How to save about 800$ on repairs......

[skavenger216]

This might be the wrong place for this, if so please move it mods!! So i have a 42" toshiba plasma HDTV, which ive owned for about 2 1/2 years. About a year after i got it, it developed red speckles/snow, which really stood out in dark scenes. It was still under warranty, so i called toshiba and they had it repaired ( or so the service center claimed:icon_bigg). The problem was gone until about 6 to 8 months ago, when it starting popping back up.

I was gonna try to just live with it, as the set is out of warranty, however it kept progressivly getting worse, so a couple of days ago i called around to get ideas of how much it would cost. Every where i called said that its a common problem with plasma TV's , especially ones with LG panels, and they all said they would have to replace a couple of boards in the TV. The price range I was told was anywhere from $500 to $800 USD. For that price i can damn near buy a new TV!!!

I decided to look around online for a possible fix, and i found the site i will link at the end of this post. It involved taking the back off the TV, and finding the boards in question. On the boards are a couple of adjustment screws. About 10 minutes of fiddling with the screws, and my TV looks like a brand new TV again!!!

Im posting this link in hopes that it will help some of you as much as it helped me!

http://www.jopezu.com/plasma.htm

[Paulo]

I wouldnt turn your tv on if your screwing around on the back of it like that. You need to be very careful with what you play with.

[Dark Seraph91]

Adjusting anything while power is going through it isnt exactly the best idea, like Paulo said be carefull You wouldnt want to injure yourself or the TV(mostly the TV)

[Dr_Slump]

Isn't there a high risk of electric shock?

[3do]

If it were me i'd certainly not do that while the TV was on but i'd turn it off wait for a while then try it before turning it back on to see if it made a difference.

[Twimfy]

If it were me i'd certainly not do that while the TV was on but i'd turn it off wait for a while then try it before turning it back on to see if it made a difference.

Same here, if it's worth doing it's worth taking a good few hours to do rather than a quick rush job with the risk of death.

[skavenger216]

Yeah, doing it with the power on probably wasnt the best idea:icon_bigg. But at any rate, my TV looks new again, and it was a quick fix. Turning the power on and of everytime you make an adjustment would take forever. As long as you dont go poking at random stuff with the screwdriver, and only mess with the adjustments, you should be fine.

Twimfy: It was totally worth doing.:thumbsup:

[Alchy]

Well, he's still alive, so I guess it went alright. Wouldn't much fancy it, to be honest, but I'd probably do the same if it was my TV.

[retro]

As a trained engineer, I really can't recommend against this sort of bodge job repair enough. IT IS STUPID AND DANGEROUS.

These potentiometers are set precisely using oscilloscopes on the correct test points. DO NOT PLAY WITH THEM WILLY-NILLY. This is just like people who play with their lasers in their consoles without knowing what they're doing. And no, "oh I turned it 180 degrees and it sorted it" is NOT a recommendation. It should be set to a precise reading from test points, NOT by just "turning it a bit".

There's a reason why repair men get paid what they do - because they know what they're doing!!

If you decide to take the back off and "play with screws", or indeed take the advice of someone who describes them as such (note: they're potentiometers, NOT screws. A screw is a fastening device, a potentiometer is a variable resistor i.e. an electronic component), then you risk shortening the life of your equipment and YOURSELF... and possibly your family and neighbours if you cause a fire.

Incidentally, potentiometers in television sets are NOT meant to be adjusted with a standard Philips screwdriver. You are supposed to use plastic trimmer tools - ESPECIALLY when the board is live!

[skavenger216]

retro, are you telling me i should put them back to where they originally were at?? I mean i didnt really turn them THAT much ( definately nowhere near 180 degrees, thats for sure), and like i said, it seems to have fixed the problem. Can it really shorten the life of the TV that much?? I mean i like having the picture back to normal and everything but if its gonnna significantly reduce the lifespan of my TV ill probably undo it.

[retro]

Now it's done, you might as well leave it. Don't tempt fate a second time ;-) heh.

Your TV will probably be OK if all you've done is decrease the vertical scan voltage. Just be aware that the pots are there to be adjusted precisely with test equipment, and that fiddling around inside your television without an isolation transformer is a risky practice. Whilst LCD / plasma may not have tens of thousands of volts like a CRT, there's still mains voltage in there, and the inverter will need several hundred volts to fire up the screen most likely.

[Michael]

Yeah it is best to leave things to the "experts", but when the repairs cost as much as the tv... I also would be willing to take a chance and fiddle. I've expanded the life of a gamecube many a times. As long as you're careful, turning off the power to make adjustments, and working in small increments, I don't see why not.

[skavenger216]

@ Retro, wow, thats ( kinda) a relief. After reading your first post i was all paranoid thinking " Oh shit, my TV's gonna explode!!!!" lol. Im just gonna leave it as it is now, as you suggested. Trust me, id rather take your advice ( seeing as how your an engineer and all) than some random fucktard on the internet. thanks again retro!

[retro]

No worries! I'd rather people were safe than do themselves some permanent damage to save a bit of money! Yes, it can be a lot, but I hope people understand that there's a reason WHY they charge so much - they are trained to do what they do, and it is dangerous if done wrongly.

If you still really want to carry out such repairs, then I'd highly recommend getting at least a basic knowledge of electronics and following the correct procedures. Often, you can get the service manual for a device such as a TV - these will outline the correct procedures.

[skavenger216]

I actually already have the service manual for my TV. Im gonna give it a more thorough read tonight. I downloaded it and gave it a quick glance over, that was about it:icon_bigg

[retro]

Cool stuff! Have a look and see what it says about adjusting the vertical scan and what equipment you need to do it. It may be that you have the right gear should you need to adjust it again in the future ;-)

[ASSEMbler]

insulated screwdrivers

[retro]

Insulated tools is a given, but you're not supposed to use metal tools on live circuits. In some cases, the "screw" is part of the circuit and you'll change the resistance.

The correct tool was plastic, and called a trimmer tool, as I mentioned before. Potentiometers are also known as trimmers, particularly the skeleton ones.

http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Fasteners-Production-Equipment/Hand-Tools/Screwdrivers/Trimming-tool-set/61607

[Adam]

I know an arcade operator who was shocked by the anode, and he said not only could he not let go, he said it felt like his teeth melted. I am definitely not screwing around in my anything. Cap kit is one thing, but man, it sounded awful.

[retro]

Yeah, it's a nasty experience.

Whenever you're working on something with mains voltage or higher, you should keep one hand in your pocket. It makes it harder for the current to travel across your heart and gives you a better chance of survival.

[ZueriHB]

This reminds me a lot of the discussion back after the release of the Game Boy Advance, where people talked about a 'hidden brightness adjust' dial.

And for me, that widdle little mains of 230v is nothing. ;)