Fender Passport 150
 

Hi,

some of you may be familiar with this all Chinese design badged "Fender".

http://edu.znate.ru/tw_files2/urls_2..._m3d62dc1a.jpg

Odd looking but quite functional with a pair of 80W Hitachi mosfet amplifiers and inside a regulated SMPS in the bottom of main unit.

One arrive last week *dripping water* out the main unit and both speakers - seems it had been caught in a flood about 10 days previously and was immersed up to the line of the XLR sockets.

( Why do people think it OK to let the water remain inside and do its worst for so long ?? )

Got the speakers apart first, removed the four drivers, towelled off the surface water and let the lot sit out in the sun for a couple of days. It had become rather smelly and the only fix I know is sunlight.

Next, the main unit ( also smelly) had to be completely disassembled, a huge number of screws involved, to gain access the SMPS which has its own enclosure right at the bottom - it was still soaking wet.

Pulled out the PCB and fan and gave that a good wash in the sink followed by a half hour in the oven at about 80C. The PCB need scrubbing to remove the white residue of dissolving solder - as did the amp PCB.

Used up plenty of PCB spray cleaner and then applied WD40 with a soft brush to every metal surface and connector. Then left it all out in the sun too.

Tested the SMPS first with a dummy load and blow me down it worked fine. Attached the rest of the electronics and they worked OK too. Re-assembled and tested the speakers and found they had also survived.

Naturally, I let the main unit run for many hours to make sure there were no issues with hidden moisture.

On informing the customer of my success he asked:

" was there much to do" ?



..... Phil

Fender Passport 150
 

Phil Allison kom med følgende:
Hi,

some of you may be familiar with this all Chinese design badged "Fender".

http://edu.znate.ru/tw_files2/urls_2..._m3d62dc1a.jpg

Odd looking but quite functional with a pair of 80W Hitachi mosfet amplifiers
and inside a regulated SMPS in the bottom of main unit.

One arrive last week *dripping water* out the main unit and both speakers -
seems it had been caught in a flood about 10 days previously and was immersed
up to the line of the XLR sockets.

( Why do people think it OK to let the water remain inside and do its worst
for so long ?? )

Got the speakers apart first, removed the four drivers, towelled off the
surface water and let the lot sit out in the sun for a couple of days. It had
become rather smelly and the only fix I know is sunlight.

Next, the main unit ( also smelly) had to be completely disassembled, a huge
number of screws involved, to gain access the SMPS which has its own
enclosure right at the bottom - it was still soaking wet.

Pulled out the PCB and fan and gave that a good wash in the sink followed by
a half hour in the oven at about 80C. The PCB need scrubbing to remove the
white residue of dissolving solder - as did the amp PCB.

Used up plenty of PCB spray cleaner and then applied WD40 with a soft brush
to every metal surface and connector. Then left it all out in the sun too.

Tested the SMPS first with a dummy load and blow me down it worked fine.
Attached the rest of the electronics and they worked OK too. Re-assembled and
tested the speakers and found they had also survived.

Naturally, I let the main unit run for many hours to make sure there were no
issues with hidden moisture.

On informing the customer of my success he asked:

" was there much to do" ?

What was your bill?
What is the cost of a new one?
Was the customer ensured?
What warranty do you offer on the repair?

Will it ruin the show if this speaker dies during a performance?

In short, while the repair was heroic, I would have turned down the
customer, or at least informed of the risk of future failure.

Leif

--
Husk kørelys bagpå, hvis din bilfabrikant har taget den idiotiske
beslutning at undlade det.

Fender Passport 150
 

On 03/11/2014 13:46, Leif Neland wrote:
Phil Allison kom med følgende:
Hi,

some of you may be familiar with this all Chinese design badged "Fender".
http://edu.znate.ru/tw_files2/urls_2..._m3d62dc1a.jpg

Odd looking but quite functional with a pair of 80W Hitachi mosfet
amplifiers and inside a regulated SMPS in the bottom of main unit.
One arrive last week *dripping water* out the main unit and both
speakers - seems it had been caught in a flood about 10 days
previously and was immersed up to the line of the XLR sockets.

( Why do people think it OK to let the water remain inside and do its
worst for so long ?? )

Got the speakers apart first, removed the four drivers, towelled off
the surface water and let the lot sit out in the sun for a couple of
days. It had become rather smelly and the only fix I know is sunlight.
Next, the main unit ( also smelly) had to be completely disassembled,
a huge number of screws involved, to gain access the SMPS which has
its own enclosure right at the bottom - it was still soaking wet.
Pulled out the PCB and fan and gave that a good wash in the sink
followed by a half hour in the oven at about 80C. The PCB need
scrubbing to remove the white residue of dissolving solder - as did
the amp PCB.
Used up plenty of PCB spray cleaner and then applied WD40 with a soft
brush to every metal surface and connector. Then left it all out in
the sun too.
Tested the SMPS first with a dummy load and blow me down it worked
fine. Attached the rest of the electronics and they worked OK too.
Re-assembled and tested the speakers and found they had also survived.
Naturally, I let the main unit run for many hours to make sure there
were no issues with hidden moisture.
On informing the customer of my success he asked:

" was there much to do" ?

What was your bill?
What is the cost of a new one?
Was the customer ensured?
What warranty do you offer on the repair?

Will it ruin the show if this speaker dies during a performance?

In short, while the repair was heroic, I would have turned down the
customer, or at least informed of the risk of future failure.

Leif


Seawater or tap/rain water? Powered up or on standby when flooded?

Fender Passport 150
 

Leif Neland


What was your bill?
What is the cost of a new one?


** Been in the repair game long enough not to make that sort of mistake.

My bill is well below the price one pays on eBay for similar examples.


Was the customer ensured?

** Not my problem.

What warranty do you offer on the repair?


** Same as ever - that my workmanship was without fault.

No new parts were used.


Will it ruin the show if this speaker dies during a performance?


** That is always a risk, any time you rely on a piece of gear.


In short, while the repair was heroic, I would have turned down the
customer, or at least informed of the risk of future failure.


** A lot of tech may have done that - cos they have simply not my experience with recovering water soaked audio gear.

I have seen and restored far worse.




..... Phil

Fender Passport 150
 

N_Cook wrote:



Seawater or tap/rain water?

** Clean water by the look of it - Sydney had a big storm a couple of weeks back.


Powered up or on standby when flooded?

** In storage, far as I know.

The owner was smart enough NOT to try powering it up wet.


..... Phil