Sams Electronics Repair FAQ 2004

USA - Home: SC. Mirrors: IL | NC | NH | NY | PA-E1 | PA-E2 | PA-W | CA | FL. Foreign: UK-1 | UK-2 | DE-1 | DE-2 | IT | ZA. Circuit Cookbook Archive: Canada | Italy. Translations: Italian: USA-CA or Italy. | French: France.

See What is the Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ? if you are really not quite sure you should be here. Please check out the Home and Mirror Site Locations page to identify the best site for your needs.

Sci.Electronics.Repair (S.E.R) FAQ - V2.9997b (5/18/00)

Main Table of Contents (ToC)The Expanded ToC lists all S.E.R FAQ files of mine (Sam). This may be convenient if you are attempting to locate or download a particular photo, schematic, or other file not referenced directly by the top level ToC.

[Document Version: 2.9997b] [Last Updated: 5/18/00]

l If you know of something that is incorrect or missing from this site or simply have comments, friendly complaints, requests, or additions, please make use of the absolutely and positively fabulous

or see the Email Page to identify the most appropriate recipient. Thanks!

You may get if you don't read these Notes on Safety V1.25 (12KB)

Samuel M. Goldwasser's "Notes on the Troubleshooting and Repair of...":

l Introduction

l Troubleshooting and Repair of Consumer Electronic Equipment

l Small Household Appliances | (as one file - slow) l Audio Equipment and Other Miscellaneous Stuff | (as one file - slow) l AC Adapters, Power Supplies, and Battery Packs

l Compact Disc Players and CDROM Drives | (as one file - slow) l Optical Disc Players and Optical Data Storage Drives l Microwave Ovens | (as one file - slow) l Computer and Video Monitors | (as one file - slow) l Small Switchmode Power Supplies l Television Sets | (as one file - slow) l Video Cassette Recorders | (as one file - slow)

m Check VCR First Aid if you must remove a tape in an emergency. l Hand Held Remote Controls l Electronic Flash Units and Strobe Lights l Small Engines and Rotary Lawn Mowers l Printers and Photocopiers

Samuel M. Goldwasser "Other Repair Information":

l Sam's Repair Briefs l Interesting Repair Related Stories and Anecdotes

l VCR Power Supply Hybrid Regulators l Pinouts for Various Common Chips and Hybrids

l Testing Capacitors with a Multimeter and Safe Discharging l Testing of Flyback (LOPT) Transformers l Testing of Discrete Semiconductors with a DMM or VOM

l TV and Monitor CRT (Picture Tube) Information l TV and Monitor Deflection Systems

l RCA/GE TV CTC175-187+ Solder Connection and EEPROM Problems l Sony TV Tuner and IF Solder Connection Problems

l On-Line Tech-Tips Databases

l Major Service Parts Suppliers

Samuel M. Goldwasser "LASERS: Safety, Info, Links, Parts, Types, Drive, Construction":

l Sam's Laser FAQ LASERFAQ - A Practical Guide to Lasers for Experimenters and Hobbyists.

l Sam's Laser FAQ Expanded Table of Contents - HTML, Photos, Diagrams, Schematics. l Sam's Laser FAQ Comprehensive Table of Contents - Direct links to every chapter and section.

l Laser Equipment Gallery - Photos of Various Laser Systems, Power Supplies, and Components.

Samuel M. Goldwasser "General (Mostly Electronics) Information and Links":

l Various Schematics and Diagrams

l Simple High Voltage Generator l Jacob's Ladders

l Basics of High Voltage Probe design

l Salvaging Interesting Gadgets, Components, and Subsystems

l Performance Testing of Computer and Video Monitors l Approaches to using Fixed Frequency or Non-Standard Monitors on PCs l Notes on Video Conversion

l Fluorescent Lamps, Ballasts, and Fixtures l Gas Discharge Lamps, Ballasts, and Fixtures

l International Power and Standards Conversion

l Engineering, Science, and Other (Pretty Clean) Jokes Collection

l Sam's Neat, Nifty, and Handy Bookmarks - Over 1000 Technology Links (Electronics, lasers, more)

"How to Repair..." from other sources:

l BIG audio power amps V1.00 (17KB) l Speakers (Big, small, in between) V1.00 (8KB)

l Repair Tips: Bearcat Scanner Radios l Repair Tips: Radio Shack Scanner Radios l Improve the Squelch in your Monitor Receiver

l Atari Vector Monitor Repair/Upgrade | (as one file - slow) V6.3 (Sub-ToC)

l HP 8399-xxx monitor repair tips V1.00 (9KB) l IBM Monitor Repair Notes: Models 8512, 8513, 8514, 5154, 5175 and 3192 V1.03 (30KB) l Repairing Philips 20/21 Inch Monitor Horizontal Output (Frank Gentges) V1.00 (10KB)

l PC Switchmode Power Supplies V1.02 (20KB) l DC2xxx & DC6xxx tape cartridges V1.50 (19KB)

l Assorted Repair Briefs from OTHER sources [than Sam] V1.02 (Sub-ToC) l Assorted Repair Hints V1.00 (7KB)

"Helpful References":

l Electronics Mail Order List V2.18 (Sub-ToC) l Sources for Obsolete ICs/parts V1.15 (15KB) l Surface Mount (SMD) Transistor/Diode Cross-reference V1.00 (11KB) (Official Location (R -

Very slow from USA) l Sources for Manuals/Schematics V2.20 (26KB) l Tech-Tips and Software: Help in Repair V1.02 (12KB) l List of FCC ID numbers V2.00 (12KB)

l Pinouts for various connectors in Real Life(tm) V1.55 (Sub-ToC) l Super Nintendo: Pinouts & Protocol V1.01 (16KB) l Sync-On-Green FAQ V1.01 (Sub-ToC) l Sony Service Adjustments (when in Service Mode) V1.10 (26KB) l HP LaserJet Information (2/12/97) V1.00 (26KB) l Dealing with Computer generated RFI/EMI V1.40 (38KB)

l Where is CD data physically? [smile] V1.00 (10KB) l Will my CDs play in Australia? [smile] V1.00 (16KB)

And some remote sites of interest:

l List of remote sites of interest (please check *at least* once) V1.11a (21KB)

Hint: The newsgroup sci.electronics.repair deals with the finer and more specific points of these notes.

Please read the Sci.electronics.* Guide for more information and before deciding WHERE to post!

This article was written by WebAdmin [mailto]. The most recent version is available on the WWW server http://www.repairfaq.org/ [Copyright] [Disclaimer]

What is the Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ? Version 1.03

Copyright 2000-2001 Samuel M. Goldwasser

--- All Rights Reserved ---

For corrections/comments/suggestions, please contact me via the Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Email Links Page.

Reproduction of this document in whole or in part is permitted if both of the following conditions are satisfied:

1. This notice is included in its entirety at the beginning.

2. There is no charge except to cover the costs of copying.

Table of Contentsl Introduction l What the S.E.R FAQ IS l What S.E.R FAQ is NOT

l Back to What is the Sci.Electronic.Repair FAQ Table of Contents.

IntroductionBefore you spend a lot of time searching for something that isn't here, please take a moment to

understand what the Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ is and what it is not.

Note: Except for the "How to Repair... from other sources", the following also applies to the Silicon Sam's Technology Resource which may be present at this site or may be where you came from. :)

Your browser needs to be configured properly to make sense of the many ASCII diagrams, schematics, and tables. See the document: Suggested Browser Settings for font and other related information.

l Back to What is the Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Table of Contents.

What the S.E.R FAQ ISThe collection of on-line documents called the Sci.Electronics.Repair (S.E.R) FAQ represents a unique resource in the Universe providing information on a variety of topics including consumer electronics repair, general electronics, and lasers and optics. It has been developed for the hobbiest, tinkerer, engineer, weekend mechanic, housewife, dentist, and poet. For you, I am doing this because I would like to help provide information that is not always readily available.

l "Notes on the Troubleshooting and Repair of..." documents are complete guides for diagnosing and fixing common problems afflicting their respective equipment. These are more than just symptoms and solutions lists and include principles of operation, test procedures, parts sources, and more.

l "Other Repair Information" includes parts info, more details on the testing of certain types of devices and equipment, information on CRTs and deflection systems, specific symptoms and remedies for a couple of very prevalent problems with RCA/GE/Proscan and Sony TVs, and links to tech-tips databases and service parts suppliers.

l "Sam's Laser FAQ" is a comprehensive collection of information on laser and optics written for the experimenter and hobbyist but also useful for anyone with an interest in these and related areas of technology. Why, you ask, is a massive treatise on lasers and optics in the middle of a an electronics repair site? I wish I knew.... Probably because it evolved there and I was unwilling to ask it to leave. :)

l "General (Mostly Electronics) Information and Links" includes documents with schematics for many interesting and in some cases, unusual devices, a variety of information on high voltage and related devices, video conversion, monitor testing, fixed frequency monitors on PCs, fluorescent and discharge lamps, international power conversion, and even engineering humor. Finally, there is my Netscape Bookmark file which has over 1,000 technology related links.

l "How to Repair... from other sources" includes a variety of useful references that have stood

the test of time.

l Back to What Is The Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Table of Contents.

