Trash picked LCD!

BUTCH1

Lifer
Jul 15, 2000
20,433
1,769
126
So I was riding my bike home from the store last night when I saw a huge TV box on the curb, behind it was a "60 Element TV, went home and got my dolly and went and got it, powers on but with no backlight, I can see the menu's with a flashlight so the main video board and T-con are fine. PS and LED driver are same board, $45 used, I might look for bad cap's/diode's 1st before buying a whole new board.
 
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VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,570
10,205
126
Nice! I wish that I had stayed in College, and paid more attention to my Electronics courses (I was CS major) - years ago. Anyways, I used to be good at soldering, but as far as schematic-level tech-support, or using an O-scope, not really so good at that.
 

Scarpozzi

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
26,391
1,780
126
Nice! I wish that I had stayed in College, and paid more attention to my Electronics courses (I was CS major) - years ago. Anyways, I used to be good at soldering, but as far as schematic-level tech-support, or using an O-scope, not really so good at that.
There aren't many components on TVs these days. I was impressed when I disassembled a Vizio last year and only found 3-4 boards.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,538
6,365
126
While not completely related to LCDs, it's amazing how you can rejuvenate TV's and monitors.

I took my arcade monitor to this guy who specializes in arcade monitor repair last week and replacing all capacitors (cap kit), a reflow of the neckboard and chassis, and replacing some resistors, the thing looks brand new and is so vivid. Games look incredible on it now.

If you know what to look for with capacitors, that could be a very cheap and easy fix (as long as you have the tools). He knew just from looking at the chassis that it needed a full capkit, so it is a visual thing too. My monitor is the original one from a KI2 cabinet so it's probably around 25 years old or so and capacitors just go bad over time. Now though it looks like it's not even a year old.
 
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BUTCH1

Lifer
Jul 15, 2000
20,433
1,769
126
There aren't many components on TVs these days. I was impressed when I disassembled a Vizio last year and only found 3-4 boards.
Yup, the popularity of LCD's meant semiconductor manufacturers made large IC's that combined multiple functions, this, (along with much cheaper display panels) drove down the cost. A "60 LCD is only a $350 item these days so that explains why it was at the curb, they got 4 years out of a store-brand and moved on when it broke.
 

BUTCH1

Lifer
Jul 15, 2000
20,433
1,769
126
While not completely related to LCDs, it's amazing how you can rejuvenate TV's and monitors.

I took my arcade monitor to this guy who specializes in arcade monitor repair last week and replacing all capacitors (cap kit), a reflow of the neckboard and chassis, and replacing some resistors, the thing looks brand new and is so vivid. Games look incredible on it now.

If you know what to look for with capacitors, that could be a very cheap and easy fix (as long as you have the tools). He knew just from looking at the chassis that it needed a full capkit, so it is a visual thing too. My monitor is the original one from a KI2 cabinet so it's probably around 25 years old or so and capacitors just go bad over time. Now though it looks like it's not even a year old.
Yea, I've got the tools, if it's not a cap or a FET then I'll just spend the $45. A lot of the store-brands used cheap Chinese caps and we know how those go. I've still got a "32 Sharp CRT set that's no longer in use, got 18 years out of her and never put a dime into it. I did pull the CRT connector and clean the pins once and occasionally would blow out accumulated dust bunnies, now you can't give 'em away and it weighs a beastly 130lbs!.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,538
6,365
126
Yea, I've got the tools, if it's not a cap or a FET then I'll just spend the $45. A lot of the store-brands used cheap Chinese caps and we know how those go. I've still got a "32 Sharp CRT set that's no longer in use, got 18 years out of her and never put a dime into it. I did pull the CRT connector and clean the pins once and occasionally would blow out accumulated dust bunnies, now you can't give 'em away and it weighs a beastly 130lbs!.
The guy who fixed my monitor used "100% quality Nichicon and Panasonic capacitors" according to his website.

