On Tue, 6 Feb 2001 17:02:02 -0500 , "Peifer, William [OCDUS]"
>Hello Marcel,
>
>Welcome aboard! A few people on the list have KM bodies -- in fact, I have
>one myself. Too bad about the meter on yours. This sounds a lot like the
>problem Collin Brendemuehl recently mentioned with his KM body. Mark
>Roberts (another list member) is gradually putting PDF versions of Pentax
>manuals up on his web site.
And actually ,I just bought Collin's KM from him!
When I get it fixed I'll let you know what the problem turned
out to be. I'm suspecting a bad potentiometer in the meter
calibration circuit.
>The URL is http://robertstech.com/files/.
You'll find all kinds of extraneous stuff in this directory. If
you'er not an Internet Geek (TM), you'll find it easier to go to
http://www.robertstech.com/pentax.htm
>He
>currently has owner's manuals for a couple of the screw-mount bodies, plus
>service and owner's manuals for some M-series bodies (MX, ME, ME Super). He
>promises us that manuals for the K-series cameras (KX, KM, K1000, etc.) will
>eventually appear. You may wish to watch the list and check his site
>occasionally.
BTW: Anyone got any service manuals to contribute? Photocopies
are fine. I believe the KX manual covers the KX, KM and K1000.
I have an Ed Romney service manual for the Spotmatic/Spotmatic
F/KM/K1000 but I'm not putting it on the web because:
a) Unlike the Pentax service manuals, it's copyrighted
b) It's bloody useless. How he has the gall to charge $25.00 for
these things is beyond me. (I got mine from someone on
rec.photo.35mm for $10.00)
>The little dial on the left side of the camera (facing from behind) is just
>a little reminder to the user. It's not mechanically or electrically linked
>to anything -- it just helps you remember whether you've got daylight,
>tungsten, or B&W film, and how many exposures were on the roll you loaded.
>
>As for the light meter, I wish I could be of more help. There's a battery
>test position in which the meter is *supposed* to peg all the way up in the
>+ direction. You activate this battery test mode by setting ASA to 100 and
>exposure to B. However, when you switch the meter to shorter shutter
>speeds, the needle should drop back down. There is a single potentiometer
>which is linked to both the film speed and shutter speed, and I suppose it's
>possible that some residue has gotten in between the contacts and shorted
>something out. Also possible that the top plate was disassembled at one
>point, and the film speed and shutter speed dials were not properly
>reassembled, or that the little tab on the potentiometer is broken or
>otherwise not engaging the external dial. You'd have to remove the top
>plate to inspect this. I suppose it's also possible that the photocell (or
>the connections to it??) is shorted. Again, you might be able to see
>something with the top plate removed.
>
>If you chose to remove the top plate, I'd be happy to provide you with a few
>hints to make the job a little easier. I'll e-mail these to you off-list if
>you like. Just let me know. Good luck!
>
>Bill Peifer
>Rochester, NY
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