What the S.E.R FAQ is NOTl The S.E.R FAQ is not really a FAQ as defined by the USENET. It is a set of documents, each one

of which could be a full book in its own right. While some of the information did evolve from USENET newsgroup postings, these are not simply frequently asked questions (and replies).

l This is NOT a consumer electronics schematics site. If you are interested in locating a service manual or in specific parts identification, I DON'T have the answers (either here or via email) because I do not have a vast library of service literature. Ask directly on the USENET newsgroup sci.electronics.repair and save us both a lot of time. (If clicking on this link takes you to something with 0 postings or doesn't work at all, check with your ISP or system administrator for instructions on setting up newsgroup access. Your Browser or newsreader needs to be configured and they may have to add sci.electronics.repair to their active group list. However, there is no membership requirement.)

l This is NOT a tech-tips database. So, if you are just looking for a list of problems and symptoms (be it for consumer electronic equipment or laser systems), you won't find it here. However, for the former, at least, see the document: Tech-Tips Databases for some links to known on-line resources.

l This is NOT a company. Except for the limited stuff that Filip and I have for sale, there is nothing commercially available on this site. We are not a producer or distributor of electronics or laser equipment.

l This is NOT a free consulting service. I will be happy to answer questions from private individuals should they be really stuck but only after they have made an attempt to find the information at this site or one of its mirror sites. I have spent countless thousands of hours developing this resource - you can spend a few minutes trying to find what you need. If you are doing this for profit or for a company, please don't take advantage of my generosity - state your intentions up front and I will probably just go ahead and try to help you. However, if it involves significant time or effort, consider a real consulting agreement.

l Back to What is the Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Table of Contents.

-- end V1.03 --

Written by Samuel M. Goldwasser. | [mailto]. The most recent version is available on the WWW server http://www.repairfaq.org/ [Copyright] [Disclaimer]

Home and Mirror Site Locations

On-Line Access and Download of:

The Sci.Electronics.Repair (S.E.R) FAQSam's Laser FAQ

Silicon Sam's Technology Resource (SSTR)

Other Sam's DocumentsVersion 1.67







Table of Contentsl Introduction l Descriptions of the Various FAQ Collections l Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Home Site l Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Mirror Sites l Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Archive l Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Italian Translation by Antonio Cristiani l Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ French Translation by GUILBAUD Christophe (Tophe) l Additional Sites with Silicon Sam's Technology Resource l Additional Sites with Sam's Laser FAQ l Miscellaneous Sites with Sam Stuff

IntroductionThese listings and links identify those web sites where I have some sort of control and attempt to maintain up-to-date versions of all the documents where possible. Additional options may be found at the mirrors info of the Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ sites themselves.

Some Web sites get updated more frequently than others. Therefore, a bit of surfing may identify more recent versions of some of these documents and will permit you to locate the site nearest your physical location - to minimize the traffic jam on the information superhighway, um, parking lot :-).

Note: The most up-to-date version of this document is at Master Copy of Home and Mirror Site Locations.

Descriptions of the Various FAQ Collectionsl The Sci.Electronics.Repair (S.E.R) FAQ is an extensive set of documents on

consumer electronics (and other) troubleshooting and repair, testing, general electronics, reference information, assorted schematics of interesting and sometimes unusual devices, links to over 1000 technology related Web sites,

and more. It was developed specifically for the DoItYourselfer (DIYer) and tinkerer, hobbyist, experimenter, engineer, dentist, and poet. The S.E.R FAQ includes all of the material I have written (nicely formatted by Filipg G.) as well as many articles and references from others. To the best of my knowledge, this is the most comprehensive collection of information of its kind in the explored universe.

l Sam's Laser FAQ (SLF) - A Practical Guide to Lasers for Experimenters and Hobbyists - contains extensive practical information on a variety of laser related topics. Sam's Laser FAQ is present at all S.E.R FAQ (and SSTR - see below) sites, but due to its nature and size, is also available as a self contained

document and at other sites as well. Version may vary slightly by site but all are quite recent and nicely formatted including a full table of contents, list of all associated files, and extensive cross-links. The complete Sam's Laser FAQ may be downloaded for convenient high speed local access. See: Sam's Laser FAQ Local Installation for details.

The Laser Equipment Gallery (LEG) includes a collection of photos of various laser systems, power supplies, and components. Due to its size, the LEG is only present at selected sites and is NOT part of the FAQ distributions.

l Silicon Sam's Technology Resource (SSTR) includes all the documents I have authored but most of the large repair guides which constitute the "Notes on the Troubleshooting and Repair of...." series are not as nicely formatted (not table of contents or cross-links) as those of the same name which are part

of the S.E.R FAQ. However, the actual information content may be more recent since the formatted FAQs do not get updated as frequently. The complete SSTR collection may also be downloaded for convenient high speed local access. See: Silicon Sam's Technology Resource Local Installation for details. Note that while SSTR sites include Sam's Laser FAQ, it is NOT part of the SSTR download package and must be installed separately.

Copies of some of these documents, particularly the various repair guides of the Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ, may be found at other totally independent sites. However, unless they are live links back to one of the sites below, the versions are likely to be quite old (relatively speaking, at least). There are also some additional sites which have copied and modified some of these documents to provide a more user friendly graphical user interface. So, if you stumble across something that looks vaguely familiar, you will know where it came from. In either case, if there is no acknowledgement of the origin in the links or at the beginning of the document, please let me know!

The Main Table of Contents (ToC) links, below, are the usual jumping off points for the good stuff for on-line viewing :-). Those labeled as 'Zipped' may be downloaded as a single compressed file and easily installed to create a local browser accessible copy.

Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Home SiteThe latest versions of these documents are available at the Home site:

l USA-SC: S.E.R FAQ Home (RepairFAQ.org) - S.E.R. FAQ Main ToC | SSTR | SLF | LEG.

Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Mirror SitesThese sites have various versions depending on who maintains the content. For those where I have upload access at least, versions will be quite recent. Hopefully, some sites will have fully automatic mirroring but that is in the future. They are listed in no particular order - maybe alphabetic, then EDU/COM, then USA/Foreign, then by distance, maybe. :-)

l USA-IL: S.E.R FAQ Mirror (David Gersic, NIU) - Main ToC | SSTR | SLF. l USA-NC: S.E.R FAQ Mirror (Mark Routbort, Duke U.) - Main ToC | SSTR | SLF. l USA-NH: S.E.R FAQ Mirror (Timothy. J. Quill, Dartmouth U.) - Main ToC | SSTR | SLF. l USA-NY: S.E.R FAQ Mirror (Jameel Akari) - Main ToC | SSTR | SLF. l USA-PA-E1: S.E.R FAQ Mirror (Sam, Drexel U. ECE) - Main ToC | SSTR | Zipped | SLF |

Zipped | LEG. l USA-PA-E2: S.E.R FAQ Mirror (Sam, U. of Penn CIS) - Main ToC | SSTR | Zipped | SLF |

Zipped | LEG. l USA-PA-W: S.E.R FAQ Mirror (Greg J. Szekeres, UPitt) - Main ToC. l USA-CA: S.E.R FAQ Mirror (EIO) - Main ToC | SSTR | SLF. l USA-FL: S.E.R FAQ Mirror (Chris Hoaglin) - Main ToC | SSTR | SLF l UK-1 (United Kingdom): S.E.R FAQ Mirror (Mark Tibbert) - Main ToC | SSTR | SLF. l UK-2 (United Kingdom): S.E.R FAQ Mirror (Chris Priest) - Main ToC | SSTR | SLF l DE-1 (Germany): S.E.R FAQ Mirror (Georg Schwarz) - Main ToC | SSTR | SLF | LEG. l DE-2 (Germany): S.E.R FAQ Mirror (Daniel Brune) - Main ToC | SSTR | SLF. l IT (Italy): S.E.R FAQ Mirror ( FTP Site at ftp.unina.it) - Main ToC | SSTR - Zipped | SLF -

Zipped. l ZA (South Africa, old): S.E.R FAQ Mirror (The Electronics Stash) Main ToC.

The entries marked 'Zipped' provide a convenient way of creating a local browser-accessible copy of SSTR and/or Sam's Laser FAQ. See Silicon Sam's Technology Resource Local Installation and Sam's Laser FAQ Local Installation for details.

Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ ArchiveThe complete Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ (including information and links from other sources) may also be downloaded from the Circuit Cookbook Archive (CCA) sites. Both ASCII and local HTML versions are available but they are generally older than those at many other sites:

l CA (Canada): CCA Home (University of Alberta EECS) - Electronics FAQs | Repair FAQs - Zipped.

l IT (Italy): CCA Mirror (FTP Site at ftp.unina.it) - Electronics FAQs | Repair FAQs - Zipped.

Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Italian Translation by Antonio CristianiMost of the individual repair and testing documents (but not Sam's Laser FAQ) have been converted including the colloquial English phrases!

l USA-CA: S.E.R FAQ in Italian Home (Antonio Cristiani) - S.E.R FAQ Main ToC. l IT (Italy): S.E.R FAQ in Italian Mirror (FTP Site at ftp.unina.it) S.E.R FAQ Main ToC.

Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ French Translation by GUILBAUD Christophe (Tophe)Portions of some of the individual repair and testing documents (currently just TVs and VCRs) have been converted. This site is under construction.

l FR (France): Tophe's Homepage and Table of Contents

Additional Sites with Silicon Sam's Technology Resource

(I'm not sure if this one is maintained.)

l USA-MA: GB7IPD's Web Site - SSTR | SLF.

Additional Sites with Sam's Laser FAQIn addition to being included in the S.E.R FAQ and SSTR sites, there are several other sites which include Sam's Laser FAQ (SLF).

l USA-MD: K3PGP's Web Site - Experimenter's Corner | SLF | LEG. l USA-PA: Don Klipstein's Web Site (Home) - Don's Laser Page | SLF. l DE-3 (Germany): Alexander Meier's Web Site - SLF. l DE-4 (Germany): LaserFreak.net's Web Site - SLF | LEG.

Going to laserfaq.com, laserfaq.net, and laserfaq.org will redirect you to a Web site with a recent version of Sam's Laser FAQ. (This is actually the LaserFreak.net site, above.) A German translation is also under development which will be accessible from there or laserfaq.de in the future.

Miscellaneous Sites with Sam StuffA variety of documents that I have authored or coauthored are available on: Don klipstein's Lighting Technology Web Site. (Most of these are also part of the S.E.R FAQ and SSTR collections.)

One of the latest versions of the document: "Notes on the Troubleshooting and Repair of Electronic Flash Units and Strobe Lights, and Design Guidelines, Useful Circuits, and Schematics" usually resides at:

l Don's Xenon Flash and Strobe Page - Strobe FAQ.

Fluorescent and discharge lamp info and troubleshooting documents:

l Don's Lighting Info Center - Fluorescent Lamps | DC-AC Inverters | Discharge Lamps.

High Voltage Stuff:

l Don's High Voltage Page - Simple HV Generator.

l Don's Plasma Spheres, Jacobs Ladders, and Other Things Page - Jacobs Ladders.

l Back to Home and Mirror Site Locations Table of Contents.

-- end V1.67 --


Sam's Laser FAQ, Copyright 1994-2001, Samuel M. Goldwasser, All Rights Reserved.I may be contacted via the Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Email Links Page.

Sam's Laser FAQLocal Installation

Version 1.54 Copyright 1994-2001 Samuel M. Goldwasser


For contact info, please see the Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Email Links Page.




Table of Contentsl Introduction l Basic Installation l Icons and Links

Introduction

This document outlines the installation procedure to create a local browser accssible copy of Sam's Laser FAQ: Safety, Info, Links, Parts, Types, Drive, Construction - A Practical Guide to Lasers for Experimenters and Hobbyists. It consists of a set of HTML files and associated schematics, diagrams, and photographs.

Note that Sam's Laser FAQ is constantly evolving. While having a local copy is convenient and provides for fast access, you lose the benefit of always having the very latest version at your fingertips. Keep this in mind before you go to the installation effort only to find that your copy is out-of-date even before all the bits have settled into place. :)

Basic InstallationImportant: Silicon Sam's Technology Resource (SSTR, all-faqs.zip) does not include Sam's Laser FAQ (laserfaq.zip) in its distribution. Therefore, Sam's Laser FAQ must be loaded or updated separately even if you have installed SSTR.

The following assumes a first time install of Sam's Laser FAQ:

l See Home and Mirror Site Locations to identify a site with a ZIPPED version of Sam's Laser FAQ.

l Download laserfaq.zip either into a new directory or into the same directory as SSTR (or a new directory if you don't have SSTR) and decompress it (unix unzip or DOS PKUNZIP):

m Extract all files: unzip (or PKUNZIP) laserfaq m Extract selected files: unzip (or PKUNZIP) -x laserfaq file1 file2 ... m Directory of laserfaq: unzip (or PKUNZIP) -v laserfaq

(Answer 'yes' or 'all' to any duplicate file queries.)

The file "laserfil.htm" contains a summary of all the HTML, photos, diagrams, and schematics which constitute this release.

l To set up a remote link page to the Laser Equipment Gallery, create a new directory (in the same directory that you just decompressed into) called "laserpic" and move the file "laserpic.htm" to this new directory. CAUTION: If you actually have the Laser Equipment Gallery resident locally, then you DON'T need or want to do this - but you should have figured that out by now!

l If Sam's Laser FAQ is not in the same directory as your Homepage and/or SSTR, use a text editor to replace all instances of the strings "index.html" and "sammenu.htm" in the files: "lasersam.htm" and "laserpic.htm" with links to appropriate places.

l When "lasersam.htm" is accessed via a Web browser, everything may be viewed directly. To bypass the Welcome Page, link to "laserfaq.htm" instead.

l Your browser needs to be configured properly to make sense of the many ASCII diagrams, schematics, and tables. See the document: Suggested Browser Settings for font and other related information.

I routinely test all of this on both Unix (Sun OS/Solaris) and DOS under Win95/Win98. Please let me know if there are any problems.

Icons and LinksTwo sets of icons are included for linking to Sam's Laser FAQ from your own Web pages (lasersam.gif and laserfaq.gif, 64 x 64 pixels) and from Windows (lasersam.ico and laserfaq.ico, 32 x 32 pixels). (The fabulously detailed graphics on laserfaq.gif and laserfaq.ico will even help you to remember how to connect a helium-neon laser tube correctly!) For example:

l To create a link to Sam's Laser FAQ from an existing Web page, use a text or HTML editor to add the following lines to it:

Sam's Laser FAQ - A Practical Guide to Lasers for Experimenters and Hobbyists.

This will add the icon and create hot links to "Sam's Laser FAQ" as long as it is in the same directory with an appearance similar to this:

m Sam's Laser FAQ - A Practical Guide to Lasers for Experimenters and Hobbyists.

Edit as appropriate for your complete path if located elsewhere.

l If you are running Win95 or Win98 (I don't know if this works for Win3.1x), the .ico format icon files can be used when accessing Sam's Laser FAQ from a folder or the desktop.

To add a link from the Win95 desktop directly to the Sam's Laser FAQ Table of Contents via Netscape, surf over to your copy of "lasersam.htm" and press and hold the left mouse button while dragging the local "Sam's Laser FAQ" hot link to the desktop. (These are the ones just below the "Welcome" heading and near the end of lasersam.htm.) Create a shortcut there and then edit its properties to use the icon of your choice! (You can do the same thing with any of the other hot links instead if you do not intend to maintain a local copy of Sam's Laser FAQ.)

l Back to Sam's Laser FAQ Install Table of Contents. l Go (back) to Home and Mirror Site Locations.

-- end V1.54 --

Sam's Laser FAQ, Copyright 1994-2001, Samuel M. Goldwasser, All Rights Reserved.I may be contacted via the Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Email Links Page.

Suggested Browser Settingsfor the

Sci.Electronics.Rrepair FAQSam's Laser FAQ, and

Silicon Sam's Technology ResourceVersion 1.00







Table of Contentsl Introduction l Browser Settings

l Back to Suggested Browser Settings Table of Contents.

IntroductionAlthough there will never be any requirement that a particular browser or operating system be used to access these documents, for your optimum reading pleasure, it may be desirable to tweak some things in your browser's preferences. While some of these are a matter of aesthetics or personal taste and I don't expect everyone to share mine, others like the fixed width fonts, are more critical.


Browser SettingsThese are the only ones I can think of and chances are they are already configured appropriately but it won't hurt to check:

l Fonts: To make sense of the many ASCII schematics, diagrams, and tables, the fixed-width font in your browser's preferences must be correctly set up. I use "QuickType Mono". Others that are suitable include "Luciba Console" and "Courier New". All formatted material is assumed to be a maximum of 80 columns in width. Thus it's best to adjust the width of your browser window so that at least 80 columns fit if possible. (For the variable width font I use "Arial" but there's nothing special about that choice, it's just one I like.) Both fonts are set to 12 point for my 1280x1024 pixel display.

l Colors: No settings are specified in these documents for text or background colors so it's up to you to set defaults in your browser. I'll offer my current favorites but feel free to ignore them (R,G,B values in decimal): bgcolor=0,0,0 (black), text=238,224,208 (warm white), link=255,221,0 (yellow), vlink=255,153,0 (orange), alink=255,153,0 (orange). I wasn't going to bother with color but when I experienced Sam's Laser FAQ with light colored text on a dark background, I was hooked. As a rationalization of sorts, this color scheme is easier on CRT-based computer monitors.

