This morning I got a call and the person on the other end said: "We received one of your Y-sustain boards and man, (chuckles) it ain't gonna work this way!".
Then he explained that they received a board serviced from us - it was a Y sustain 6871QYH039A or similar - and when they powered the TV it had popped out as those sustain boards usually do.
He said he then looked at the board and he has never seen such a bad job in his 30 years of electronics servicing experience. He has, in fact, brought in other technicians and, I quote, "they had all laughed".
Now, a little note from my end before I present the question I am actually writing this about.
On my end I know the board that he received was most certainly tested before it was sent out. It was not extensively tested and I would agree that the repair technique used is not one recommended in official LG service bulletines. After all, there is only so much you get for your money.
I do claim, however, that the board was functional and that the way it was made functional is reliable enough. I have several arguments for that claim, starting with the fact that tens of other customers use such boards, even though they are not serviced by the book.
It is very much like the way my close buddy the other day replaced the lower left arm of my Volvo without following the official dealership procedure for doing it. The car still drives great and I he saved me tons of money. I am aware he used a hammer to get somethign out when he could have used a machine, but I trust his experience and I believe I made a good deal by choosing him over Volvo dealership.
Frankly, I have no idea what did the technicians laughed at. I am actually about to call back in a minute ( I was driving before ) and ask what was there to laugh at. They may want to chime in here.
I myself avoid laughing at people with 30 years experience in anything. I just wonder how come they had to rely on my service at all.
I sell the parts for the board and I make it clear everyone is welcome to try the repair themselves.
Now to the point: bad feelings aside, let's try to analyze the situation. You do a remote service job, you test your product. Customer tells you it fails on furst use. Let's assume all he says is true and he's not trying to trick me.
Let's face it, it is possible for that to happen. Unlikely, but possible. It may be due to cold solder on your end, due to malfunctioning component - be it replacement or another.
It may also be due to improper installation. Customer, of course, would rule that out in the same fashion in which I'd rule out the possibility of a tested board to blow on its first use after the test, but the fact remains - it is possible.
Sustain boards , in particular, produce sharp voltage changes resulting in all possible harmonics. Resonances are possible and it is essential that the board is well affixed to the body to avoid them.
So it could have been anyone's fault.
My question is - what would you do if you were the vendor?
What would you do if you were the customer?
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
The mysterious case of Dynex DX-L32-10A / T-Con 315WA01C
Got your attention, didn't I? :-)
315WA01C is the T-Con board used in Dynex DX-L32-10A 32'' LCD TV introduced by BestBuy about a year ago.
Here is what the board looks like:
The mysterious thing about it is that a year after the TV reklease, Google can still find only 5 (five!) refernces to that board at all!
And it's been that way for the past few months - I know because I've been looking for it.
Oddly enough, one of the few links leads to a PartSearch actual product offerring , but not unexpectedly, their asking price is comparable with the price of a new TV of same or similar cheap brand.
One thing that puzzles me is if it's the board that has gone bad or the LCD itself as some of my sources claim.
It is hard to be sure, but I first determined that the LCD supply power is there on the T-Con output - 15V and 3.3V, which, even though not a guarantee, is a good sign as far as burned T-Con boards go.
And then I played some with my fingers through the T-Con while TV was working and for a second I got - I swear - proper image in the middle of the screen!
So I'm leaning towards the probability of the T-Con gone bad.
Yet I still feel bad ponying up $75 just to try. Especially for a model that has been unofficially discontinued and apparently not supported.
If I decide to try it I'll let you know.
For the time being, just stay out of Dynex, all right?
315WA01C is the T-Con board used in Dynex DX-L32-10A 32'' LCD TV introduced by BestBuy about a year ago.
Here is what the board looks like:
The mysterious thing about it is that a year after the TV reklease, Google can still find only 5 (five!) refernces to that board at all!
And it's been that way for the past few months - I know because I've been looking for it.
