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View Full Version : Epilog Summit RF board and fried components- Fixable, and if so where can it be done?



Charlie Hawkins
12-28-2015, 12:57 PM
Hi All,
I am having fun with my first laser engraver, and today I separated it from the stand and removed the board that has the fried capacitor/coil tuned circuit. My question is- does anyone have access to parts for the Epilog Summit, or is there surplus boards or components available? The heat was pretty intense, and it separated the trace from the board where it fried. I have included pictures of the other intact board that still works, and fires that half of the laser tube. I can replace components, as they are 'Manly' things, and not the new SMT style that need a lot of special tools/soldering techniques. As you can see, the board may be beyond repair, which might necessitate a removal and replacement. Anyone have an idea where these might be found, as in Epilog or a laser repair, or even someone who has one that may be dead motherboard, etc? I would like to get it working on a full laser and as cheaply as possible. Thanks again, I have gotten a lot of info from all of your posts and wealth of knowledge!

Charlie

Bill George
12-28-2015, 1:42 PM
My only suggestion other than the help from here would be an eBay vender. I don't know if you can do a search to locate one or put a want to buy on eBay. The board looks pretty bad to me, something that I would not attempt and I have fixed things in the past when I could. I have 2 large screen Samsung TV's that I brought back from the dead.

Charlie Hawkins
12-28-2015, 2:59 PM
The board used RF power transistors that could be used in an HF amp at one time, the MRF427 is good to 30Mhz, and the SD1407 drivers are also similar usage. Te board is a fairly easy design, and the component that fried is a tuned coil/capacitor with a mica decoupling cap in it also. I think the board may not be repairable, as the trace is lifted from the heat, but perhaps a piece of brass shim could be used to bridge where the trace is. Not too sure about that, but I did call Photovac Laser and talked to Chip and they may have a board for me. Time will tell, and God willing, it will fix my other half of the tube. Thanks for the input, Bill!

Bill George
12-28-2015, 6:09 PM
As a former active ham who built stuff in the past I know what your talking about. A trace could be replaced with a jumper wire, but you have lots more going on. Good luck.

AL Ursich
12-29-2015, 1:33 PM
I would send the pictures to Photovaclaser dot com and ask for a opinion. They likely would be able to bring the laser back to life.

AL

Charlie Hawkins
12-30-2015, 6:51 AM
I would send the pictures to Photovaclaser dot com and ask for a opinion. They likely would be able to bring the laser back to life.

AL

Good advice, Al! I called and talked to Chris and Chip at Photovac Laser a coupe days ago, and they have an RF board for me. After a small MasterCard relay, it is on the way! Nice fellows!! After describing that the tube was replaced just a couple 2-3 years ago by the PO, they thought that this might be good enough to just throw in and see what happens. Chip, who is the tech, said he thought that it might not need re-gassing if it had been replaced/repaired just a couple years ago, and since it is working on one half of the laser tube, I would agree. I am not sure how much added power I will get, but it would have to be enough to tell the difference. I will give you an update when it is in.
As an aside, I am looking at purchasing CorelDraw 9 or 10 as Chip said the later version 12 that I have, had some problems outputting to the Epilog, and had banding as the main problem and effect. I have had this happen, not all the time, but there have been some different results other than what I would have expected to occur from the printing to the Epilog Summit. Being that it is a Ver. 3.0 ROM in the Laser Board, I am thinking that may be it. I do have a complete install cd of Windows 98 ver.2, and I have a Win ME update disk somewhere also! Either one would most likely work with the Summit if I cannot print consistently with the WInXP service pack 3 and the Win XP drivers for the Epilog Summit. So, I will have some experimenting to do once it is together and I have the other software!

Charlie Hawkins
01-06-2016, 10:23 PM
Today, I received the MJH6287 PNP Silicon Power Transistor, and installed it into the supply board for the driver board that I purchased from Photovac Laser. I thought it prudent to replace the transistors on the board that fed the one that fried, just for a precaution, and it is a good thing I did! The MJH6287 was fried, also. After a little soldering and replacing of all the components, it fired up and posted with 100% power. It is now engraving with enough power to get a 1/2" flame on wood with 100% power! Hehe... needless to say, that was too much for the photograph I was engraving into wood. I did get very good results with 30% speed and 50% power. I am very happy that I have a laser engraver, and it works!

AL Ursich
01-07-2016, 7:11 PM
Fantastic !!!!

Great News !!!

AL

Charlie Hawkins
01-07-2016, 10:13 PM
Thanks, Al!! I received the 1.5" focal point ZnSE 19mm lens today also, and it works well! I am not sure if it is any better than the old original one, but it does work. Now, I need a focus gauge for the Epilog Summit. I think I will call Epilog tomorrow and see if they can supply one. I know it magnetically attaches to the laser lens carriage, but not sure how long it actually is. If I had the correct dimensions, I could make one!

AL Ursich
01-08-2016, 3:10 PM
Remember the tilted board method of determining focus... A line drawn to cut or raster and a board in the laser with one end propped up so the line is out of focus on the low end and slowly gets into focus then higher and out... Make a guide length to the focus point on the ramp board.

Charlie Hawkins
01-10-2016, 9:58 AM
Thanks, Al! I will have to do that, I am very thankful that I was able to fix the laser tube, and now it is quite a bit higher power output.