Hello there.

I will preface this by admitting that I'm basically clueless about electronics and this would be my first venture into electronics repair.

My guitar effects pedal only turns on by pulling the plug (with some force) to one side of the socket. The internet tells me that this is most likely due to a spring failure in the original socket. Due to a funds shortage it seems sensible for me to fix this myself, if possible.

My question is; would it be advisable to have a go at replacing the socket on the PCB myself instead of paying for repair? (the pedal cost £200, therefore I don't really want to risk damaging it)

It looks to me like a fairly simple, if fiddly, solder.

http://i.imgur.com/CSRNJeJ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/HHY5lYW.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Nt07HDh.jpg

As to the component itself; would this be an appropriate replacement?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dc-Power-Socket-Mount-Dc-10a/dp/B0041A0RGM

The output on the power adapter says 9v, 200mA.

Thanks, any advice/help appreciated!

 

Get a desoldering pump.

Solder the wires directly to the PCB. Finding a replacement socket won't be easy, and these sockets always cause problems. Get a DMM (digital Multimeter) as well to check the polarity.

 

The socket in the pedal lies on its side, the one on amazon is vertical, so you will have trouble fitting it in there. Also it seems it has less pins than the original.
Not sure how experienced you are with (de)soldering, but getting that metal bracket out without damaging the board will be a pain, beacuse it will efectively act as a heatsink.

 

The socket in the pedal lies on its side, the one on amazon is vertical, so you will have trouble fitting it in there. Also it seems it has less pins than the original.
Not sure how experienced you are with (de)soldering, but getting that metal bracket out without damaging the board will be a pain, beacuse it will efectively act as a heatsink.

With a 25 Watts iron, yes. Adding fresh solder can actually help desoldering.

 

Rather then a desoldering pump try to get some solder wick. Wick is a braid you put between the iron and solder you want gone, and by capillary action it sucks up solder. Probably cheaper then a pump too.

The tough part is finding the correct socket.

 

First question: Is it under warranty? How much would the manufacturer charge to correct the issue?

It doesn't look like you need to remove the shield around it, that appears to be a convenient place where they decided to put an enclosure screw tap in. It doesn't appear to be connected to the actual power jack.

It might be simpler to order a right angle power jack and 9V/200mA supply with matching plug, rather than attempting to find the correct jack. There's a few dozen different types, some different only by a millimeter in one dimension or another.

 

get a sharp pointy object and stick in in the jack and move/bend the spring back into proper position.. problem solved.

 

get a sharp pointy object and stick in in the jack and move/bend the spring back into proper position.. problem solved.

This is what I would do.. Your replacement won't be any better than the one you have and adjusting the contact(s) would be allot easier than replacig it.