Oddly enough, one of the few links leads to a PartSearch actual product offerring , but not unexpectedly, their asking price is comparable with the price of a new TV of same or similar cheap brand.
One thing that puzzles me is if it's the board that has gone bad or the LCD itself as some of my sources claim.
It is hard to be sure, but I first determined that the LCD supply power is there on the T-Con output - 15V and 3.3V, which, even though not a guarantee, is a good sign as far as burned T-Con boards go.
And then I played some with my fingers through the T-Con while TV was working and for a second I got - I swear - proper image in the middle of the screen!
So I'm leaning towards the probability of the T-Con gone bad.
Yet I still feel bad ponying up $75 just to try. Especially for a model that has been unofficially discontinued and apparently not supported.
If I decide to try it I'll let you know.
For the time being, just stay out of Dynex, all right?
Monday, April 5, 2010
The Polaroid / Memorex mess 200-107-GT32XA-AH, 200-107-GT32XA-BH, 200-107-PF261XA-CH and more
In March I blogged on the ability to interchange main board between Polaroid TDA-03211C and Polaroid TDX-03211C.
A few days ago I had a customer bring in a Memorex MLT3221, which, deisgn wise, appeared the same as the above mentioned Polaroid models. It was apparently the same piece of equipment just branded to a different company.
Well, almost the same.
Even though it is the faulty power boards that those Polaroids are notorious for, the Memorex MLT3221 had an apparently good power board - first because it had all the produced voltages neatly printed on the board and second because they all checked.
So apparently it was (again) the main board. 200-107-PF261XA-CH.
Presented here for your viewing pleasure:
Well, it turns out this boad is rare. Especially if you search for a board for Memorex.
In fact, I did not find any availability for Memorex.
However, I did find a board with the same tag available for Polaroid TDX-03211C.
You guessed it, it worked.
But wait, it's even more interesting! Suppose you do not find 200-107-PF261XA-CH for neither Polaroid nor Memorex. What do you do then, throw the TV out? Pay $150 for a main board for a 32'' TV when you can get a new one on Craigslist for $250 and at Walmart for $300?
No, you can simply use 200-107-GT32XA-BH from Polaroid TDX03211C and therefore, because of my earlier post, you can also use 200-107-GT32XA-AH from Polaroid TDA03211C!
And I am not kidding you, it works! I tried :-)
There might be the minor issue of having to see "Polaroid" instead of "Memorex", but if you find the board at a good price that would hardly matter a lot, right?
And finally, if you use Polaroid board in Memorex you will need a little extra work to extend the antenna cable connecting the board with the external antenna outlet.
You see, the Polaroid boards have the antenna receiver placed higher on the board and turned horizontally as can be seen here:
All in all, though, none of these is a deal breaker.
I hope you can use that information and it can serve you well as it did serve me!
And do not forget to order your parts and services from http://www.coppelltvrepair.com/ :-)
A few days ago I had a customer bring in a Memorex MLT3221, which, deisgn wise, appeared the same as the above mentioned Polaroid models. It was apparently the same piece of equipment just branded to a different company.
Well, almost the same.
Even though it is the faulty power boards that those Polaroids are notorious for, the Memorex MLT3221 had an apparently good power board - first because it had all the produced voltages neatly printed on the board and second because they all checked.
So apparently it was (again) the main board. 200-107-PF261XA-CH.
Presented here for your viewing pleasure:
Well, it turns out this boad is rare. Especially if you search for a board for Memorex.
In fact, I did not find any availability for Memorex.
However, I did find a board with the same tag available for Polaroid TDX-03211C.
You guessed it, it worked.
But wait, it's even more interesting! Suppose you do not find 200-107-PF261XA-CH for neither Polaroid nor Memorex. What do you do then, throw the TV out? Pay $150 for a main board for a 32'' TV when you can get a new one on Craigslist for $250 and at Walmart for $300?
