Windows 8 Consumer Preview

Dear PlainBill, I recently posted on a topic which you gave advice on, I saw your signature area...
I truly wish you Good Health & long life; although I am not an avid user/commenter here; there has been numerous times I googled about an issue w/ some electronic I am tinkering w/ or trying to fix and learn on -keep up to date in a way- I often came to a badcaps thread and your advice or tech tips/instructions proved to help best... Even though I may have never said thanks and trust me well over a half dozen times i have read about something and tried methods you suggest; I am sure not...

Sorry, I no longer am active on this forum.

Dear Bill, I need your help. I read a post where you were helping someone with the problems they were having with an Olevia TV. I also have similar problems with same brand TV. I have some questions that I feel you might have the answer. Can you please do me a favor and read my post title. "Olevia 242-T11 No Picture, No sound, No Back Lights. I hope you have the time to help me out.
Sincerely, Chuda33

[PlainBill]

Re: Pictures of failed monitors, TV's



Let me clarify my opinion on this.

You are making a large number of pictures available and directly helping many people here. That is a very good thing, and I can now take a half day away from the forum without feeling guilty. [B]Thank You!![/B]

[QUOTE]I paid for service at Photobucket to allow me to do unlimited upload.[QUOTE]
That is the point I worry about. You are a nice person, an asset to this community, and I hope fun to be around. But circumstances change. Was this a one time payment,...

[PlainBill]

Re: Philips 42pf3331 and 42Pfl5603d/12


Split the second TV into a second thread. It doesn't cost much, and saves a lot of confusion.

Next a single picture of each TV. We want to see the back so we can direct you if we need additional pictures. Make the pictures as close to 2000 x 2000 pixels as possible without going over. Attach them using 'Manage Attachments' - below the test entry area.

As for the noise in the 42pf3331, use the core from a roll of towels or a similar tube as a rudimentary telescope to isolate the source of the sound....

[PlainBill]

Re: Gateway FPD2185W not showing display



If you look at the first picture, there is a large white arrow just below the center of the power supply. Everything to the right of the board (and the corresponding area on the top) is the inverter.

PlainBill...

[PlainBill]

Re: Pictures of failed monitors, TV's



I wouldn't say 'evil', but I do see a very good chance that at some time in the future anyone following the link would see 'not found' or 'expired' instead of the picture.

The alternative, of course, would be to upload the pictures here to appropriately labeled threads, one for each model of monitor or TV.

PlainBill...

[PlainBill]

Re: How do I test integrated circuits with a multimeter?



It's possible to do this if you have a schematic. Even without a schematic it may be possible to spot a gross problem. Part of the challenge is knowing what the circuit does.

With a schematic you can check the value of the resistors and capacitors and use a 'not less / greater than' rule. A good resistor in circuit will never read greater than it's true value because parallel resistances will reduce the resistance. A good capacitor in circuit will never read less than it's rated capacitance...

[PlainBill]

Re: AMC1117 Substitute Question



Not quite. You can use a fixed output type as an adjustable by adding a pair of resistors in exactly the same way they are used on the adjustable type. However, the output voltage can be varied from the rated output voltage up to as high as you want as long as you stay within power dissipation and voltage drop limits. In other words, you could use a AMC1117-3.3 to drop a 20 volt supply down to 15 volts, just don't draw too much current. (The AMC1117 is rated for a maximum power dissipation of less than 1 watt, maximum input / reference...

[PlainBill]

Re: 42" Maxent Plasma MX-42XM11 Lines on screen



Did you check the zener in both directions? If so, it is bad.

PlainBill...

[PlainBill]

Re: Samsung LN40A650A1F, no backlight



You can observe waveforms, but be very careful. I wouldn't even touch the scope when the TV power supply is getting AC voltage. The voltage on the scope is potentially as high as 400 volts.

PlainBill...

[PlainBill]

Re: Windows 8 Consumer Preview



Well, it certainly brought out the frustration in me!!! I'm sure some of this was due to a new UI, but it really seems like a step back when all the icons are spread across three screen widths. There IS a menu that can be brought up - but only if you are on the first of the three screens.

PlainBill...

[PlainBill]

Did anyone else try this? What were your impressions?

First, a word of caution. Only install it on a system that has no data that you can afford to lose. One installed, you cannot remove it. I was expecting this, and took precautions. If past experience is any guideline, when the release version is available you may not be able to install it over the preview.

My initial reaction was underwhelming. Logically, when using a smartphone or tablet you expect to see some loss of functionality due to the small screen. Migrating the same limited functionality to the large...

[PlainBill]

Re: Fixing Phillips LCD TV 37PF7320A



That is common because Philips Service Manuals are tied to the chassis number. This TV has the BL2.3U AA service manual.

Here's the link to the [URL="http://elektrotanya.com/?q=showresult&what=BL2.3U%20AA%20philips&kategoria=tv&kat2=schematics"]service manual[/URL]. It's in the third group of manuals.

PlainBillRe: Fixing Phillips LCD TV 37PF7320A



That is common because Philips Service Manuals are tied to the chassis number. This TV has the BL2.3U...

[PlainBill]

Re: Sceptre X20G NAGA-II no power

This monitor does have a PFC front end which seems to be working.

The voltages on the LDO regulators are all fine, the buck regulators are also reasonable, but my question is why is there no 1.8 volts?

Other than hoping I could see something with a better picture of the signal board, I can't think of any further steps.

PlainBill

[PlainBill]

Re: Vizio VW37 Power Supply PSON working but no 12v or 24v output



There are several different designs for the PS_ON input. In some cases it is nothing more than a NPN transistor with a resistor from the base to the PS_ON pin. On that design the threshold is less than 1 volt.

PlainBill...

[PlainBill]

Re: Gateway fpd1520 Fuse Blown

You are right, my mistake, it is C9. Hmm, with no timing capacitor this may not be a Royer oscillator. Still, replace the transistors and see what happens.

PlainBill

[PlainBill]

Re: Sceptre X20G NAGA-II no power

Lecture 1. When troubleshooting it is important to take a methodical approach. Recognizing symptoms can help avoid wasting time and money.

Lecture 2. You have given us an incredible amount of detail, and some very good pictures. One is missing and another leaves a lot to be desired, however.

Preliminary results. Some of the voltages are unusual (9.1V), others are common (5.3V, 12.9V). What is missing seem to be the control signals to the inverter. The power supply / inverter seems to be working properly, there are problems...

[PlainBill]

Re: Gateway fpd1520 Fuse Blown



Sorry, I missed that. Just as I suspected, it seems to be our old friend the Royer Oscillator. By any chance is there a poly or ceramic capacitor of 18 to 33 nF on the back side of the board? Replace check or replace that, replace C99, resolder all transformer pins, and I would suggest picking up at least 4 of the transistors.

As to the other question, the Q part number would be preferred. And the A and J are either production lots or date codes.

PlainBill...

[PlainBill]

Re: Philips 37MF321D No power no LED

One thing to watch out for, Philips often uses the 'Label = function when high' convention. That is, the label (Standby) indicates the power supply is in standby mode when the Standby line is high. BUT they aren't consistent about it.

The best way to test it is to disconnect the main board from the power supply, then use a resistor (anything between 2.2K and 3.3K) between 5V_SB and Standby. If that doesn't bring the power supply to life, try using the resistor to pull Standby to ground.

PlainBill