[Elecraft] OT: Cyclocomputer repair help

[John Clifford]

This is only peripherally related to Elecraft (since building my K2 made me
buy all sorts of electronic fixin' stuff and has fooled me into believing
that I might actually understand a little about what I'm doing).  IOW...
"it's your fault Eric and Wayne!"

I dropped my cyclocomputer and now it doesn't work.  The display only lights
up certain segments, and those are displayed dimly.  I removed/replaced the
battery, and then used the provided hardware reset (a 'button' that shorts
out two traces on the circuit board inside)... to no avail.  I have
dissassembled the 'computer and it is comprised of two circuit boards, the
main board having an LCD display mounted (I assume it's crimped on... there
are no protruding pins on the underside of the board, and there is an
aluminum 'bezel' surrounding the display that has tabs extending to the
underside and bent over, securing the display), and the sub-board being
attached by a couple of solder blobs that joins abutting traces on the two
boards.  There are only two visible components besides the LCD display... an
electrolytic 'can' capacitor and a much smaller cylindrical component w/2
leads, either another cap or perhaps a small crystal(?).

Is all of the componentry contained in the display module?  Is it possible
to fabricate a microprocessor w/display that has all of the necessary
componentry on one 'chip'?  I've never heard of an ASIC that included a
customized display.

My initial diagnosis was that something mechanical happened... there was a
broken trace/component lead/etc.  However, the only two components I can see
are solidly attached, the circuit boards are still connected.  How would a
large component be attached to a circuit board (the display module) without
soldering it?  Could it be possible that the manufacturer just has contacts
touching, and was counting on the 'crimp' of the aluminum bezel to keep
everything together?

I resignedly purchased another cyclocomputer of the same model (I believe it
is from a later year production), and discovered that the insides are
completely different... only one circuit board, a separate 'module' on the
reverse of the circuit board, and I can actually see identified 'test
points' marked on the PCB.  I haven't taken it apart, because I believe
these cases aren't really designed for repeated dissassembly/reassembly, but
it makes you wonder why the change in the internals.

Any hints/helps/etc., to me off-list would be appreciated.

John Clifford KD7KGX

Heathkit HW-9 WARC/HFT-9/HM-9
Elecraft K2 #1678 /KSB2/KIO2/KBT2/KAT2/KNB2/KAF2
                  ...waiting _eagerly_ for KPA2!
Ten-Tec Omni VI/Opt1

email: kd7kgx@arrl.net