The only real disadvantage I can see is that for printing, it will be best to change your browser preferences to use black text on a white background unless you have stock in an ink company! ;)

If you want to install these colors in local copies of any of the documents, replace the line with the following:

(These are the same colors as those given above but in hexadecimal.)

l Java: Except for the entry page to the "Laser, Optics, and Holography Ring" (in Sam's Laser FAQ), there is no Java in any of these documents. Thus, unless you intend to access the Ring, Java can be disabled in your browser if desired. Of course, I can't guarantee what might be at the far end of links to other sites.


-- end V1.00 --

Silicon Sam's Technology Resource

Local Installation Version 1.53



For contact info, please see the Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Email Links Page.




Table of Contentsl Introduction l Basic Installation l Icons and Links

IntroductionThis document outlines the installation procedure to create a local browser accssible copy of Silicon Sam's Technology Resource - the complete set of Repair and Information Guides that I have authored. It consists of a set of HTML files and associated schematics, diagrams, and photographs.

Note: Some of these documents (the large electronics and appliance repair guides) are not as nicely formatted as those at the Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ sites - which you may prefer to view on-line. However, the ugly ones may be more recent versions.

Basic InstallationImportant: all-faqs.zip does not include laserfaq.zip (Sam's Laser FAQ). This must be downloaded separately. The following assumes a first time install of SSTR.

l See Home and Mirror Site Locations to identify a site with a ZIPPED version of SSTR.

l Download all-faqs.zip into a new directory (or the same directory as Sam's Laser FAQ) and decompress it (unix unzip or DOS PKUNZIP):

m Extract all files: unzip all-faqs m Extract selected files: unzip (or PKUNZIP) -x all-faqs file1 file2 ... m Directory of all-faqs: unzip (or PKUNZIP) -v all-faqs

(Answer 'yes' or 'all' to any duplicate file queries.)

The files "faqfil.htm", "cdfaqfil.htm", (and "laserfil.htm" if Sam's Laser FAQ was downloaded and decompressed) contain a summary of all the HTML, photos, diagrams, and schematics which constitute this release.

l When "sammenu.htm" is accessed using a Web browser, everything may be viewed directly. If you want the entry point to be to a short file located elsewhere, move "faqsam.htm" to the desired dirrectory and modify its links to point to the directory where you have put all the text and graphics files.

l Your browser needs to be configured properly to make sense of the many ASCII diagrams, schematics, and tables. See the document: Suggested Browser Settings for font and other related information.

l If you are not planning to have Sam's Laser FAQ loaded locally but would like the laser related

links to be live, edit "sammenu.htm" and replace the text strings: "lasersam.htm", "laserfil.htm", and "laserpic/laesrpic.htm", with links to files of the same names in the SSTR directory at one of the sites found in "samsites.htm".

I routinely test all of this on both Unix (Sun OS/Solaris) and DOS under Win95/Win98. Please let me know if there are any problems.

Icons and LinksA set of icons are included for linking to Silicon Sam's Technology Resource or the full Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ from you own Web pages (sstr.gif or serfaq.gif, 64 x 64 pixels) and from Windows (sstr.ico or serfaq.ico, 32 x 32 pixels). For example:

l To create a link to SSTR from an existing Web page, use a text or HTML editor to add the following lines to it:

SSTR Main ToC - Comprehensive Repair Guides, FAQs, Testing Info, Assorted Schematics, etc.

This will add the SSTR icon and create hot links to the SSTR Main Table of Contents as long as it is in the same directory with an appearance similar to this:

m SSTR Main ToC - Comprehensive Repair Guides, FAQs, Testing Info, Assorted

Schematics, etc.

Edit as appropriate for your complete path if located elsewhere or to link to the S.E.R FAQ.

l If you are running Win95 or Win98 (I don't know if this works for Win3.1x), the .ico format icon files can be used when accessing SSTR or the full S.E.R FAQ from a folder or the desktop.

To add a link from the Win95 desktop directly to the Silicon Sam's Technology Resource main menu, via Netscape, surf over to your copy of "sammenu.htm" and press and hold the left mouse button while dragging the local "Main Menu" or its icon hot link to the desktop. Create a shortcut there and then edit its properties to use the icon of your choice! (You can do the same thing with any of the other hot links instead if you do not intend to maintain a local copy of these documents.)

l Back to SSTR Install Table of Contents. l Go (back) to Home and Mirror Site Locations.

-- end V1.53 --

Contents:

l Chapter 1) About the Author & Copyright

[Document Version: TLJVERSIONERR] [Last Updated: 05/25/1998]

Chapter 1) About the Author & CopyrightAuthor: Samuel M. GoldwasserCorrections/suggestions: | Email

Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998All Rights Reserved


1. This notice is included in its entirety at the beginning. 2. There is no charge except to cover the costs of copying.

Sam's Portion of the Sci.Electronics.Repair (S.E.R) FAQ

Expanded Table of Contents (ToC):HTML, Photos, Diagrams, and Schematics

This is a complete list of the files which constitute the portions of the Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ that I have authored.

Note: There are *zillions* of additional diagrams and schematics included within the HTML files themselves. Those that are listed here are only the ones that are in .pdf, .gif, .jpg, or other graphics or compressed format.

l S.E.R FAQ Welcome Page (Main.html). l S.E.R FAQ Main ToC (F_Repair.html). l What is the Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ? (F_wiserfaq.html) l Primary and Mirror Site Locations (F_samsites.html).

l Expanded ToC (This file, F_faqfil.html).

The Most Important Document - Must Read:

l Safety Guidelines for High Voltage and/or Line Powered Equipment (F_safety.html).

Notes on the Troubleshooting and Repair of...:

l Introduction (F_trnintro.html).

l Troubleshooting of Consumer Electronic Equipment. (F_tshoot.html).

l Small Household Appliances (F_appfaq.html).

l AC Adapters, Power Supplies, and Battery Packs (F_aapsfaq.html).

l Audio Equipment and Other Miscellaneous Stuff (F_audiofaq.html).

l Compact Disc Players and CDROM Drives (Link) (F_cdfaqfil.html).

l Optical Disc Players and Optical Data Storage Drives (F_odfaq.html).

l Computer and Video Monitors (F_monfaq.html).

l Microwave Ovens (F_micfaq.html).

m Typical Magnetron Anode and Resonant Structure (maganode.gif).

l Switchmode Power Supplies (F_smpsfaq.html).

l Television Sets (F_tvfaq.html).

l Video Cassette Recorders (F_vcrfaq.html).

m Typical VHS VCR Transport - Top View (vcrxprt.gif). m Typical Idler (tire type) (idler.gif). m Typical 6 Head Upper Cylinder (head6.gif). m VHS Cassette - Inside Top View (vhscasin.gif).

l VCR First Aid (F_vcrrx.html).

m Typical VHS VCR Transport - Top View (vcrxprt.gif). m VHS Cassette - Inside Top View (vhscasin.gif).

l IR Remote Controls (F_irrfaq.html).

l Electronic Flash Units and Strobe Lights (F_strbfaq.html).

m Variable Intensity Variable Frequency Stroboscope (PDF, strobex.pdf). m Variable Intensity Variable Frequency Stroboscope (GIF, strobex.gif).

m Kodak Funsaver Flash Unit Schematic (kflashf.gif). m Kodak MAX Flash Unit Schematic (kflashm.gif). m Photo of Kodak MAX Flash Unit (kflashmp.gif). m Modified MAX Flash Inverter (minips.gif).

m Fuji Flash Unit 1 Schematic (fflash1.gif). m Fuji Flash Unit 2 Schematic (fflash2.gif). m Fuji Flash Unit 2 Photo (fflash2p.gif).

m High Power Strobe Inverter (inverter.gif). m Opto-isolated Logic Level Trogger (trigger.gif). m Teeny Tiny Inverter Schematic (teeny.gif).

l Printers and Photocopiers (F_printfaq.html).

l Small Gasoline Engines and Rotary Lawn Mowers (F_lmfaq.html).

Sam's Other Repair Information:

l Sam's Repair Briefs - Complete 1-99 (F_rball.html).

l Interesting Repair Related Stories and Anecdotes. (F_stories.html).

l Testing Capacitors with a Multimeter and Safe Discharging (F_captest.html).

l Testing of Flyback (F_LOPT) Transformers (F_flytest.html).

l Testing of Discrete Semiconductors with a DMM or VOM (F_semitest.html).

m Simple In-Circuit Tester Schematic (curve.gif).

l TV and Monitor CRT (F_Picture Tube) Information (F_crtfaq.html).

l TV and Monitor Deflection Systems (F_deflfaq.html).

l VCR Power Supply Hybrid Regulators (F_vcrreg.html).

l Pinouts for Various Common Chips and Hybrids (F_chippins.html).

l RCA/GE CTC175-187+ Solder Connection and EEPROM Problems (F_rcatune.html).

l Sony TV Tuner and IF Solder Connection Problems (F_sonytune.html).

l On-Line Tech-Tips Databases (F_techtips.html).

l Major Service Parts Suppliers (F_srvcprts.html).

