Vertical lines in the display of my Kenwood TM-V7 Dual Bander

Blue background

White background

I have had this radio for about 3 years. I bought the radio new and the lines started to appear about a year and a half after I bought it (out of warranty of course). It started out as one thin vertical line on the left side which would come and go. More lines started to appear after that and the photos above show what it looks like today. Occasionally more lines appear. The radio has not been subjected to extreme cold or heat. I've done a little research and found that this problem is not uncommon, I've also found out that Kenwood wants $150 to $200 to fix this problem (I only paid $400 for it new). If this is a fairly common problem and is the result of a design defect it is my opinion that this should be repaired free of charge or at least at a reduced rate.

New heads are not available.

I've had no other problems with this rig.

The following photos show the inside of the head and the display ribbon cable.

Click on a photo for a larger view.

Complete head disassembled

Display ribbon cable PCB connection

Ribbon cable to PCB connection - close up

As you can see there are no ribbon or PCB connectors and the ribbon does not appear to be soldered to the board. My guess is that it is "glued" in place. It doesn't appear that this problem would be easy to eliminate.

If you have any ideas about how to correct this problem email me (apart from spending $150 - $200). If it works I'll post it here.

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