Replacing a PURE Evoke Flow Display
** UPDATE 17th January 2023 **
Dear visitors,
For the latest Evoke display news, please check through all the comments section (best start with newest/ last and work backwards) about replacing this display.
The current suggested source for displays is Shenzhen Liyuan Huida Technology Co who have a good history of offering individual displays for various PURE radios. See their web page and contact form (Jack Wan) at the bottom. You might also find displays on Ebay - see below.
The reader comments here contain a wealth of background, advice and experience from other PURE repairers and are well worth wading through.
Some radios (eg the Avanti Flow) can turn out to be complex with lots of scope for problems, so please consider whether you want to gamble on fitting a new display yourself. Please note I cannot provide any specific advice on repairing or fixing problems, all the information I have is published on my website.
Lastly, folks, I'm sorry if this has become a bit convoluted or messy. My blog wasn't designed for such heavy traffic or 'chat' and large numbers of comments, and I'm trying to keep things going as orderly and easy to use for everyone (myself included!). Please remember, I can't retain or display personal email addresses etc on this web site, though I have successfully put a few people in touch with each other.
PURE SSW-1817 Power Supply Repair
A reader has shared details of replacing the power transistor and capacitors on this common switched-mode power supply used in several PURE DAB radios, more details here
Other sources of suitable OLEDs for PURE Evoke / Flow / Avanti Flow etc
17th January 2023
New PURE Evoke 1S 2S D4 D6 etc Marshall Mio Display Screen
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114638725086
NOT suitable for the Pure Evoke Flow, Avanti Flow, Oasis Flow, F4
Some repair notes for the Evoke 2S are in this PDF.
20th February 2020
On Alibaba - Shenzhen Liyuan Huida Technology Co (Jack Wan) had offered some new stocks of higher brightness OLEDs and are known to offer a good service to UK individuals. Several people said they have been very successful replacements recently. See https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/22pin-yellow-white-3003319301002-Pure-Evoke_60671545961.html
PURE EVOKE 1s (early version)
I've received step by step guide notes on swapping these displays which are now here.
PURE Avanti Flow Display
Looking to replace a PURE Avanti display instead? I've written up instructions here.
PURE Evoke 1S Marshall Display
13/6/2019 - A reader has posted instructions on replacing the (same) OLED on an Evoke 1S Marshall in the reader comments, please scroll through them to the end.
PURE Sirocco 550
2/1/2020 - A reader has posted instructions on replacing the (same) OLED on a Pure Sirroco 550 in the reader comments, please scroll through them to the end. (Happy New Year by the way.)
In 2008 I received a PURE Evoke Flow DAB/ Internet radio as a birthday gift and this cherished radio receiver had been on duty ever since as a portable Internet tuner (thanks to a Chargepak rechargeable battery), doubling as a bedside radio with dual alarms and wireless remote control. The radio recharged overnight ready for a busy day ahead, seated on my desk. The PURE Evoke Flow opened up a new world of online streaming radio with integral services such as Pure Sounds (rainfall, babbling brooks, breaking waves etc.) and BBC Listen Again, both of which, sadly, have long since been discontinued and are greatly missed.
PURE was launched back in 2001 by the higher-end VideoLogic division of UK graphics chipmaker Imagination Technologies. This was at a time when DAB radio was emerging as an exciting new radio standard and PURE was being positioned as a premium consumer brand. Imagination hit hard times and the PURE brand itself was sold off in 2016. Imagination’s major customer Apple also pulled the plug, deciding to make its own graphics chips instead, and a bitter trade dispute followed. Imagination was snapped up by a Chinese/ US private equity firm in 2017. The PURE brand still lives on, thanks to Austrian financial backers.
A Display of PURE Genius
One of the PURE Evoke Flow’s finest features was its yellow OLED graphics display which needed no backlight and had much greater clarity, luminance and viewing angle than an ordinary LCD did. As every Evoke Flow owner doubtless knows by now, unfortunately the display would fade after a few years (say six or more) as its organic element deteriorated until the display blanked out altogether, rendering the radio nearly useless.
Sad to say, the same fate befell my own radio and I have searched in vain for a replacement display for several years. Spares became unobtainable once RS Components discontinued the Bolymin 128 x 64 pixel BL12864KERNH$ (Stock No. 668-6124). I failed to find any foreign source that would ship a single replacement display (but read on).
New OLED Display for PURE Evoke Flow, Avanti, Evoke-1S.
The search for a new display having defeated me (and I don’t give up easily), in 2018 I was really delighted to learn that an enterprising individual has managed to source and import replacement yellow OLED displays that fit the PURE Evoke Flow, Avanti Flow and Evoke-1S Marshall, PURE's guitar amp style DAB radio.
