Power Supply Mod – microSTATION edition

Well, some of you might remember the mod I did for my M50, in which I installed the power supply inside the case, and used an old PC power supply jack embedded in the metal back panel. I remember that flimsy power jack was a nightmare. More than once, it sprung out of its jack, and in the middle of a song. Aghhh!!! With this mod, the issue was fixed once and for all.

This mod have the added bonus of not having to think about packing the power supply, or dealing with the thin cable, so I decided to move on and do the same on my microSTATION. As a matter or fact, this is the third mod I do, since I also did it to my old Roland A33 controller, so kind of I know what I’m doing 😉

So, lets get to it, and please share it.

First of all, you have to cut open a hole on the back panel to fit the power jack. Make it fit snugly, to minimize movement. There are some jacks that have ears for screws, but I’m using one with retaining pressure fins, which I believe look cleaner. Although, if it were a metal panel, I would have gone with the screws version.

Next, dismount the little board that have the power jack, unplug the switch and remove a couple screws on the outside, and one on the board itself. turn it over, and you’ll see where the jack is soldered to the board. These are the soldering spots you will be testing for continuity. For this, you’ll have to cut the adapter cable (yeah, ouch!) but is worth it. Now, connect the stripped wire to the tester, put the plug in the jack, and check the solder points. The one that makes contact is the positive. Do the same to the other wire.

The next step is to solder the adapter prongs to the connectors on the rear side of the power jack. I used some copper wire around the connectors and the prongs, since both have a hole in the middle, so is easier to wrap the wire around. No need to be too much. I only did one turn. I just wanted to have something to make the solder adhere to.

 

Adapter in place. Poured some hot glue around the prongs, just to cover and avoid any possible short, and also below the adapter itself, to make it adhere to the plastic case. it won’t move too much, being soldered to the jack, but I just wanted extra safety. I don’t want the adapter banging around inside the case.

 

Next, soldering. If you are not comfortable using a soldering iron, look for someone who is. Is not a highly miniaturized device, that requires special soldering abilities. Is just simply heating up the points already on the board, enough to melt the solder a bit to make the cable stick, and put a bit more solder around them. That is all in reality. No rocket science.

I also made a small loop on the cable, and secured it against one of the board corner holes with a small zip tie, just to avoid any tension.

 

Board back in place, and as you can see, is hardly noticeable that something is attached to the back of the board. A very clean job.

 

 

 

 

Mission accomplished. And ready to close the case.

 

 

 

 

Its Alive!!!

 

 

Enjoy