GS repair question

[Jamie]

I am trying to get a couple Electros into working order for use and/or resale. I've run into a (minor) snag, and I'm hopeful someone has encountered this before. Here's the deal:

I picked up a few Electros for cheap hoping to dig into them, learn how they work, and possibly repair them. Two had corroded battery leads, one of which I've re-soldered.
After resoldering, the battery light works OK, so the circuits are getting power. However, when the yellow (slow speed) warning light comes on, the shutter acts as if it's in B mode, regardless of the setting. It seems to be firing correctly as long as the yellow light doesn't come on.

Any ideas on what to check first?

Thanks,
J. Read 😕

 

[john neal]

Jamie,

There can be sdifferent causes of this - I get it on a GSN, but only at f16 which tends to suggest that there is a problem with the resistor chain on my body.

Have you checked the classic rpair forum? Have a hunt around their archives - I'm sure this has been discussed there before.

 

[jon_flanders]

Does it have the clunk when you advance the film? Or to put it another way, is the pad of death OK?

 

[john neal]

Silly me!

Yes, of course check the pad first - this can cause all sorts of problems with the shutter. You may also need to clean the sliding switch contacts on the secondary release rod.

If that is all Ok, you may need to check the resistors and the mode select switch. One other area that can cause this problem, although it should happen at every aperture, is the timing capacitor which controls how long the transistor holds the shutter open.

I would go with the pad and shutter release first on any model. Go for the resistors second, particularly if it is an older type (pre-gold sliders and contacts) and the capacitor third.

 

[dfstone]

The GS I bought did the same thing. I used the method Jon Flanders suggested to replace the pad and all is well.

 

[john neal]

Interestingly, on my GTN, I have replaced the pad and checked the capacitor, but in low light still get the "B" symptom, but only at f16. I have been talking to a guy in Japan who knows his electronics - his theory is that, at low light levels, it is possible to get negative feedback through TR1 which puts the exposure system into a balanced state so the shutter stays open. This may also account for the buzz that is sometimes heard from the solenoid.

Any ideas would be welcome

 

[RubenBlaedel]

need to to know - what is the "pad" - thanks, ruben

 

[jon_flanders]

need to to know - what is the "pad" - thanks, ruben

See http://www.yashica-guy.com/document/repair.html#nine

on the Yashica guy,s site for a discussion of this. There is a thread in this forum discussing it as well.

 

[denishr]

Check out also http://personal.inet.fi/koti/picnet/Y35G - some very good close ups of the internals - helped me when I butchered mine 🙂

Denis

 

[RubenBlaedel]

Thanks Denis and Jon - Now I know what it looks like but WHAT is PAD ?? is it a word in the dictionary or slang for a dead item (pad of death)??

 

[BBB3]

Hello, Ruben.

If I may, the word "pad" is basically another word for "cushion". In this context it is meaning a small cushion or bumper.

I'm brand new to the forum, and am looking forward to joining your discussions if y'all will have me.

Bates Bowers (BBB3)

 

[denishr]

Ruben, "pad of death" is specific to Yashica Electros - it means the "pad" is dead (deteriorated, crumbled), and the camera doesn't work OK any more. The "pad" is a kind of cushion, bumper, as Bates said. Basically, it's a smal square piece (3x4 mm, 2mm thick) of rubber-like material, that in original Electros was made of a kind of foam, I guess, which crumbles and just turns to a sticky mess.
This is a frequent issue with Electros - so frequent that it got a name: "pad of death". 🙂

The solution is to replace this "pad" with something else, and glue this square piece in proper place, and it usually makes those Yashicas alive and well again. A sign of "pad of death" is when the exposures are incorrect. YOu can see it for yourself with a simple test: point such Yashica Electro towards a uniformly lit surface (white wall is OK), and make several shots (no film in the camera). For each shot, pick a successively slower f-stop - i.e. start with f1.7, and for each next "shot", close it by one stop - i.e. 1.7, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, .... etc.
For each new "shot", the exposure (i.e. shutter sound) should be progressibely longer. You may not be able to discern the sound on 1/500, 1/250 and 1/125, but slower speeds - 1/60 to 1/8 or even 1 second, should be easy to hear.

If the shutter isn't getting slower for each smaller f-stop, it's probably the issue with the "pad of death" - the first suspect in malfunctioning Yashica Electro.

Hope this helps... Just learned all of this some time ago myself 😉

BTW, I managed to fix mine just fine.

Denis

 

[RubenBlaedel]

BBB3 Welcome to the forum - you found the nicest bunch of photo-people on the web ! and thanks for the PAD explanarion - You to Denis ! - So far my electro G is fine - i just sold a gs and that was ok to! After seing the pictures on Yashica Guys page and the other page I have a strong urge to take my electro apart but I will wait until I find a defect camera - I am to happy with my G to mess it up!