B*gger, B*gger, B*gger....20d damaged

[JohnH]

OK,

I win the DFOW :mad2: award for this. The usb cable wrapped up on my mount when slewing last night - put loads os strain on the tiny usb connection on the side of my 20d and now connection is only made if I push the cable in hard and hold it there. Relax the pressure and the connection is lost. Yes I tried a new cable - no luck. I have damaged t osocket on the 20d.

So a couple of questions:-

a) Where should I go for a repair job (I am in Sydney)
b) Any I dea how much this will cost me?

Fortunately there are no other issues with the camera except the usb connector.

You may be wondering how I could have been so slack (I know I am). Well it was cold, I was tired and had just had a frustrating night the previous night where my guiding was horrible - I tracked that problem down to poor polar alignment and flex in the guidescope focuser. Fixed that.

Next I swapped my imaging system from the DS-335 on the WO66 and QHY5 on the Vc200L to the 20D with a Sigma 17-70 for a widefield shot and the QHY on the WO66. I did not velcro all the cables to the 20d :doh:, I was anxious to start imaging, cold clear moonless night! My normal cables holders are placed for my normal setup - the 20d at prime on the WO66 or VC200L with the QHY5 on the opposite scope.

B*gger.:sadeyes:

I did get an image over the weekend though. A shot of M20 with the DS335 that is quite good and I can image with that while the camera gets fixed....

[[1ponders]]

Ow! Ow! Ow! :sad: Oh John I do feel for you, I cringed when I read the thread title. 'fraid I can't help with a service center. Best of luck.

[EzyStyles]

Hi John. under the plastic cover you'll find 2 screws, undo these and the panel comes out. check if the USB socket is properly screwed in tight to the circuit board. The cable might be slightly touching hence that is why you have to hold it to get a USB signal.

[JohnH]

Thanks Eric - did see those two screws - and was even brave enough to undo them - but the panel did not come free when I did so. Is there a method to getting the panel to come away?

Sounds to me like I may have cracked the solder where the socket firts into the PCB under there somewhere...might be an easy fix...hope so...

[EzyStyles]

hi john, the faceplate where the lcd screen is might have to come off first. try http://www.lrgb.com/20d.html

check solder on the usb socket, if it is off, solder back on. might be when skewing around, it yanked the usb socket out.

[JohnH]

Thanks Eric, I will have a look to see if I can fix tonight otherwise I have a quote of $200 from this outfit:

http://www.cameraservicecentre.powerup.com .au/default.htm

Anybody used them?

[acropolite]

John, I seem to remember seeing a thread on this very subject (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=28399&highlight=Damaged+USB)just recently. Seems the last IIS member they did this repair for in February, only paid $120 plus postage.

[Terry B]

This is correct. I feel there service was good. Cost me $120 plus postage . I think it was about $30 with insurance.

[Ian Robinson]

Try Michaels Camera Shop (I think that they are Melbourne) .

I can beat that .... I dropped my venerable old EXACTOR SLR with it 150mm f2 telephoto when I turned my anckle going doing the back stairs not so long ago .... you guessed it .... I let go of the camera and grabbed the handrail to save myself and so killed the camera and damaged the lens .... good thing I had included accidental damage in my home contents insurance policy , gettihg a new camera and lens as a result (soon I hope .... been approved just waiting for details so I can say YES PLEASE).

You might get a new camera body out of this from your insurer if they say the camera is unrepairable , in any case , your insurer will cover it's repairs and costs involved in shipping if you have the right inclusions .

I think all amateur astronomers should include accidential damage cover in their home insurance , things do get dropped , and sometimes they fall over get tripped over (in the dark and often onto hard surfaces) .....

[Alchemy]

doh, did the same with my 350d only broke a pin inside the connection. i feel your pain.

[Solanum]

Interesting timing, I just posted an adjacent thread about my stuff up with a Canon camera, and what good service I got from Canon themselves. You can set it up from their Aus website. The price wasn't too extortionate.... I paid $94 to have gunk cleaned off my CCD and that included a general cleanup of the body, postage and supposedly testing of all camera functions. I didn't want to risk the camera to a service centre I knew nothing about as I ain't got the cash to replace it....

However, they do have a $50 quote fee (only payable if you take it elsewhere after sending it to them).

[netwolf]

Ouch thats harsh will have to watch for that cable myself.
I recently dropped our A610 Canon camera in the water about 30cm deep and gave up all hope of fixing it. But i sent it with the wife to India to see if she could get anything done with it there. Well 50$ later and it looks and works like new apart from some scratches on the body. There are repairers out there that will do better than 200 i am sure but finding them is the trick. Good luck.

[space oddity]

I have a camera technician who I have been using for many years for my film cameras. His fees are very reasonable, although he is now open only on a Thursday night in the city. He also repairs digital cameras. contact 5 star camera repairs on 9264 8516 mobile 0410 590 991 . Hope you have success with your repair.

[Ian Robinson]

There was old semi retired german camera technician many years ago in Lambton who I took my old Exacter SLR and lenses to (I had inherited them from my granddad and they were quite old then) , he refurbished them so that they were good as new (even made parts) , too bad it's now dead and unrepairable. Was a great astrocamera.

If you have access to an expert camera technician , you are very lucky . Most the technicians in the camera shops I have dealt with (CameraHouse etc) are hopeless and wouldn't have a clue.

[Garyh]

Hope you get it up and running soon John,
Nearly done the same with the 300D a few times and catching it when the cable got tight but no damage luckily...phew
cheers

[JohnH]

Thanks for the tea and sympathy l feel a bit better now....

Eric, I took the side panel and back off the 20D last night but there is too much packed/glued in place etc for me to feel comfortable poking around, so I put it back together. The camera works fine and even the usb connection works - albeit only if the cable is plugged in "just so".

Based on Terry's experiance I am off to :

http://www.cameraservicecentre.power...au/default.htm

Tomorrow...~ $100 I can live with....

[JohnH]

Dropped off on the 8th and it was fixed and ready for collection on 13th, cost $150 PCB repaired rather than swapped saved on parts. Fast, friendly and recommended (though I hope you never need to use their services!)