Spotting the flaws on used virus C?s

[Desann]

Allright, I am so sorry to keep posting threads like this but this is getting more hectic. I will defintely be more active in the other threads once I become a full virusowner myself

I have now decided to go for a C for the time being. I have to scheduled "inspections" of two virus C in the next three days.

I now wonder what you guys think I should look for on the virus to give a judgement on the handling from it?s former owner. I am so scared to buy one and then find out it?s corrupted in some way. Any particular places on the wires that can reveal obvious misshandling.

Any hints or tips would be MOST appreciated.

[Timo]

I bought an Indigo (v1) second hand via eBay, and the only problem I experienced were two wobbly pot's (ie the spindles/controls that the knobs sit on).

Unfortunately the only way you can fix these is by dismantling the Virus completely, to get to the circuit boards so you can de-solder and replace the damaged pots with new ones. If you want pics of the process, take a look at the links in this post: http://www.sunesha.nu/virusforum/vie...?p=25178#25178

In these circumstances I'd imagine you can send the Virus back to your nearest Access distributor/retailer for them to then send it off to be serviced or something, but I've sourced some new pots and am going to do the invasive surgery bit myself.

In short, you might like to ask if there are any wobbly pots before you buy.

[Wandering Kid]

things to check -

the buttons! the buttons on the virus are pretty cheapy and they get stuck sometimes. basically press all the buttons and make sure they are responsive. one of mine has gotten sticky recently and you have to press it on the right side. even then it doesnt always work. annoying to say the least since you will be diving into submenus alot.

as mentioned above - the pots. make sure all the rotaries arent wobbly. they should all be fairly sturdy and have a nice resistance to them. they shouldnt be loose.

check the warranty seal is still on the understand on the unit. you need to brek the seal to open up the unit. the warranty is probably gone but the intact seal will indicate that the previous owner hasnt opened it up. the only real reason for needing to open her up is to rackmount the desktop unit. otherwise its just a curious owner or one that previously had to fix something defective.

make sure all the LEDs are working. self explanatory really and evident when one isnt working properly. obviously demo the unit and see if you like the sound

side panels. check for dents and stuff. its purely cosmetic but i get the impression you want it in perfect condition. the side panels dent fairly easily so dont go moving i about and knocking it around. other than that, if all of that is good i see no reason why it should be defective. viruses are on the whole pretty well built. with the exception of the buttons and side panels they can really take some punishment and they work through anything.

[Desann]

Thank you guys so much for the fast answers. Small dents and scratches are not that important. It?s the woobly pots and mouschy buttons that scares me. I haven?t got a clue how it is with warranty I gotta check this out.

I will also check up the prices on a local virusdealer here in stockholm what it would cost to fix pots and buttons.

As I understood, you can?t really fix this yourself can you?

[Wandering Kid]

you can fix pots and button contacts yourself. but you will need to a dab hand at souldering. there have been some people on this forum that have opened up their virus and fixed wobbly pots - im sure someone can link you to a thread. ive forgotten what the thread was called. but it was the one where timo (i think) opened up his indigo. its scary inside the virus. lots of cables that look exactly the same!

doing this of course invalidates your warranty if it hasnt expired yet.

EDIT: i should mention that wobby pots are quite rare. the rotary mechanisms on my virus b desktop are SOLID. apart from the buttons, which can be sticky, and the side panels which dent easily, its built like a panzer tank.