Today on the bench we have the Boss DR-5.
It's essentially a very fancy metronome. So fancy, in fact, that it not only replaces the time keeping of a drummer, but also the drummer themselves, the bassist, the keyboardist, and so on and so forth. It's basically a backing band in a box, and specifically targeted at guitarists, as the grid of keys on the left hand side is laid out like guitar frets rather than the more traditional piano keyboard arrangement.
Sadly this backing band doesn't run on cheetos and lukewarm starbucks, so we need to either feed it batteries or plug it into the wall. As per usual with these sorts of devices, it takes 9v center-negative.
And this was the power supply the seller included... not really sure why.
Well anyway, I have no shortage of compatible wall warts so whatever. In the meantime I'll power this up with my bench supply.
And there it is, the reported problem. "BackUp Err!!" it says, having depleted its internal CR2032 lithium battery. Obviously we're gonna have to dive inside to fix this, so out come the screws.
Things are really clean inside, which is a refreshing change from the amount of soda-damaged gear I've been dealing with lately. The coin cell is up there on the main PCB, while the panel PCB remains fixed to the top shell for now.
I find it amusing how varied the lifetime of these cells is. I've had some gear from the mid 80s where I check the voltage and it's still hovering around 3v. This one, though, not so much.
The good news, at least, is that there's no sign of alkaline schmoo in the regular battery compartment. In fact there's no real sign that batteries were ever even installed.
Again, a welcome sight. Not everything escaped battery damage, though. The motherboard got a light dusting of lithium schmoo, which is barely visible.
Well, perhaps calling it "damage" is a bit extreme. The crusty trace of electrolyte wiped away with a bit of vinegar, per the usual cleaning methodology.
And, per usual, the old battery goes straight in the bin. In its place goes a 2032 coin cell holder, stuck down with a bit of velcro, and with its leads soldered into place.
In some number of years, someone will probably thank me for this. That someone might be me, who knows?
Anyway, the new battery is alive and well, so let's move on.
To revive this unit and get past the "BackUp Err!!" screen, we need to perform a quick factory reset, which is done by holding down the two "Fret" buttons while powering the unit on.
Then you confirm (twice) that you do, indeed, want to factory reset, and then everything is back to normal.
Well, normal save for all the filth. So out comes the panel PCB.
And here's a few final glam shots of the hand cheese before it's banished to the land of wind and ghosts.
It's time to Mr Sparkle this case.
And the switch membranes, while I'm at it.
Wash away the sins of your past life, you are baptized anew.
And with everything dried off and back together, it's looking, and working, almost as good as new. As close as it's gonna get, at least.
So what am I going to do with this box? Well that's a great question and I'm glad you asked.
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