Novag Super Expert C

This computer had several problems. On the one hand, most of the times crashed during the opening. On the other hand, the wood was damaged in the area of the squares, as can be seen in the photo. In addition, the LCD was hardly visible, because the protective plastic was badly scratched.

DISASSEMBLY:

HARDWARE IDENTIFICATION:

REPAIR:

If at the start of the game I force the game out of the Opening Book, then everything seems to work correctly. If, however, the initial moves are inside the Book, then the computer crashes. This is a sign that the EPROM that contains the Book might be corrupted. And after checking, it turns out that this is indeed the case.

A new UV EPROM is provisionally programmed to verify that everything is working properly. Subsequently, 3 new OTP type EPROMs will be installed.

RECONDITIONING OF THE CHESSBOARD:

The first step is to remove the motherboard and the sensors/LEDs board.

We start with the transparent Display cover. To remove it without damaging the plastic frame, it is best to push it out from underneath, for which we must first remove the Display module.

The plastic is restored with Tamiya polishing paste, starting with "Coarse" and finishing with "Finish". Polishing is done by hand and with cotton wool.

The following procedure is used to restore the square area:

1. Protection of the other wooden areas with masking tape and newspaper.

2. Sanding, using a vacuum cleaner from time to time to remove dust.

3. After the final sanding and vacuuming of the dust, a wet cloth is used to finish the cleaning.

4. Finally, several thin coats of satin varnish (neither glossy nor matt) are applied.

After 48 hours the chess computer is reassembled.

WORK COMPLETED!