Hi everyone, we had a 6 hour blackout here today and when the power came back on all the electronic stuff in the house (and there is a lot of it) came back on just fine, except my sons unit (Dead as a maggot), I vaguely remember a few years ago having the same problem with a Samsung (I think) VCR, some kind soul here pointed me in the right direction of components to replace and she was up and running again. Has anyone seen this in this particular model
Cheers and thanks Tony..
"Tony Leathem"
** This problem is commonly due to the SMPS failing to "kick start".VCR techs see it a lot - a unit arrives on the bench with some plausible fault scenario, but in fact " fails to proceed " as the genteel folk at Rolls Royce would say.
The cause is often a high voltage, low value ( ie 1 or 2.2 uF ) electro cap in the SMPS that has given up the game and gone way high ESR.
Make a Bob Parker ESR meter into your friend.
....... Phil
Thank you Phil, if memory serves me rightly (and it hardly ever does these days) it was a low value cap that caused the problem in the Samsung. Time to delve into the innards Cheers Tony..
Is the Bob Parker ESR meter the one that's available cheaper as a kit? And if so is there a distributor in the UK?
TIA
. . .
Take a look here:
The link to a UK supplier given there seems to be broken though.
I guess DSE could send you a kit wherever you are.
Elektor September 2005 had a combined ESR/capacitance meter. They sell kits but quite expensive at around 70 quid.
Andy Wood snipped-for-privacy@trap.ozemail.com.au
Thanks for alerting me to that non-working link, Andy. Things are pretty crook when I find out only by reading this newsgroup!
The new link to Martin Pickering's web page with the "Genie" ESR meter on it (that's what some UK technicians call the Dick Smith one) is at:
Thanks for recommending it, Phil. :)
It seems Satcure are too busy to take telephone orders (they state this on their website), which is a problem since I do not trust my PC with my card number! Are there any other UK distributors that can supply the kit?
Do they offer no other payment options? you can buy from Dick Smith Electroinics with a bank deposit or telegraphic transfer.
Do you trust fax machines?
I'd strongly suggest ordering it from John's Jukes in Vancouver, Canada. He's never too busy to talk to a customer on the phone and give whatever help they need. His mail-order service is excellent too. His website's at
Cheers Bob
Thanks for the suggestions all, I asked satcure via their automated email on their website if I could order by phone and they replied with a number I can contact them with.
Well done!
The kits ordered, but I missed the last post for Thursday - hoping for delivery on Saturday.
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required