LCD and LCD blacklight installation

Do not remove anything from the LCD backlight. The covering on it is to diffuse the light evenly on the back of the LCD. Once the LCD is pressed down on it, any wrinkles or uneveness will smooth out.

Remove nothing from either side of the LCD, other than a thin protective flexible film that may be factory installed to protect against scratches. This film is on the front side of most LCDs, but there is usually not any film on the back of the LCD. In a few cases, there may be a thin protective film on the back, and it will have diagonal lines that may be hard to see unless held up to a light.

In any case, the protective film will come loose and lift off by rubbing it only with a fingertip or lifting at the edge with a fingernail, and the stiff polarizing filter must NOT be removed from either side of the LCD or the LCD won't work. All recent kits have no protective film on the rear surface, but there is a scratch protective film on the front that should stay in place until ready to install the front panel sheet metal.

If you damage the LCD by removing the polarizing filter, please email [hidden email] for a replacement. Cut the pins off of the original LCD to make it much easier to remove. These parts are not expensive to replace, but it is some work and results in some delay to continue with the kit.

Be sure ALL pins of the LCD driver IC U1 are soldered, including pin 1 that is round. The LCD and its backlight have to be removed to correct a poor or missed connection on the IC socket, so be sure the connections are good before installing those parts.

See also: http://www.elecraft.com/Apps/Alert15.html 


--
73, Gary AB7MY
=========
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Elecraft Technical Support 
 


-------- Original Message -------- Subject:  FW: [Elecraft] K2 - SN4511 Diffuser Question
Date:  Thu, 04 Nov 2004 09:45:45 -0600
From:  Masleid, Michael A. <[hidden email]>
CC:  [hidden email]



Hello Malcolm,

>I am a bit confused with LCD backlight diffuser.
>It has a really nasty looking thin film on top which appears to be protective only then below it another matt white
>thin film which appears to be attached at LED ends of the diffuser only.
>Looking at the instructions it appears to say that I should not remove any of these.
>Help please. Do I remove the top one which looks awful, both or none?

My LCD diffuser had 4 layers.  The back side was thin as paper and was white.  Next was a thick, water clear, plastic
sheet, same thickness as printed circuit board material.  Next was a thin, soft, white diffusing layer that was only
attached at the LED ends of the plastic plate.  Next was a really crummy thin film, like you'd wrap a sandwich in for
lunch.  This was buckled up in places, and looked like it might show up in the display.  I tried to make it be flat,
but that made it worse.

The way the thing is supposed to work is light bounces around in the clear plastic plate.  Some scatters off
of the back side white layer and shines through the front.  Some gets caught by the front white layer and also
shines through the front.  The idea is to pipe the light around in the clear plate so that it spreads out evenly,
and then lets some of the light leak out the front by scattering from the top and bottom films.

So, don't damage or remove the bottom (backside) white film.  Don't damage or remove the top (frontside) matt white film.

I don't think the crummy, slightly cloudy looking film that protects the top matt white film should be there, but
I could be wrong.  I took mine off.  My display looks just fine, but I can see a little extra brightness at the left
and right edges from the LEDs.

73 and GL, Michael, AB9GV




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[Bob Nielsen]

If you remove the polarizing filter from the front of the LCD panel by
accident, it may be possible to reinstall it successfully.  I ordered a
replacement, but while waiting for it to arrive, I figured I had nothing
to lose by trying and now I have the replacement LCD assembly as a
spare.

Bob, N7XY

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