mediator pci 4000d broken

[esc]

Hey guys,
I recently got a power tower mkii and the mediator card is screwed up.  The "P9" part - where you plug the power into it - is completely just broken off.  Any ideas here?  Should I ask for my money back?
Thanks.

[Heiroglyph]

That's a tough one.

It's a common plug and pretty easy to replace if you can solder.

Without knowing the guy you got it from, it's hard to say what you should do though.

[esc]

I'm certain I'd screw it up if I tried to do it myself.  It was ebay/paypal so a refund, legally, shouldn't be too tough...but I'd rather just get the stupid thing to work.

[VingtTrois]

Some pics?

[EgillSkallagrimsson]

I'm certain I'd screw it up if I tried to do it myself.  It was ebay/paypal so a refund, legally, shouldn't be too tough...but I'd rather just get the stupid thing to work.

Just practice on some old broken electronics. Through hole is really easy to do and you'll pick up a valuable skill that will really come in handy if you deal with old consoles/computers very much.

[J-Golden]

Power sockets ARE one of the easier things to replace so in that sense, you are lucky.  But, If you try to fix it and there are other problems, then the seller will be able to say that you screwed it up and make the whole process much harder for you to get your money back.  I'd go for refund and start the process NOW!

I'd be worried that if one thing was visibly broken their might be more unseen damage.  It is obvious that the seller did not represent the item properly in his auction (This is sketchy even for "AS IS") so I would bet he isn't an honest person.

Do you still have the link to the auction?  Please post it here so we can:

A) See how he tried to represent the board so we can offer pointers on how to present your argument.

B) So others can know who the seller is and be more cautious around his sales.

Which ever path you choose to do, GOOD LUCK!

[esc]

Power sockets ARE one of the easier things to replace so in that sense, you are lucky.  But, If you try to fix it and there are other problems, then the seller will be able to say that you screwed it up and make the whole process much harder for you to get your money back.  I'd go for refund and start the process NOW!

I'd be worried that if one thing was visibly broken their might be more unseen damage.  It is obvious that the seller did not represent the item properly in his auction (This is sketchy even for "AS IS") so I would bet he isn't an honest person.

Do you still have the link to the auction?  Please post it here so we can:

A) See how he tried to represent the board so we can offer pointers on how to present your argument.

B) So others can know who the seller is and be more cautious around his sales.

Which ever path you choose to do, GOOD LUCK!

As it turns out, the seller is VERY helpful.  I'd rather not post a link to be potentially slanderous...we're not sure if it was a problem with UPS (just had an issue with an a3000 with UPS...still unresolved :madashell:) but he's already contacted UPS and Elbox about getting this fixed.

As far as getting a refund...I got such a good deal that I'm hesitant.  Plus the guy packaged everything to the best of anyone's ability...I suppose sometimes things just happen.  *shrug*

Here's a pic where the connecter is supposed to be.  You can see that it is simply snapped off where it was soldered to the board.

[Darrin]

Looking at that picture, if you can get an agreement with the seller (in writing, just to cover your ass), take the board down to a local TV/VCR repair shop (there are still a few around).  Those guys are usually good with a soldering iron and I bet they could reattach the connector for a reasonable price.

[Heiroglyph]

I'm glad to hear he's working with you.

That connector on my Mediator is really weak, it doesn't surprise me at all.

Do you know anyone that can solder?  It's a really easy job that should only take a few minutes.

Considering Elbox wants $39 to ship a Mediator CD to the US, your deal may not be so good if it has to go back to them.

[esc]

I'm sure I could figure it out or find someone that could do it, but to be honest, I am not exactly sure what part it is that I'm looking for.  Any ideas?  

[Heiroglyph]

It's a 6 pin molex connector
http://octopart.com/15-48-0106-molex-243349

Here is one with a picture.
http://www.molex.com/molex/products/datasheet.jsp?part=active/0015480106_PCB_HEADERS.xml&channel=Products&Lang=en-US

You can pull one off an old PC/AT motherboard if you have to.

[esc]

Thanks man.  I suppose I'll go junkin' tomorrow and see if I can find one.

[Heiroglyph]

NP, just make sure you don't mount it backwards.  Look around for a picture of how it looks on the board.

The plastic fingers that stick up go closest to the P9 label.

[esc]

From Elbox:

This connector is not necessary.
It is only the additional power supply. In most configurations the regular supply is sufficient.

So, I'm hesitant to fire it up with all the gadgets that I have plugged into it...what do you guys think?

[Heiroglyph]

Interesting, I didn't know that.

The zorro and video slot sections should still be Amiga powered, so that shouldn't be a problem.

What PCI cards do you have?

If it's just a network card and a lower power video card, I'd give it a shot and keep looking to add the connector.