It used to be you could crack open a TV or radio and really work on the components inside. The smallest thing in there was maybe a disc capacitor a little smaller than your pinky’s nail. Nowadays, consumer electronic boards are full of tiny SMD components. Luckily [StezStix Fix?] has a microscope and the other tools you need. Someone sent him an Amazon Echo Show with a bad touchscreen. Can it be fixed?
The video below shows that it can, but there’s a twist. The bad capacitor was mounted on one of those flexible PCB cables that are so hard to work with. It is hard enough not to damage these when you aren’t trying to remove and replace a component from the surface of the cable.
[StezStix] didn’t have schematics, so he had to use the “Columbus method” (you know, hunt until you find it), but that worked in this case. Turns out a burned finger broke the case. We liked that he showed his hot air mess-ups, where he blew a handful of components off the board. You may, however, want to hover over the mute button for the fast-forward dance party music.
We envy [StezStix] the feeling you get when a repair like this works. SMD fixes can be rewarding. We’ll remind you of the utility of covering parts you don’t want to heat with hot air using tape.
Thanks [Jim] for the tip!
There’s no law that prohibits people from using CRT TV. To receive digital TV you can buy special converters on AliExpress. In fact CRTs are better because they have full viewing angles and better color reproduction than LCD displays. Their only downside is slightly higher power consumption – but you can fight it if you develop a healthy ritual of shutting off TV when you walk out of the room.
OK, gramps. You realize that flat-panel display tech has moved significantly beyond this caricature you have in your head of “LCD displays”, right? No, apparently you don’t.
You’re right. Now, they can spy on everything you say and on your viewing habits, too. You gotta love the arrogant modern generation who thinks that everything that is new is better just because it’s new and that anyone who disagrees is just some “boomer gramps” who is obviously wrong. 🙄
I still have a CRT TV in my shop and you are correct. The image is better than then overly sharp image from my LCD TVs. When I first got one of the LCDs, the edges of everything were SO crisp and sharp that it looked completely unnatural. Over the years, I’ve gotten used to it, but…
I have an old dashcam that has a broken (ground) trace on its flex cable.
Someday (sigh!) I’ll solder a jumper wire between the 2 PCBs.