Upgrading/Preventative Measures/Tinkering/Modification  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: blauerscharik
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2023, 08:26:29 am
content: Hi guys,so what do you guys do to your electronics (TV, Consoles, Computers, etc.) to make them last longer?Do you go as far as replacing components (maybe higher wattage resistors etc.) or do you use thermal pads on components or install a fan or heat sinks?What mods have you done to your electronics?Show off your mods maybe even with pictures..

author: PwrElectronics
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2023, 01:49:03 pm
content: CRT tv from the 90s years ago suddenly all the color went blue. Resoldered cracked joints on the small board that plugged onto the CRT and it was good again.One desktop computer I did a few repairs. Graphics card fan got a bad bearing. Could not find a proper replacement so I took the fan from a junked laptop and used some glue and cardboard to make a duct and attach it. Worked fine for years. That same computer I replaced some bulging capacitors on the motherboard I had noticed when changing out the coin battery. Got them before they caused a problem.In the late 80s, my dad had a TV tuner box that decoded stereo sound (a new thing at the time) and wanted to be able to connect a external amp and speakers. This box only had built-in amp outputs, no line level. I was able to figure out where the variable output was going into the internal amp, tap off of that and added outputs. No schematic, so it took a bit of poking around in there to figure out what/how to do what was needed.

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2023, 02:07:35 pm
content: Power surges due to lightning is a huge problem in this area. I keep everything plugged into good quality outlet strips that have built in surge protestors. No TE gets plugged directly into a wall outlet. PM is mostly just cleaning the air vents and air filters so that the equipment can get plenty of cooling air. I also have several HEPA air filters running in the house so I have very little dust to deal with.

author: Infraviolet
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2023, 05:19:26 pm
content: "so what do you guys do to your electronics (TV, Consoles, Computers, etc.) to make them last longer?"For things that are actually working, very little.Treat them well on the outside, avoid mechanical impacts and liquid spillages...For some things occassionally (once in several years) perhaps remove some screws and open the casings so one can clear out accumulated dust from fans (only for things built pleasantly enough that opening the casing doesn't immediately risk tugging wires and flexing boards).Most of the advanced techniques one can use are for trying to repair things which have already got faults, not for pre-emptive maintenance on working items.

author: artag
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2023, 05:45:08 pm
content: I don't really touch household equipment until it breaks. And then it's usually obsolete and breaking all over.Test equipment I repair, but that's rarely underspecified. I just replace with the same.I don't replace anything preventively. If it ain't broke, don't fix it !I have replaced/repaired purely mechanical things - I milled a new doorhandle for a tumble drier, and replaced the bearing in a rotating easychair with a wheel hub bearing. Both are still operating, 10-20 years on.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2023, 10:24:35 pm
content: I've rarely done something like this - *preventively* modifying commercial equipment - but I've done this as a second-line measure while fixing failed equipment.For instance, I've fixed the power supply board of my current Samsung TV set - it unsuprisingly had a leaky eletrolytic cap, one placed next to a large heatsink. I replaced all eletrolytic caps on the board along the way, went for higher temperature grades (105°C while the original caps were rated 85°C) and moved away the caps that were originally too close to the heatsink by as much as possible (about 10 mm). It has been running perfectly fine ever since and actually for a longer time than it had been running before the failure.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2023, 01:21:02 am
content: Typically I replace parts with better specced parts especially where it comes to electrolytic caps. But in many cases there is not much you can improve. A couple of months ago I had to resolder a connector on the instrument cluster on my car. There is a cable hanging from it but there isn't much that can be done to improve it. And the time between failures is long anyway.I do tend to replace noisy fans in test equipment though to make my work environment more comfortable.