Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted March 1, 2011 Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 If your monitor gives up the ghost, it might just be cheaper to repair it yourself, that is if you're adept at tinkering with things and reasonable with a soldering iron. Chances are it's the electrolytic capacitors than have died in the monitor power supply. I'm in the process of "re capping" my monitor, the last two have just arrived. Most of the time it's cheap Chinese components that are the cause of the problem. First and foremost, do a search on the internet with the criteria being "the make" of monitor followed by "problems" ie "sanyo xyz monitor problems" Chances are it will be Chinese made electrolytic capacitors that have "died". Once you have established the above, sometimes you will find "how to" on Youtube. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted March 1, 2011 Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 Or you could adapt it to a paperweight or doorstop Seriously many old electronics from years ago only failed due to deterioration of capacitors. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted March 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 Agreed, but newer electronics are failing just after the warranty period and still have many years of life left in them Mick, fair enough the replacement for my monitor is about $100, caps $10 bucks plus an hour of my time, so $10 wins out. I have to recap my VHF/UHF transceiver switching power supply, the radio cost me around $2000 about 16 years back. The power supply isn't available now and the caps probably will cost me 15 bucks total plus an hour of work. My monitor is about three years old Mick, why discard it when it has more life left in it??? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted March 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 I'm suspecting the power supply on this computer is playing up too, damned thing has shut down twice today, I'll bet my old boots it's cheap Chinese electrolytic caps!!!!!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted March 1, 2011 Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 Things go obsolete so quick. However yesterday I checked my Icom ICR7000 and Yaesu FRG8800. Both stil OK after all these years. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted March 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 I think the FRG 8800 had a linear power supply, less heat to "dry" the caps up. My FT1000MP has a switching supply. I also corrected a couple of "dry joints" yesterday in it. It's about 12 years old now. Switching power supplies of the last few years are the problem with cheap Chinese components in them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fynger 841 Posted March 2, 2011 Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 Ok...so lets say my monitor dies....kinda makes reading things on the internet and watching Utube vids a bit hard...as there wunt be a lot of picture would there...DOH !! !inthebin! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
littlebro 234 Posted March 2, 2011 Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 Ok...so lets say my monitor dies....kinda makes reading things on the internet and watching Utube vids a bit hard...as there wunt be a lot of picture would there...DOH !! !inthebin! That a valid point! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted March 2, 2011 Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 yes bit by time you've bought a blow lamp and stilsons etc to do the job are you any better off? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted March 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 Ok...so lets say my monitor dies....kinda makes reading things on the internet and watching Utube vids a bit hard...as there wunt be a lot of picture would there...DOH !! !inthebin! SPARE monitor??? Like I'm using at the moment........ !tanning! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fynger 841 Posted March 2, 2011 Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 no spare..wunt have the room to store one anyway. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted March 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 Gerra cheap lap top as a standby then. This is the wife's second office monitor, she brought it home to make room down there. I still have my CRT monitor if I get stuck. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fynger 841 Posted March 2, 2011 Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 cant afford a laptop...the pooter was enough. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted March 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 I've a couple of spares I can fall back on should the need arise, not as fast as this machine, but will keep me up and running. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fynger 841 Posted March 2, 2011 Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 not got the room to keep spares...not got enough space now Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted March 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 That's what we have here, almost 2400 sq ft. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted March 2, 2011 Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 I still have my CRT monitor if I get stuck. That'l keep yer door open and stop yer bills blowin away Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted March 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 Me monitors working now, nice to have mine back, it's larger than the missus's spare monitor. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,427 Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 Just wondering. When those capacitors go caput, do they take out any other components in the process? Remember years ago having a Rogers stereo amp. Very proud of it, I was. Invited the neighbor from across the street to come and have a listen. Turned it on and it produced smoke. Very impressed, he was. Turned out to be an electrolytic problem but it took a couple of resistors with it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted March 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 You're thinking of 450-550 volt electrolytics!! The low voltage ones tend to dry out, the tops show convex structure instead of being flat. What happens electrically, is they lose their ability to store power. I've had high voltage caps scare the crap out of me, ie 5000 volt rating when they blow, they sound like a gun going off! Low voltage just fail, and the circuit just doesn't function anymore. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,427 Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Thanks. That makes sense. I guess they are only running with a few volts these days. You've got to admit though, the failures were more spectacular. !! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted March 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Yep big bang and everything covered in "confetti" You should hear High Voltage feed through caps when they blow, talking of five thousand volt rated caps now bypassing RF to ground. Scared the crap out of me when I first heard one blow. Or the RF bypass cap built into the base for a ceramic tube, again rated at several thousand volts. They sound like a shotgun going off. The only effect you get with low voltage electrolytics is the equipment stops working. I've to recap my VHF/UHF transceiver switching power supply soon. There's about seven electrolytics that have dried out. I also have some older Heath test equipment that wants recapping, some very "leaky" "black bombers" that need changing out for some modern poly caps. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 yes bit by time you've bought a blow lamp and stilsons etc to do the job are you any better off? Don't forget the Lump Hammer ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted March 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 yes bit by time you've bought a blow lamp and stilsons etc to do the job are you any better off? Burra all ready have those in my comprehensive tool kit, including metric, imperial and sae socket sets with torque wrench. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,427 Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 Glad to hear that, Ian. I have an old Roland piano about 25 years old. It was my late wife's so has some sentimental value for me. I'm currently learning to play it. Every time I turn it on I'm sort of waiting for problems. However if it doesn't take out a bunch of transistors etc. I should be able to replace the caps. If I can find any! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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