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Post by bargemast on Feb 20, 2018 20:45:29 GMT
I think it's difficult now to fix electronics because of surface mounted components. They tend to just plug out the faulty board and plug in s new one. I had a mastervolt inverter that didn't last long, I wasn't impressed so I won't be buying anymore of their equipment. That's what they were doing with the first charger I took to Mastervolt to be repaired, but they couldn't fix it, unless they changed almost all of these boards, and that would make it too expensive, that's why they then offered me this one. If you find someone that's really clever like my sadly late brother in law used to be, they can find just the faulty item on the board, which may only be a cheap resistance, transitor, diode or something like that, but because they don't seem to have that knowledge, they change one or more expensive boards, and hope that they're working again. That's a problem for people like me, that don't have the slightest understanding of the workings of electronics. Peter.
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Post by kris on Feb 20, 2018 20:49:55 GMT
Good luck with it.
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Post by bargemast on Feb 20, 2018 20:50:18 GMT
I've just had a thought are there any fuses in side the case. They are usually under the metal plate that lifts off on the end of the case. I must confess, I haven't checked if there are any metal plates that lift off, but as I have to take the thing off the wall in the engineroom to take it with me to Belgium, I will have a look then. Peter.
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Post by Telemachus on Feb 20, 2018 21:22:03 GMT
I think it's difficult now to fix electronics because of surface mounted components. They tend to just plug out the faulty board and plug in s new one. I had a mastervolt inverter that didn't last long, I wasn't impressed so I won't be buying anymore of their equipment. Surface mount components can be replaced with the right kit. I somehow managed to blow a gliding gadget, traced the fault to a surface mount IC - only about 20 legs, but tiny. With the aid of a bench magnifier and a hot air workstation (£35 from ebay) I managed to remove the chip. Dabbed solar paste onto the pads and legs of the new chip, cooked it with the hot air and job done. You do need a steady hand though! I’ve found the hot air work station really useful. Basically a thermostatically controlled mini hot air gun with different nozzle sizes (all quite small). You can set the air temperature from 100 up to about 500 (or more, can’t remember) so it’s good for licking stuff with air that is hot, but not too hot. You certainly can’t do that sort of job with a soldering iron. Edit: the chip was about 50p and fixed the gadget which originally cost over £1k (although it was by then past its sell-by date).
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Post by kris on Feb 20, 2018 21:26:29 GMT
I think it's difficult now to fix electronics because of surface mounted components. They tend to just plug out the faulty board and plug in s new one. I had a mastervolt inverter that didn't last long, I wasn't impressed so I won't be buying anymore of their equipment. Surface mount components can be replaced with the right kit. I somehow managed to blow a gliding gadget, traced the fault to a surface mount IC - only about 20 legs, but tiny. With the aid of a bench magnifier and a hot air workstation (£35 from ebay) I managed to remove the chip. Dabbed solar paste onto the pads and legs of the new chip, cooked it with the hot air and job done. You do need a steady hand though! I’ve found the hot air work station really useful. Basically a thermostatically controlled mini hot air gun with different nozzle sizes (all quite small). You can set the air temperature from 100 up to about 500 (or more, can’t remember) so it’s good for licking stuff with air that is hot, but not too hot. You certainly can’t do that sort of job with a soldering iron. yes I used to do a lot of work with surface mount stuff I know how to do it. But I also know that the increased intergration and iminituration of components has meant that there are less people able to fix electronics. Leading to the plug out, plug in mentality.
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Post by Graham on Feb 20, 2018 21:32:02 GMT
Just a thought it is 10 years old and has rarely been powered. I am wondering if the capacitors have dried etc. The initial load starting it could be quite high. Don't know if Nick's idea of starting it without batteries attached was tried, too many pages to dig through.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2018 21:35:07 GMT
I Work with a tame electronics weirdo. Recently he has salvaged ba poorly Sealey 12v charger for the grand sum of £0.90 He has a soldering station as Nick describes. Quality flux and proper lead solder helps sort the pesky little gizmos. He too says you can't even contemplate repairing stuff without it. His next task (against my better judgement!) Is to build a HMI that can display all engine instruments along with incorporating the switches for the domestic circuits. I hate electronics and at times have had to be physically restrained from sending reluctant electronic components to their next world with the aid of a hammer
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Post by Telemachus on Feb 20, 2018 21:41:33 GMT
Surface mount components can be replaced with the right kit. I somehow managed to blow a gliding gadget, traced the fault to a surface mount IC - only about 20 legs, but tiny. With the aid of a bench magnifier and a hot air workstation (£35 from ebay) I managed to remove the chip. Dabbed solar paste onto the pads and legs of the new chip, cooked it with the hot air and job done. You do need a steady hand though! I’ve found the hot air work station really useful. Basically a thermostatically controlled mini hot air gun with different nozzle sizes (all quite small). You can set the air temperature from 100 up to about 500 (or more, can’t remember) so it’s good for licking stuff with air that is hot, but not too hot. You certainly can’t do that sort of job with a soldering iron. yes I used to do a lot of work with surface mount stuff I know how to do it. But I also know that the increased intergration and iminituration of components has meant that there are less people able to fix electronics. Leading to the plug out, plug in mentality. Yes true. But set against that, the cost of actually manufacturing electronics is much lower now - robots make the pcbs, place the SM devices and they get reflowed/wave soldered without much human intervention. So although it does limit ease of repair, if you factor in the cost of the time of a fault finding/repair technician, it is often cheaper for the end user simply to replace the board. So plug in plug out mentality yes, but not necessarily a bad thing. Unless you are a DIYer of course!