No, you can simply use 200-107-GT32XA-BH from Polaroid TDX03211C and therefore, because of my earlier post, you can also use 200-107-GT32XA-AH from Polaroid TDA03211C!
And I am not kidding you, it works! I tried :-)
There might be the minor issue of having to see "Polaroid" instead of "Memorex", but if you find the board at a good price that would hardly matter a lot, right?
And finally, if you use Polaroid board in Memorex you will need a little extra work to extend the antenna cable connecting the board with the external antenna outlet.
You see, the Polaroid boards have the antenna receiver placed higher on the board and turned horizontally as can be seen here:
All in all, though, none of these is a deal breaker.
I hope you can use that information and it can serve you well as it did serve me!
And do not forget to order your parts and services from http://www.coppelltvrepair.com/ :-)
Friday, April 2, 2010
Polaroid FLM-3232 power board R0804-0901 repair service offerred
I spent some time familiarizing myself with FLM-3232 power board R0804-0901 and as a result I now offer repair service for it.
Apparently the board is prone to burning and unfortunately it's not just due to drying out filter capacitors - it involves active elements too.
If you need yours repaired you can find the service here.
UPDATE: I posted an article on how to test the board so that you do not send it for repair without having to.
Friday, March 26, 2010
How to identify burned buffer boards LJ92-01203A LJ41-02761A LJ92-01202A LJ41-02760A
(UPDATE 25 Oct 2010 - I have added another article with additional details on the subject. Find it here.)
(UPDATE Dec 2012 - now the Y-Main and a set of brand new, Samsung OEM buffers is available at our store.)
(UPDATE Feb 2013 - our store now has listings for both the upper buffer LJ92-01202A and lower buffer LJ92-01203A - used, but tested and functional, offerred as-is; make sure you read this article and offer description before buying!)
Here's a very simple and easy method of identifying burned buffer boards LJ92-01203A / LJ41-02761A and LJ92-01202A / LJ41-02760A.
Those are the buffers for Y-sustain LJ92-01200A.
The trio is used in a great number of 42'' plasma TVs using Samsung plasma display technology (the display itself and the sustain/buffer boards).
Now, to the point: The most common defect in those buffers manifests itself in burning and shorting the power lines and some output lines.
The easiest way to detect if a board was burned is to measure the resistance between its power input and ground.
On the TOP buffer board, the power lines are the top two lines of the black connector and ground are the most of the remaining connectors.
On the bottom board the power lines are the bottom two lines on the black board and ground is above them.
In the example picture on the right the resistance there is only 4.4 Ohm clearly identifying this board as a burnout.
The resistance would typically be the same in both directions.
This board would prevent the TV from powering on and may also burn the Y-sustain board.
In a future post I'll also show how to identify the particular ICs on the burned board.
(UPDATE Dec 2012 - now the Y-Main and a set of brand new, Samsung OEM buffers is available at our store.)
(UPDATE Feb 2013 - our store now has listings for both the upper buffer LJ92-01202A and lower buffer LJ92-01203A - used, but tested and functional, offerred as-is; make sure you read this article and offer description before buying!)
Here's a very simple and easy method of identifying burned buffer boards LJ92-01203A / LJ41-02761A and LJ92-01202A / LJ41-02760A.
Those are the buffers for Y-sustain LJ92-01200A.
The trio is used in a great number of 42'' plasma TVs using Samsung plasma display technology (the display itself and the sustain/buffer boards).
It is also famous for its common failure. The most common scenario involves burning the Y sustain which subsequently burns one or both buffers.
Now, to the point: The most common defect in those buffers manifests itself in burning and shorting the power lines and some output lines.
The easiest way to detect if a board was burned is to measure the resistance between its power input and ground.
Normally it should be in the range of hundreds of kOhms and when burned it is usually a matter of Ohms.
In fact, you can use the diode/audio test mode to determine if a board is burned or not.