I feared it might be too good to be true but, sure enough, after placing an order online with the UK seller AJSDyno a small carton soon arrived containing a new display for my ten year old radio. Perfect! They have since run out of stock so you will have to source one yourself from eg China (read the comments section later for guidance).
Next was a learning curve to figure out how to fit the new part, so here’s my photo sequence and instructions to help those wanting to replace their displays with minimum fuss.
Only basic tools are needed but a lot of ‘sympathy’ and some dexterity when handling delicate parts is also required: allow yourself half an hour of quality time and work carefully, don’t rush things and you should be fine.
DIY Instructions to replace a PURE Evoke Flow OLED
Unplug the radio from its a.c. adaptor and if a Chargepak battery pack is fitted, remove it. The display is accessed from the rear of the radio, which is secured by six Philips screws, so start by removing them.
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Remove 6 x Philips screws holding in the rear panel [click to see];)
... and swing the panel out, as if it's hinged on the left hand sideThe rear panel can be gently prised out with a plastic spudger or similar tool, swinging it gently out from the right and allow it to rest on the worktop. It carries the main board and some interwiring. Note how some wires and ribbons hook the mainboard to the SnoozeHandle, loudspeaker, front panel controls and the Imagination Technologies display controller.
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The rear panel resting on the workbench. Take care not to strain the taut blue wire (SnoozeHandle PCB)A word of warning,
THE SINGLE WIRE (ARROWED) CONNECTING THE SNOOZEHANDLE IS QUITE TAUT. IT IS SOLDERED AT BOTH ENDS AND CANNOT BE DISCONNECTED WITHOUT DESOLDERING IT. TAKE CARE NOT TO TUG OR STRAIN THIS WIRE OR THE TINY PCB CONNECTING THE SNOOZE HANDLE MAY BE DAMAGED!
So ensure you don’t strain this wire. You can easily pull the two-pin loudspeaker wire connection off the main board. This frees up things to give more access to the innards.
The main front panel connection cable (a silver ribbon, 15mm wide) is quite sturdy and simply slides out of its PCB connector embedded in the front panel on the left, so note which way round the blue ‘pull tab’ goes and pull the ribbon wire gently out. (You can choose to leave this connected if you have the dexterity to work around it, but you may find it slips out accidentally anyway.)
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Main board resting on the worktop, display PCB arrowed;)
The OLED display ribbon in situ, note pins 1-22 markedThe OLED display connects using a flexible printed circuit board ribbon. The connector is probably hidden under some masking tape which can be removed.
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Showing how the connector latches must be disengaged before disconnecting the ribbonDO NOT PULL THE RIBBON OUT! It’s numbered 1 and 22 to show the polarity of the flexible cable. Look closely at how the OLED ribbon is seated in the connector, which has a black plastic clamp to secure it in place.
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Use a pointed tool or maybe a fingernail to slide out the retaining latch at both endsA pointed plastic tool (or your fingernails) must be used to slide the black plastic clamp outwards to the edge of the PCB. It’s effectively just one latch with two handles on the end that pop out evenly about 2mm, and then gently slide out the display’s flexible ribbon.
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Then remove the flexible ribbon from the connectorThe rear of the OLED plastic housing is detached by removing four small Philips screws.
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The four Philips screws (circled) are removed nextYour display is probably screened with adhesive copper foil stuck to it. The display is merely stuck with double sided tape around the edges of the display. It is easy to gently pry it off using a plastic spudger tool and it will come away.
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Carefully pry the display away off the adhesive border
I FOUND THE NEW DISPLAY NEEDS TO BE STUCK ON ‘UPSIDE DOWN’ COMPARED WITH THE OLD ONE, TO ALIGN THE 1-22 PINOUTS OF THE PCB CONNECTOR.
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On this new display, the ribbon sprouts from the TOP edge and needs folding back. Compare yours carefully!Clean the window if necessary with eg a little Isopropanol. Unpeel the clear protection poly film off the new display. The OLED can be applied and stuck down, aligning it in the radio's display window as best you can. Depending on the type that you purchase, the flat flexible ribbon might sprout out of the TOP instead, if so, fold it over downwards towards the controller PCB so the 1-22 pinout markings are visible on the ribbon as before. The old adhesive should still be strong enough but you'll be able to lift and reposition the display if necessary.
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My replacement display fitted in place. Yours might look different. Main thing is to ensure the pinouts 1 > 22 align the right way roundRe-assembly, as they famously say, is the reverse of the above. Pass the OLED ribbon through the slot in the black plastic housing and screw down with 4 Philips screws.
I obtained a small reel of 50mm adhesive copper tape from Ebay and stuck it over the black plastic housing. That's optional.
