The original Cliff jacks had a problem with long term spring
retention - 'memory' if you will.

With a lot of usage the retention changes, creating (at times) an
insufficient hold on the tip. The net effect - intermittancy. Not
exactly a feature you look for in a socket!

Replacement is easy with the right tools - those being solder
wick, a good iron with a narrow tip that won't get too hot and a set
of spanner wrenches. In that the pads that these jacks connect
to are huge, there's really no worry about lifting them through the
use of the solder wick as there is with small pads.

It's a bit tircky as the solder connections are in some cases on
the component side of the board, but really, you just have to get
the positioning of the iron down and you're set.

After removing the PCBA from the faceplate, this is what you do:

1) Place a section of solder wick over the solder fillet (junction)
you wish to remove. Solderwick is flat braided copper wire which
draws solder into it with heat.

2) Place the iron over the solderwick, applying slight pressure
(don't overdo it). Make sure that you're holding the tip of the iron
directly over the solder you wish to remove (remember, that is
now covered by the solderwick itself).

3) Hold it for a few seconds. You will see the copper wick
become filled with silver. This is the solder lifting from the area
you're wishing to remove and flowing into the wick.

4) Lift the iron and the wick. Vwa- LA! You'll now see a lead
going into a hole with no solder filllet.

5) Repeat four times (four terminals of the jack).

6) Lift the old jack out - If all the solder has been removed it will
come out freely. If it doesn't, then you haven't removed all of the
solder you need to. DON'T TUG! Look it over, find the section
that's still there and repeat the wicking process to that area.

7) Place the new jack where the old one once was and solder it's
terminals onto the original holes.

I highly recommend that you use sufficent anti-static precautions
when doing this. Although not all Doepfer modules use CMOS
parts, looking it over to see if it does you might be handling it
enough to blap the CMOS if in fact it's there. It's better to just put
on the wrist wrap before and not worry about it.

Another thing you need to be careful of: In that Cliff jacks don't
use washers under the mounting nuts, when removing the
hardware from the faceplate to remove the PCBA, make damn
sure you have sockets or spanners. If you use an adjustable
cresent wrench, if the end of that comes in contact with the
faceplate, you will scratch a nice (not!) little ring around the holes
as you loosen or tighten the hardware. Won't make too much
difference with the pots as the knob wil cover up any scratches
but with jacks you are screwed. . Obviously, you want to avoid
that. Even with spanners or sockets, just look carefuy tomake re
i' not down to the faceplate

I did my LFO last night (six jacks) in about ten minutes.

hope this helps -

Peter




--- In Doepfer_a100@yahoogroups.com , "unknown freak"
<vogelscheiss@v...> wrote:

> Two questions:
>
> - Could you characterize in a few words what that design issue

is that

> they've corrected And
>
> - How difficult is it to swap the jacks, i.e. time required, skill
> involved
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: (i think you can figure that out)
> > [mailto:peter@b...]
> > Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2004 11:43 AM
> > To: Doepfer_a100@yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: 1 Re: Replacement jack - CLIFF
> >
> >
> > Analogue Solutions, Analogue Systems and Deopfer all use
> > CLIFF jacks - they are the manufacturer. Moog also uses

them,

> > but in 1/4 inch, not 3.5mm.
> >
> > The problems that probably most of use have seen with

these

> > jacks was due to a design issue that Cliff has since

corrected.

> > Most of the D and A. Sys modules shipped in the ast year

have

> > already had these new jacks installed.
> >
> > Until recently, these jacks weren't availible in te US piece

parts,

> > but CLIFF USA (in the bay area) has got them.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In Doepfer_a100@yahoogroups.com , "ps_minor"
> > <pscottm@h...> wrote:
> > > thanks for thie info. who is cliff
> > >
> > > i have 3 Asys module jacks that need to be replaced.
> > >
> > > cheers, -psm
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In Doepfer_a100@yahoogroups.com , "(i think you can

figure

> > that out)" <peter@b...>
> > > wrote:
> > > > Doepfites,
> > > >
> > > > I got a handful of the new and improved jacks from Cliff

last

> > week
> > > > to replace the older design inherent in my D and A. Sys
> > modules
> > > > that in some cases had become problematic.
> > > >
> > > > There are definite differences to the spring tension and

while

> > it
> > > > makes for a slightly less smooth insertion 'clunk' , I'm

pretty

> > > > confident these new guys will go the distance. I

recommend

> > > > them to anyone who's current jacks may be failing.
> > > >
> > > > - P
> >
> >
> >
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> >
> >