The Flying Nerd

The replacement parts for my broken Rio Karma digital audio player arrived (from Karmalimbo in Canada), and the beastie is now repaired and working as well as ever.

Here’s how it all came together.

First, a picture showing the bits of my Karma after I’d opened it all up to find the problems (broken volume control buttons). This photo was taken after removing the case and disconnecting the battery (battery is the square, balck piece) but prior to removing the display and hard drive from the main (damaged) circuit board.

The next photo shows the replacement main board (left) and the old one with all its bits still attached:

The next photo shows both boards again, but this time all the sub-assemblies have been removed from the damaged board, ready for re-fitting onto the replacement:

Here’s the (physically) tiny hard disc drive (20GB capacity) installed onto the replacement board. This is on the back of the board (display goes on the front):

This picture shows the replacement board with the old display installed on the front. Battery still not connected:

And here’s what I found after I connecetd the battery (which sits behind the hard disc on the rear)… things seem to be working!

Here’s how the battery sits on the back:

And here’s the whole shebang reinstalled in the case, prior to fitting the window:

And finally, all finished. The side trim piece and window have been re-installed. All working 100%. Saved from the dread world of iPods.

Now if it will just stop raining in Sydney, I’ll be able to go on my morning walks and use it again!