Broken USB connector

[Greg Ellis]

Hello all. After three years, the connector on my DP-24sd USB port is toast. Has anyone here ever had to replace theirs?

If so, did you send to TASCAM or do it yourself?

 

[Greg Ellis]

I just answered my own query about this being a DIY repair. It is not.

I frequently import/export from my DAW, and so the USB port gets heavy work. I've never used a PC memory card adapter because I'm wary of ejecting cards too often. I either have to go that route now or ship my unit to a repair center.

So...DIFFERENT question - do any of you exclusively (or frequently) transfer via memory card adapters? How resilient is that port on the Tascam?

 

[-mjk-]

USB cables do wear out. Before I tried to repair the DP, I would swap it out for a new cable. I mean brand new, as that type has been around for a long time and most likely any cable laying around it going to be vintage.

 

[BazzBass]

can you elaborate on what is wrong with it, I mean is it a loose fit so that it disconnects during use? Or is the actual socket not working at all?

 

[Greg Ellis]

Elaborating on what's wrong - the USB connector became completely dislodged and fell inside of the unit. No cable in the world can help me now!

That connector has been slightly off-center and pliable - for months now. Yesterday it finally had enough.

Connectors are only a few bucks, but you can't access those rear ports without disassembling the entire unit. Even after unscrewing everything, there are all those sliders and knobs. I quickly lost my courage.

I'm out of warranty and the nearest service center is 200 miles away. After shipping and labor, I'd likely be at half retail cost.

I ordered a PC memory card reader. This will slow down my workflow, but hopefully it's a viable solution. If it becomes too tedious, I'll bite the bullet and have the repair done.

Hopefully the card reader assembly holds up.

 

[-mjk-]

You can pick up a ribbon cable SD card extension, believe it or not. So you can plug the extension into your DP machine once and leave it there while the SD card connector at the end of the ribbon cable takes all the stress of the card mating cycles.

 

[Greg Ellis]

I just looked and those extensions are surprisingly cheap. Might be worth it for the peace of mind.

Thank you. It never occurred to me that such a thing would even exist!

 

[-mjk-]

I know - that's why I said "believe it or not" lol. Take all the stress off your internal SD card slot and you'll sleep better at night.

 

[Stew71]

I was going to ask whether these ribbon extensions register when a card is plugged/unplugged, but a moment's reflection tells me that I'd only be doing that when the unit is switched off anyway, so it doesn't matter! (The Tascam unit will read the inserted card when it's powered up either way.)

 

[David Porter]

I know this won't help now that the connector is toast - and I know everyone's setup and situation is different. But since I purchased my DP-32SD 6-7 years ago I have kept a laptop *permanently* connected to the DP via a USB cable. I never disconnect it. For anyone that can do this - I recommend it.