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Forum Index : Electronics : K265 Digital Panel Meter Interface Kit
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norcold Guru  Joined: 06/02/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 670 |
Have recently constructed Oatley`s K265 Kit, with no joy. Oatley`s reply when queryied was I must have erred. I do not believe this is so, it is a very simple kit. Am just wondering if any of you folks have constructed this kit,as am starting to consider the kit is the problem not me. Whilst I believe I can solder in components correctly, I do not have a very good understanding of circuits(dumb arse plumber  ). The kit provides two isolated power supplies to the DPM`s. There is no output voltage from either Have successfully constructed Oatley`s K24A1 Charge controller and it is in service. We come from the land downunder. Vic |
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5036 |
Hi norcold Could you check that kit number, K265 points to a "ALTERNATIVE ENERGY BATTERY CHARGE MONITOR KIT" Could be a faulty part, hard to say, time to fire up the multimeter and start testing. Sometimes its easy to overlook something, maybe a component thats wrong way around, or incorrect value. The circuit would work, its just a matter of working out why you's doesn't. But dont feel too bad, I once put together a Dick Smith kit, a multi discharge ignition module, and couldn't get it to work. It kept blowing the expensive MOSFETS as soon as it was powered up. DSE sent some replacements, but it blew those too. As a ex-electronics technician, it was pretty embarrasing. I was sure there must have been a design problem with the circuit, but fact is hundreds of these kits had been sold and worked OK. I gave up in the end, it was costing me more in blown fets than the kit was worth. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| norcold Guru Joined: 06/02/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 670 |
Glen, Kit nos correct. K265 comes in 2 forms. One wth the DPM`s one without, got the one with the DPM`s. Printed instructions that came with it lists it as K265 Digital Panel Meter Interface Kit, although on the web site its a K265 Alternative Energy Battery Charge Monitor Kit. Played with it again cannot see where I`ve gone wrong. Have checked a few of the resistors for correct value, unsoldering one tab, but thats the limit of my ability with a multimeter. Guess its going to go into the failed-leave for another day box. Like Oatley say they have 100`s out there, and I guess its not worth their effort to offer for me to return and have them check and rectify. Vic We come from the land downunder. Vic |
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| RossW Guru Joined: 25/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 495 |
Just had a look at that kit, and it certainly seems pretty straightforward. Like you and Glenn, I know how darn frustrating it can be when something should work but doesn't - and compounded when the supplier doesn't want to help. Fortunately, the only time it happened to me it was a (subsequently proovable) component fault :) I don't generally do this - but if you want to bundle it up and post it to me, I'll see if I can fix it for you. No charge except for any actual components, and the return postage :) |
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| norcold Guru Joined: 06/02/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 670 |
RossW, Many thanks for your offer, will take you up on this as it has become beyond me, just email me your postal address, I`ll bundle lot up with printed instructions and some coin for return potage etc. In forum settings I`ve allowed private messages. I`ll probably end up eating crow, please don`t spare the whip if that is so. Only way I seem to learn.ie hard way. Again Many Thanks Vic We come from the land downunder. Vic |
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Tinker Guru Joined: 07/11/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1904 |
Vic, have you looked at the track side with a powerful magnifying glass? Its easy to plant a tiny sliver of solder across the wrong place  .
I would go over it joint by joint & track by track, magnifying glass in one hand and a sharp item (tweezer point) in the other and poke carefully around every bit of flux to see if a solder sliver is trapped. Or its perhaps a dry solder joint? If that finds nothing I would use the magnifier on the component side to check every item in detail to look for damage or wrong insertion. I guess you are aware that some LCD panel meters do need extra links at their terminals (ref in to ref out comes to mind) to make them work? If still no joy perhaps the kind offer above and some humble pie might solve your dilemma. Klaus |
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| RossW Guru Joined: 25/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 495 |
Vic, your box turned up this morning in the mail. I had a quick look for the obvious things - wired wrong etc. Looked ok. I set the lab supply up for a VERY limited current (100mA max) and 12.5V, powered it on and nothing. Zero. Zip Zilch. At least I was able to reproduce your fault :) Couple of quick pokes with the multimeter and there's no output volts to the DPMs. Looked at the circuit and figured I'd have a quick poke. Turned on the CRO which was conveniently still there after I hadn't put it back away last time :) No output from the oscillator. Worse yet, no volts on the hot side of T1. Q1 emitter showed similarly nothing, and it's base had around 0.8V. That looked wrong. Close look at the zener and it doesn't look like a zener to me, and it tests leaky as heck anyway. Replaced it with a 9V1 per the schematic. Powered back up, still nothing - but at least I had 9.1V on the base of Q1 now, thats a good start. Emitter still shows a few millivolts only, and some noise. Pulled it out. Tested it, and nothing happening. Seems to be open circuit inside. Not sure what a 2N5551 specs are offhand, but in the application it can't need much. Grabbed a 2N4401 which is good for 600mA. Stuck that back in. Turned power back on and before I could even get to measure volts, the DPMs are both showing. Amps showing 000.0, volts showing 125.8 Adjusted the lab supply up and down a bit, the volts meter tracked. Looks like you need to move the decimal point. Most of these things have a jumper or track to cut and solder a link in to set the decimal point - I can't see it on these, but you may have the paperwork for them. I connected a half-amp load and the current meter showed 005.8, so looks like it needs the same thing done. I won't get a chance to get back to the post office today but will send it back to you shortly. Looking at the circuit, I'm not sure what would be the likely cause of the failure. My initial guess would be reverse-polarity - there would be a high current path through ZD1, in to Q1 base, out its collector - all of which would be forward biased under reverse polarity conditions, and let out the magic smoke that way. Is it possible you had an "oopsee" moment? ----- Was about to post, but thought I better check what a 5551 is really good for. Spec sheet says 600mA (same