To re-connect the OLED to the PCB, you must ensure the black plastic latches are STILL OUT by a few millimetres then gently slide the connector ribbon in as far as it will go. You'll know it's right when the bare copper conductors on the end of the flexible ribbon disappear into the housing, after which it can't go any further. Gently but firmly slide the black plastic latches inwards again to clamp the ribbon evenly in place.
If necessary, re-insert the silver front panel ribbon, the right way round, into its own connector ensuring the flat ribbon is even and flush with the connector.
Reconnect the loudspeaker and close up the housing by 'swinging it back into' the case, starting at the left-hand (telescopic aerial) side, always taking care not to strain the blue SnoozeHandle wire, then screw the rear back onto the housing.
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Powered up and working again! [click to see]The radio can then be powered up and tested. Mine worked immediately, even after all this time it remembered the settings and found my LAN again. The remote control worked again too with new batteries (remember there is a 'Hardware Bind' button in the remote, to pair it that way if needed). Surprisingly, my radio then updated its firmware over Wi-fi to V5.1.The display active/ standby brightness can be dimmed via the Options menu if it is too bright.
LEGACY LINK : Replacement Evoke Flow OLED Display from AJSDyno
Alan W
Copper foil screening
Just to clarify about the copper foil stuck behind the display (used for shielding against interference) - mine was stuck down solidly and impossible to lift off. If you can re-use the old foil, it can only help.
In October I found some 50mm copper tape on Ebay which I stuck over the rear of the OLED, on the black plastic itself. Search for eg 'copper foil EMI tape' on eBay, there's plenty of choice for adhesive copper screening tape in every size. AW
Alan W
Can't win 'em all...
Sad to say, my replacement yellow display (as pictured) didn't last all that long - it faded and rows of pixels have failed altogether. I've replaced it with a second spare that I'd bought at the same time (for repairing for old time's sake 5-10 years from now). That too isn't as bright as it could be, but at least it works.
The original yellow OLEDs have all but disappeared from sale altogether now, so there is next to no chance of getting a new replacement. At the time of writing, a few WHITE ones are popping up on sale (Ebay etc.) , claiming to be brand new, so I'm trying one of those before they're all gone too.
Unless a stash of displays is unearthed from somewhere, it will soon become impossible to get another display once those white ones have been snapped up, so make the most of your Pure Evoke radio while you can. Consider unplugging and switching off altogether when it's not in use, to preserve those OLEDs as long as possible. AW
Alan W
Alibaba Yellow OLED
Well it's on the way - I've ordered one of these from China for about $27.00, also as suggested by other buyers so I'll see what they look like. I was pleasantly surprised to source one-offs via Alibaba, though the ordering system is a bit convoluted.
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/2-7-inch-128x64-12864-SSD1305_60671545961.html
More news as it happens! AW
Alan W
Fitting a Yellow OLED sourced via AliExpress
I fitted a Yellow OLED sourced from Shenzhen Liyuan Huida Technology Co., Ltd via Alibaba – a convoluted ordering process but everything arrived intact within ten days with no problems experienced.
I’m happy to say this is working perfectly, a nice bright yellow display just like the original and it dims as required.
Unfortunately the black plastic ribbon clamp somehow ‘pinged’ out from the board altogether. It has two tiny plastic spigots that align into each end of the PCB connector shown in my photos, the clamp being underneath the ribbon cable. When it’s pushed fully home, it sandwiches the ribbon firmly in place. Sadly, one of these spigots jammed and broke off (not surprised after all the hammer it’s had). However the other spigot is still intact, so I carefully re-inserted it underneath the OLED display ribbon, and pushed it home again. This seems to have held together so far. It can’t be repaired so let’s hope it stays that way.
It's best to use eg a plastic spudger or similar to ensure the clamp is only pushed out by a millimeter or so, and do not use excessive force.
Only time will tell whether the latest display will last or fade or drop some pixels, but it's looking great so far. I'll report findings back here. AW
ED 
Reader Comments (239)
Great writeup Alan!
I found this by completing a Google search- It's a great write up which has helped me bring my radio back to its best.
Always good to be able to repair something !
Thanks to Alan.
It always good to get some information to avoid doing a repair like this "in the dark."
This guide is very comprehensive and well put together and gives the repairer really useful tips.
I hate to throw away usable equipment and thanks to this guide my radio is now back, no longer obsolete.
Good work Alan.
Thanks for the write up, Alan and AJSDyno for sourcing the screens, I just fitted mine and now I can see again!!
Superb - £20 and 50mins effort (while watching TV) - good as new!
