Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 49

A couple of days ago, I thought my stylus felt a little odd as I inserted it into the slot on my Prism. It didn't feel as though it was sliding in as freely as it normally does, but it felt fine after I removed and reinserted it, so I didn't give it a second thought. Until today.

This morning, after using my Prism for about 30 minutes, I stowed the stylus and it definitely felt wrong. There was some resistance to me inserting it the last inch or so, and when I withdrew it, there was some sort of sticky black goo on the pointy end, about a quarter to half an inch from the tip, which wouldn't come off except with solvent.

After removing this crud, the stylus once again slips in and out just fine, but I'm left wondering where this goo came from, and whether there's any more lurking down there waiting to ensnare my stylus another day.

Has anyone else struck this phenomenon? Can anyone who has had their Prism apart remember if there was any thing in or near the bottom of the stylus slot that might get gooey if it overheated, perhaps?

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 117

ask other questions about your environment

Does the tip of the stylus look normal? Do you work in environment with solvents? I wonder if it is possible that the tip of your stylus came into contact with a solvent and the black goo was actually the plastic coming off of the stylus. Just a shot in the dark, but what the heck, eh?

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 49

Thanks, but no

Worth asking, but no. The stylus looks perfectly normal, no sign of meltage, nor do I work with solvents - I had to dig out an old can of circuit board cleaner to get this crud off.

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Midwest
Posts: 232

Is your Visor a Pen stylus? Perhaps you've never pulled the tip off.

Pens are notorious for leaking.

Loaned your Visor to a "friend", recently? It's my best friends that play the dirtiest tricks on me.

Just a thought.

Dave

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Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 49

Another good suggestion, but no. Yes, I use a Pentopia Chamelion stylus, but no, it isn't leaking nor was this goop ink. And nobody touches my Prism.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA Interests: Women, Drums, Visors, Computers, Home Theater and any cool gadgets.
Posts: 138

quote:

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Originally posted by Jon Etkins
Another good suggestion, but no. Yes, I use a Pentopia Chamelion stylus, but no, it isn't leaking nor was this goop ink. And nobody touches my Prism.

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Is it possible that the battery shorted, got hot somehow and melted something inside? You would have to open it to see I bet. If you shine a flashlight down there does it look okay? Just a thought.

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Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 49

quote:

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Originally posted by Babylon5
Is it possible that the battery shorted, got hot somehow and melted something inside? You would have to open it to see I bet. If you shine a flashlight down there does it look okay? Just a thought.

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Yes, I was wondering if it was something like that. I use OnCradleOn to override the auto-off while it's in the cradle, which can result in the unit getting warm at times, but this happened while I was holding it at least 30 minutes after it had last been in the cradle, and it didn't feel warm at the time.

I've tried to peer down the slot, but it's so narrow and deep that without some sort of fiber-optic device it seems impossible to get both my eye and a flashlight in position to both see and illuminate the bottom simultaneously.