Any way to fix broken power button on DR-07

[stinkbug]

One day I went to press Power on my trusty little DR-07 and the unit failed to power up.

I noticed the Power button seemed to not spring back up from being pressed down. It also seemed a bit mis-aligned. In my attempt to re-align it the entire Power button seemed to fall down into the unit. It now rattles around inside.

Is there any DIY fix to allow me to power the unit on/off anymore?
Or do I just have to toss the entire unit away?

Thanks,

 

[Jeff Leites]

Good luck getting an answer.
I'm still waiting for an answer to the question I asked about the Play button in January.
Maybe you know the answer to my question - The Play button works, but it doesn't have that kind of clicky. tactile feel that the other buttons have. How is your Play button? After reading about your DIY fix, I think I won't try to fix mine if it isn't normal, but still works.

 

[Alex Eagan]

Hello. I know this is an old thread but I wanted to respond in case anyone has the same problem and finds this thread.

I had the exact same issue with the power button. Luckily, the DIY fix is pretty simple. In my case, the component that failed was a tiny tactile switch--basically just a concave disk that snaps up and down when pressed, making contact with the pad below it. Corrosion (from water I guess) had build up underneath the disk, making it impossible to press down and make contact with the pad. The solution was to take it apart, clean the corrosion out, and reassemble, which fixed the problem.

In detail:
1. Take apart the DR-07 until you have free access to the offending switch. It will look like a small square component (5x5mm ish) with a circle inside it, covered with an orange adhesive film. The DR-07 disassembles by removing a bunch of screws, both on the outside and inside. The only trick is that the battery contacts (the ones near the middle of the unit, not the ones at the bottom) are soldered to the circuit board. To remove the back of the case (where the batteries sit) you have to remove the screws, then pull up on the back while pushing the battery contacts down so they slide out of the case. It'll make more sense once you look at it. It's kind of finicky, just be patient, don't yank the case apart or you will pull them off and then you'll have to pull out the solder. Note that the "hold" switch is not held in by anything, it's just sitting in there, so it will fall out when you separate the case. Just note which way it goes in.

2. Once you've determined which switch is causing the problem (it won't "click" when you press on it like all the other similar ones do), simply remove the orange adhesive film with a pair of tweezers, then remove the metal disc (which is free-floating). Clean the disc and the surface below it. I used an old toothbrush, a toothpick, and a 50/50 water/vinegar solution. After cleaning, dry it very thoroughly. I recommend a blow dryer or letting it sit an hour or so. (If you use a blow dryer make sure you don't lose the disc when it flies away!)

2.5. I had a bunch of other corrosion on my circuit board so I cleaned and dried it at this stage as well. Not sure why it was so bad.

3. Replace the disc and adhesive film. If you ruined the adhesive film taking it off just make a little square out of scotch tape and use that.

4. Reassemble in the reverse order.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you need more specifics.

 

[Jeff Leites]

Alex, I know this is a late reply, but I just found this thread again. After all these years, I finally got an answer today by filling in a service question form at the Tascam web site. Only took a few hours. I was told that the Play Button was also a tactile switch, so I assume it is just as you described for the Power button. I don't often use the recorder, and since it still works without the click, I'm not going to mess with it unless it completely fails, so thanks for the instructions. FWIW, I had the same problem with the Push to Talk button on a Cobra walkie-talkie. Cheap a$$ switch was a metal dome taped over a pad on the circuit board. I lost the dome, but tried to replace it by breaking open a tactile switch I got cheap from an electronics surplus store. That didn't work so well, (size may have been wrong). I got it working (without the click) with a piece of copper foil that miraculously springs back, but if it fails again, I'll try to jury rig it more reliably by soldering in an actual small discrete tactile switch (I think there is room for 2 in parallel). I would have hoped that Tascam would have used something more substantial.