Smart Board Problem

[kitamad]

I have a problem with my new smart board. I got it in January, but almost from the beginning it has been acting up. It has been recalibrated several times, so I know that won't fix anything.
Everything works fine except for when you try to write on it using the markers. The writing becomes distorted and is illegible. I know it's not my handwriting because other teachers who have smart boards in their rooms have tried to use mine and have the same issue. This problem greatly limits the use of my smartboard, and at this point, it's more of a hindrance than anything since it was positioned over the existing dry erase board. Now I have no way to jot notes on the board.
Any suggestions or experience with this problem? I have tried to get my school's tech person to see about getting it fixed or replaced since there is obviously a defect with it, but apparently I'm supposed to deal with it on my own.

[stevehp]

When you say "dry erase" do you mean a whiteboard or a chalkboard type surface? If it's a whiteboard then I believe that's your issue. Most whiteboards have a magnetic surface and that will most certainly cause your SMART Board to go awry. I would have district and or building maintenance personnel mount the SMART Board directly to a non-metallic wall (plaster, drywall, concrete block).

[kitamad]

Thanks for the advice. After doing some digging around on this forum, I was starting to think that was maybe the problem.
Is there any other work around other than moving it to a different wall? There really isn't anywhere else to put it in my classroom...2 walls are taken up by whiteboards and the other 2 wouldn't work either. Plus my school will probably just ignore my suggestion (like they're ignoring the problem), and wouldn't be willing to move it.

Oh, I should add that most of the other smartboards in the school already were mounted directly on top of whiteboards, so while I agree it really may be the problem....will definitely make it difficult to convince my AP that it's the problem considering the other boards are working fine.

[stevehp]

That's unfortunate to hear that your school is so unwilling to help. That's quite a large investment for a school to just slopply mount atop a whiteboard and walk away washing their hands of it in the process.

If the other boards are mounted in the same manner then it might be that you have a board with a bad controller. Or it could just be that your board was screwed down tighter than the others and is coming in closer contact with the whiteboard behind it. It's either that or the board is being slightly warped by uneven mounting or something pressing up against it, which can also cause the same issues.

The easiest way to test the whiteboard theory is to dismount the board. It's relatively easy just remove the pen tray, remove the two screws holding down the bottom bracket and then get a helper to help lift the board up and off the hanger. Then just rest it on the floor, preferably away from a whiteboard and have somebody try to draw a straight line or anything really and see what shows on your computer monitor.

[MK-2]

we had something similar, contacted smart who asked us to send them an edge trace report (they tell you how to do it). they then told us they would be sending us a free replacement board as ours had gone wrong.
contact smart support with the details and see what they suggest

[Sirbendy]

Try poking and holding in the reset button on the back for 5+ seconds, then recalibrating it....it's sorted 2 of ours now that were acting VERY oddly.

[MK-2]

as an addition to mine:

load up smart notebook. get a pen, draw along the edges as close as possible, then draw lines going down, lines across etc. see if any of them curve as you go, or if they stay straight. if they curve wildly (which would then be putting your writing out) contact smart about it. we had a board with the right hand side wildly curving in. the board wasn't bowed at all and after we sent our trace report smart contacted to say a replacement board will be with you in a few weeks

[witch]

It is still in warranty - so get the serial number and ring the company yourself - they should send someone out to see it and they will diagnose the problem