Please Help

[nmushkin]

Hi, I completed assembly of the ice clock kit and everything seemed to be fine. It completed all of the tests successfully and the clock "ticked" when I first tried the display when it says to test it. Then, after finishing up the board, I plugged it in and it beeped but nothing showed. I could get the display on by switching the alarm switch back and forth. The clock didn't tick however and also the menu button was useless. The other two would turn the display on and show the date. Because it seemed like a crystal problem at first, I bought a new crystal (same one, from this website) and tried it out but it still doesn't work. I also tried a new button but that didn't work either.
The display works fine, the circuit beeps, the voltages are good, so I'm not sure what's wrong... Thanks.
--Can't post images right now because the website is being weird but I will when I can

[adafruit_support_bill]

Please post photos of the front and back of the boards. The upload limits are 1 meg. But if you resize to about 800x600 you should not have a problem.

[nmushkin]

Here are the photos

Optimized-IMG_20150213_140639.JPG (731.42 KiB) Viewed 961 times

Optimized-IMG_20150213_140649.JPG (500.58 KiB) Viewed 961 times

Optimized-IMG_20150213_140756.JPEG (502.01 KiB) Viewed 961 times

[nmushkin]

Optimized-IMG_20150213_140919.JPG (521.51 KiB) Viewed 961 times

Optimized-IMG_20150213_140945.JPG (457.35 KiB) Viewed 961 times

Optimized-IMG_20150213_141001.JPG (459.05 KiB) Viewed 961 times

[adafruit_support_bill]

If you have seen the display working, you are 90% of the way there. I suspect you are seeing the effects of some intermittent solder joints. In general, they don't look bad, but some appear a little 'frosted' which can indicate a 'cold' joint. And there are a lot of long leads that should be trimmed close to the board.

Please take a look at this guide and touch up any joints that look suspicious: https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-mot ... ing-motors

[nmushkin]

If you have seen the display working, you are 90% of the way there. I suspect you are seeing the effects of some intermittent solder joints. In general, they don't look bad, but some appear a little 'frosted' which can indicate a 'cold' joint. And there are a lot of long leads that should be trimmed close to the board.

Please take a look at this guide and touch up any joints that look suspicious: https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-mot ... ing-motors

Thank You, still no luck though...
I am wondering if I somehow damaged the board from the time I first tested the display to after installing the backup battery and buttons. It wouldn't really make sense for the clock to function fine and then just stop without something happening to the board would it?
Thanks

[adafruit_support_bill]

But if I understand your original post correctly, it sounds like the display still comes on at times. Is that true?

[nmushkin]

Sorry, yes the display turns on when I press the switches (excluding menu button which doesn't do anything) but it won't come on by itself at power on and it won't tick forward like it would before installing the battery circuit & switches, so I was thinking that maybe when working on those two steps I messed something up because it was "ticking" before and came on at the start.
Thank You

[adafruit_support_bill]

and it won't tick forward like it would before installing the battery circuit & switches,

Do you mean it displays the time, but does not advance? I don't belive I'v e seen that symptom before.

[nmushkin]

Yes, once the display gets turned on, it displays a forzens time, until you switch the alarm then it displays alarm on/off or the date if you press 2 of the buttons... seem strange.
Thanks

[adafruit_support_bill]

Sounds like maybe a problem in the crystal oscillator circuit. Check over the solder joints on the crystal, C8 and C9. Also, clean any excess flux from the area. Isopropyl alcohol (>90%) and an old toothbrush work well for that.