How to repair HP 1702 lcd monitor with broken VGA cable

Hi this is my first instructable, hope you like it and any comments welcome.
my motivation for this began when my 17" monitors molded cable broke internally leaving me with no monitor, and seeing as i could not just buy a replacement cable i decided to explore inside to see if i could fix it, upon looking inside i thought it cant be that hard considering i have little experience soldering.

so i set to work and these are my results

Step 1 Tools you will need

TOOLS
1. philips head screwdriver
2. pocket knife
3. soldering iron
4. cored solder
5. tin snips
6. heat gun
7. an old vga graphics card

Comments

[admin]

This is a great Instructable, but you need to add a main image of the final project to the intro step. Please do that and leave me a message when you have so that we can publish your work. Thanks!

[rscope]

Hi, I'm having some troubles putting the blue hinged ones back into the driver board.. Is there some special trick I can use?

[rscope]

Figured it out, there's this black clip on the end of the socket you have to open before inserting the blue ribbon cable.

[Lateral Thinker]

The tin is very important, remember the manufacturer of the LCD screen is not going to waste money on adding things that are not needed, so I would say without that tin shielding either RF interference or heat then your LCD screen wont be as good as before, it might be okay now, but a future change in your PC settings, or using the screen for an extended period causing it to get warm if not hot, might cause trouble, but also be aware,excess heat because that shield is no longer there could cause permanent damage. The manufacturer thought it worthwhile to pay to have that shield installed for one reason or other. Leave it out, at your own risk. One suggestion to anybody soldering in very tight places, if the solder iron tip is too big, try using a short rod of copper to conduct the heat from the iron to the joint. I have several soldering irons, and two have my own home-made tips, which I made after the original tip had worn out, I removed the stub on each and replaced it with a rod of copper, somewhat longer than the old tip, which gets me into tight places. One rod was smaller diameter, with a expander where it fitted into the heating element. Nobody should try this repair on a CRT screen, because of the extreme voltages inside the casing EVEN if it is not plugged into the power socket. Apart from all that, this instructable is going into my folder of computer repair tips. Lateral Thinker

[glendalf81]

yeah i will stick the tin back in as soon as i get some tin snips to cut out a small piece to accommodate the replacement VGA socket, but i need to wait til i get paid at the end of the week, other than the cost of those i did the whole repair for free, good idea about the copper, i just managed to do the soldering without screwing it up with quite a large tip, i did think about sawing the end off of a bradawl and using that to get into the smaller areas. i am a novice solderer so all in all i am quite chuffed with my results

[Lateral Thinker]

Maybe place tin flat on a hunk of steel, use small cold chisel vertically to cut tin, at corners, first drill a hole. As long as the backing does not give, you will get a nice cut DON'T try using something soft like wood for the backing.

Clean up with a small file. If you have a high speed rotary tool, thats useful for clean up too, but it could also be used to cut the tin, with a thin grinding type wheel, I do a lot of that, works good, as long as take your time, overheating the tin cause distortion.

File=== who do you know that has a nail file? But don't get caught

And be aware that tin snips have a habit of twisting tin.

But whatever way you do it, be aware cut edges unless rounded off, can and will cut insulation on wire, can lead to short circuits.

A tip, its very hard to strip insulation of thin wire, I use lots of telephone wiring, the sort used inside walls between jack points, in my projects, safest way to strip insulation, is melt it off with a soldering iron, in emergency, with no soldering iron, I have used a match, or the cooking element on a stove/oven.

[Lateral Thinker]

BTW I am a first time commenter, to a first time instructable/ler, I am not sure if you posted a main image yet as asked for by Mr Admin, but your first instructable is very well presented for a first timer. I have subscribed to your listings so I can see more of your ideas.

[glendalf81]

thank you, i took presentation tips by reading other instructables, i have seen some pretty poorly presented ones lol, thanks again for your comments, most appreciated i hope to have another instructable on soon

[Lateral Thinker]

Yes, like you I have been watching for some months, I just went PRO, next step was commenting, while seeing what my first instructable should be. I have learnt from your presentation heaps of tips. But best to do my profile first, that will be in the next 8 hours.