Sam's General Electronics Information and Links:

l Sam's Laser FAQ: Safety, Info, Links, Parts, Types, Drive, Construction (Link) (F_laserfil.html).

l Various Schematics and Diagrams (F_samschem.html).

m Simple High Voltage Generator (F_hvinvert.html).

m Adjustable High Voltage Power Supply (PDF, hvgen32.pdf). m Adjustable High Voltage Power Supply (GIF, hvgen32.gif).

m Panasonic VCR Switching Power Supply (PDF, vcrps.pdf). m Panasonic VCR Switching Power Supply (GIF, vcrps.gif).

m Variable Intensity Variable Frequency Stroboscope (PDF, strobex.pdf). m Variable Intensity Variable Frequency Stroboscope (GIF, strobex.gif).

m Jacob's Ladder (Climbing Arc) Construction (F_jacobs.html).

m Modified MAX Flash Inverter (minips.gif).

m High Power Strobe Inverter (inverter.gif). m Opto-isolated Logic Level Trogger (trigger.gif). m Teeny Tiny Inverter Schematic (teeny.gif).

l Simple High Voltage Generator

l Jacob's Ladders

l Simple High Voltage Probe design (F_hvprobe.html).

l Performance Testing of Computer and Video Monitors (F_montest.html).

l Approaches to using Fixed Frequency or Non-Standard Monitors on PCs (F_ffmon.html).

l Notes on Video Conversion (F_vidconv.html).

l Fluroescent Lamps, Ballasts, and Fixtures (F_flamp.html). l Gas Discharge Lamps, Ballasts, and Fixtures (F_dlamp.html).

l International Power and Standards Conversion (F_pwrfaq.html).

l Salvaging Interesting Gadgets, Components, and Subsystems (F_gadget.html).

l Engineering, Science, and Other (Pretty Clean) Jokes Collection (F_humor.html).

l Sam's Neat, Nifty, and Handy Bookmarks (F_sambook.html).

Essential and Optional Icons :-).

l Our Token Safety Icon (F_shock.gif).

l Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Icon (Browser, serfaq.gif). l Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Icon (Windows, serfaq.ico). l Silicon Sam's Technology Resource Icon (Browser, sstr.gif). l Silicon Sam's Technology Resource Icon (Windows, sstr.ico). l Laser (HeNe Tube) FAQ Icon (Browser, laserfaq.gif). l Laser (HeNe Tube) FAQ Icon (Windows, laserfaq.ico).


Safety Guidelines for High Voltage and/or Line Powered Equipment Contents:

l 1. About the Author & Copyright l 2. Introduction l 3. Safety guidelines l 4. Safety tests for leakage current on repaired equipment

[Document Version: 1.25] [Last Updated: 05/25/1998]

1. About the Author & CopyrightSafety Guidelines for High Voltage and/or Line Powered Equipment

Author: Samuel M. GoldwasserCorrections/suggestions: | Email




2. IntroductionConsumer electronics equipment like TVs, computer monitors, microwave ovens,and electronic flash units, use voltages at power levels that are potentiallylethal. Normally, these are safely enclosed to prevent accidental contact.However, during servicing, the cabinet will likely be open and safetyinterlocks may be defeated. Depending on overall conditions and yourgeneral state of health, there is a wide variation of voltage, current,and total energy levels that can kill.

Microwave ovens in particular are probably THE most dangerous householdappliance to service. There is high voltage - up to 5,000 V or more - athigh current - more than an amp may be available momentarily. This is aninstantly lethal combination.

TVs and monitors may have up to 35 KV on the CRT but the current is low -a couple of milliamps. However, the CRT capacitance can hold a painfulcharge for a long time. In addition, portions of the circuitry of TVsand monitors - as well as all other devices that plug into the wallsocket - are line connected. This is actually more dangerous than thehigh voltage due to the greater current available - and a few hundredvolts can make you just as dead as 35 KV!

Electronic flash units and strobelights have large energy storage capacitorswhich alone can deliver a lethal charge - long after the power has beenremoved. This applies to some extent even to those little disposable pocketcameras with flash!

Even some portions of apparently harmless devices like VCRs and CD players -or vacuum cleaners and toasters - can be hazardous (though the live partsmay be insulated or protected - but don't count on it!

This information also applies when working on other high voltage or lineconnected devices like Tesla Coils, Jacobs Ladders, plasma spheres, gigawattlasers, fusion generators, and other popular hobby type projects.

In addition read the relevant sections of the document for your particularequipment. Specific safety considerations have been included whereappropriate.

3. Safety guidelinesThese guidelines are to protect you from potentially deadly electrical shockhazards as well as the equipment from accidental damage.

Note that the danger to you is not only in your body providing a conductingpath, particularly through your heart. Any involuntary muscle contractionscaused by a shock, while perhaps harmless in themselves, may cause collateraldamage - there are many sharp edges inside this type of equipment as well asother electrically live parts you may contact accidentally.

The purpose of this set of guidelines is not to frighten you but rather tomake you aware of the appropriate precautions. Repair of TVs, monitors,microwave ovens, and other consumer and industrial equipment can be bothrewarding and economical. Just be sure that it is also safe!

* Don't work alone - in the event of an emergency another person's presence may be essential.

* Always keep one hand in your pocket when anywhere around a powered line-connected or high voltage system.

* Wear rubber bottom shoes or sneakers.

* Wear eye protection - large plastic lensed eyeglasses or safety goggles.

* Don't wear any jewelry or other articles that could accidentally contact circuitry and conduct current, or get caught in moving parts.

* Set up your work area away from possible grounds that you may accidentally contact.

* Know your equipment: TVs and monitors may use parts of the metal chassis as ground return yet the chassis may be electrically live with respect to the earth ground of the AC line. Microwave ovens use the chassis as ground return for the high voltage. In addition, do not assume that the chassis is a suitable ground for your test equipment!

* If circuit boards need to be removed from their mountings, put insulating material between the boards and anything they may short to. Hold them in place with string or electrical tape. Prop them up with insulation sticks - plastic or wood.

* If you need to probe, solder, or otherwise touch circuits with power off, discharge (across) large power supply filter capacitors with a 2 W or greater resistor of 100-500 ohms/V approximate value (e.g., for a 200 V capacitor, use a 20K-100K ohm resistor). Monitor while discharging and/or verify that there is no residual charge with a suitable voltmeter. In a TV or monitor, if you are removing the high voltage connection to the CRT (to replace the flyback transformer for example) first discharge the CRT contact (under the insulating cup at the end of the fat red wire). Use a 1M-10M ohm 1W or greater wattage resistor on the end of an insulating stick or the probe of a high voltage meter. Discharge to the metal frame which is connected to the outside of the CRT.

* For TVs and monitors in particular, there is the additional danger of CRT implosion - take care not to bang the CRT envelope with your tools. An implosion will scatter shards of glass at high velocity in every direction. There is several tons of force attempting to crush the typical CRT. Always wear eye protection.

* Connect/disconnect any test leads with the equipment unpowered and unplugged. Use clip leads or solder temporary wires to reach cramped locations or difficult to access locations.

* If you must probe live, put electrical tape over all but the last 1/16" of the test probes to avoid the possibility of an accidental short which could cause damage to various components. Clip the reference end of the meter or scope to the appropriate ground return so that you need to only

probe with one hand.

* Perform as many tests as possible with power off and the equipment unplugged. For example, the semiconductors in the power supply section of a TV or monitor can be tested for short circuits with an ohmmeter.

* Use an isolation transformer if there is any chance of contacting line connected circuits. A Variac(tm) (variable autotransformer) is not an isolation transformer! However, the combination of a Variac and isolation transformer maintains the safety benefits and is a very versatile device. See the document "Repair Briefs, An Introduction", available at this site, for more details.

* The use of a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) protected outlet is a good idea but will not protect you from shock from many points in a line connected TV or monitor, or the high voltage side of a microwave oven, for example. (Note however, that, a GFCI may nuisance trip at power-on or at other random times due to leakage paths (like your scope probe ground) or the highly capacitive or inductive input characteristics of line powered equipment.) A fuse or circuit breaker is too slow and insensitive to provide any protection for you or in many cases, your equipment. However, these devices may save your scope probe ground wire should you accidentally connect it to a live chassis.

* When handling static sensitive components, an anti-static wrist strap is recommended. However, it should be constructed of high resistance materials with a high resistance path between you and the chassis (greater than 100K ohms). Never use metallic conductors as you would then become an excellent path to ground for line current or risk amputating your hand at the wrist when you accidentally contacted that 1000 A welder supply!

* Don't attempt repair work when you are tired. Not only will you be more careless, but your primary diagnostic tool - deductive reasoning - will not be operating at full capacity.

* Finally, never assume anything without checking it out for yourself! Don't take shortcuts!

4. Safety tests for leakage current on repaired equipmentIt is always essential to test AFTER any repairs to assure that no accessibleparts of the equipment have inadvertently been shorted to a Hot wire or livepoint in the power supply. In addition to incorrect rewiring, this couldresult from a faulty part, solder splash, or kinked wire insulation.