as the 4401). Max dissipation is 625mW for both. The 4401 HFE is slightly higher but that's not really any benefit here. The 5551 has a surprisingly high Vceo of 160V vs only 40V for the 4401 - but if you're using it on 12V, that isn't a problem. The one thing that DOES stand out though is that the silkscreen on the PC board appears to be wrong! If you installed the transistor per the silkscreen (and why wouldn't you?) you have emitter and collector arse about. Its only because I looked where the tracks went and put the emitter and collector where they needed to be, that I didn't muck it up myself with the replacement! Shame on you oatley. They should post an addendum with the kit IMHO, warning people its wrong. (They might have, I don't know). Anyway, she's going mate. Took longer to type and research the reply than it did to fix :) Edit: After typing this, I checked oatleys site for the DPM hoping there might be a spec sheet. Of course, there wasn't. A quick google turned up the answer though, and in the time it took the desoldering iron to warm back up, I sucked off the two bridges on the 10's DP and bridged the 100's and now it's displaying the right decades. I haven't calibrated it for you, have to leave you SOMETHING to do :) |
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| norcold Guru Joined: 06/02/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 670 |
Ross, Nope no magic smoke,no sparks was totally dead. Would you have any problem if I emailed your assesment to Oatley, I think they should be informed so they can rectify silkscreening, that way "paint by number" kit constructors like me may keep our hair a little longer. That`s one I owe you 
Many Thanks Vic We come from the land downunder. Vic |
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| RossW Guru Joined: 25/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 495 |
All I wrote is what I did, so feel free. |
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| norcold Guru Joined: 06/02/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 670 |
RossW Rather than emailing your assesment I emailed a link to this thread, to the fellow at Oatley who answered my original request.Considered that would explain it all. Trust Oatley investigate as have found their other kits I`ve built no drama. Many Thanks Vic We come from the land downunder. Vic |
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| RossW Guru Joined: 25/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 495 |
No worries mate. If they want to contact me about it, they're welcome to. Your parcel was posted at 9:22am yesterday morning (wednesday 13Apr). I'd intended to stick the change in the box - but the postoffice person was far too quick/efficient and whipped the sticker on it and had the box gone before I could do it. Do you have a paypal account I can xfer you the change that way? |
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| norcold Guru Joined: 06/02/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 670 |
RossW Change!! without your help that kit would have spent the rest of its life in my junk box. Lets just drink to our good health. What`s the odds Oatley will reply. Must be some gamblers out there. Many Thanks Vic We come from the land downunder. Vic |
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| RossW Guru Joined: 25/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 495 |
Has that parcel turned up yet Vic? If not, it can't be far away - I should have sent it by homing pigeon - be quicker! |
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| norcold Guru Joined: 06/02/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 670 |
Not yet Ross, but I live in the back blocks- Cobb & Co are calling in this month(I think!!), no word from Oatley as yet. We come from the land downunder. Vic |
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| norcold Guru Joined: 06/02/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 670 |
RossW, Cobb & Co come good, wired into meter box and working. Calibrated voltage with a known source was only a smidgeon out and got amperage pretty close but will take out of service and calibrate accurately with a more even source than mill. I note Q1 around opposite to silk screening, bloody Oately, just don`t understand how the 100`s they claim to have out there could work. Many Thanks Ross, you are a gem. We come from the land downunder. Vic |
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| RossW Guru Joined: 25/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 495 |
Bloody ripper mate. I was beginnign to get worried that it'd got lost in the mail, and thinking I really SHOULD have taken the registered/insured option! As for the backwards silkscreen - I dunno, perhaps they supplied bad transistors that had been packaged back-to-front :) Either way, glad it turned up, hope it all does what you want. Looked like a reasonable kit (problems not withstanding), and glad to have helped out. R. |
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| windlight Guru Joined: 03/03/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 331 |
Oatley in my experience are no known for accurate work, look at the PDF for this kit (K023)and note the motor drive, their motor magically works with 12v+ on each terminal, I did draw their attention to the schematic error but................. http://secure.oatleyelectronics.com//product_info.php?cPath= 100_102&products_id=181&osCsid=e2c897edd612d589b22b2ff950669 a0d allan "I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it" - (Act II, Scene IV). |
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| norcold Guru Joined: 06/02/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 670 |
I believe Oatley`s original response and lack of any further response to my little problem, shows they have little after sales support. I hope I am wrong on this as I wish to support kit manufacturers. The enjoyment from constructing successfully such kits is why I do it, and Oatley is one of a few Aussie kit manufactureers. Windlight you have pointed out another example. After retiring from 35 years in business, I found courtesy to a customers concerns mostly only cost time intially but saved time in future dealings with that customer. Oatley`s apparent lack of such coutesy, shows the value they place on my custom. We come from the land downunder. Vic |
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| norcold Guru Joined: 06/02/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 670 |
Just an update on this. Have received no answer or acknowledgement from Oatley, but just received an email flyer on some new kits they have. Have not received a flyer before although have dealt with them for many years. Interesting but they certainly are very ordinary, trust they never try to sell on ebay, feedback would wreck them. We come from the land downunder. Vic |
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| RossW Guru Joined: 25/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 495 |
Thats disappointing to hear. More relevant however - how's the whole thing going for *you*? All calibrated up ok and is doing the right thing? I trust? |
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