Flickering monitor - Samsung 226BW

[Decoy]

Hi guys, new member here.

About a week ago, my Samsung 226BW S Panel began to flicker/blink on and off when I open it after the monitor has been closed for a while. It takes about a minute or two before the flickering slows down over time and eventually stops altogether - and the monitor then works just fine.

Is this a symptom of a bad capacitor? Is it a difficult job to replace these capacitors, for someone like me who has NEVER soldered anything before? I do have experience with computer hardware though, I've built a fair share of computers by myself and I generally feel pretty confident about tinkering with electronics. Still though, soldering is something I've yet to do.

If this actually is a capacitor issue, would it be a good idea to replace all of them, not just the broken ones?

[PlainBill]

Re: Flickering monitor - Samsung 226BW

Hi guys, new member here.

About a week ago, my Samsung 226BW S Panel began to flicker/blink on and off when I open it after the monitor has been closed for a while. It takes about a minute or two before the flickering slows down over time and eventually stops altogether - and the monitor then works just fine.

Is this a symptom of a bad capacitor? Is it a difficult job to replace these capacitors, for someone like me who has NEVER soldered anything before? I do have experience with computer hardware though, I've built a fair share of computers by myself and I generally feel pretty confident about tinkering with electronics. Still though, soldering is something I've yet to do.

If this actually is a capacitor issue, would it be a good idea to replace all of them, not just the broken ones?

The symptoms match bad caps; and yes, you should replace all of them. While only certain ones would be responsible, identifying them might not be easy, and it is possible that others would also be about to fail (or have failed without visible signs) and an ER tester would cost several times the cost of the caps. I'm not sure where you are located, but in the USA a complete set would cost under $10.00, far less than a new monitor.

As far as doing the work yourself, there is a great deal of difference between assembling or repairing a computer by inserting boards into the proper slots and picking up a soldering iron and removing and replacing caps. If you don't know anyone who would be glad to trade the use of their soldering skills for the use of your computer skills, I would suggest buying or borrowing a soldering iron and using it to remove and replace a few caps from a defunct video board. There is information on doing this in the FAQ, but some hands-on practice is a good idea before working on the real 'patient'.

PlainBill

[Decoy]

Re: Flickering monitor - Samsung 226BW

Well, I am not ENTIRELY new to soldering, I have done it many, many years ago but it's been so long that I guess you could pretty much say I've never done it before.

Quite frankly though, I am actually more concerned about disassembling the monitor itself without damaging it than the actual soldering work. There doesn't really seem to be any apparent point on the monitor that yells, "Open Here!". I am kind of worried that I am somehow going to snap the bezel in half. I don't suppose anyone here who has opened an LCD before could give me a few pointers?

Also, for the capacitors themselves, since I do plan to replace all of them, I don't suppose someone here might already have a list of compatible capacitors for this particular Samsung 226BW? I know it's a long shot, but there's no harm in asking :P

And thanks for the tip on the soldering practice. I'm sure I have a few things I can practice on, unless it has to be a video card for some reason?

[PlainBill]

Re: Flickering monitor - Samsung 226BW

Well, I am not ENTIRELY new to soldering, I have done it many, many years ago but it's been so long that I guess you could pretty much say I've never done it before.

Quite frankly though, I am actually more concerned about disassembling the monitor itself without damaging it than the actual soldering work. There doesn't really seem to be any apparent point on the monitor that yells, "Open Here!". I am kind of worried that I am somehow going to snap the bezel in half. I don't suppose anyone here who has opened an LCD before could give me a few pointers?

Also, for the capacitors themselves, since I do plan to replace all of them, I don't suppose someone here might already have a list of compatible capacitors for this particular Samsung 226BW? I know it's a long shot, but there's no harm in asking :P

And thanks for the tip on the soldering practice. I'm sure I have a few things I can practice on, unless it has to be a video card for some reason?

1. A little searching on this board will bring up plenty of tips on opening a monitor. You are correct, care is necessary, but it isn't really difficult.

