, and seldom have the time or inclination to, "Read the
rest of the thread." For one thing, I only get to email at all for a short
time each day, and I try, as far as I can, to be helpful during that short
time. I would think that you would be a little kinder to those of us who are
trying to help you with your problem.....You treat all of us like we are
just a bunch of smart asses, even though there are some of us who would
really like to help you.....If you would prefer, I can always put you in my
kill file, so I won't "waste your time" in the future.

Even if you were to crack the plastic, cracked plastic
is a fairly easy thing to fix, and/or live with.

True, but cracking the case will sometimes crack the PC board. This happened
to me with an irreplaceable Toshiba remote.

David Nebenzahl wrote in
.com:

On 9/16/2010 8:06 AM thanatoid spake thus:

snip

Not that clever, really, I was very depressed and suicidal
for most of my life. Recently I have been feeling better,
but that's another subject.

I'm sorry to hear that (that you're feeling better, that
is).

In a way, so am I, BION.

(For one thing, I /may/ have to think of another nick, although
something tells me you - and dozens of other friends I have made
on the Usenet over the years - might like to help me out with
that daunting task... '****brain' is probably already taken, but
please feel free to suggest other suitable nicks!)

Anyway, it's not worth explaining depression to someone who
probably has little understanding of the ways of the human
brain, let alone of the mystifying intricacies of audio cable
construction.


--
"Anytime I hear the word "culture", I reach for my iPad."
- 21st Century Humanoid

thanatoid wrote:

David Nebenzahl wrote in
.com:

On 9/16/2010 8:06 AM thanatoid spake thus:

snip

Not that clever, really, I was very depressed and suicidal
for most of my life. Recently I have been feeling better,
but that's another subject.

I'm sorry to hear that (that you're feeling better, that
is).

In a way, so am I, BION.

(For one thing, I /may/ have to think of another nick, although
something tells me you - and dozens of other friends I have made
on the Usenet over the years - might like to help me out with
that daunting task... '****brain' is probably already taken, but
please feel free to suggest other suitable nicks!)


'Dimbulb' is already taken on most of the sci.electronics groups.
OTOH, he has 90 sock puppets you could steal. ;-)


Anyway, it's not worth explaining depression to someone who
probably has little understanding of the ways of the human
brain, let alone of the mystifying intricacies of audio cable
construction.


The same goes for pain 24/7.


--
Politicians should only get paid if the budget is balanced, and there is
enough left over to pay them.