USPS shipping delays and wait-instead-of-ship-second policy

We frequently have emails from impatient users who haven't received their delivery by the expected date.

Usually it goes like this (actual quote):

"As of this date, 1/23/13, the below referenced shipment has not been received. It was ordered on 1/8/13 and shipped on 1/9/13. The USPS site has not updated shipping  since 1/9/13 and today is two weeks.
Can I please get a replacement shipping? If I should receive the initital package, I will advise and promplty return. Thank you."

This is actually quite polite as far as request goes.

We may add a few more here when they arrive today or tomorrow.

When we receive a request like that we usually check the online tracking information and find out that the package is still "in progress", so we get back to the aggrivated aggravated buyer and make them even more aggravated by telling them that we've shipped on time (as can be seen) and that delivery is out of our hands.

To which they usually respond that this is not their problem, that they have customers (or TVs) waiting and that should we only ship another package they'll promptly return the duplicate when it arrives.

Most commonly the package just "disappears" somewhere during transit and goes MIA for days before it shows up.

Like in this case:

 

Sometimes the tracking information doesn't even show the package as picked up by the carrier, often until the day it arrives at destination at which point it shows all in one day and one place.

This is fairly common for USPS, but we haven't seen it with UPS so when a customer cried wolf around Christmas and UPS did not indeed show the package as picked up we first called them and then, because custome kept crying we sent another package.

Of $140 value.

But how could you leave someone without a TV at Christmas and New Year , especially when carrier information shows package was never picked up.

Must be still somewhere in your warehouse , right?

Wrong.

Package showed up two weeks later, just as the second one we sent (which also was not "picked up" until after Christmas - apparently a UPS mishap around holidays).

Think the customer returned the extra power board?

Wrong again!

When I have enough time I'll find the tracking numbers and the communication with that customer and post them as well.

For now, though, if you read those you should know why we wouldn't rush a second package when the first one is delayed somewhere in transit.

Repairing a trashed Philips 42MF231D/37 - what you must know

Question:
I have a Magnavox 42MF231D/17 found in trash. blue light turns on on front of TV, relays click, no picture.

It sounds like there is a power line-like buzz coming from the Y-SUS board. I haven't really been able to find any tips on diagnostics. This is my first Plasma TV repair.

I have found the model of the Y-Sus board and Buffers on ebay for about $200. That sounds like a fair bit of money for something i found on the side of the road!



I am interested in fixing the TV.



Answer:

The Magnavox 42MF231D/17 plasma TV uses the infamous trio LJ92-01200A and the accompanying two buffer boards that are subject to past articles in this forum and (subsequently) many other places around the web.


The trio is the most likely culprit in the TV, but I would start with focusing your attention to the fact that while easily the most likely candidate you should not automatically take it for granted that this is the problem in your particular case. it may as well be power board or main board, may be the ZSUS or practically anything else, not that much else is left.


But since the Y-Main and the buffers are far above any other board in the suspect list it is practically justified looking there first once you know it's not an essential failure in the power board, i.e. the TV is not completely dead, for example.


I would also point your attention to the following: eBay and the Net in general is by now full with bad replacement sets, usually from China, but also local. ShopJimmy also offers used sets when they have them and in my opinion this is just as bad as the Chinese sets only it can get to you faster.


By "bad replacement sets" I mean sets that are made up of one original or repaired Y-Main board and two original (or, less often, repaired) buffer boards of the original release with 6 ICs. Those are time bombs waiting to explode on you and it won't be long before they do.


For more details see
 
http://blog.coppelltvrepair.com/2012/03/ebay-fraud-samsung-brand-new-upper-and.html

and the longer and more detailed

http://blog.coppelltvrepair.com/2010/10/lj92-01200a-lj41-02759a-truth-according.html

Bottom line recommendation is this:
 
First, make sure you get both the Y-Main LJ92-01200A and the two buffer boards from the same source; this will make it easier for you to handle any issues with them whereas if you get sustain board (repaired or replaced) at one source and the buffers from another, should a problem occur they'll both blame each other and you'll be in the middle cursing everyone including yourself.

Second, always go for new buffers with 4 ICs hopefully from a reliable source; it's been enough time since they were produced at the end of 2010 and by 2013 there are still brand new ones available through reliable Samsung vendors, but they cost a bit more (Samsung keeps prices high and only works with limited set of distributors resulting in longer and more expensive distribution chain) and there are most likely already used buffers with 4 ICs which may also have limited life left in them.

Third, you don't always need to service the Y-Main board when a buffer fails. Read the above articles and if you have an image with horizontal lines only then your Y-Main is still good and you only need buffer boards.
And even if the display is all dark you may still have a good Y-Main and bad buffers, only this is less likely.
Send all three to a reputable repair company (like us) and if you don't need to repair the Y-Main it'll be a bit cheaper.
Point here is to send boards for evaluation and repair rather than buying a full set outright since in this case you pay as if your Y-Main is bad (which it indeed will be most of the time) while if you can stay a few more days without that TV it is worth sending the boards for evaluation and possibly paying less.

Four and last, we do both repairs and exchanges of complete sets, we are smart, reliable, professional, intelligent, honest and , above all, modest. So no reason to go anywhere else, right?

Send your trio for repair or buy a a replacement set outright.

Or we will tell the teacher!

LV49152 digital audio amplifier for Sanyo DP46840

We recently had to work on a main board for Sanyo LCD TV from the DP series, specifically DP46840.

It had a hole burned in the audio amplifier IC LV49152 and we apparently had to replace it.

