Any other electronics geeks

[ironsniper1]

Anyone else here do soldering or fix electronics? I'm doing as more a hobby right now myself and am currently trying to fix the tv in the picture, it's a CRT HDTV goes up to 1080i I think which is fine as I plan to use it with my older video game consoles

[Dustbuster]

Call ITT tech electronics class in nashville they may fix it depending on class schedule


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 of course it ate my spelling.

[Murgatroy]

I am just a hobbyist myself. I attended ITT Tech for CEET many many moons ago. Pretty much everything is obsolete now.

 

I do all my own building, repair, installation, etc...

 

Software is not my strong point, but I know the ins and outs of hardware pretty well. If it uses electricity, I can pretty much figure it out and fix it, hop it up, or make sure it will never work again.

 

 

 

 

Lately I have been trying to broaden my horizons as far as software goes. I had an old netbook running Windows 7 and it was abysmal, so I decided that Linux sounded fun. Ubuntu was said to be the most user friendly, so that is where I went.

 

A month later I run Ubuntu on my desktop, Ubuntu on my Netbook and I have been playing with Bodhi all day on a test mule I put together specifically for the purpose of trying out new distros.

Edited June 2, 2014 by Murgatroy

[ironsniper1]

I am just a hobbyist myself. I attended ITT Tech for CEET many many moons ago. Pretty much everything is obsolete now.

 

I do all my own building, repair, installation, etc...

 

Software is not my strong point, but I know the ins and outs of hardware pretty well. If it uses electricity, I can pretty much figure it out and fix it, hop it up, or make sure it will never work again.

 

 

 

 

Lately I have been trying to broaden my horizons as far as software goes. I had an old netbook running Windows 7 and it was abysmal, so I decided that Linux sounded fun. Ubuntu was said to be the most user friendly, so that is where I went.

 

A month later I run Ubuntu on my desktop, Ubuntu on my Netbook and I have been playing with Bodhi all day on a test mule I put together specifically for the purpose of trying out new distros.

 

Call ITT tech electronics class in nashville they may fix it depending on class schedule


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 of course it ate my spelling.

i went to itt tech and i like to fix things myself helps me learn more about how to take things apart and fix them

 

I am just a hobbyist myself. I attended ITT Tech for CEET many many moons ago. Pretty much everything is obsolete now.

 

I do all my own building, repair, installation, etc...

 

Software is not my strong point, but I know the ins and outs of hardware pretty well. If it uses electricity, I can pretty much figure it out and fix it, hop it up, or make sure it will never work again.

 

 

 

 

Lately I have been trying to broaden my horizons as far as software goes. I had an old netbook running Windows 7 and it was abysmal, so I decided that Linux sounded fun. Ubuntu was said to be the most user friendly, so that is where I went.

 

A month later I run Ubuntu on my desktop, Ubuntu on my Netbook and I have been playing with Bodhi all day on a test mule I put together specifically for the purpose of trying out new distros.

nice i love linux, i plan to get the Linux+ cert sometime in the near future

[Will Carry]

I used to be...but I got help. I have an associate degree in Electronics and one in Electrical Engineering Technology from Nashville Tech. I don't do much soldering any more though.

[bersaguy]

I know how to change out the batteries in my TV remotes, Battery operated digital clocks and Smoke and Fire detectors in my house. Does that qualify me??????

[peejman]

I know a bit about circuits and soldering and try to fix stuff when it breaks, but that's about it. 

 

I recently fixed an old "boom box" that had sat out on our porch for years.  One of the speakers quit working.  I took it apart and after some fiddling, discovered that the speaker worked fine when I bypassed the volume pot.  So I switched from electrician to mechanic and jammed a screwdriver in it and pried on it trying to get the volume pot apart.  Magically, it started working (yes, the power was on and I was listening to the radio from the other speaker the whole time).  So I put it back together and declared it "fixed". 

 

:rofl:

 

 

However, I was unable to figure out why the wireless in our modem/router quit working.  I took that apart too and nothing appeared "blown" or otherwise damaged.  The whole board was quite pristine actually.  So I tossed it and bought a new one.  Win some, lose some.  :shrug:

Edited June 2, 2014 by peejman

[tnguy]

I dabble with the soldering from time-to-time, usually building but sometimes repair but I have to say, I'd be looking for excuses to take a CRT to the dump.

[nightrunner]

Im an electrician and can fix electrical issues but im convinced you need a good stock of fairy dust to troubleshoot electronics

[TripleDigitRide]

Im an electrician and can fix electrical issues but im convinced you need a good stock of fairy dust to troubleshoot electronics

I need to know why two of my fluorescent light fixtures eat through bulbs so fast.

The two in the garage have been going strong since we bought the house almost two years ago. However, the one in the laundry room and the one in our bedroom closet stop working properly within a month or so. After that, they become very dim and start flickering. I've noticed the one in the bedroom closet will sometimes work properly if I rapidly flip the switch back know and forth.

