What Electronics Gear Have You Repaired Lately?

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

http://electronicdesign.com/article/embedded/what_electronics_gear_have_you_repaired_lately.aspx?nl=1

[flintstone mop]

I'll stick to the thru-hole PCBs and stuff I can see.
I work on Kenwood commercial two-way radios (handhelds and mobiles) and the stuff is beginning to get really tiny. The boss will not spend any money on a macro-focus video cam and a hot air soldering station, so we send the "can't get to that component problem" to another shop for those repairs.
There are YouTube teardowns of cell phones to "unlock" them and test jig set-ups to open the phone to other SIM cards and I was surprised how many layers of crap there is in a cell phome.
For those who have vision and steady hands....more power to YOU!!
SMT stuff is on the hairy edge of my abilities now.
Fred

[WA1GFZ]

SMT is quite easy but what the heck do you do with BGA

[K5UJ]

I'm not a gadget nut so I don't have anything with the latest large iPad chips, that I have to have working.  Outside of the shack, I guess I depend on my mac mini, DSL modem, answering machine and cordless phone and DTV converter box.  Everything else is relatively old technology.  If any of the above quit on me I'd probably simply junk it, (except for the mac mini--that cost too much) and buy another one.  I can work on surface mount if I have to but I really don't like it.  My time and priorities are on keeping the important gear (ham gear) working and thankfully, it is all older technology except for some of the audio processing boxes, and I am gradually moving to older analog gear with them too.  I want to eventually be able to do all my own repairs.

This is one of the reasons why I hesitate to get into the modern DSP ham gear--the flex radio type stuff--how do you fix it when it breaks?

[k4kyv]

When it got beyond repairing at the discrete component level that's where it passed me by.  Most of my stuff is point-to-point wired.

I did do my share of circuit board work in the 70's and 80's when I did field service work and later, commercial VHF and UHF two-way, but if the PCB doesn't have little holes in it with wires poked through I don't bother.

[N3DRB The Derb]

I had to do BGA junk at Datalux. Intel chipsets required it. They had some good tools for it. All PACE, Inc. stuff, where I worked in the mid 80's.

[ka3zlr]

Awaiting on the Retro 75 now paper work has been mailed.

73

Jack.

[K3ZS]

A 1967 all solid state stereo receiver/amp.    I built a new stereo demodulator board using a phase-locked-loop type IC to replace the crummy original board.    Also blew out an audio driver transistor in the power amp, while trying to trouble shoot a noisy PA channel.     I fixed the driver, but the amp is still noisy.    One thing I failed to fix was a Kenwood 2M handheld.    I found that the audio output surface mount power amp was bad.    Tried to replace it,  was not successful and added it to the junk pile.    No more attempts fixing anything surface mount.

[w3jn]

Some have been successful in repairing laptops and PCs whose BGA chips have bad connections by putting the board in the oven for a few minutes.

[W1RKW]

The last thing I fixed was my wifes auto nite light. It needed a new light bulb. 

I used to do SMT stuff.  I can't see close up any more so I don't touch it.  Furthermore, to me it's not worth trouble. Going to RS to find a replacement SMT resistor or cap ain't happenin'.

[ka3zlr]

Fixed the oldest Daughter's rear windshield wiper motor, actually it was
the PB Blaster that did the job I was the Finger man.

73

Jack.

[W9GT]

I have worked on and built many PC boards over the years, but I'm not very fond of SMT stuff.  Take a look at cellphones, PCs, etc. That stuff is all assembled with automation.  Really difficult to replace anything on a component level.  I am most comfortable with old tube-type junk.  Still fairly easy to work on, although I did just complete the little Small Wonder Labs Retro 75 AM Transceiver board and it went pretty well.  Nice PC board with plated-thru holes for components.  It is really a challenge, however,  to read values on those tiny components.  Get out the magnifying glass! 

73,  Jack, W9GT

[WA1GFZ]

JN,
Do you add flux or just heat?
We XRAY them here at work but not sure if they do touch up.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

HQ-140XA, stereo receiver, 4-channel amplifier, Swan 250C

[WQ9E]

It wasn't surface mount but several years ago I repaired the digital display in my TS-820S with a heat gun.  I followed all of the Kenwood service notes correcting problems with the plated through connections and looked at everything under a microscope but still no happiness.  After spending the better part of a weekend with no positive results out of frustration I used a heat gun to reflow the solder and it has now been working fine for over 5 years.  I do NOT recommend this procedure since generally anger and frustration leads to bad outcomes but this case was an exception.

Recent repairs include a pair of Swan 600 twins, a Johnson Viking Invader 200, a Hallicrafters SX-9, and I have a Lafayette Professional 9 receiver on the bench now. 