It turned out hard to find LV49152 here in the States, so if you find yourself in the same boat perhaps this will help:

http://www.coppelltvrepair.com/p/117/lv49152-sanyo-audio-power-amplifier-ic-lv49152v

I am quite certain LV49152 is also used in other main boards from Sanyo and likely other manufacturers.

Please note it is a bit tricky to solder the IC properly on a board. Pay special attention to providing good soldering contact of the exposed pad underneath the IC - cook it slowly and do not overdose soldering paste!

Hope this helps!

Repair kit for 6871QYH039B LG YSUS sustain board

Question:

Dear Ccoppell TV Repair,

Tom Wilcox

I have reviewed your online store and have not located this particular part, maybe I'm just overlooking it but I need your help Identifying it and/or your listing for it,please.

from LG50pc3d-ud plasma,, ysus board 6871qyh039b,, ipm 201 #yppd-jo16e-c and ipm 202, yppd-j015e-c.

016e has pin layout 7 on one side, the other 3,6,1 and 3
015e has pin layout 7 on one side, the other 6, 6, and 6

please send listing or correct replacement part number and pricing info.

thanks,Tom

P.S. I want to say thanks for the help I have gotten via your blogs! great job!

Answer:
Our store is definitely a work in progress as of November 2012. 
We apologize about that.
Here is the link for the 6871QYH039B repair kit...(currently only serving USA customers):

http://www.coppelltvrepair.com/p/99/6871qyh039b-ysus-board-repair-kit

Repairing 4H.V1448.481 backlight inverter board from Insignia-NS-LCD37-09

A year ago I posted an article about replacing the original inverter in Insignia NS-LCD37 LCD TV with 4H.V1448.481 since it was more available and cheaper.

Well since then the newly installed inverter has also failed - in fact twice - and the second time I opted to repair it as opposed to replace it since I already had a dud handy.

The same backlight inverter 4H.V1448.481 is used in a good number of other LCD TVs such as Philips 32PFL5322D/37, PROSCAN 37LB30QD, Sanyo DP37647 and in fact many more, so hopefully this will help others in same boat.

Failure symptoms were the same both times - display will lit up for a split second and will then turn black, the TV otherwise still operating properly.

Inspecting the inverter I found a blown SMD fuse - one of several along the length of the board - and that told me in which section the problem will be.

Here is how the fuse looks like:

As can be sen from the picture the fuse is 3A/32V and is driving two power transistors, each of which in turn drives a transformer on the board (well the last can not be actually seen on this picture; just take my word for it, ok?).

So there is one such fuse for every two power transistors / transformers and you will be looking for a fuse that is blown and does not have continuity.

Once I got the group, I first ruled out the power transistors by comparing them and finding out that they have the same resistance as all others.

The culprit turned out to be - not surprisingly actually - one of the two transformers although I could not figure which one until I put a more powerful fuse (5A as opposed to 3A) and tried to see what happens.
But I do not recommend you do that.

As it turned out, the bad transformer could very easily be distinguished once pulled out of its place and inspected on the back.

Here is what it looked like:



Clearly it was the primary winding that has burned and because it has low resistance I could not find the difference with a meter.

The board itself also had traces of burning:


Replacing the transformer with a pull-out from the first defective board restored full functionality....for now.

Hope this helps!

KL15L5R1 blown on DYP-50W2 from Samsung HP-T5054 - where to buy

Just a week ago I posted an article about a SCK206 question and by pure chance today we had a power board DYP-50W2 from Samsung HPT5054 brought in for repair.

It had a visibly cracked component KL15L 5R1 which we tracked down and found a substitute for, then since customer was willing to pay extra for an express service we decided to take out a component from a working board and replace it in the customer's board, then wait and restore the substitute in our own good board...which we sometimes do if you're willing to pay for breaking a good working unit to get yours back faster.

Anyway, we found that our own board had the same SCK206 in place of KL15L5R1.

By the time we realized it the old thermistor was already out of the board so I could only put it next to the one that was originally placed on our own board.

Here is the picture (click to get native resolution):

In all fairness I didn't even look to track down SCK206 details and compare them.

If Samsung has decided it will do - and this was an original component there - then it will definitely do the job.

And if you are looking for KL15L5R1 then chances are SCK206 will do for you too.

BTW, as noted in the previous article the problem was not in the thermistor alone. Some power FETs were also blown and some of the driving logic around them too, although.

My recommendation is that unless you are a service tech well aware of the risk they're taking with a DIY project you better get a repair service or replacement board.

4 February 2014 update: We just posted an article on testing BN44-00160A DYP-50W2 and a bunch of other boards. You do not need that posting if you already know you have a blown thermistor, but the article may still be of help to others.

What is SCK206 green thingy and where can I get it?

Question:
Dear Coppell TV Repair,
my TV made a coughing noise , smoked a little and became yet another brick on the wall.
Upon inspecting the power board I found a little green round thing next to the main power input with a solid hole in it and the letters SCK206 printed.
I have some background in electronics, but I could not figure what this is. Capacitor is my first thought.
What is this and where can I get it?

Answer:
SCK206 is a power thermistor used in the switching/activation circuits of a number of power boards, usually in plasma TVs (of course quite possibly elsewhere too, but in the context of TV repairs it is usually found in plasma TV boards as opposed to LCD TV power boards).

It is often found in parallel to one (or the one) switching relays that activate when the power board is told to switch to full power by the main board.

It is used as a temporary load balancing device that takes the current in case another power component has shorted and leads to overload.

A failed SCK206 would typically mean power in a power FET or other power device has failed.

As such replacing SCK-206 alone will hardly ever be sufficient.

But if you still need it you can buy SCK206 here.