There are two sets of tests:

* DC leakage: Use a multimeter on the highest ohms range to measure the resistance between the Hot/Neutral prongs of the wall plug (shorted together and with the power switch on where one exists) to ALL exposed metal parts of the equipment including metallic trim, knobs, connector shells and shields, VHF and UHF antenna connections, etc.

This resistance must not be less than 1 M ohm.

* AC leakage: Connect a 1.5K ohm, 10 Watt resistor in parallel with a 0.15 uF, 150 V capacitor. With your multimeter set on ACV across this combination and the equipment powered up, touch between a known earth ground and each exposed metal part of the equipment as above.

WARNING: Take care not to touch anything until you have confirmed that the leakage is acceptable - you could have a shocking experience!

The potential measured for any exposed metal surface must not exceed 0.75 V.

If the equipment fails either of these tests, the fault MUST be found andcorrected before putting it back in service (even if you are doing this foryour in-laws!).


Introduction to the "Notes on the Troubleshooting and Repair of..." Series Contents:

l 1. About the Author & Copyright l 2. Introduction to the Introduction l 3. Purpose of the "Notes" l 4. Why do I do this?


1. About the Author & CopyrightIntroduction to the "Notes on the Troubleshooting and Repair of..." Series





2. Introduction to the IntroductionThe most up-to-date public versions of these articles which constitute a majorportion of the Sci Electronics Repair FAQ currently reside at:

l http://www.repairfaq.org/

Keep this in mind if you are reading this elsewhere as your versions may not bethe latest. Major new releases come out every few months but minor corrections

or additions may appear at any time.

3. Purpose of the "Notes"The "Notes on the Troubleshooting and Repair of..." series was developed toprovide a resource for the hobbiest, tinkerer, engineer, weekend mechanic,housewife, dentist, and poet. For you, I am doing this because I wouldlike to help provide information that is not always readily available. Thesincere appreciation I receive via personal email is generally enough of areward to retain my interest.

The purpose of these articles is not only to help you repair your CD or VCRbut more importantly, to educate. Therefore, they are not quite 'FAQs' butrather complete maintenance and repair guides. What this means is that youcannot depend on every problem to show up in the index. For example, if youhave a problem with say, a breadmaker, but there is no entry for it in theguide for small appliance repair, think of what is inside such a device: powersupply, controller, motor, heating element, etc. Then, find the sections onsomething similar. It is difficult enough to provide coverage for everytype of device ever marketed in this sector of the galaxy let alone the moreremote parts of the universe :-).

If all you want is a quick fix, the various 'Tech Tips' databases may be betteralternatives. They will likely list the most common problems and solutions foryour equipment. However, these seem to deal mostly with TVs, VCRs, monitors,and microwave ovens. For anything else, you are largely on your own. A quickfix may be possible but you will not learn much that can be applied to otherproblems in the future. In addition, you may end up replacing many parts thatare actually good since you will have done little or no testing.

With the Notes, a quick fix may still be possible but you will have to do someleg work (or at lest finger and mouse work) on your own. How much you willbenefit will be a direct consequence of how much effort you put in - but thereshould be a significant amplification or multiplication factor. Whereverpossible, explanations of the equipment operating principles and likely causesof failures are provided. You will gain at least some understanding of 'whatmakes it tick' and be able to carry over general troubleshooting approachesfrom one brand to another and even one type of device to another.

I realize that not everyone will have the capability - or desire - to actuallyapply the information in these Notes towards a repair. However, awareness ofthe likely causes and remedies for a particular problem goes a long way towardbeing able to make an informed decision with respect to repair or replacementoptions. If you do take the unit to a service center or repair shop, thisknowledge will enable you to deal with the sales droid or technician from aposition of strength.

For those of you who are professional technicians in business for profit, muchof the information contained in the Notes is no doubt familiar. However, ifyou are routinely referring to these documents, I expect that you considerthem beneficial in some way. This probably means some combination of savingsin terms of time and money - which translates to increased profits. I wouldhope you feel some minimal obligation to show your appreciation in someconcrete way. I am not sure what form this should take but you must realizethat maintaining this continuously evolving and expanding site is a verynon-trivial and time consuming task for both Filip and myself. These Notesand other articles do not grow on trees or spontaneously sprout from thebowels of the Web server at this site!

4. Why do I do this?I am an electrical engineer by profession. I have spent significant timein both academia and industry teaching and designing in the areas of thearchitecture and implementation of digital systems. The development of oneparticular special purpose high performance image and graphics processor withthree of my students led to the creation of a business plan. I have done thestartup thing, been taken over by a big company, spent some time there, andbecome bored with corporate life.

I also have always had a passion for fixing mechanical and electronic devices.As a kid, household appliances represented the beginning of my fascination withtechnology. It wasn't long before the workings of the TV were of more interestto me than the mostly stupid shows. Naturally, I had to see what was insidenearly everything. Mechanical clocks seemed to suffer the most at first butfairly soon I figured out that getting things back together again was generallynot that much more difficult than disassembling them in the first place. Thisinsatiable curiosity and unending search for challenges continues to this day.

So now, I am an independent engineering consultant but spend much of my timehelping others on the Internet newsgroups, writing these guides and otherarticles, providing free repairs for those who cannot afford professionalservice, going to garage and tag sales in search of interesting technologyto repair or restore, and bicycling when weather and time permits. For now,this is more fun and much more rewarding than a real job. Only the futurecan tell what will come next!

--- sam


Troubleshooting and Repair of Consumer Electronics Equipment Contents:

l Chapter 1) About the Author & Copyright l Chapter 2) Introduction l 2.1) Getting into troubleshooting l 2.2) Nick's comments on 'how to learn repair' l 2.3) If you decide that you don't want to bother repairing something l 2.4) Smoking around electronic equipment l Chapter 3) Basic troubleshooting l 3.1) Some of my rules of troubleshooting l 3.2) Some quick tips or rules of thumb l 3.3) On-line tech-tips databases l 3.4) Getting inside consumer electronic equipment l Chapter 4) Tools, Test Equipment, and Other Stuff l 4.1) Hand tools l 4.2) Basic test equipment l 4.3) So you can't afford a $20,000 transient event recorder? l 4.4) Transformers - isolation and variable l 4.5) Isolation transformers l 4.6) Typical homemade isolation transformer l 4.7) Isolation transformers from dead microwave ovens l 4.8) How safe is a homemade isolation transformer? l 4.9) Variable autotransformers l 4.10) Variable isolation transformers l 4.11) Variac/isolation transformer with current limiting l 4.12) What about the scope ground? l 4.13) Basic Ancillary Equipment l 4.14) Incredibly handy widgets(tm) l 4.15) Miscellaneous l 4.16) Making a bench power supply from a PC power supply l Chapter 5) Soldering and Desoldering Equipment and Techniques l 5.1) Solder is not glue l 5.2) Soldering equipment l 5.3) Soldering techniques l 5.4) Desoldering techniques l 5.5) Nick's comments on successful desoldering techniques l 5.6) Soldering pins in plastic connectors l Chapter 6) Supplies and Parts l 6.1) Lubricants, cleaning agents, and other liquidy or slimy stuff l 6.2) Adhesives l 6.3) Electronic sealers and potting compounds l 6.4) Electronic parts l 6.5) Mechanical parts l Chapter 7) Sources of Information and General Comments

l 7.1) References l 7.2) Manufacturer's service literature l 7.3) Identifying OEM manufacturer - FCC numbers l 7.4) Sams' Photofacts l 7.5) Inside cover of the equipment l 7.6) Additional sources for service information and manuals l 7.7) Canadian schematics source l 7.8) Reverse engineered schematics l 7.9) Mark's approach to finding information l 7.10) Parts information and cross references l 7.11) Transistor designations l 7.12) Surface mount parts l 7.13) House numbers l 7.14) Generic parts (mostly semiconductors) l 7.15) HP-to-industry standard semiconductor cross-reference l 7.16) Internet sources of information l 7.17) Are there schematics of consumer electronic equipment on the Web? l 7.18) Taking the unit to a repair shop l 7.19) Searching for information from the USENET newsgroups l 7.20) Posting to sci.electronics.repair l Chapter 8) Parts Sources l 8.1) Where to go for parts l 8.2) Web parts information and ordering l 8.3) Mail order parts sources l 8.4) And, don't forget Radio Shack l Chapter 9) Perfecting your skills l 9.1) Where to find equipment in need of repair or abuse l 9.2) Paul's comments on the 'well equipped garage or flea market sale-er' l 9.3) And, how Paul equipped his home lab l 9.4) Too bad about the good old days l 9.5) Harrie's notes on repair l 9.6) Roger's comments on troubleshooting


Chapter 1) About the Author & CopyrightTroubleshooting and Repair of Consumer Electronics Equipment





Note: this document includes and superseeds the documents: "Repair Briefs,an Introduction" and "Sources of Information and General Comments".

Chapter 2) Introduction

2.1) Getting into troubleshootingThis document attempts to provide an entry to the world of consumer electronicstroubleshooting and repair. It also covers test equipment selection, toolsand supplies, parts, home made troubleshooting aide - Incredibly HandyWidgets(tm) - and safety.