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Post by JohnV on Feb 20, 2018 22:26:18 GMT
The deterioration of my eyesight and dexterity is indirectly proportional to the miniaturisation of electronic circuits.
I was offered a choice of radars for Sabina last year ...... I chose the older model with discrete components ...... if it goes wrong, with that one I have a chance of fixing it.
Although my actual training was in glass encapsulated space charge technology (valves, you know the glass bottle things that glow)
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Post by bargemast on Feb 21, 2018 9:46:32 GMT
Just a thought it is 10 years old and has rarely been powered. I am wondering if the capacitors have dried etc. The initial load starting it could be quite high. Don't know if Nick's idea of starting it without batteries attached was tried, too many pages to dig through. Hello Graham, no, for the time being I haven't tried to switch the charger on with the wires detached, I was always a bit worried to do that (knowing nothing about the working of these boxes) and thought that this sort of manipulation could possibly damage the charger, as it couldn't get rid off the charge it wanted to get rid off. What does dried capacitors mean ? and what can one do about that, if that would be the case ? Thanks for your help, Peter.
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Post by Telemachus on Feb 21, 2018 9:50:34 GMT
Have you checked the fuse between battery and charger yet? Maybe you should measure the voltage on the dc terminals of the charger to make sure there isn’t some break in the connections between charger and batteries.
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Post by bargemast on Feb 21, 2018 10:22:20 GMT
Have you checked the fuse between battery and charger yet? Maybe you should measure the voltage on the dc terminals of the charger to make sure there isn’t some break in the connections between charger and batteries. Hello Nick, I'm ashamed having to say that there's no fuse between the batteries and the charger (I just slapped myself for not having done that), and I will measure the voltage on the dc terminals of the charger as soon as I'm able to bend my back again, as I can hardly move today. The not being able to move happens 3 to 4 times per year at the most inconvenient moments, and is a bad souvenir of an accident I had in 1975, and for which I decided at the time not to risk an operation. My chances were only maximum 50%, and if it wouldn't work out in my favour there was a risk of ending up in a wheelchair, nowadays back operations aren't as risky anymore, but I'm not going to get an operation now anymore, as I have adapted to this problem, and can live with it, apart from these 3 to 4 times a year when it's really too much. Peter.
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Post by kris on Feb 21, 2018 10:28:46 GMT
Sounds painful Peter, I hope you have enough electrical power to be comfortable.
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Post by lollygagger on Feb 21, 2018 10:35:25 GMT
Have you checked the fuse between battery and charger yet? Maybe you should measure the voltage on the dc terminals of the charger to make sure there isn’t some break in the connections between charger and batteries. Hello Nick, I'm ashamed having to say that there's no fuse between the batteries and the charger (I just slapped myself for not having done that), and I will measure the voltage on the dc terminals of the charger as soon as I'm able to bend my back again, as I can hardly move today. The not being able to move happens 3 to 4 times per year at the most inconvenient moments, and is a bad souvenir of an accident I had in 1975, and for which I decided at the time not to risk an operation. My chances were only maximum 50%, and if it wouldn't work out in my favour there was a risk of ending up in a wheelchair, nowadays back operations aren't as risky anymore, but I'm not going to get an operation now anymore, as I have adapted to this problem, and can live with it, apart from these 3 to 4 times a year when it's really too much. Peter. Snap with the back and refused operation. Even if the op had gone well I'd have been more disabled than I am so it was a no brainer as they say. Bloody surgeons are simpletons in the way they think - surgery is the start and end of their thinking as if there were no other branches of medicine. Add to that the reason you're talking to a surgeon in the first place is very often due to being sent by a jack of all trades gp who doesn't really have a clue and before you know it you're knife practice fodder having an op with no chance of success.
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Post by bargemast on Feb 21, 2018 10:51:29 GMT
Hello Nick, I'm ashamed having to say that there's no fuse between the batteries and the charger (I just slapped myself for not having done that), and I will measure the voltage on the dc terminals of the charger as soon as I'm able to bend my back again, as I can hardly move today. The not being able to move happens 3 to 4 times per year at the most inconvenient moments, and is a bad souvenir of an accident I had in 1975, and for which I decided at the time not to risk an operation. My chances were only maximum 50%, and if it wouldn't work out in my favour there was a risk of ending up in a wheelchair, nowadays back operations aren't as risky anymore, but I'm not going to get an operation now anymore, as I have adapted to this problem, and can live with it, apart from these 3 to 4 times a year when it's really too much. Peter. Snap with the back and refused operation. Even if the op had gone well I'd have been more disabled than I am so it was a no brainer as they say. Bloody surgeons are simpletons in the way they think - surgery is the start and end of their thinking as if there were no other branches of medicine. Add to that the reason you're talking to a surgeon in the first place is very often due to being sent by a jack of all trades gp who doesn't really have a clue and before you know it you're knife practice fodder having an op with no chance of success. It looks very much like you don't trust them much, do you ? I can't blame you, as I've had quite a few bad experiences too, but for some people they've been the saviour. In the last 10 years a lot has changed with the robotic controled operations, that are (supposedly) often successful. In the past 43 years I've got used to having a constant pain in my back, but it seems that one is able to adapt and move the acceptable pain limit level. But sometimes it's just too much, and that stays for a couple of days to 1 week, after which it's more bearable again, and it hasn't stopped me from living my life. Peter.
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