I was charged $175 to do capkit, replace resistors, full reflow of neckboard and chassis, and then he ran a diagnostics test on the actual tube. Since that turned out good, he didn't run the rejuvenation process on it.

I thought that was a fair price. I was there for over 3 hours while he did it, including a 30 minute break we took to get food while the monitor warmed up after he did it, so we could check it out in the warmed up state. He actually said that he charges less than he could charge too but he just enjoys it and enjoys helping people out. He was a really nice guy.
 

SKORPI0

Lifer
Jan 18, 2000
18,471
2,411
136
Cousins husband had those CRT rejuvenator kits in the mid 80s. It was awesome to watch him fix them from faded colors to full colors on a CRT tube.
Didn't know such devices existed till I saw one in action.

 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,538
6,365
126
Cousins husband had those CRT rejuvenator kits in the mid 80s. It was awesome to watch him fix them from faded colors to full colors on a CRT tube.
Didn't know such devices existed till I saw one in action.

Yeah that is what he had, something like that. The 3 meters all read in the green so he said it was in fine shape. They weren't ALL the way up, but they were good enough. He also said that the rejuvenation process can be a bit risky and there is a possibility that it ruins the tube, so there was zero reason for me to do it.

He also had one of those circular degaussers and man that thing is like black magic lol. It was crazy seeing him use it and the effect it has on the monitor.
 

BUTCH1

Lifer
Jul 15, 2000
20,433
1,769
126
Yeah that is what he had, something like that. The 3 meters all read in the green so he said it was in fine shape. They weren't ALL the way up, but they were good enough. He also said that the rejuvenation process can be a bit risky and there is a possibility that it ruins the tube, so there was zero reason for me to do it.

He also had one of those circular degaussers and man that thing is like black magic lol. It was crazy seeing him use it and the effect it has on the monitor.
My Dad owned a sales/repair shop in the '60's-'70's, he had one of those but usually installed a "booster" that upped the filament voltage from factory spec, they did work, but he warned everyone it was not going to last all that long. A full CRT replacement was around $300 for a typical "25 set, not exactly cheap but cheaper than the $500-600 to replace the entire unit.
The booster was a way to keep one going until the $$ was saved for a full CRT replacement or a new set.
 
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BUTCH1

Lifer
Jul 15, 2000
20,433
1,769
126
The guy who fixed my monitor used "100% quality Nichicon and Panasonic capacitors" according to his website.

I was charged $175 to do capkit, replace resistors, full reflow of neckboard and chassis, and then he ran a diagnostics test on the actual tube. Since that turned out good, he didn't run the rejuvenation process on it.

I thought that was a fair price. I was there for over 3 hours while he did it, including a 30 minute break we took to get food while the monitor warmed up after he did it, so we could check it out in the warmed up state. He actually said that he charges less than he could charge too but he just enjoys it and enjoys helping people out. He was a really nice guy.

That's actually a very fair price and it's a good idea to use Jap cap's, why go through all that trouble just to see one fail a short time later.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,538
6,365
126
That's actually a very fair price and it's a good idea to use Jap cap's, why go through all that trouble just to see one fail a short time later.
Yeah I made a big noob mistake though when bringing my monitor.

Instead of unscrewing the 4 screws in the front of my cabinet, and taking the whole frame out with the tube/chassis in it, I unscrewed the 4 screws that hold the tube into the frame, unscrewed the transformer from the frame, unscrewed the chassis from the frame, and took it all out like that. And then when I got to his shop, he had to put it in a frame anyways lol.

Then when he was done, he unhooked everything from the chassis, neckboard, and put it in a box for safe transport. I brought it there all connected but he didn't want anything breaking in transport after he fixed it so he pulled it all off. So when I got home, I had to put all that back together. I ended up taking the frame out when I got home and hooking everything to the frame because it is much easier to do that with the frame outside of the cabinet than inside. Then I just plopped the whole frame in with the monitor. It's awkward doing it with one person but I managed.