jwabik@umnd-cs.UUCP (Jeff Wabik) (11/29/86)
I recently have noticed that the "real time" clock on my Amiga no
longer is functioning. The clock can be set and polled, but it
never advances past the time it is set to. (The "clock" utility
on Workbench comes up, and displays the time, but the hands never
move, etc.. Other software (DATE, et. al.) also set and poll just
fine, but reflet no change in the clock. I initially thought it was
a problem with the beta version of 1.2 I had, but the clock also fails
under 1.1. (Thus, hardware problems.) All other Amiga functions
work just fine.
The lame individuals at my local dealership won't help, and I'm not
even sure what the official CBM "return the machine to us so we
can fix it and give you a big bill" or warranty policies are. I'd like to rip
open off the top cover and wiggle all the chips (a succssful
tactic with other hardware I've owned), but I'm afraid of voiding
the warranty.
As it stands, everything works fine except for the clock, so I can
survive, but I'd like to repair the machine without having to mail
it in. (as I use it daily, and can't live without ..)
Questions:
1) Has anyone else had similar hardware problems? What was the fix?
2) If you haven't had problems, but know Amiga hardware, might this
be something as simple as a chip replacement?
3) What hardware drives the real-time clock? Is it part of other system
hardware, or is it a section unto itself?
4) What is the warrany period on the Amiga system unit?
5) Will ripping off the cover of my machine void the warranty?
6) What is the official CBM return/repair policy? (Who,what,when,where)
7) What is turn-around time on repairs (sent back to CBM)?
8) Might one of the externally attachable clocks solve this problem?
(I've been considering one, anyhow..)
Thanks in advance .. andy@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (Andy Finkel) (12/03/86)
In article <264@umnd-cs.UUCP> jwabik@umnd-cs.UUCP (Jeff Wabik) writes: >I recently have noticed that the "real time" clock on my Amiga no >longer is functioning. There are two possibilities here. We get a tick from the power line at line frequency and feed it into one of the 8520s. Either your power supply has problems, the trace is broken from the supply to the 8520, or Amongst the three possibilities are 1) broken power supply 2) broken connection 3) broken 8520 > >The lame individuals at my local dealership won't help, and I'm not >even sure what the official CBM "return the machine to us so we >can fix it and give you a big bill" or warranty policies are. I'd like to rip >open off the top cover and wiggle all the chips (a succssful >tactic with other hardware I've owned), but I'm afraid of voiding >the warranty. > If its under warranty, the dealer should help you. Is it no help, or just an insistence that it must be sent back for repairs ? >As it stands, everything works fine except for the clock, so I can >survive, but I'd like to repair the machine without having to mail >it in. (as I use it daily, and can't live without ..) > >Questions: > >4) What is the warrany period on the Amiga system unit? I've thrown out my little card long ago. I hope you haven't :-) >5) Will ripping off the cover of my machine void the warranty? Maybe, maybe not. It depends on how carefully you do it, and whether or not the service guys downstairs are reading news today. >6) What is the official CBM return/repair policy? (Who,what,when,where) >7) What is turn-around time on repairs (sent back to CBM)? Call Commodore West Chester, Service department, 215-431-9100 for details, if you decide to send it back. andy finkel -- andy finkel Commodore/Amiga {ihnp4|seismo|allegra}!cbmvax!andy or pyramid!amiga!andy Any expressed opinions are mine; but feel free to share. I disclaim all responsibilities, all shapes, all sizes, all colors. "Never make anything simple and efficient when it can be complex and wonderful."
daveh@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (Dave Haynie) (12/03/86)
> Keywords: My clock is foobar > > 2) If you haven't had problems, but know Amiga hardware, might this > be something as simple as a chip replacement? > 3) What hardware drives the real-time clock? Is it part of other system > hardware, or is it a section unto itself? The real-time clock is based in hardware in one of the 8520 chips in your Amiga. This chip gets its timing information from the 60Hz AC power you supply to the Amiga. The problem could be in your 8520 or your power supply. Or you could be running your Amiga in straight DC. > 5) Will ripping off the cover of my machine void the warranty? Yup > 8) Might one of the externally attachable clocks solve this problem? > (I've been considering one, anyhow..) Probably not. Most of these just initialize the Amiga's internal clocking stuff whenever you reset, poll them, or something similar. > > > Thanks in advance .. -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dave Haynie {caip,ihnp4,allegra,seismo}!cbmvax!daveh "Laws to supress tend to strengthen what they would prohibit. This is the fine point on which all the legal professions of history have based their job security." -Bene Gesserit Coda These opinions are my own, though for a small fee they may be yours too. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~