Mostly, you will learn by doing. However, you do need to prepare.

There are many schools dedicated to electronics repair. Some of these arequite good. Many are not. This document, however, is written from theperspective of the motivated do-it-yourselfer, hobbiest, and tinkerer.

The Repair FAQs usually list suggested references for each area. Yourlocal public or university library will probably have some of these orother repair oriented electronics books.

Above all read and understand the document: "Safety Guidelines for High Voltage and/or Line Powered Equipment". Your life may depend on it. Thatfabulous large screen won't be of much use to you if you are dead.

Collect broken electronics and appliances from your friends, relatives,the dump, garage sales and flea markets, etc. Start on those that havebeen written off - you will screw up at first. We all did. As times passes,your batting average will improve. It may not happen overnight but itwill happen if you apply yourself. There will be many relatively easysuccesses but the 'tough dogs' may make up for these triumphs. Don't letthem get to you - not everything can be repaired. Sometimes, the basicdesign is flawed or someone before you messed up royally. Troubleshootingis like being a detective but at least the device is generally not out todeceive you.

Experience will be your most useful companion.

If you go into the profession, you will obtain or have access to a varietyof tech tips databases. These are an excellent investment where the saying:'time-is-money' rules. However, to learn, you need to develop a general

troubleshooting approach - a logical, methodical, method of narrowing down theproblem. A tech tip database might suggest: 'Replace C536' for a particularsymptom. This is good advice for a specific problem on one model. However,what you really want to understand is why C536 was the cause and how topinpoint the culprit in general even if you don't have a service manualor schematic and your tech tip database doesn't have an entry for yoursick TV or VCR.

While schematics are nice, you won't always have them or be able to justifythe purchase for a one-of repair. Therefore, in many cases, some reverseengineering will be necessary. The time will be well spent since evenif you don't see another instance of the same model in your entire lifetime,you will have learned something in the process that can be applied to otherequipment problems.

As always, when you get stuck, the sci.electronics.repair newsgroup will stillexist!

Happy repairing!

2.2) Nick's comments on 'how to learn repair'(From: Nicholas Bodley ([email protected])).

Here's how I see it:

By all means, do what you can to understand basic principles first.Your success will be much more likely when you understand how a deviceworks. If you can, read Electronics Now and Popular Electronics, as wellas Nuts and Volts (http://www.nutsvolts.com). Also have a look at theRadio Amateur's Handbook.

These periodicals are not carefully edited, unfortunately, and now andthen things get into print that are simply wrong or misleading, but theyare still useful; I learned quite a bit from their predecessors (RadioCraft and Radio News!).

I can't speak firsthand, but it might be a very good idea to become(eventually) a Certified Electronic Technician. Look up the I.S.C.E.T.

Hearsay and folklore sometimes indicate that you should replace a givenpart when certain symptoms occur, and in the case of frequent failures ofsuch parts, this information might even be true. But that's no way tobecome a competent technician.

My personal take is that you have to know when to 'let go' of anhypothesis about what the cause of the trouble is. A tech. who persistsbeyond a certain point in his belief that such-and-such is causing theproblem is stuck and spinning his wheels. (I'm sexist; I think women arefar less likely to get stuck this way! I think it's a male trait. :)

Troubleshooting is a special field of knowledge and has its own special

outlook on things. The device did work, after all.

Production testing and troubleshooting is different; you are likely to bethe first person to apply power to a device, and the device has neverworked before. If the assemblers aren't giving you excellent quality, youcan have some remarkably-bizarre symptoms with a poorly laid-out boardfrom solder shorts, for instance.

A variable toroidal autotransformer (universally known by what used to bea General Radio trade name, Variac) is priceless for troubleshootingcircuits that handle any amount of power and which are powered by the ACline. (Not all devices function at all at, say, half of rated AC input; Iwork on a poorly-designed amplifier that draws many amps at something like70 volts with no signal and no load. Unfortunately, Variacs and theirequivalents are horribly expensive, at least from some sources! If you geta used one, see that the contact area of the winding is undamaged; youmight need to remove a knob and some covers to see it. If the knob isstiff, try some contact/control cleaner/lube; it did wonders for mine!

Learn how to operate a 'scope, and learn why you see what you do. Isuspect that some techs are not too well-informed about what goes oninside a 'scope; learn from reliable sources!

Learn to use a digital multimeter, and an analog one as well; the latteris easily damaged if you don't know what you're doing, but it's a greattrend indicator.

Learn to use a function generator, and use the triangle output as well!Nothing like a triangle to show a wee bit of clipping or limiting in anamplifier...

Learn how to solder! Solder is not an adhesive; it's a metallurgicalbond, according to some sources I trust. It just about has to be withgold, at least! If you *really* want to learn soldering, NASA hasdeveloped training courses that will make you a disgustingly goodsolderer.

2.3) If you decide that you don't want to bother repairing something

So, you already have 10 VCRs and really don't want to even pop the case onyet another one.

Don't just toss it in the trash. See if a local charity like the SalvationArmy or Goodwill accepts broken appliances and electronics. They may havesomeone on staff who can perform at least simple repairs and then resellthe item. Not only will this reduce clutter in the land fill, you maybenefit on your taxes (and in the good deeds department). However, it reallyisn't proper to do this if you have already worked on the item and given up orreduced it to a pile of slag!

2.4) Smoking around electronic equipmentNote: This is my token editorial but the effects on both people and equipmentis very real.

If you still doubt the harmful effects of the chemical compounds in tobaccosmoke on your health and that of others around you, whatever I say belowprobably won't matter and you may want to skip it since it may upset you.However, perhaps, you worry more about your fancy, costly, finely tunedelectronic entertainment and computer equipment. In that case, read on.

The several hundred chemical compounds found in tobacco smoke have thefollowing effects on electronic equipment. What isn't trapped in your lungsor in the lungs of those around you:

* coats the precision optics of CD and DVD players, CDROM and DVDROM drives, and other optical disc/k equipment AND the media they use.

* coats the read/write heads of floppy disk drives, Zip drives, tape drives, AND the media they use.

* coats the tape path of VCRs and audio decks including the audio, video, and control heads AND the cassettes and tape inside.

* coats mechanical parts and promotes the loss of lubrication in all equipment.

* may contribute to deterioration of plastic and rubber parts.

* coats the screens of TVs and monitors, display windows of VCRs and other devices, and the outside and inside of everything eventually resulting in ugly brown discoloration and a horrible stench.

This list of effects goes on and on.

The resulting film WILL eventually cause problems and is very difficult toremove. Damage done due to chemical action may require the replacement ofcostly parts. Increased maintenance will be needed or the equipment maysimply fail before its time and not be worth fixing. Contamination will oftenfind its way into critical places that are not accessible and to media whichis irreplaceable.

When someone trys to get me to look at something that has been in a smoker'sresidence (I know because it will reek of stale tobacco smoke essence), myfirst inclination is to put it in a sealed bag to go out with the garbage.(I have been known to drop portable TVs directly into the nearest trash canunder these circumstances.) If this isn't an option, my next objective is toget it evaluated and repaired or refused as quickly as possible. However, myconcentration may not be at its peak for such equipment! It is a good thingthat I don't need to do this for a living - I would have to refuse service toa good portion of the world's population :-(.

So, now you have a few more reasons to give up the stupid, disgusting, filthy,

obnoxious, inconsiderate of others, costly, dangerous, killer habit!

Sorry, end of editorial :-).

Chapter 3) Basic troubleshooting

3.1) Some of my rules of troubleshooting1. Safety first - know the hazards associated with the equipment you are troubleshooting. Take all safety precautions. Expect the unexpected. Take your time.

2. Always think 'what if'. This applies both to the analytic procedures as well as to precautions with respect to probing the equipment. When probing, insulate all but the last 1/8" of the probe tip to prevent costly shorts. (If I had a nickel for every time I have been screwed not following this advice...)

3. Learn from your mistakes. We all make mistakes - some of them can be quite costly. A simple problem can turn into an expensive one due to a slip of the probe or being over eager to try something before thinking it through. While stating that your experience in these endeavors is measured by the number of scars you have may be stretching the point, expect to screwup - we all can point to that disaster due to inexperience or carelessness. Just make it a point not to make the same mistake again.

4. Don't start with the electronic test equipment, start with some analytical thinking. Many problems associated with consumer electronic equipment do not require a schematic (though one may be useful). The majority of problems with VCRs, CD players, tape decks, and answering machines, are mechanical and can be dealt with using nothing more than a good set of precision hand tools; some alcohol, degreaser, contact cleaner, light oil and grease; and your powers of observation (and a little experience). Your built in senses and that stuff between your ears represents the most important test equipment you have.

5. If you get stuck, sleep on it. Sometimes, just letting the problem bounce around in your head will lead to a different more successful approach or solution. Don't work when you are really tired - it is both dangerous and mostly non-productive (or possibly destructive).

