Re: O.T. TV Repair Newsgroup?

ppp@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

On 20 Aug 2006 08:33:48 -0700, cornytheclown@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

I wonder how many nice tv sets and other appliances are tossed because
of bad solder joints or board level components that just go bad...

I was an electronics tech and was trying to arrive to this point.
Might as well say it. If the TV set has an intermittent problem that
can be temporarily fixed by slapping the cabinet, it has a loose
connection or a cold solder. An easy way to locate the problem is to
unlupg it, open the back cover, switch it on again and use a long
wooden rod to move around and put some strain on the wire harnesses.
This avoids getting zapped. A zap is unpleasant but won't kill. If
you can reproduce the problem with that poking around it will let you
narrow down the location. Again unplug the TV and do a closeup
examination of the wire harness connections and the solder joints on
the circuit board. Even a hairline crack on the PCB will cause
problems. SONY is notorious for developing this problem of solder
pads lifting off the PCB but appearing to be in good shape. Resolder
the joints. If you cannot locate the cold solder resolder the joints
anyway. If that fixes it you are ahead. If it doesn't you've lost
nothing.

Exactly right with the Sony gear, particularly stereo receivers that are
always placed where they can't get proper ventilation. The amount of
solder used when they are manufactured tends to be pretty thin and with
the heating and cooling cycles the product experiences the thin areas of
solder crystallize and develop a circular stress fracture around the
pin. If you look close with a magnifying glass you can see these ring
fractures. Resoldering with some fresh solder will fix the connections
and provide more structure to avoid the problem in the future.

When I spent a summer working at a friends electronics repair shop every
Sony receiver that came in had all the connections resoldered, even if
the problem was a blown output. The 5 min it took to resolder was cheap
insurance against having the unit come back a month or two later for the
solder problem.


To go back a step, after opening the cabinet take it outside and give
it a good blow to clear out all the dust and grime. The exhaust of a
vacuum cleaner is a good source of blown air. Brush where
appropriate. Reseat all the wire connectors. A good cleaning may
sometimes solve the problem. In any case it makes any troubleshooting
easier, unhampered by dirt and grime.

Cleaning also helps the components run cooler prolonging their life
expectancy.


Any fix beyond that consider the TV set toast. Its not worth the
effort, time or money to try to fix it. This advice applies to the
analog TV sets. I don't know anything about pricey big screen plasma
TV sets.

There are a lot of larger and higher end analog CRT sets along with
plasma and LCD models that warrant further troubleshooting and repair
efforts. If the replacement cost of the item is more than $500-$600 it's
usually worth repairing at a factory authorized service shop that can
fix it properly for perhaps 40% of the replacement cost. This assumes
it's out of factory warranty, if not it's certainly worth fixing for
most anything over about $20.


Ive done some electronics repair on my own and for friends family...all
with the upfront disclaimer that it probably is not repairable by me
and I may in fact cause more damage..so in other words If they toss it
in the trash I'll take a look at it...lol

I am by no means an electronics "technician"....but I have repaired
many items and usually its repairs such as bad solder joints that
overheated or parts such as protective diodes letting go and damaging
relays or varistors going bad....which they do as a part of their
normal lifeltime. Like I said I am limited by my own limited knowledge
but I have been able to keep quite a bit of stuff out of the landfill.
I dont always find the root cause of the problems but when I do make a
repair it holds up over time and like I said...anything I tear into is
destined for the curb.

Manufacturers use the cheapest components they can get and you know
quality control standards in the USA have dropped since we have pretty
much gotten used to being a throw away society who doesnt have time to
deal with the brick wall of warranty and return issues.

The cost pressure is brutal. But the loss of shelf space is fatal.
Manufacturers do not make shoddy goods to save a few cents. One too
many returns for warranty claims gets his product tossed out of the
vendor's store for good.

Correct, brand reputation is critical.

Yes, market conditions make it cheaper for a
manufacturer to just give a new replacement item than to try to repair
it.

Not really, in some cases the manufacturer will replace the failed item
with a new one, but the failed product is often repaired / refurbished
and resold at a "factory outlet" store or at some retailers that carry
factory refurbished product.

As soon as a product has known design or manufacturing faults the
model gets pulled and a new one put in. We as consumers never had it
so good.

Not even close. By the time enough repair / warranty claims have been
made for the manufacturer to determine there is a design flaw with a
particular model, they are already several models past it.

Pete C.
.

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