Ye canne fix what ye canne test

[Phil Allison]

** Hi all,

one thing repair techs dread is being presented with an item for repair that cannot be put under test while in the workshop. Usually, this is because the item requires a missing accessory in order to operate OR is itself an accessory to a larger unit.

Essential accessories could be AC adaptors or multi-voltage PSUs for mixing consoles, IR remotes, power leads with oddball plugs, foot switch units with multi-pin connectors and many others.

A real annoyance is when radio mics arrive with no receiver, or the reverse.

Some customers seem unable to comprehend that repairing electronics involves a LOT of testing - not just final testing ( which they fondly imagine they can do for you) but also initial and continual testing during fault finding and fixing process.

Dunno if Scotty ever said the words in my heading, but he should have - it would make explaining it a lot easier.



.... Phil

 

[John Robertson]

On 09/30/2015 3:20 AM, Phil Allison wrote:

** Hi all,

one thing repair techs dread is being presented with an item for repair that cannot be put under test while in the workshop. Usually, this is because the item requires a missing accessory in order to operate OR is itself an accessory to a larger unit.

Essential accessories could be AC adaptors or multi-voltage PSUs for mixing consoles, IR remotes, power leads with oddball plugs, foot switch units with multi-pin connectors and many others.

A real annoyance is when radio mics arrive with no receiver, or the reverse.

Some customers seem unable to comprehend that repairing electronics involves a LOT of testing - not just final testing ( which they fondly imagine they can do for you) but also initial and continual testing during fault finding and fixing process.

Dunno if Scotty ever said the words in my heading, but he should have - it would make explaining it a lot easier.



.... Phil

I feel your pain!

In my business (fixing classic arcade/amusement games) I collect as many
test fixtures as I can, plus host a mail list devoted to technical tools
(mostly Fluke microprocessor test gear) in an effort to get information
out there to save our games.

I have charged customers the time it takes to make a test harness so I
can service their game board - most understand the problem once it is
explained clearly.

John :-#)#

--
(Please post followups or tech inquiries to the USENET newsgroup)
John's Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9
(604)872-5757 or Fax 872-2010 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
www.flippers.com
"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."

 

[Phil Allison]

John Robertson wrote:

one thing repair techs dread is being presented with an item for repair that cannot be put under test while in the workshop. Usually, this is because the item requires a missing accessory in order to operate OR is itself an accessory to a larger unit.

Essential accessories could be AC adaptors or multi-voltage PSUs for mixing consoles, IR remotes, power leads with oddball plugs, foot switch units with multi-pin connectors and many others.

A real annoyance is when radio mics arrive with no receiver, or the reverse.

Some customers seem unable to comprehend that repairing electronics involves a LOT of testing - not just final testing ( which they fondly imagine they can do for you) but also initial and continual testing during fault finding and fixing process.

Dunno if Scotty ever said the words in my heading, but he should have - it would make explaining it a lot easier.




I feel your pain!

In my business (fixing classic arcade/amusement games) I collect as many
test fixtures as I can, plus host a mail list devoted to technical tools
(mostly Fluke microprocessor test gear) in an effort to get information
out there to save our games.

I have charged customers the time it takes to make a test harness so I
can service their game board - most understand the problem once it is
explained clearly.

** Never needed to go quite that far, myself.

I have one of nearly every kind of AC power lead: the various IECs, PowerCon, XLR/LNE and even a large Bulgin for old Marshalls - plus a few variable bench PSUs that can power-up most things, including channel modules from mixing desks - convenient when the desk is really large.

A 1GHz frequency counter shows if a radio mic is transmitting and on what frequency, but is no help when the issue is sound quality.

Long ago, I built a balanced pre-amp / headphone-amp combo as a substitute for a mixing desk - allows me to test any kind of mic, direct box or radio mic receiver.

However, I am still a bit stuck if some item only operates with a Midi or DMX input.



..... Phil

 

About the MIDI, not long ago I got one needed a USB jack replaced. I didn't realize at first it was not a real keyboard, only a MIDI controller. Isn't there some sort of universal software out there ? Like maybe on a driver disk for a soundcard ? Isn't it pretty similar to the older style that used the game/joystick port ? If your PC can play a .MID file, shouldn't it work ?

The wireless mic problem might fix itself forya. I got one in that had one bad mic, and looking t it, it isn't going to get fixed. Eventually the other mic will get broken and then there is a spare receiver. This recent one was an RSQ and apparently had all the channels. It could search for the frequency or you could select it manually. Those things probably all operate on one band. Here, they seem to be around 690 MHz, might be different in other countries. But it seems if you get the right receiver for your country it might just do the trick.

Of course then they bring a drum machine but no heads, or drum heads and no machine, you know how customers are.

 

[Phil Allison]

jurb...@gmail.com wrote:

About the MIDI, not long ago I got one needed a USB jack replaced.
I didn't realize at first it was not a real keyboard, only a MIDI
controller.

** Got one of them here now, the mini USB socket has popped right off the PCB and vanished. There is other unrepairable damage too.

The wireless mic problem might fix itself forya. I got one in that had one bad mic, and looking t it, it isn't going to get fixed. Eventually the other mic will get broken and then there is a spare receiver. This recent one was an RSQ and apparently had all the channels. It could search for the frequency or you could select it manually. Those things probably all operate on one band. Here, they seem to be around 690 MHz, might be different in other countries. But it seems if you get the right receiver for your country it might just do the trick.

** I would need about half a dozen to cover all the frequencies used here, VHF and UHF ranging from 49MHz to 830MHz.

Although they all use FM, the IF bandwidths can be narrow or wide and the audio companding systems vary a lot too.


..... Phil