Update 31st March 2018 - AJSDyno display no longer sold
Since writing this article I have been informed that the supply of displays finally dried up - the source was shipping untested units and Adrian at AJSDyno was suddenly getting a 75% failure rate, so he's finally had to abandon selling these displays. We decided to leave my photo sequence up for anyone who manages to get hold of a replacement in the future.
Thanks for this page and the information! I managed to get my display changed out just before this recent bad news! Thank you!
Could this be a new source for replacements?
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/2-7-inch-128x64-12864-SSD1305_60671545961.html
I'm told that despite what their advert says they can only supply the less bright ones now [= borderline failures], so it looks like it's already been investigated and found unsuitable. Oh well.
Thanks ! Tried ebay, got one of the slightly duller displays for 12.50 ,arrived the next day that - and your great instructions did the business! THANKS!
I have managed to find a supplier on ebay at:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/123124202257
and thanks to Alan`s excellent instructions I have managed to replace the OLED which now works like it did when the radio was new.
There the good news ends, because I seem to have damaged the connector for the 2-pin loudspeaker wire and now I can only listen to the radio through headphones. Any advice in solving this new problem would be greatly appreciated.
Mike, without looking at it, it's probably easiest to solder the two speaker wires directly to the two pin header on the board, but it needs some soldering skills, perhaps you know someone who could do that.
Much appreciated! Had been wondering what to do with my Evoke Flow after the display disappeared completely.
Managed to find a spare OLED on eBay for £12.50 + £2.50 p&p.
Although this part is only a half brightness model which means it's a bit dim in full daylight, it lets me use it again which is fantastic!
Thank you so much! Your guidance gave me the confidence to give it a go. I sourced the display from First Components (product no.: WEX012864DLPP3N00000). Including tax and shipping, it was €55. Not cheap, but better than buying a replacement. Followed your instructions and hey presto. Back to brightness as new. A bit fiddly, but worth doing.
Purchased one of the few remaining OLED displays for the Pure Evoke on ebay. Replaced and working fine. I found it easier to follow the instructions here but having removed the back I unscrewed the front panel (6 screws inside). I was then able to work from the front panel flat on the desk after temporarily putting the back panel back on. Unfortunately the new display is low level but at least the old model is back up and working. Now to update it and hopefully get it back to internet radio. Magic FM Romania - highly recommended, great music.
He comprado una aqui:
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/New-arrival-yellow-display-3003319301002-Evoke_60671545961.html?spm=a2700.8443308.0.0.6b655e2cwaF07h
Veré si cuando llega es correcta.
Saludos. Regards.
AJSDyno had contacted that supplier before and they had none despite advertising them on Alibaba.
However, they will contact them again as their description has changed slightly, maybe they now have some! Thank you!
Hello, I am looking to replace my display too - did you manage to verify the Alibaba source - I have neve done business via this site and looks complicated for an individual like me - I am not a business, just an individual tryting to fix my radio! Many thanks, GGT
I passed your query on to AJSDyno who had been importing displays, they tested and advise the new Alibaba ones are fine but they have limited stocks and are pricier. They will try importing some.
They suggest you email them direct at catch-all@ajsdyno.com then you can buy that way rather than struggle with Alibaba, a Chinese web site that I agree can be very messy to deal with.
He recibido la unidad OLED de muestra y veré de montarla en mi equipo Evoke para ver si logro que funcione correctamente.
Les tendré informados.
Gracias y saludos.
Regards.
It's OK
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/New-arrival-yellow-display-3003319301002-Evoke_60671545961.html?spm=a2700.8443308.0.0.6b655e2cwaF07h
Funciona desde ésta mañana tengo un nuevo radio.
Mucho brillo y fácil de cambiar con cuidado.
Muchas gracias Alan y a todos.
Best regards.
Hello all, I bought this one off ebay, and it works fine:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/123320799632?ViewItem=&item=123320799632
Thanks for the guide - it's very comprehensive.
Hello. Thanks for these instructions. Worked perfectly! The silver ribbon on my unit was soldered in but didn't need to be removed so no problem.
I bought this screen from ebay for £25...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pure-Evoke-Flow-Avanti-Flow-F4-New-screen-display-OLED-128x64-yellow/273419891929?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
My radio had been in the cupboard for 12 months. I originally searched for 'how to fix failed screen' when it first went but no luck. I was talking with a friend last about radios which got me thinking "it's time to try and fix it or buy a new one".... I found you blog post and search eBay for a replacement screen... 2 days and 30 mins of work later and my radio is good as new! Thanks!
Here's the link:
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F273419891929
[The item may have ended on Ebay - check the seller's other items. - AW]
Just received and installed the OLED display a previous commenter bought from China
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/New-arrival-yellow-display-3003319301002-Evoke_60671545961.html
All working again like new for less then USD20
Thanks for the instructions