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I have DVD-recorder trouble I need help pre-shooting.

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These are the symptoms:
When the system fails: the display shows the time, but any command – by remote or by hard-wired buttons – only makes the time blink, nothing else happens, and no other lights are on.

What I do (a kluge) to make it work again: I take it off the wall and wait. After a long while without power, it shows 00:00, and any command makes the display go blank for a long time (15 – 45 mins) … then it starts working.

Now, whatever it is, decharging some kind of mobo battery seems to work. The decharge time is long when compared to how soon I’d like to use the device, but very short when compared what a computer should have, between 6 and 24 hours, I guess.

After fixing, the system works for a while – between 3 and 7 days I guess – then fails again.

The device is a six year old Panasonic E DMR85 H, but I think the problem might be a more general electronics issue.

I haven’t opened it up, nor do I have the skills for fixing it myself, but I hope knowing the general kind of problem will arm me better for negotiating with the repair guy.
Thanks in advance, hopefully the problem is at least interesting.

Topic

Clarifications

In reply to I have DVD-recorder trouble I need help pre-shooting.

Clarifications

General electronics issue

In reply to I have DVD-recorder trouble I need help pre-shooting.

In general, it’s probably some simple issue like a capacitor that is failing, a crack in a solder connection, or a part that is faulting when hot.

When you unplug it and let it sit awhile, it cools down, allowing cracks to close, capacitors to discharge, and parts to cool off.

Note that there is a YouTube video on how to fix that beast
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMGkOf6umt0

“How to replace the capacitors in this unit. If you are getting an extended ” please wait” error”

In addition to the above

In reply to I have DVD-recorder trouble I need help pre-shooting.

It’s also possible that Dirty Mains is causing the problem and effectively scrambling the electronics causing this issue.

Personally I would be looking at faulty Electrolytic Capacitors but maybe a filter between the mains and device would be a good idea as a test to see if it will work longer.

Capacitors should discharge fairly quickly so there seems to be something else in play here if you need to leave the unit 15 – 45 minutes. There could be a [b]”Battery”[/b] Backup for the Clock that needs replacing though instead of being a Chemical Battery it could be a Smart Socket or Super Capacitor.

Personally I would fit a filter and see if that improves things. 😉

Col

Reponse To Answer

In reply to In addition to the above

Of course when something is failing, you never know what cure can work.

Sometimes a good whack with a five-pound-hammer can work wonders.

Years ago I visited a computer site where devices such as modems and fax machines died several times per year. It turns out there was this big flagpole they had installed per the request of the sales manager, and for whatever reason, it was struck by lightning very often, sending all sorts of surges into the building wiring. It was an interesting exercise, as they had no intention of removing the flagpole, so we had to install every type of surge suppressor available and ground the heck out of everything.

Reponse To Answer

In reply to In addition to the above

@ robo_dev:

They could have also properly grounded the flagpole away from the building. In some areas, they are very, very anal retentive about this, even going beyond the most recent (NEC in the States). Some people make a living doing grounding and lightning protection.

[Author]

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