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warning beware of MSD
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DRR Elite
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Roger McGinnis:
quote:
Originally posted by J Olejniczak:
I have a hard time accepting the fact that a $400 item is not repairable. That would stop me from buying it. I have my Digital 7 ignition and full V300Sd racepak which covers my needs. I have repaired all kind of electronics my whole life and recently soldered in a new battery in my Fitbit watch that I was told was a throw away. Also repaired a K&R Delay box as well. The watch was $120 and still works great now. Seems like society just accepts this fact and we can change this by not buying their products and letting them know.


The boards are epoxied. That's why you can't repair them.


Maybe a good reason not to buy them.


Foxtrot Juliet Bravo
 
Posts: 6373 | Location: Illinois | Registered: July 08, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Pro
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Bucky:
quote:
Originally posted by Roger McGinnis:
quote:
Originally posted by J Olejniczak:
I have a hard time accepting the fact that a $400 item is not repairable. That would stop me from buying it. I have my Digital 7 ignition and full V300Sd racepak which covers my needs. I have repaired all kind of electronics my whole life and recently soldered in a new battery in my Fitbit watch that I was told was a throw away. Also repaired a K&R Delay box as well. The watch was $120 and still works great now. Seems like society just accepts this fact and we can change this by not buying their products and letting them know.


The boards are epoxied. That's why you can't repair them.


Maybe a good reason not to buy them.


Let me put this into my perspective.

If you are registered with Jegs racer program today, you can purchase MSD 7730 for $409 and use the SAVE40 offer they have now to make your total purchase price $369 delivered. Open the box when you get it and remove the controller. All those items still in the box are worth over $100 whether you need them or not.

I commend those that have the expertise to repair electronic devices. But the cost of electronic repair verses replacing with a new device and warranty at the $400 cost can be disputed this way. No shipping to and from. Immediate replacement without the 3-4 week repair wait with a 3 month warranty.

For those that use analog ignition with as many external electronic devices to accomplish their engine control, (whether older or new analog models) or those that are using the now (over 1 yr) obsolete Dig7 boxes, your cost for complete programmable control and throw away replacement cannot compare with MSD GRID 7730.

I recently attended a race and met a friend that has a 4.25 et dragster. He showed me a problem that he was having in his $2k data acquisition system. Reviewing the Grid 7730 data acquisition showed more of what was happening and he was able to resolve his problem.
He agreed that his 4.25 dragster and I agreed my 6.50 door car cannot run using analog ignition control. It only works using Grid 7730.
 
Posts: 2446 | Location: 53056 | Registered: December 30, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Pro
Picture of nomad
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quote:
Originally posted by markemark:
tas472, because you were able to easily exchange Grid 7730 with another known good one and have the problem follow the bad box, it easily diagnosed the problem. Very nice. Also, having a DD switch box and relay board offers a dedicated ignition on circuit that isolates this signal to the ignition control which is a nice feature as well.

Here’s my comment that is not expressly directed to you, but to anyone reading this thread.

MSD Grid 7730 is the most powerful programmable ignition control offered at the retail price of $435. Discounted thru the web it can easily be had for just over $400. This is very inexpensive considering all the features it offers and free firmware and support in the future. Unlike analog ignition that needs multiple hardware to do something other than fire the ignition, Grid 7730 can do it all and offers a limited data acquisition system.

MSD Grid 7730 is a throw away if it every fails. This is because it’s so inexpensive to replace. The great part is that you can many times change it in less than 5 minutes, load your saved program and be back running in the event of a controller failure.

Both of my Grid 7730 are over 6 years old. They get cycled in and out of my car yearly so that I know I always have a good working spare. They have also been in others cars when trying to diagnose a problem. My car needs a programmable ignition to run properly. If one ever fails the replacement is miniscule compared to the many thousands of dollars of mechanical parts that have failed in my car during this same 6 year period.

If anyone can show me a programmable ignition controller that is better than MSD Grid 7730 with all the same features and support for the same retail price I’ll be the first to step up and say “I’ll take two”.

GO GRID 7730 !!!


Well said. Sometimes we all forget the cheapest way isn't the best way. The damn things are cheap in the scheme of things. Keep a spare.


nomad
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Posts: 2544 | Location: Auburndale, Florida | Registered: October 19, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Pro
Picture of Roger McGinnis
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Bucky:
quote:
Originally posted by Roger McGinnis:


The boards are epoxied. That's why you can't repair them.


Maybe a good reason not to buy them.


They are epoxied to keep people like TechWest from making them illegal.



ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
 
Posts: 559 | Location: Republic of Texas | Registered: January 16, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Pro
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Roger McGinnis:
They are epoxied to keep people like TechWest from making them illegal.


I think they are potted or epoxied to protect the board components.

But, if someone had access to the firmware code and knowledge of how to program, I believe something illegal could possibly be devised.
 
Posts: 2446 | Location: 53056 | Registered: December 30, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Pro
Picture of Roger McGinnis
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by markemark:


I think they are potted or epoxied to protect the board components.


Not all are epoxied.



ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
 
Posts: 559 | Location: Republic of Texas | Registered: January 16, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Pro
Picture of jmarkaudio
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by markemark:
quote:
Originally posted by Bucky:
quote:
Originally posted by Roger McGinnis:
quote:
Originally posted by J Olejniczak:
I have a hard time accepting the fact that a $400 item is not repairable. That would stop me from buying it. I have my Digital 7 ignition and full V300Sd racepak which covers my needs. I have repaired all kind of electronics my whole life and recently soldered in a new battery in my Fitbit watch that I was told was a throw away. Also repaired a K&R Delay box as well. The watch was $120 and still works great now. Seems like society just accepts this fact and we can change this by not buying their products and letting them know.