I definitely prefer working on the earlier stuff and I strongly prefer radio work to other electronics.  This morning I was going out to spray Roundup and the the garage door opened half way and stopped due to a stripped gear in the opener.  I remembered that I had installed this garage door opener 12 years ago after the control card in the previous opener gave up the ghost after only a couple of years.  I transplanted the control card from the stripped gear unit into the other one and 90 minutes later I had a working garage door and I could finally start spraying.  Just as I finished with the herbicide UPS dropped off the Sears parts (nylon dogs) to repair my washing machine so now after repairing a garage door opener, spraying 20 gallons of Roundup, repairing a washing machine, and taking a much needed shower I can spend some more time with my new Lafayette receiver.

[KM1H]

About the last 10 years of my working career I spent considerable R&D time under a microscope working mostly RX/TX millimeter wave up to 75 gHz. Linear amp packages get mighty small up there. When the last company got sold, downsized and shipped a lot of work to CA and Mexico I bought a B&L microscope and quite a bit of hi end test equipment at fire sale prices. Kept what I wanted and sold the rest to wind up with a good total profit.

The last 30 days Ive overhauled for myself or customers a SX-28, SX-17 (mine), HRO-500, NC-240D (shipped me 3, 2 more to go), two NCL-2000's, Henry 8K, and converted to 6M a SB-221, LK-450, and LK-500. Backlog looks similar for the next month and beyond.

And I still get a little time for antenna work and waste my time here  

Gotta find more junk at Nearfest

Carl
KM1H

[K5WLF]

Well, let's see. I've been working on the Siltronix 90-6 VFO that was the subject of an earlier thread on this forum, modifying a Motorola amplified speaker that I picked up at Ham-Com last year, making a few mods to the PV power sytem in my pickup, starting the build on a new radio/etc console for the pickup and spec'ing out the parts and materials to add a PV power system to our club tower trailer. And getting ready to do a few mods to the DX-60A I picked up a couple months ago.

ldb
K5WLF

[Opcom]

recently for thru-hole a Harris RF-590 and a video TBC, and for SMT an Icom IC-R9000 video amp module. Have not been repairing much lately but I used to do it for a living. The best thing is not having to pay others to do it.

[w3jn]

I do NOT recommend this procedure since generally anger and frustration leads to bad outcomes but this case was an exception.

How true, Rodger 

Do you add flux or just heat?

Just heat, apparently

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYo-eRLRvWQ

[KA2QFX]

Good Question!

TS-830S, FT-901DM, TS-440S, FT-101ZD, FT-757, Watkins-Johnson 8716, Rayne 36 band EQ, Sony HDAM/FM Receiver (modified, not repaired), 2 or 3 FT-101E, Hammarlund HQ-170A, Ranger II, Hammarlund HQ-110, Simpson 260-3, Symetrix 15MHz Scope, Zenith (60s tube type) table radio…

 I dunno... probably some more stuff I can’t remember, but that’s pretty much lately.  I’ve been busy with my E rig and Brent’s amplifier so I’m a little slower these days.

I suppose none of this counts of course since it's not new tech, iPod, Cell Phone...    Well, the Sony was pretty new tech.

[KX5JT]

Henry 2K4 amplifier -- replaced a design flawed filament choke.  Now I am awaiting the arrival of HV rectifiers to replace the FW Bridge. 

Icom R75 receiver -- resoldered the loosened power jack on the main board. 

EF Johnson Viking I  --Future project--(I need to find a "rountuit" ) electrical restoration

Admittedly simple stuff.  I hate SMT too.  I will be building a retro75 hopefully next week if it arrives soon.

John

[Tom WA3KLR]

1. Last gear repaired - my National NC-100 variant receiver.  Conductive fuzz had grown across one of the i.f. can's air variable capacitors causing a B+ to ground short.  Replaced some weak tubes and a quick i.f. re-alignment, back in service.

2.  Now overhauling (very slowly) a 1935 HRO Senior that I just inherited from my father's estate.

[W3RSW]

Fixed The ringer (plug it in the wall) of a doorbell set from Lowes.
The door buttons are radio remote so I figured it was a radio problem. Neither front nor back door 'buttons' worked.
  Turned out to be a fried (under spec'd for power demand) resistor in the 120vac drop to low DC rail.
Simple replacement with twice wattage value and now works fine.

Oh, and I put a bead of silicon caulk around top and sides, but not the bottom (moisture & bug vent ) of the door 'buttons.'

[WD8BIL]

Just last night I fixed my nephews Peavy Classic 30 amp. 12AX7s driving 4 push-pull parallel EL84s. Biasing resistors and a broken reverb spring mount!

[K5UJ]

Just last night I fixed my nephews Peavy Classic 30 amp. 12AX7s driving 4 push-pull parallel EL84s. Biasing resistors and a broken reverb spring mount!

Those EL84s run hot don't they?   At least mine do.  It may be okay but I just don't like anything sitting there hot as hell so I put a fan on mine.

right now recapping the p.s. in my SB610.  There are two lytics in there 40 uF 350 v. that are old paper wrapped caps.  then there's the can cap and those three 1.6 and 2 x 1.2 kv tubular caps and I see a couple of what look like molded paper caps.  I'm told h.v. transformer failure is in my future if I don't recap the  p.s.