6. Many problems have simple solutions. Don't immediately assume that your problem is some combination of esoteric complex convoluted failures. For a TV, it may just be a bad connection or failed diode. For a VCR, it may just be a bad belt or idler tire - or an experiment

in rock placement by your 3-year old. For a CD player, a dirty lens or need for lubrication. Try to remember that the problems with the most catastrophic impact on operation - a dead TV or a VCR that eats tapes - usually have the simplest solutions. The kind of problems we would like to avoid at all costs are the ones that are intermittent or difficult to reproduce: subtle color noise, the occasional interference, or the dreaded horizontal output transistor blowing out every 3 months syndrome.

7. Whenever possible, try to substitute a working unit. With modular systems like component stereos and computers, narrowing down a problem to a single unit should be the first priority. This is usually safe to do in such cases and will quickly identify which unit needs work. This same principle applies at the electronic or mechanical parts level. Note that there is the possibility of damaging the known good part by putting it into a non-working device or vice versa. This risk is most likely with the power circuitry in amplifiers, TVs and monitors, power supplies, etc. With appropriate precautions (like the series light bulb) the risk can be minimized.

8. Don't blindly trust your instruments. If your get readings that don't make sense, you may be using your equipment in a way which is confusing it. DMMs are not good at checking semiconductors in-circuit or the power transistor you are testing may have a built in damper diode and/or base resistor. Your scope may be picking up interference which is swamping the low level signal you are searching for (TVs and Monitors, or low level circuits in VCRs and CD players). Your frequency counter may be double triggering due to noise or imperfect signal shape.

9. Realize that coincidences do happen but are relatively rare. Usually, there is a common cause. For example, if a TV has no vertical deflection and no picture, it is much more likely that a common power supply output has failed than for parts in both the deflection and video subsystems to be bad. In other words, first look for a common root cause rather than trying to locate bad parts in separate circuits.

Exceptions include lightning, power surge, dropped, water, or previous repair person damaged equipment. However, multiple electrolytic capacitors in older equipment may be degrading resulting in failures of unrelated circuits. Determine if all the problems you are troubleshooting have just appeared - see below. It is very common to be given a device to repair which has now died totally but prior to this had some behavior which you consider marginal but that was not noticed by the owner.

10. Confirm the problem before diving into the repair. It is amazing how many complaints turn out to be impossible to reproduce or are simple cockpit error. It also makes sense to identify exactly what is and is not working so that you will know whether some fault that just appeared was actually a preexisting problem or was caused by your poking. Try to get as much information as possible about the problem from the owner. If you are the owner, try to reconstruct the exact sequence of events that led to the failure. For example, did the TV just not work when turned on or were there some preliminary symptoms like a jittery or squished picture prior to total failure? Did the problem come and go before finally staying bad for good?

11. Get used to the idea of working without a schematic. While service info

for TVs is nearly always available in the form of Sams' Photofacts, this is hardly ever true of other types of equipment. Sams VCRfacts exist for less than 10 percent of VCR models and only the older ones include anything beyond (obvious) mechanical information. While a service manual may be available from the manufacturer of your equipment or another Sams-like source, it may not include the information you really need. Furthermore, there may be no way to justify the cost for a one time repair. With a basic understanding of how the equipment works, many problems can be dealt with without a schematic. Not every one but quite a few.

12. Whenever working on precision equipment, make copious notes and diagrams. You will be eternally grateful when the time comes to reassemble the unit. Most connectors are keyed against incorrect insertion or interchange of cables, but not always. Apparently identical screws may be of differing lengths or have slightly different thread types. Little parts may fit in more than one place or orientation. Etc. Etc.

13. Pill bottles, film canisters, and plastic ice cube trays come in handy for sorting and storing screws and other small parts after disassembly. This is particularly true if you have repairs on multiple pieces of equipment under way simultaneously.

14. Select a work area which is wide open, well lighted, and where dropped parts can be located - not on a deep pile shag rug. The best location will also be relatively dust free and allow you to suspend your troubleshooting to eat or sleep or think without having to pile everything into a cardboard box for storage.

15. Understand the risk of ESD - Electro-Static Discharge. Some components (like ICs) in solid state electronic devices are vulnerable to ESD. There is no need to go overboard but taking reasonable precautions such as getting into the habit of touching a **safe** ground point first.

WARNING: even with an isolation transformer, a live chassis should **not** be considered a safe ground point. This applies mostly to TVs, computer and video monitors, some AC operated strobe lights, and other line connected devices. You shouldn't be touching components with the device powered and plugged in (at least, not until you really know what you are doing!). Once unplugged, sheet metal shields or other ground points should be safe and effective.

3.2) Some quick tips or rules of thumb* Problems that are erratic or intermittent - that come and go suddenly - are almost always due to bad connections - cold solder joints or internal or external connectors that need to be cleaned and reseated. It is amazing what a large percentage of common problems fall into the category.

* Problems that change gradually - usually they decrease or disappear - as the equipment warms up are often due to dried up electrolytic capacitors.

* Problems that result in a totally dead unit or affect multiple functions are generally power supply related. These are usually easy to fix.

* Catastrophic failures often result in burnt, scorched, cracked, exploded, or melted components, or similar catastrophic consequences. Use your senses of sight and smell for the preliminary search for such evidence.

* Listen for signs of arcing or corona - snapping or sizzling sounds. A component on the brink of failing due to overheating may provide similar audible clues.

* Most VCR problems are mechanical in nature. Worn or deteriorated rubber parts, gummed up lubrication, or abuse (bad tapes or toy storage.).

* Many CD player problems are mechanical - dirty lens, worn or oily drawer belts, dirt/gummed up grease on sled tracks/gears, bad/partially shorted spindle or sled motor. Power problems with portables seem to be common as well. No matter what the symptoms, always make it a habit to clean the lens first - many peculiar failure modes are simply due to a dirty lens. Actual laser failure is relatively uncommon despite what the typical service shop may claim. CD players are also remarkably robust. Optical alignment should never be needed under normal conditions of operation.

* TV and monitor problems are very often power supply or deflection related. These tend to have obvious causes - blown posistor, rectifier diodes, filter capacitor, HOT, or chopper. Flyback with shorted windings or shorts between windings or in the voltage multiplier (if used) or screen/focus divider network are also common. Where the HOT or chopper is involved, operation should be observed after the repair as components in the vicinity may cause the new parts to fail. HOTs should generally not run hot. If they do, check for weak drive, exfess B+, etc.

* Microwave oven problems are almost always power related. Faulty components in the microwave generator - magnetron, HV diode, HV capacitor, HV transformer - are relatively easy to identify. Sometimes, components on the primary side can cause baffling symptoms like the misaligned interlock switches that blow fuses or the weak triac that causes the oven to blow the main fuse only when the cycle *ends*. Control problems may be due to a spill in the touchpad or failure due to a power surge.

* Ink-jet printers are extremely reliable electrically. Look for simple problems such as caked ink in the 'service station' area, misaligned print-head contacts, or a nearly empty cartridge when erratic printing problems develop.

* Laser printers tend to develop problems in the fuser, scanner, or power control modules. These are often simple like a burned out lamp, bad motor, or bad connections.

* Turntables or record changer problems are very likely to be due to gummed up grease.

* Problems with audio tape decks like VCRs are mostly mechanical. Similar solutions apply. Where one channel is out, suspect a broken wire at the tape head before a bad chip.

* Telephone line connected equipment like modems and phones are susceptible

to phone like surges. Where a device seems to respond to user commands but does not dial or pickup, suspect a blown part near the phone line connector.

* Sam's Magic Spit(tm). This approach - using a moistened finger to probe LOW VOLTAGE CIRCUITS has come to the rescue many times. Touching various parts of a circuit from the solder side of the board in an attempt to evoke some sort of response can work wonders. Once an suspect area has been identified, use a metal probe or nail to narrow it down to a specific pin.

The reason this works is that the reduced resistance of your moist skin and your body capacitance will change the signal shape and/or introduce some slight signal of its own.

- Logic circuits - marginal timing or signal levels will result in a dramatic change in behavior with a slight 'body' load. It has been possible to locate a race condition or glitchy signal on a 305 pin PGA chip using this approach in less time than it would have taken to roll the logic analyzer over to the system under test. Signals which have proper levels and timing are gnerally remarkebly immune to this sort of torture.

- Analog circuits - behavior can again be altered. In the case of audio amps, probing with a finger is just as effective as the use of a signal injector - which is what you are doing - and the equipment is always handy. By evoking hum, buzz, clicks, and pops, locating the live or dead parts of a circuit is rapid and effective.

- Unknown circuits - where no schematics are available, it may be possible to get the device to do something or locate an area that is sensitive to probing. The function of a section of circuitry can often be identified by observing the effects of touching the components in that area.

For example, I was able to quickly identify the trigger transistor of in a wireless door bell by using my finger to locate the point that caused the chimes to sound. This quickly confirmed that the problem was in the RF front end or decoder and not the audio circuitry.

- Bad bypass capacitors - touching the power/signal side of a good bypass cap should result in little or no effect. However, a cap with high ESR and/or reduced uF will not be doing its job bypassing th