[hardknox00001]

I need to know why two of my fluorescent light fixtures eat through bulbs so fast.

The two in the garage have been going strong since we bought the house almost two years ago. However, the one in the laundry room and the one in our bedroom closet stop working properly within a month or so. After that, they become very dim and start flickering. I've noticed the one in the bedroom closet will sometimes work properly if I rapidly flip the switch back know and forth.

Fluorescent fixtures are simple circuits.  Line voltage in to the ballast, ballast voltage out to lamp sockets, lamps.  I would change the ballast if it were bothering you much.  Sounds like the one you have is doing something goofy either in the warming circuit or the running voltage circuit.  Do the end of the lamps turn black?

[TripleDigitRide]

Fluorescent fixtures are simple circuits. Line voltage in to the ballast, ballast voltage out to lamp sockets, lamps. I would change the ballast if it were bothering you much. Sounds like the one you have is doing something goofy either in the warming circuit or the running voltage circuit. Do the end of the lamps turn black?

Yes, they turn black.

[nightrunner]

I need to know why two of my fluorescent light fixtures eat through bulbs so fast.

The two in the garage have been going strong since we bought the house almost two years ago. However, the one in the laundry room and the one in our bedroom closet stop working properly within a month or so. After that, they become very dim and start flickering. I've noticed the one in the bedroom closet will sometimes work properly if I rapidly flip the switch back know and forth.

Almost guarantee its the ballast is bad. But now unleas you get a fancy light fixture, a new basic light fixture is as cheap or cheaper than a new ballast, and easier to install moat times.

Its possible it could be low or high voltage coming in, but doubtful.

[hardknox00001]

Ok, sounds to me the ballasts are faulty in some way.  Depending on what type fixture you have, ie came in a box as an assembly from Home Depot, etc., it may be cheaper to change whole fixture.  You can price ballast at your local supply house, just tell them what size lamps and how many and they'll figure which ballast for you.

 

EDIT:  Hmm, nightrunner faster typer than I am.  Rats.

Edited June 2, 2014 by hardknox00001

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Used to be an electronics nerd long ago, but turned into a programming nerd and didn't have much time left to sniff solder fumes. I still have the meters, oscope, tools. Mainly liked to design stuff, then prototype debug on protoboards, then if it would work correctly, either hardwire on perfboard or make a pc board.

 

My protoboards are probably too old and corroded to work any more. The signal generator died and would need replacement. Probably need a new adjustable power supply. Probably need a new soldering station better suited to surface mount components. The old pc board equipment probably still works. If I wanted to work on power amps would need a new curve tracer for matching transistors. Had a fabulous curve tracer built into an old tek scope but after decades it finally died along with the scope. Eh, one of these days but probably not. :)

Edited June 2, 2014 by Lester Weevils

[TripleDigitRide]

Almost guarantee its the ballast is bad. But now unleas you get a fancy light fixture, a new basic light fixture is as cheap or cheaper than a new ballast, and easier to install moat times.

Its possible it could be low or high voltage coming in, but doubtful.

It looks like a basic fixture to me. I'm sure they were installed when the home was built 9 or 10 years ago.

[peejman]

It looks like a basic fixture to me. I'm sure they were installed when the home was built 9 or 10 years ago.

 

 

If you've never replaced the ballast, I'm surprised it still works at all. 

[nightrunner]

It looks like a basic fixture to me. I'm sure they were installed when the home was built 9 or 10 years ago.

Turning them on is what kills ballasts. Hence why your commonly used ones are going bad and the garage ones likely arent turned on and off as much.

[maroonandwhite]

I like to mod guitar pedals occasionally. I mostly go by the plans of others but sometimes try different values to see what happens. For any of your guitar guys out there trying to turn a DS-1 into a nice sounding pedal is the ultimate goal for my pedal modding. :rofl: Usually just changing out to better quality caps helps the sound alot.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

There are also the little plug in starter modules, little cans smaller than a 35mm film canister, cost less than a buck. Might luck up and get improvement thataway, rather than the ballast. I agree that last time I checked prices an entire new cheap fixture would be less trouble and maybe no more spensive than replacing the ballast. Time is money unless ya got a whole lot more time than money.

[ironsniper1]

I dabble with the soldering from time-to-time, usually building but sometimes repair but I have to say, I'd be looking for excuses to take a CRT to the dump.

trust me for some people (like myself!) CRTs ar great, they are also very useful if you collect old arcade games

[maroonandwhite]

trust me for some people (like myself!) CRTs ar great, they are also very useful if you collect old arcade games

YEP! You don't have to look at those funny black lines on the side of the screen when playing older consoles.

[tnguy]

I believe 4:3 LCDs are still available. Haven't seen one in the wild in a while though.

[ironsniper1]

I believe 4:3 LCDs are still available. Haven't seen one in the wild in a while though.

only issues are light guns dont work on lcd's and there is noticeable input lag with older consoles

[tnguy]

True enough on the light guns. I thought lag on LCDs was pretty low these days though.

Edited June 2, 2014 by tnguy