ScuzzBlog: Diaries March 2021
Entry 16th March 2021: Post 1: Epson HX-20 - Battery horror.
Epson HX-20 - Battery horror.
The most difficult aspect of collecting anything is the failures
that result from your own stupidity. Having components fall over
and computers suddenly stop functioning is a fact of life with
any mechanical device. Nothing lasts for ever. BUT... big but if
you damage, or worse, destroy something cus of your own actions
then it truly cuts you in half. Thankfully I have only had to
deal with this a handful of times, but none the less even doing
it once is unforgivable in my eyes.
I have never wanted to show you the damage caused to the silver
Epson HX-20. She seriously deserved better. When she arrived she
was in mint condition. The computer was inside a protective bag
that lay inside a hard plastic case and then inside a box. In all
the years I have had the computer I have probably only ever taken
her out of the box just the once.
And so what happened ?
I failed to realise that a 1982 computer would have batteries
hidden inside the case. This computer has no battery compartment
like other portable machines. The power supply does not power the
computer. It recharges the batteries inside. How I missed that is
unacceptable. I just ignored the label and was totally ignorant
of the details of the computer. My fault entirely.
The computer inside its plastic bag, case and box stood vertical
to the side of a desk for over a decade, undisturbed. The horror
of opening the plastic case to see the bottom of the bag filled
with vile pink battery fluid was devastating. The battery had
leaked out the bottom slot and along the case laying in the
bottom of the plastic bag. In the years it has destroyed the
surface of the paintwork.
At first I couldn't open the case. I had to drill out the screws.
What was lucky was that the battery had leaked and the fluid ran
out the compartment and into the bag. It did not run into the
computer and damage the electronics. What is even more amazing is
that the battery had no evidence of leakage at all. Both of the
batteries were clean as was the plastic sleeve holding them into
the compartment. I simply cut them out.
I have tried several times to try and remove the goo but with no
luck. I cannot test the computer cus it needs the batteries to
power up and they are an odd size. I have resigned myself to
having destroyed this computer and truly hope that in time some
kind person can refurbish the case paint work.
I have had one or two disasters. The worst was when a printer
that slotted into an Amstrad monitor to its top, decided to come
loose and drop from a great height smack bang into one of my
most prized computers. Totally inexplicable given that there was
no reason for it happening and nothing but nothing was damaged
on the printer. That was a very bad day.
Anyway, not happy stories those. I have to take responsibility
for my collection and in these instances I let myself and the
computer world down. I find it very difficult dealing with the
failure.
Bad news is that tomorrow I will show you another, and whilst
the upcoming failure was not my fault, I kinda feel a little
responsible for the neglect of the computer.
If you have the stomach to view the damage to the Epson HX-20
then continue down. For me I officially don't own one, well
until I can get the panels replaced to the one I have.
Unhappy days... never mind.
Epson HX-20 - Battery horror.
|
