Repair article with info about MKI screen parts and availability 2023

Elektron Gear Machinedrum
#1

I found an interesting article dated January 2023 detailing a repair person’s experience repairing and sourcing parts for a MKI SPS-I which needed display and bezel replacement.

For any who don’t want to read the article, here is the relevant information but all credit to the author in the link:

  • Care no longer has any stock of replacement displays.
  • Factory display part is Winstar WG12864A-RYH-VRB
  • Display module size is 128 x 64
  • White on blue backlit alternative: Winstar WG12864A-TMI-VN is $37 USD at the linked page but I do not endorse or vouch for the retailer, I just googled it.
  • the color is called “translective/white”
  • The voltage to the replacement display is different to the original (not specified) but with an adjustment to the voltage (not specified) it works as an upgrade more than just a replacement.
  • MKI bezel cover is no longer available from care, however, MKII bezel has some holdover stock and fits with the same dimension to MKI.

image
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courtesy of plasmamusic.com

Please visit the above linked article for the lesser details of the process as well as notes on the author’s experience performing the repair plus a few additional pictures.

I’m just reposting, I don’t have any answers. But if anyone else has any other information relevant to 2023 MKI replacement parts availability, or options to no longer stocked parts, feel free to post them, or anything else that might be useful to someone here looking for information about display replacement or upgrade.

For general information about replacing displays on an Elektron machine and what that entails, there are various threads on site which you can find by searching but the answer to the most basic question most will have is:

Yes, soldering is required.

5 Likes
#2

There is guy selling screens for MM MD and OT on eBay. Straight swap.

1 Like
#3

the listing is ended, please if possible add a part number. thanks.

#4

Just message him, I think he might be a member of this forum too.

1 Like
#5

the information is not for me, it’s so that you don’t just leave a dead link to a $156 part.

3 Likes
#6

I’ve been searching everywhere for this screen, do you know the name of the seller so I can message them here?

#7

fellow Elektronaut @phaelam’s beautiful Monomachine. check this beauty out:

ElektronMonomachine01 3000
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I inquired about the display his tech used as a replacement and he graciously provided the following pic:

replacementScreen
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a quick google shows this part on the Adafruit website, shown below. looks like there’s some potential tweaking needed to get it to 5V…? I don’t know what that means though.

3 Likes
#8

I think that was a note to the repair guy in the shop to make sure the screen was 5V as I had no idea if I had ACTUALLY gotten the right one. its appears that I did :slight_smile:

1 Like
#9

gotcha. thanks again for the info. just wanted to post it for posterity, with the example of what the result looks like.

likely I will need to do this some day. so perhaps I should purchase a couple preemptively…

2 Likes
#10

I was thinking the same, but it looks like it’s discontinued on the Adafruit website you linked. Does this look like the same product?

(Side note: I just realized we’re on a machinedrum thread)

#11

d’oh! somehow I missed that it had been discontinued… the part you linked to seems to be the same, part numbers and all. we just need someone to try it and confirm! :grimacing:

no worries that this is the MD category. the part should be the same between MD, MnM and OT mk1, I believe.

1 Like
#12

I ordered a couple. After shipping it was $32 for two screens.

It looks really good on @phaelam’s MnM! I haven’t decided whether I do the swap protectively or if I will wait until it’s necessary… it does look easier to read with the black on white – kind of like the OT mk2

1 Like
#13

I think you should do it proactively and document it, so the rest of us can decide if we’ll do it! :crazy_face:

my guess is, like most electronics jobs I’ve undertaken, desoldering and removing the old display will be the worst part of the job.

1 Like
#14

buydisplay products are descent. you cant go wrong with them considering how cheap they are.

#15

I knew there were other threads on here about this, I just needed the time to look through them… this thread is quite informative of the process and confirms that these displays do work:

2 Likes
#16

just noticed this on Reverb. wonder what the seller thinks sets their display apart from the “dreadful” looking stock ones… enough to charge $150 more than the ones above. theirs doesn’t look all that different, judging from the photos.

1 Like