2. Search for Samsung 226BW on this board. There is a chance you will find a list. I don't have one up my sleeve.

3. Any pc board will work, a video board just happened to pop into what little is left of my mind. If you have a junk motherboard on hand, that would also work well.

PlainBill

[Decoy]

Re: Flickering monitor - Samsung 226BW

Thanks Bill.

I did some searching and found another thread about the 226BW, and I did find a list up your sleeve, because you're the one who posted it

This was what you recommended:

C107 47uF 50v GL 105 °C C640 VENT 5mm D x 10mm H EEU-FC1H470
C110 820uF 25v GL 105 °C C646 VENT 10mm D x 20mm H EEU-FM1E821L *
C111 820uF 25v GL 105 °C C646 VENT 10mm D x 20mm H EEU-FM1E821L *
C112 330uF 25v GL 105 °C C638 VENT 10mm D x 15mm H EEU-FM1E331
C301 680uF 25v GL 105 °C C650 VENT 10mm D x 17mm H EEU-FM1E681
C302 680uF 25v GL 105 °C C650 VENT 10mm D x 17mm H EEU-FM1E681

There was also a 150uF, 450v one you listed but claimed that it had a very low failure rate and probably wasn't necessary to replace.

Did some searching on Digi-Key and the only one they don't have in stock is the 820uF ones. I really don't want to come across as lazy, but would it be asking for too much if you could recommend another 820uF to use? I just don't want to accidentally get an incompatible cap that would further damage my precious, precious monitor. I have virtually no experience with capacitors so it is rather daunting looking through a website like DigiKey that has thousands and thousands of components to choose from.

[MDOC]

Re: Flickering monitor - Samsung 226BW

I did some searching and found another thread about the 226BW, and I did find a list up your sleeve, because you're the one who posted it

Don't forget that he wears long sleeves

[PlainBill]

Re: Flickering monitor - Samsung 226BW

Don't forget that he wears long sleeves

Yes, but only in the winter; short sleeves rule in the summer. And my memory is short year 'round.

PlainBill

[PlainBill]

Re: Flickering monitor - Samsung 226BW

Thanks Bill.

I did some searching and found another thread about the 226BW, and I did find a list up your sleeve, because you're the one who posted it

This was what you recommended:

C107 47uF 50v GL 105 °C C640 VENT 5mm D x 10mm H EEU-FC1H470
C110 820uF 25v GL 105 °C C646 VENT 10mm D x 20mm H EEU-FM1E821L *
C111 820uF 25v GL 105 °C C646 VENT 10mm D x 20mm H EEU-FM1E821L *
C112 330uF 25v GL 105 °C C638 VENT 10mm D x 15mm H EEU-FM1E331
C301 680uF 25v GL 105 °C C650 VENT 10mm D x 17mm H EEU-FM1E681
C302 680uF 25v GL 105 °C C650 VENT 10mm D x 17mm H EEU-FM1E681

There was also a 150uF, 450v one you listed but claimed that it had a very low failure rate and probably wasn't necessary to replace.

Did some searching on Digi-Key and the only one they don't have in stock is the 820uF ones. I really don't want to come across as lazy, but would it be asking for too much if you could recommend another 820uF to use? I just don't want to accidentally get an incompatible cap that would further damage my precious, precious monitor. I have virtually no experience with capacitors so it is rather daunting looking through a website like DigiKey that has thousands and thousands of components to choose from.

No, for several reasons. The most important is self reliance and a sense of accomplishment.

This is a brief procedure I wrote on selecting replacement caps. Also, in the FAQ is a thread 'Which caps should I buy?' By restricting the search to 820 uF , 25 Volt radial through hole caps you will come up with 6 possible choices. You CAN'T go wrong, but you can look at the available information and make the best choice.

PlainBill

[MDOC]

Re: Flickering monitor - Samsung 226BW

Did some searching on Digi-Key and the only one they don't have in stock is the 820uF ones. I really don't want to come across as lazy, but would it be asking for too much if you could recommend another 820uF to use?

