HP65 card header read/write head

[NoEqualsButton]

After several more frustrating attempts at getting the HP65 card reader going, I am happy to announce it is working for now. There are still some issues I'd like to revisit but while it's working I am reluctant to touch it again right now.

One of the problems I had during the repeated assembles and disassembles was the five very fine wires connecting the read/write head to the "guitar" PC board kept breaking off at the board. Stripping the insulation off these to resolder them back was a very delicate job and it's very easy to break the conductor, which I did numerous times. The end result is the wires are only *just* long enough to reach. One wire in particular ( the red one ) just could not reach and I had to resort to adding a short length of wire to complete the connection. Far from ideal, but it works for now.

Has anybody else had this problem? I think next time I get the hood off I want to replace those 5 wires with a short length of ribbon cable - do a proper job. I've have taken lots of close-up photographs so I know where the wires are supposed to join onto the "guitar" board.

Very happy to have this beautiful machine fully operational. She's the flagship of my collection now.