Jered-
Thank you so much for your time on this. I don't want to take any more, if
only because I'm still on pins and needles for the XS!
;)
Last questions:
Do the switch caps house the LED components too? Or does one need to remove
the entire switch, soldering and all, in order to effectively change out the
Switch cap and LED?

In other words, if my objective is to replace the cap colors and LEDs only,
can that be done without the involved level of soldering you describe in
removing an entire switch?

Thanks!
Scott

On 5/14/07, Future Retro <jered@...> wrote:
>
> To remove the switch caps you pull up on them on the opposite side as
> they are hinged. So where they normall push down, you pull up. But the
> little pins that hold the cap on can get bent easily.
> Removing the entire switch is difficult due to the thick mounting leads
> that get soldered to the board. It's very difficult to remove all the
> solder from these leads in order to just pull the switch out, and it is
> also difficult to heat them all up at the same time if you try that
> technique. Often, we just destroy the switch by cutting away the plastic
> body of the switch so we are left with only the pins soldered to the
> board, and then each pin can be removed one at a time.
> The risk you run trying to remove the entire switch intact is that you
> could easily pull up when the switch is not completely desoldered, and
> then you're going to end up pull the traces up off the board, which
> could ruin the board.
>
> Jered
>
>
> Shagghie wrote:
>
> >Jered-
> >Thanks brother! I've had some luck finding a distributor for the SP86 A
> >style switches themselves...a much cleaner way to go I imagine.
> >In looking at the switches on the board... it looks as though the removal
> is
> >simply to pry the plastic on the north and south sides of the switch off
> the
> >plastic tab. Apart from that, is there any solder work that needs to be
> >done for removal of the switches, or is it as easy as I i'm imagining?
> I'm
> >having a harder time find a special tool to pull the tabs apart
> congruently,
> >than I am sourcing the switches.
> >
> >Scott Scheferman
> >
> >On 5/14/07, Future Retro <jered@...<jered%40future-retro.com>>
> wrote:
> >
> >
> >> The LED's used in the 777 are built into the actual switches. Although
> >>they can be replaced, It's quite a chore to do so. You would have to
> >>carefully remove the switch caps, desolder and remove the old LED's,
> >>form the new LED's leads to fit in the holes of the switch and solder
> >>them, and reinstall the switch caps. Due to the design of the switch
> >>caps, it's real easy to break them when trying to remove them. And you
> >>can't buy just the caps, you would have to buy an entirely new switch if
> >>you break the cap.
> >>LED's that could be used as replacement would be a diffused T-1 3mm size
> >>LED.
> >>
> >>Jered
> >>
> >>lsc5h4g wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>>Anyone know the exact specs of the LEDs on the 777? Are they
> >>>integrated into the step buttons and non-replaceable, or are they
> >>>unit-replaceable?
> >>>
> >>>If so, what's the voltage, size, etc.?
> >>>
> >>>Thanks!
> >>>Shagghie
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>#####################################
> >>>|===================================|
> >>>|========== Future Retro: ==========|
> >>>|== http://www.future-retro.com/ ===|
> >>>|===================================|
> >>>#####################################
> >>>Yahoo! Groups Links
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
> >#####################################
> >|===================================|
> >|========== Future Retro: ==========|
> >|== http://www.future-retro.com/ ===|
> >|===================================|
> >#####################################
> >Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]