ScuzzBlog: Diaries March 2021Entry 16th March 2021: Post 1: Epson HX-20 - Battery horror.Epson HX-20 - Battery horror. The most difficult aspect of collecting anything is the failures that result from your own stupidity. Having components fall over and computers suddenly stop functioning is a fact of life with any mechanical device. Nothing lasts for ever. BUT... big but if you damage, or worse, destroy something cus of your own actions then it truly cuts you in half. Thankfully I have only had to deal with this a handful of times, but none the less even doing it once is unforgivable in my eyes. I have never wanted to show you the damage caused to the silver Epson HX-20. She seriously deserved better. When she arrived she was in mint condition. The computer was inside a protective bag that lay inside a hard plastic case and then inside a box. In all the years I have had the computer I have probably only ever taken her out of the box just the once. And so what happened ? I failed to realise that a 1982 computer would have batteries hidden inside the case. This computer has no battery compartment like other portable machines. The power supply does not power the computer. It recharges the batteries inside. How I missed that is unacceptable. I just ignored the label and was totally ignorant of the details of the computer. My fault entirely. The computer inside its plastic bag, case and box stood vertical to the side of a desk for over a decade, undisturbed. The horror of opening the plastic case to see the bottom of the bag filled with vile pink battery fluid was devastating. The battery had leaked out the bottom slot and along the case laying in the bottom of the plastic bag. In the years it has destroyed the surface of the paintwork. At first I couldn't open the case. I had to drill out the screws. What was lucky was that the battery had leaked and the fluid ran out the compartment and into the bag. It did not run into the computer and damage the electronics. What is even more amazing is that the battery had no evidence of leakage at all. Both of the batteries were clean as was the plastic sleeve holding them into the compartment. I simply cut them out. I have tried several times to try and remove the goo but with no luck. I cannot test the computer cus it needs the batteries to power up and they are an odd size. I have resigned myself to having destroyed this computer and truly hope that in time some kind person can refurbish the case paint work. I have had one or two disasters. The worst was when a printer that slotted into an Amstrad monitor to its top, decided to come loose and drop from a great height smack bang into one of my most prized computers. Totally inexplicable given that there was no reason for it happening and nothing but nothing was damaged on the printer. That was a very bad day. Anyway, not happy stories those. I have to take responsibility for my collection and in these instances I let myself and the computer world down. I find it very difficult dealing with the failure. Bad news is that tomorrow I will show you another, and whilst the upcoming failure was not my fault, I kinda feel a little responsible for the neglect of the computer. If you have the stomach to view the damage to the Epson HX-20 then continue down. For me I officially don't own one, well until I can get the panels replaced to the one I have. Unhappy days... never mind. Epson HX-20 - Battery horror.
|
If you can only see this CONTENT window
then click the image above for the full site
Last updated 16th March 2021
Chandraise Kingdom
Keep the Faith
scuzzscink 2021