DIY Repair of Apex display cable?

[chaostactics]

Anyone every try (and successfully) replace the wet toilet paper strength cord for an Apex display? Using a spare USB A/USB A cable (I mean totally official Aquabus (TM) cable).

Cable ripped on mine. Thought that was the only issue but clean up a re-solder doesn't seem to have fixed the issue, but I'm also hot garbage with soldering

.

 

[ca1ore]

My teen son is asleep, so cannot ask him if ‘hot garbage’ means good or bad. Seems like it probably means bad. I am awful at soldering, and failed when attempting to repair the cord on my display. In my case I inadvertently cut it (don’t ask LOL). Had to send it back for professional help.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

Are you talking about the aqua bus cable? If so it's a standard USB 2.0 cable. If you want to contribute to neptune's profit margin buy another one of their official cables. Otherwise shop Amazon for a 60‰ discount.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

Anyone every try (and successfully) replace the wet toilet paper strength cord for an Apex display? Using a spare USB A/USB A cable (I mean totally official Aquabus (TM) cable).

Cable ripped on mine. Thought that was the only issue but clean up a re-solder doesn't seem to have fixed the issue, but I'm also hot garbage with soldering

.

Haha were you using a butane torch?

 

[chaostactics]

Haha were you using a butane torch?

That mess on the circuit board is Neptune Systems finest work. Seriously I've opened 3 displays now and they are all COATED in flux.

 

[chaostactics]

Are you talking about the aqua bus cable? If so it's a standard USB 2.0 cable. If you want to contribute to neptune's profit margin buy another one of their official cables. Otherwise shop Amazon for a 60‰ discount.

Bought a pile of em in different lengths from Monoprice for way less than a single official "Aquabus" cable.

 

[chaostactics]

PS I had another display laying in my fish junk closet. Wasn't my shoddy soldering skills apparently (although I still need improvement) the unit I had been trying to fix was genuinely trash. However, I got the other one working!

For those wondering USB to APEX color conversion is : Red to red, green to green, black to blue, and white or clear to "bare"/plain copper.

 

[vangvace]

That mess on the circuit board is Neptune Systems finest work. Seriously I've opened 3 displays now and they are all COATED in flux.

Cannot get corrosion if it is covered in flux.

 

[chaostactics]

Cannot get corrosion if it is covered in flux.

 

[DaneGer21]

I have a display laying around with a severed cable. Somehow my wife sucked it up in the vacuum...or so she said haha!

Maybe I’ll finally open it up!

 

[willtheld]

I've soldered a few of them. the toughest part is managing the tiny thread-like OEM cables if you decide to reuse it. Other than that its nothing more than a few How to solder youtube videos cant handle.

 

[chaostactics]

I've soldered a few of them. the toughest part is managing the tiny thread-like OEM cables if you decide to reuse it. Other than that its nothing more than a few How to solder youtube videos cant handle.

If I was gonna repair one I'd absolutely never ever use the stock cable the quality is beyond unacceptable and what's worse is Neptune has known about it for years and refused to do anything about it.

 

[chaostactics]

I have a display laying around with a severed cable. Somehow my wife sucked it up in the vacuum...or so she said haha!

Maybe I’ll finally open it up!

Do it It's really not that bad. I got a couple pointers on how I could improve my soldering job but honestly the first one I worked on took me about 90 minutes the second one I did only took me about 30.

 

[JMM744]

So what wire do you guys recommend to rewire a monitor. Stuff on it is like silk threads.

 

[chaostactics]

So what wire do you guys recommend to rewire a monitor. Stuff on it is like silk threads.

Many have complained but since Neptune has cornered the market they just don't care.

Rewire by unsoldering from the board and use an "Aqua Bus" cable. I get my gold plated USB cables from monoprice for 1/4 the cost of Aquabus cables. Plus you can get whatever lenght you need (I like 8' cords for display but 2'-3' cords for most modules to cut down clutter on my control mount board.

My picture is a good point of reference on how to match up the colors on the USB cable but there's a number of good tips in the replies on how the solder job could be more clean.

 

[infinite0180]

PS I had another display laying in my fish junk closet. Wasn't my shoddy soldering skills apparently (although I still need improvement) the unit I had been trying to fix was genuinely trash. However, I got the other one working!

For those wondering USB to APEX color conversion is : Red to red, green to green, black to blue, and white or clear to "bare"/plain copper.

Hey im going to upgrade my cable. How did you clean off all of that flux neptune left on it?

 

[vangvace]

Hey im going to upgrade my cable. How did you clean off all of that flux neptune left on it?

Isopropyl alcohol and an acid brush

 

[radiata]

As much as I love Neptune, I had to chuckle at the "wet toilet paper strength cord" description! Thank you for the hoot!

 

[JMM744]

I just made the time today to repair my controller. Subbed a usb cable for the thread they used. I must admit soldering those small areas was no fun but it's done and it's working fine. Thanks for the instructions provided!!
jim

 

[chaostactics]

That's AWESOME!! So glad to hear this three is helping people. Congrats on the repair!

I just made the time today to repair my controller. Subbed a usb cable for the thread they used. I must admit soldering those small areas was no fun but it's done and it's working fine. Thanks for the instructions provided!!
jim