Go to mouser.com and put this string into the search query:
UHV1E821MPD

That's an equivalent cap except shorter by 5 mm.

edit: Hmm, never mind. It's out of stock at mouser, too.

[Decoy]

Re: Flickering monitor - Samsung 226BW

No, for several reasons. The most important is self reliance and a sense of accomplishment.

This is a brief procedure I wrote on selecting replacement caps. Also, in the FAQ is a thread 'Which caps should I buy?' By restricting the search to 820 uF , 25 Volt radial through hole caps you will come up with 6 possible choices. You CAN'T go wrong, but you can look at the available information and make the best choice.

PlainBill

I did this earlier but I really could not decide which to choose. The choices are between Panasonic, Nichicon, and Chemicon, all of which are supposed to be the "good" cap manufacturers. Should I just pick the one with the highest lifetime?

[PlainBill]

Re: Flickering monitor - Samsung 226BW

I did this earlier but I really could not decide which to choose. The choices are between Panasonic, Nichicon, and Chemicon, all of which are supposed to be the "good" cap manufacturers. Should I just pick the one with the highest lifetime?

Highest lifetime, or lowest esr are the two parameters I most pay attention to. The range of costs isn't that great. In fact, any cap whose series is on the Good Caps list would be acceptable.

PlainBill

[Decoy]

Re: Flickering monitor - Samsung 226BW

Something else I just realized is that these particular caps are all 25mm in height, but I can only use caps that are 20mm in height. Would there be any risk in buying these 25mm caps and then bend the wires sideways so the cap will lay on its side? (Common sense would tell me that no, it should not matter - but I am a complete amateur so I should ask anyway)

[PlainBill]

Re: Flickering monitor - Samsung 226BW

Something else I just realized is that these particular caps are all 25mm in height, but I can only use caps that are 20mm in height. Would there be any risk in buying these 25mm caps and then bend the wires sideways so the cap will lay on its side? (Common sense would tell me that no, it should not matter - but I am a complete amateur so I should ask anyway)

No, it doesn't matter. Height and diameter are two of the parameters to watch when ordering caps. From experience, it's embarrassing when the replacements don't fit.

PlainBill

[MDOC]

Re: Flickering monitor - Samsung 226BW

From experience, it's embarrassing when the replacements don't fit.

PlainBill

And a real time waster because you have to order again and wait for the correct part

[Decoy]

Re: Flickering monitor - Samsung 226BW

For reference, these are the caps on my board, and a picture can be found here:



C105 150uF, 450v, 105 °C, 20mm D x 42mm H
C107 47uF, 50v, 105 °C, 5mm D x 10mm H
C112 330uF, 25v, 105 °C, 10mm D x 15mm H
C110 820uF, 25v, 105 °C, 10mm D x 20mm H
C111 820uF, 25v, 105 °C, 10mm D x 20mm H
C301 680uF, 25v, 105 °C, 10mm D x 17mm H
C302 680uF, 25v, 105 °C, 10mm D x 17mm H

These are the parts that I'm going to get:

1x EEU-EB1H470S - 47uF, 50v, 105 C (digikey did not have EEU-FC1H470)

1x EEU-FM1E331 - 330uF, 25v, 105 C (Bill's original recommendation)

2x EEU-FM1E681 - 680uF, 25v, 105 C (Bill's original recommendation)

2x UHE1E821MPD *OR* EKY-250ELL821MJ25S - 820uF, 25v, 105 C (Can't decide between these two. Stats are the same, so it's really just down to Nichi vs Chemi - recommendations?)

Once again, I'm worried that I might somehow have chosen incompatible capacitors, so if anyone could double check these choices, I'd really really (really) appreciate the help. I just do not want to hurt my monitor even more by buying the wrong caps.

There is also the matter of the big 150uF, 450v one. I could only find radial snap-ins available on digikey, and I'm worried that because of the way it is laid out on my board, I may not be able to solder it in properly. I also recall Bill saying someone in an earlier thread about how these 450v caps have a low failure rate and that it may not really be necessary to replace them at all.

