MM6 Battery? replacement?

[Peter Blair]

Hello, and thanks in advance for anyone responding.
I have an MM6 Yamaha that I will soon be replacing the display screen on. While I'm in there, can anyone tell me if there is some type of internal battery inside, that should be replaced? I see many people mentioning that replacing the battery (if it does have one), means losing stored data of some sort. Has anyone ever tried jumper-ing the battery terminals while making the switch to avoid this? Do you think that would work?
Again, thanks in advance for any response or advice.
Pete

 

[SeaGtGruff]

I know that many Yamaha user manuals will mention that the keyboard or synth might have an internal battery in it, but I think the use of such internal batteries has been pretty much discontinued for many years.

If the MM6 does indeed contain an internal battery (which I would tend to doubt), it should be listed in the service manual:

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[Peter Blair]

Hello Michael,
Thank you so much for responding. Thank you for the link to the service manual. I have downloaded the manual, and I will examine it very closely, in search of some mention of a battery. Though what you said about the possibility of no battery being used in the keyboard, would definitely explain why it continues to operate perfectly (but for the display screen), in spite of the fact that the unit is at least 11 years old, and has never had a battery replaced. So thank you for clearing that up for me.

I wonder if you could indulge me one more question? Do I need to spend $170 to buy a replacement display screen from Yamaha, or would the much less costly ones I see on-line suffice? Is it generally accepted that these are okay, or that you really should get one from Yamaha, or is it an issue of ongoing debate? And once more, thank you for your generosity in responding to an amateur like myself.

Pete

 

[SeaGtGruff]

I'm just an amateur as well.

To be honest, I have no experience with doing any kind of service on a keyboard, and don't really know about the LCD screen, but you should be sure to get the correct one-- the correct part number or model number.

Some keyboards use dedicated LCD screens that have a certain number and size of character matrices in certain locations in addition to specific words or images that can be lit up.

Others use more generic LCD screens that are just one big dot matrix display like a computer monitor.

And of course the size, shape, and connections need to be correct.

If you search for "yamaha mm6 lcd" on sites such as Full Compass, you should be able to find the part number. Then you can try searching the internet for that part number to see what's available. When I do that, it looks like most, if not all, of the sites which list it say it's out of stock right now, so buying it directly from Yamaha might be your only option at the moment.

 

[Peter Blair]

Thanks again Michael,
I'll follow your advice and check out what's available regarding the LCD.
In the meantime, I got the pdf of that manual into a reader that has a search box. The one and only place the word "battery" came up was on page 2 of the "parts list" section. Located, was "battery cover" (item #70) in diagram. There is no battery in the diagram. This "battery cover" is clearly visible on the bottom of the keyboard. The keyboard is not at my house, so I haven't been able to try to remove the cover yet. I may get to see it in the next couple days. I'll check in after that. Once again, expressing my extreme appreciation, thank you.
Pete

 

[happyrat1]

That battery cover is for D or C or AA alkaline cells for operation without the power adapter.

I agree with Mike that it's not old enough to require a CMOS battery.

Even if it does have a coin cell inside, it will warn you on the display if it's running low.

For now, don't worry about it.

Gary

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Yes, as Gary says, that is just the cover for the compartment where you insert optional batteries if you choose to run the keyboard on battery power. And as an aside, it's best to remove any batteries if the keyboard isn't being actively used, because the batteries could start to leak or corrode inside the compartment. I've had that happen with the batteries in TV remote controls, which is a real pain since it can damage the device and it isn't easy to thoroughly clean out the inside of battery compartments.

 

[happyrat1]

To clean corroded battery terminals use a little baking soda dissolved in water.

 

[Peter Blair]

Thank you again, to both/all three of you. That all makes sense, I guess. Honestly, I don't see anyone choosing to use a battery. But anyway, as I said, that pretty much explains it. Now it's just a matter of getting my girlfriend (the owner) to choke up the $$$ to purchase the replacement screen. From what I see, (and I do have a bit of experience working on electronics stuff), It looks like a snap to replace. Thanks to you all for your generosity in time by responding.
Pete