Still , in the below examples, I am using a multimeter in a standard resistance meter mode.
On the TOP buffer board, the power lines are the top two lines of the black connector and ground are the most of the remaining connectors.
On a good board the resistance between the two may be too big in the proper direction and about 500kOhm in reverse direction.
The board on this picture is good.
On the bottom board the power lines are the bottom two lines on the black board and ground is above them.In the example picture on the right the resistance there is only 4.4 Ohm clearly identifying this board as a burnout.
The resistance would typically be the same in both directions.
This board would prevent the TV from powering on and may also burn the Y-sustain board.
In a future post I'll also show how to identify the particular ICs on the burned board.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Giving warranty on modules and components - pros and cons
Today I got a question: "What warranty do you give on your LJ41-02760A LJ92-01202 Repair Service?"
Warranty is one thing I have always had problems with.
Especially for electronic modules, whether new or serviced.
As I explained the potential customer, the problem is that a faulty sustain board can easily burn a buffer and it would only take a 2-3 seconds to do so. I know it the hard way myself, in fact I still have that Y-sustain waiting for service on my desk.
So how could one issue warranty to a part that can be installed and fried right on the spot?
The simple and logical answer is - one shouldn't!
Then how are customers protected?
Well, in my opinion there are two options here: one is to break the above rule and hope that people , in general, are fair. In my opinion this is how Lehman Brothers, credit crisis and socialism in Russia all started.
The second approach is to not trust people, but turst common sense instead. A customer's motivation to buy product or service is based on a balance of cost, risk and potential benefit.
Presenting or pumping up warranty lowers risk for the customer and they get ready to buy.
Since I don't want to turn to the next Lehman or the next Russia I say we don't touch warranty if we have no control over installation and use process and instead we play with the cost.
I say I offer the cost low enough to get started - even if not profiting - and then slowly building a history and recommendations. Then I increase the price so I can actually make profit.
An independant marketplace like eBay helps a lot for building credit through past sales. if a customer sees 10 other customers being happy before him he'll certainly feel more secure even if I do not offer warranty.
What is your take?
Warranty is one thing I have always had problems with.
Especially for electronic modules, whether new or serviced.
As I explained the potential customer, the problem is that a faulty sustain board can easily burn a buffer and it would only take a 2-3 seconds to do so. I know it the hard way myself, in fact I still have that Y-sustain waiting for service on my desk.
So how could one issue warranty to a part that can be installed and fried right on the spot?
The simple and logical answer is - one shouldn't!
Then how are customers protected?
Well, in my opinion there are two options here: one is to break the above rule and hope that people , in general, are fair. In my opinion this is how Lehman Brothers, credit crisis and socialism in Russia all started.
The second approach is to not trust people, but turst common sense instead. A customer's motivation to buy product or service is based on a balance of cost, risk and potential benefit.
Presenting or pumping up warranty lowers risk for the customer and they get ready to buy.
Since I don't want to turn to the next Lehman or the next Russia I say we don't touch warranty if we have no control over installation and use process and instead we play with the cost.
I say I offer the cost low enough to get started - even if not profiting - and then slowly building a history and recommendations. Then I increase the price so I can actually make profit.
An independant marketplace like eBay helps a lot for building credit through past sales. if a customer sees 10 other customers being happy before him he'll certainly feel more secure even if I do not offer warranty.
What is your take?
Thursday, March 4, 2010
715T2907-2 repair and/or trade-in service available
Just a quick note to announce I now offer trade-in and/or repair service for power board 715T2907-2.
This board is used in Insignia NS-LCD26-09 , Westinghouse W2613, Bush LT26M1CA and probably others.
Typical sign for the problem is TV powers on and off (responds to buttons and remote), but screen is dark.
This board is used in Insignia NS-LCD26-09 , Westinghouse W2613, Bush LT26M1CA and probably others.
Typical sign for the problem is TV powers on and off (responds to buttons and remote), but screen is dark.
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