Display panel not working - Sony STR-DN1080

[viewfindr]

I have this receiver which works great - on screen GUI and all channels of audio are carried through, but the front display has stopped working! Confirmed that it's not a dimmer setting issue.

Searching around, it seems like this has happened to a few other people, but not super widespread. Others have mentioned that applying pressure causes the display to come back, but this hasn't worked for me. Tapping it in the right place would bring it back for a second or two for me.

Any ideas what could be the cause? Online posts have mentioned vague "corrosion", which I assume to be bad solder joints, but the board looks clean to me (photos attached).

[petehall347]

Re: Display panel not working - Sony STR-DN1080

first pic far left bottom looks like cracked solder joints

[redwire]

Re: Display panel not working - Sony STR-DN1080

I also see fractured solder joints at the display's filament pins. They are at the ends 2,1 and 54,53. It's not corrosion.
It's best to resolder the whole display because the display is big and doesn't always wave solder well. I'm not sure how the lead-free works with the Kovar pins.

[viewfindr]

Re: Display panel not working - Sony STR-DN1080

Wow, sharp eyes! You're right - I resoldered the joints between the display and the board, and it works now. Thanks so much, I've learned that I need to look more closely on some of these solder joints.

[petehall347]

Re: Display panel not working - Sony STR-DN1080

nice one

[goodpsusearch]

Re: Display panel not working - Sony STR-DN1080

Sony still has learnt how to avoid bad/cold solder joints...

[prebz]

Re: Display panel not working - Sony STR-DN1080

Dear all!
I have the exact same problem with my STR-DN1070 receiver from Sony, but it looks identical. I'm sorry, but can someone please highlight which pins I need to resolder? I'm a total noob when it comes to this kind of electronics, but have used a solderingiron quite a lot on finicky electronics in the past, so I just want to give it a shot!

Thank you very much!

[lotas]

Re: Display panel not working - Sony STR-DN1080

Dear all!
I have the exact same problem with my STR-DN1070 receiver from Sony, but it looks identical. I'm sorry, but can someone please highlight which pins I need to resolder? I'm a total noob when it comes to this kind of electronics, but have used a solderingiron quite a lot on finicky electronics in the past, so I just want to give it a shot!

Thank you very much!

These ones. Just do not solder the legs together when you solder them.

[Katana DK]

Re: Display panel not working - Sony STR-DN1080

Thank you to all who have replied in this thread, especially to lotas for the "red circle for dummies" diagram.

I also have a STR-DN1080 where the display/VFD is dead, but comes back to life for some amount of time if you poke it. So it's most likely due to a broken solder joint, as demonstrated in this thread.

It will probably be obvious once I open it up, but can someone please explain a bit more about what to look for (for myself and future readers - I predict that this will become a Google evergreen);
- In the first pic, lower left, is it the presence of what appears to be a hard edge in top of the joint, which indicates that the pin is loose and can move back and forth through the board?
- I assume that it is, in essence, sufficient to just melt and let harden each solder pin to the VFD? I.e. no need to remove all solder and reapply, or anything like that. (except of course adding new solder as necessary where the soldering iron has wicked some material away)
- Is it worth the risk to do that, compared to just fixing the ones that are specifically visibly broken? (I imagine that the 2x2 pins at either end are the ones most prone to being broken anyway, due to power flow heat and locations).

- "I'm not sure how the lead-free works with the Kovar pins." I assume this is just a comment about how the problem may appear due to the factory production method, and not relevant to how to fix it now, correct?



An interesting side note: the service manual for STR-DN1060/ZA810ES specifically lists the part number for the "DISPLAY BOARD, COMPLETE" (A-2060-599-A or A-2060-609-A) as well as the "VACUUM FLOURESCENT DISPLAY" (1-811-724-11), but the 1080 manual only lists the VFD (ND1100 1-483-548-11). The manuals are also formatted differently, in ways that can't be explained just by differences between the two models.
- Can anyone with Sony experience tell me why that might be? I find it VERY odd for models that presumably where designed at the same time.
- Does "DISPLAY BOARD, COMPLETE" include the VFD and all other factory components? And is thus essentially plug-and-play? I'm asking this on behalf of myself and future readers who may be able to get the appropriate part (and for 1080, find out the part number), and it isn't clear to me just from the prices I found.


I have also seen this problem mentioned for other Sony VFDs (as others here have also indicated). I'm just going to plop in some model names here, so that owners/victims of DN1080 sister models can also find this thread: ZA810ES STR-DN860 STR-DN1060 STR-DN1070

[ink883]

Re: Display panel not working - Sony STR-DN1080

These ones. Just do not solder the legs together when you solder them.

OMG this was perfect. I was able to fix the display with a little bit of solder iron. Thank you for pointing out what to look for.

[Khenan]

Re: Display panel not working - Sony STR-DN1080

Bonsoir, j avis le même souci avec l'affichage qui se coupait , je devais tapoter dessus pour qu'il revienne.
J'ai démonté la carte et j'ai vu 2 soudures sèches au niveau de l'afficheur
je les ai donc resoudées, et pour l'instant ça fonctionne
je tenais à vous remercier pour votre aide

[S. Pupp]

Re: Display panel not working - Sony STR-DN1080

I have a new-to-me STR-DN1070 with no display. The display does not come on briefly if pushed upon - it’s just dead. I applied some flux and re-soldered the pictured connections (plus a few more - the 5 pin connector at the bottom left of the board, and the multi-pin connector at the top - no specific reason, I just couldn’t stop myself once I’d started), and it now works perfectly. Many thanks!

[Sporall]

Re: Display panel not working - Sony STR-DN1080

Newbie here - I had this problem with my amp and thanks to this thread it's fixed. Did my repair in situ but unplugged it first. Took longer to get the cover off than do the repair.
Thank you all for the clear instructions. :-)

[helvetica]

Re: Display panel not working - Sony STR-DN1080

I have an STR-DN1040 with the same issue - the panel only works if I give it a poke in the centre! These pins are tiny, using max zoom I think I got a reasonable photo of the cracked solder with my phone. Can anyone confirm if my attached photo is what needs to be soldered?

also attaching other views for scale...

[helvetica]

Re: Display panel not working - Sony STR-DN1080

Can confirm this fix works on the 1040 too. I just heated the tip of the cracked pin until it sealed, and it works. It faded a little on reassembly, I should have heated it a little more, but I know what to do now. thanks for a great post.

[R_J]

Re: Display panel not working - Sony STR-DN1080

You can't just heat the connection, you need to apply some fresh solder and resolder ALL the connections on the display including the heater pins

[M8lyx]

Re: Display panel not working - Sony STR-DN1080

Hi. I have this unit with this issue. My unit is still under Richer Sounds 7 year warranty. Do you think I should attempt this fix or send it in for fixing under warranty. My worry is Richer sounds have a tendency to give you a replacement and as there is no new current replacement I'm not sure I'd want a replacement.
I am competent with a soldering iron.

[redwire]

Re: Display panel not working - Sony STR-DN1080

I'd pop the lid and get in there with a soldering iron. It's a pretty simple repair for the display filament pins resoldering. Boxing it up, shipping costs and your time... make it worth a try.

[M8lyx]

Re: Display panel not working - Sony STR-DN1080

I’ve poped the lid but didn’t have my soldering iron with me but did manage to photo the board.
Can anyone see any dry solder on these?

[R_J]

Re: Display panel not working - Sony STR-DN1080

I've poped the lid but didn't have my soldering iron with me but did manage to photo the board.
Can anyone see any dry solder on these?

Those look ok, but what about the ones on the other end of the display?