Once again, any help is truly appreciated.

[MDOC]

Re: Flickering monitor - Samsung 226BW

For reference, these are the caps on my board, and a picture can be found here:



C105 150uF, 450v, 105 °C, 20mm D x 42mm H
C107 47uF, 50v, 105 °C, 5mm D x 10mm H
C112 330uF, 25v, 105 °C, 10mm D x 15mm H
C110 820uF, 25v, 105 °C, 10mm D x 20mm H
C111 820uF, 25v, 105 °C, 10mm D x 20mm H
C301 680uF, 25v, 105 °C, 10mm D x 17mm H
C302 680uF, 25v, 105 °C, 10mm D x 17mm H

These are the parts that I'm going to get:

1x EEU-EB1H470S - 47uF, 50v, 105 C (digikey did not have EEU-FC1H470)

1x EEU-FM1E331 - 330uF, 25v, 105 C (Bill's original recommendation)

2x EEU-FM1E681 - 680uF, 25v, 105 C (Bill's original recommendation)

2x UHE1E821MPD *OR* EKY-250ELL821MJ25S - 820uF, 25v, 105 C (Can't decide between these two. Stats are the same, so it's really just down to Nichi vs Chemi - recommendations?)

Once again, I'm worried that I might somehow have chosen incompatible capacitors, so if anyone could double check these choices, I'd really really (really) appreciate the help. I just do not want to hurt my monitor even more by buying the wrong caps.

There is also the matter of the big 150uF, 450v one. I could only find radial snap-ins available on digikey, and I'm worried that because of the way it is laid out on my board, I may not be able to solder it in properly. I also recall Bill saying someone in an earlier thread about how these 450v caps have a low failure rate and that it may not really be necessary to replace them at all.

Once again, any help is truly appreciated.

All parts check out.

For the 820uF, 25v, I'd choose Nichi because it has lower impedance than the other one... but it doesn't really matter which one.

As far as the big cap, 150uF, 450v, you can order them from mouser.com at this page: http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/...y3eZQaNg%3d%3d
The part number is EKMQ451VN151MP40S

[Decoy]

Re: Flickering monitor - Samsung 226BW

Thanks for checking!

I just went ahead and ordered the caps, hopefully it all works out. ^_^

[Decoy]

Re: Flickering monitor - Samsung 226BW

Success! Thanks for all the help guys. Had to replace 3 bad caps.

Since I never soldered before, I really don't know how good of a job I did. I think I might have used a bit too much solder on a few connections. Even though it works now, I'm worried that there might be some long term problems with bad solder connections. You be the judge though, I've attached a few pictures. They're a bit blurry though, sorry about that.

Anyway, it was a good learning experience for me, so thanks again for the help!

[Decoy]

Re: Flickering monitor - Samsung 226BW

Been doing some reading and it seems like a couple of those solder connections might be cold joints. I can't actually tell if they're cold joints, or just joints with a bit too much solder. I wish I took a better quality picture, argh!

What do you think guys? If even one of those cold joints, is there a risk of catastrophic monitor failure? The monitor works beautifully now but I'm worried about long term damage. I know a lot of you are enthusiasts and would absolutely not stand knowing there is even a single sub-par joint on your board, but realistically speaking and based on the picture I've posted, is my monitor in mortal danger, or will I maybe be able to get away with those joints?

[Decoy]

Re: Flickering monitor - Samsung 226BW

I've been reading some more on soldering and now I'm not so sure if those actually are cold joints. If I read correctly, cold joints are generally formed when you somehow move any part of the capacitor before the solder has enough time to harden. I was VERY careful about this and I gave each joint plenty of time to harden, and I am certain there was no movement at all. Also, there were definitely no visible cracks on any of the joints I made.

So now, I'm kind of leaning more towards a case of just using a bit too much solder. Still though, I'm no expert at this - so I'll just leave it to the pros to decide.

Thanks ^_^