Anton Browne <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >An earlier reply seems to suggest that a dead meter is not >repairable, I don't know about that, perhaps you could ring >a service facility and ask.
Note that both KXs I've worked on had identical symptoms. Since I verified that the problem with the meter was neither the photocells nor the galvanometer, that pretty much leaves the electronic circuitry on the meter board (which *is* getting power from the battery). The only active component I can find is a 10-pin surface-mount IC. If it's an op-amp I'll probably be able to come up with a replacement as long as I can determine the pinout. If it's an ASIC then the show's over. I suspect the former but havenlt investigated yet. The markings on the chips are "NEC 1005E593A" on one camera and "NEC 1005K572B" on the other. NEC is the manufacturer, 1005 is the chip designation and the last 4 characters are probably some kind of manufacturing code. Anyone have access to a semiconductor database to find out more about a "1005" chip made by NEC in a 10-pin SOIC package? I've seen an awful lot of KXs for sale on eBay that either admit the meter's not working or coyly say "I don't have batteries so I can't test the meter. Sold as is." More than for any other Pentax model. If it *is* the IC and I can find a substitute, I may buy a few and re-sell 'em! -- Mark Roberts Photography and writing www.robertstech.com