Mr J Morton
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I’ve been meaning to do this tutorial for a while, but due to work etc hadn't got round to it.
I had re-bought all the bits to start again but haven’t had time, so I will use the existing test version which works just fine, but is a bit scruffy and could be done a lot better. So here is a quick how to.
I would like to say I know very little about electronics and went through some trial and error to get to this point, so with that in mind the following the “how to” may wreck your machine... or you, so please do it with care.
The link for the wiring diagram and original pioneer is here, so a big thanks to baz-r for the mod.
There are two different stages to the mod one is for the trimmer and one to smooth the motor.
I will concentrate on the smoothing.
First the components you will need.
Image1
As well as these you will also need a soldering iron, solder, wire/cable, wire spade connectors and some veroboard ( to mount the components to).
First remove the cover, lots of small self tappers.
Then the wire feed speed knob, which just pulls off.
Image2
Undo the bolt on the end which will release the Printed circuit board (PCB).
Now your ready to move onto step 1
STEP 1
solder the motor capacitor across the motor.
image3
STEP2
Making your own circuit board.
Using the Veroboard and its copper strips solder the two big smoothing capacitors in parallel. Place them a couple of millimetres higher than the board. They have a plus and a minus side so get this right, mine had a strip of minuses running down one side.
Image4
Image 5
Then add the wires which you will use to splice into the existing machine. I use plenty on length for all these then chop it down later. I also soldered the wires direct on to both pins of the capacitors as I wasn’t sure of the rating of Veroboard, but have since learnt it would be fine with out.
So now you have two capacitors in parallel with two lengths of wire leading from them.
STEP 3
The relay.
For this you will take a feed from the existing PCB relay.
Image6
Solder two lengths of cable from the connections shown below.
Image7
Now on the same veroboard mount the new Relay FJ43W See image 4, but electrically separate from the capacitors, so make sure the coppers on the veroboard is broken between the two.
Take the two wires from the existing relay to the new one, attached on the coil side connectors. It doesn't matter which way round the wires go.
image8
Take the positive (+) wire from the capacitors and attach to the relay as the below image
image9
Now solder two more lengths of cable to the remaining two connections
STEP 4
Splicing into the existing system
You should now have 3 loose wires coming from the new PCB.
Disconnect the white wire which is attached to the red cable of the wire feed motor and connect it to the cable from the capacitor on the new PCB
Image 10
Image11
Take the end wire from the new Relay add a connector, attach it to the red wire from the motor.
Image12
Image13
disconnect the connector from black wire from the feed motor.
Attach a double spade connector to the last free wire from the relay on the new PCB .
Image14
Image15
Connect the black wire from the wire feed motor to double connector, make up a short length of cable and attach to the loose wire which had feed the wire feed motor.
image16
STEP5
mounting the PCB
As the process so far is completely reversible I didn't want to drill holes ect so I attached my new PCB to the handle bolt. As below
Image17
Image18
Don’t forget to insulate the board from the case.
I have done this in quite a rush and I’m very dyslexic so it may or may not make sense. I will try to revisit it and link it to the circuit diagram. I hope this is of some value to someone out there.
Jonnym
P.S
Just as a sub note about the wire feed. It is rubbish cheap etc etc, but I've not had any great problems with mine since the new metal liner and I think this is down to the way I set it up and after talking for some time to SIP.
Free off the tensioner completely and make sure the nut holding the spool on is only just tight enough to stop it from unwinding, pull the trigger, slowly tighten the tensioner until the wire just starts to feed turn it just a very little extra and that's it. If its any tighter its a nightmare.
Although maybe I'm lucky.
I had re-bought all the bits to start again but haven’t had time, so I will use the existing test version which works just fine, but is a bit scruffy and could be done a lot better. So here is a quick how to.
I would like to say I know very little about electronics and went through some trial and error to get to this point, so with that in mind the following the “how to” may wreck your machine... or you, so please do it with care.
The link for the wiring diagram and original pioneer is here, so a big thanks to baz-r for the mod.
There are two different stages to the mod one is for the trimmer and one to smooth the motor.
I will concentrate on the smoothing.
First the components you will need.
Image1
As well as these you will also need a soldering iron, solder, wire/cable, wire spade connectors and some veroboard ( to mount the components to).
First remove the cover, lots of small self tappers.
Then the wire feed speed knob, which just pulls off.
Image2
Undo the bolt on the end which will release the Printed circuit board (PCB).
Now your ready to move onto step 1
STEP 1
solder the motor capacitor across the motor.
image3
STEP2
Making your own circuit board.
Using the Veroboard and its copper strips solder the two big smoothing capacitors in parallel. Place them a couple of millimetres higher than the board. They have a plus and a minus side so get this right, mine had a strip of minuses running down one side.
Image4
Image 5
Then add the wires which you will use to splice into the existing machine. I use plenty on length for all these then chop it down later. I also soldered the wires direct on to both pins of the capacitors as I wasn’t sure of the rating of Veroboard, but have since learnt it would be fine with out.
So now you have two capacitors in parallel with two lengths of wire leading from them.
STEP 3
The relay.
For this you will take a feed from the existing PCB relay.
Image6
Solder two lengths of cable from the connections shown below.
Image7
Now on the same veroboard mount the new Relay FJ43W See image 4, but electrically separate from the capacitors, so make sure the coppers on the veroboard is broken between the two.
Take the two wires from the existing relay to the new one, attached on the coil side connectors. It doesn't matter which way round the wires go.
image8
Take the positive (+) wire from the capacitors and attach to the relay as the below image
image9
Now solder two more lengths of cable to the remaining two connections
STEP 4
Splicing into the existing system
You should now have 3 loose wires coming from the new PCB.
Disconnect the white wire which is attached to the red cable of the wire feed motor and connect it to the cable from the capacitor on the new PCB
Image 10
Image11
Take the end wire from the new Relay add a connector, attach it to the red wire from the motor.
Image12
Image13
disconnect the connector from black wire from the feed motor.
Attach a double spade connector to the last free wire from the relay on the new PCB .
Image14
Image15
Connect the black wire from the wire feed motor to double connector, make up a short length of cable and attach to the loose wire which had feed the wire feed motor.
image16
STEP5
mounting the PCB
As the process so far is completely reversible I didn't want to drill holes ect so I attached my new PCB to the handle bolt. As below
Image17
Image18
Don’t forget to insulate the board from the case.
I have done this in quite a rush and I’m very dyslexic so it may or may not make sense. I will try to revisit it and link it to the circuit diagram. I hope this is of some value to someone out there.
Jonnym
P.S
Just as a sub note about the wire feed. It is rubbish cheap etc etc, but I've not had any great problems with mine since the new metal liner and I think this is down to the way I set it up and after talking for some time to SIP.
Free off the tensioner completely and make sure the nut holding the spool on is only just tight enough to stop it from unwinding, pull the trigger, slowly tighten the tensioner until the wire just starts to feed turn it just a very little extra and that's it. If its any tighter its a nightmare.
Although maybe I'm lucky.
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