The boards are epoxied. That's why you can't repair them.


Maybe a good reason not to buy them.


Let me put this into my perspective.

If you are registered with Jegs racer program today, you can purchase MSD 7730 for $409 and use the SAVE40 offer they have now to make your total purchase price $369 delivered. Open the box when you get it and remove the controller. All those items still in the box are worth over $100 whether you need them or not.

I commend those that have the expertise to repair electronic devices. But the cost of electronic repair verses replacing with a new device and warranty at the $400 cost can be disputed this way. No shipping to and from. Immediate replacement without the 3-4 week repair wait with a 3 month warranty.

For those that use analog ignition with as many external electronic devices to accomplish their engine control, (whether older or new analog models) or those that are using the now (over 1 yr) obsolete Dig7 boxes, your cost for complete programmable control and throw away replacement cannot compare with MSD GRID 7730.

I recently attended a race and met a friend that has a 4.25 et dragster. He showed me a problem that he was having in his $2k data acquisition system. Reviewing the Grid 7730 data acquisition showed more of what was happening and he was able to resolve his problem.
He agreed that his 4.25 dragster and I agreed my 6.50 door car cannot run using analog ignition control. It only works using Grid 7730.


So why not have a replacement controller available without the extra stuff and at a cost to reflect that? And the control boards CAN be replaced without replacing the whole box... Companies would rather make disposable parts rather than having repair technicians on staff. We need to get back to making reparable parts AND made in the US...




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Posts: 1047 | Location: Florida | Registered: November 16, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post



DRR Elite
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How about just making them robust and reliable enough that we don't need to consider spares and have the risk of having these go bad at the worst times....as if there is a good time. We have automobiles that go 250,000 miles without a computer failure. Trucks many times that. Both with their own vibration and impact issues. But the latest and greatest from MSD we need to carry a spare with us. If I had to carry a spare computer in my daily driver I would put it out of its misery.


Foxtrot Juliet Bravo
 
Posts: 6373 | Location: Illinois | Registered: July 08, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Top Comp
Picture of Curly1
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Well NASCRAP used to have two complete ignition systems that they could switch on the fly with a switch. That was with the old anolog systems so the fact they can and do fail is nothing new here.


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-a type of Cognitive bias where people with little expertise or ability assume they have superior expertise or ability. This overestimation occurs as a result of the fact that they do not have enough knowledge to know they don't have enough knowledge.

Before you argue with someone ask yourself, "Is this person mentally mature enough to grasp the concept of a different perspective?" If not there is no point to argue.

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Posts: 3980 | Location: United States of Texas | Registered: April 02, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Sportsman
Picture of David Gerard
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I just bought a spare MSD 7720CR Power Grid Ignition (Factory Refurbished) from MSD on eBay for $389.95, including tax and shipping!

One left!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/232924248828
 
Posts: 413 | Location: Fullerton, CA | Registered: June 08, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Pro
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^^^^Install when you get it and leave it in for at least until the warranty period is up
 
Posts: 2446 | Location: 53056 | Registered: December 30, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Sportsman
Picture of David Gerard
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by markemark:
^^^^Install when you get it and leave it in for at least until the warranty period is up


That is the plan!

Thanks...
 
Posts: 413 | Location: Fullerton, CA | Registered: June 08, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Trophy
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3 months ago my car suddenly quit running we used a MSD ignition tester & had no spark from the coil, we borrowed a MSD blaster & the engine would run but under a load ran like crap. When I told the 3rd MSD tech this he said if it would run with the Blaster2 but not the HVC the problem had to be in my 7720. I sent it in for repair & got it back in less than 1 week $57. including shipping!(thanks MSD) They put a note in the box saying it had fried some diodes & had a short. They also said to make sure to run the ground wire directly to the Battery!
P.S. my 7720 was about 3 yrs. old


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Posts: 50 | Location: Fallbrook | Registered: October 31, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Top Comp
Picture of wideopen231
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My question is and this is from almost total computer illiterate. Screw u to those about to comment on illiterate part. Advance LMAO.

Seems the ignition issue are with electronic ignition and yes I know 99.9% here run those and not a mag. Have there been issues with msd grid used with msd mag? Have two msd mag 12's and too poor to buy electronic one,not that I really intend to.




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Posts: 4174 | Location: Greensboro NC | Registered: May 24, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post



DRR Trophy
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Up date on my Grid situation. Received a call from MSD repair to inform me that the 18 month old Grid was bad and NOT repairable. The did offer to sell me a replacement @ a discounted price of $429, which I then informed them that that was higher than Jegs. He was sorry for my disappointment in their product, and that was the best that his manger would allow him to do.
I have read and understand many of the opinions stated on here but at the end of the day I would expect a company to do better!
 
Posts: 23 | Location: Clarksville,Tn. 37042 | Registered: December 21, 1999Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Pro
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Thanks for the Grid 7730 repair update tas742.

As I posted previously, 7730 is a throw away. To those reading this, do NOT send 7730 back to MSD unless under warranty and you’ll be money ahead.
 
Posts: 2446 | Location: 53056 | Registered: December 30, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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