The ghetto mod thread

[stj]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

TR069 backdoor let's them do a lot of stuff,
can you see the version number in the config page?

[momaka]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

The bench scissors:


Long story somewhat short:
The handle broke while I was working on something. I didn't feel like going downstairs in our house to look for another scissors, though. Moreover, I already had many of my tools out (in particular, the hot glue gun - you can call it my third hand). Thus, I decided it is time to put my creative thinking hat on .... oh sorry, I meant this one ... and fix the scissors.

First I wanted to make a solid handle again. Found a piece of a metal shaft in my misc/scrap metal cup. Used a 1/8" drill bit on the dremel to drill a hole in the plastic. Put hot glue in the hole, then shoved in the metal shaft. Now all that was left to do is close the loop for the finger. What to use, what to use?... But of course - solid steel wire! I can bend it and make a perfect fit around my left-hand's thumb (since I am a lefty). Another hole in the upper plastic, some wire bending, more hot glue... and you can see the beautiful end result .

Now I am waiting for the bottom handle to break. Who knows what I will come up with!
... Or I might not. This scissors is already very dull. I can barely use it to cut paper and cardboard. Tape (any kind) sticks to it and just gets chewed. But at least it still cuts thin steel sheet alright. Good enough for bench use, I suppose.

[momaka]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

C1000a died... Got a replacement a version older, made sure it wasn't going to cook or crash!

The 4 red LEDs in that last picture vividly reminded me of the Xbox 360 RROD .

[eccerr0r]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

The bench scissors:

Normally when I cut something the lever action is quite necessary...that doesn't look very strong...

I'm glad you found a use for the repaired scissors, even cheapo me would have dumped it into the trash...

[eccerr0r]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

Guess what? My old tube radio bought the farm... well, not really. The radio generates a really nasty hum after warmed up a bit. Weird right?

Turned out, the primary filter cap died. Yes that replacement. The cap went open circuit somehow, and ESR=infinity. Once again I didn't feel like fixing this as it should so another ghetto fix:



Poor radio, getting repair abuse...

EDIT: yes the other identical cap is still good, but of course I should have replaced it too...hence, ghetto fix.

[momaka]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

Poor radio, getting repair abuse...

EDIT: yes the other identical cap is still good, but of course I should have replaced it too...hence, ghetto fix.

I like how the lower lead loops on that axial cap. Proper ghetto indeed . Or perhaps I am mistaken and this doubles as an antenna to increase the reception range?

Also is that CapXon KM I see next to the axial cap? If yes, I think you just earned 10 extra ghetto badges!

FYI, high voltage CapXon caps do like to go open-circuit for no reason, so beware when reusing them. They especially dislike high heat and high ripple. Have seen many APFC PSUs blow their APFC diode and FET due to that exact same reason.

I'm glad you found a use for the repaired scissors, even cheapo me would have dumped it into the trash...

Well, normally I wouldn't go to the effort to fix something like this either. But IIRC I was really tired that day, it was evening already, and I just didn't want to walk a few flights of stairs to only get a scissors. So this was simply easier and quicker - took around 10 minutes to fix.

[eccerr0r]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

I like how the lower lead loops on that axial cap. Proper ghetto indeed . Or perhaps I am mistaken and this doubles as an antenna to increase the reception range?

Yeah, the lead was too long to begin with (see previous picture on pg 13) but I didn't bother "fixing" it... Just wanted to make the remaining "good" cap a little more tidy without cutting or resoldering.

Also is that CapXon KM I see next to the axial cap? If yes, I think you just earned 10 extra ghetto badges!

INDEED YES! It was reused! Alas it only has to go 60 cycles/second (HALFWAVE rectifier!) I suspect even if it does go open, it shouldn't be worse than the cap it replaced that also went open.

FYI, high voltage CapXon caps do like to go open-circuit for no reason, so beware when reusing them. They especially dislike high heat and high ripple. Have seen many APFC PSUs blow their APFC diode and FET due to that exact same reason.

I hope that tube equipment don't do that, but fortunately the cap isn't right next to the 50C5 tube that get wicked hot! Alas yes, ripple could be bad on this but the current is very low and I doubt the actual ripple would be very high (I'd be able to hear 60 cycle hum). So hopefully this capxon now has a comfy rest of its life.


Oh ... also want to note that the CapXon is a 100uF 160V, and the old tubulars are Cornell Dubilier "Beaver" type BR 100uF 150WVDC. It looks like CD is still making a "WBR" series and 3.3 ohms @120Hz is normal for WBR 100uF/160V; my ESR meter only goes to 5 ohms but at 60KHz...

[momaka]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

INDEED YES! It was reused! Alas it only has to go 60 cycles/second (HALFWAVE rectifier!) I suspect even if it does go open, it shouldn't be worse than the cap it replaced that also went open.

Lol, I sometimes think the exact same way when doing repairs: if this fails again, then it shouldn't be any worse than it was before, so I'm just going to quick-fix this and not care.

Alas, I will admit that I've reused CapXon caps more than a few times as well. My latest order of parts from Digikey now includes a few caps that are meant to replace the caps in a few devices that were "temporary" repaired... and used like that for several years now. .

So hopefully this capxon now has a comfy rest of its life.

Yes, if that CapXon is just filtering 50/60 Hz line, it probably won't cause any issues any time soon... well, probably . With CapXon you never know for sure.

Oh ... also want to note that the CapXon is a 100uF 160V, and the old tubulars are Cornell Dubilier "Beaver" type BR 100uF 150WVDC.

Curious question... how old are these CD caps? I have some Sprague axial electrolytics from an HP 6291A DC bench power supply, and they still read okay in terms of ESR and capacitance, despite being nearly 40 years old now! I'm thinking about reforming them and putting them back in that power supply. The only thing I am worried about is that caps this old don't have a safety vent.

By the way, if you ever see a busted TV thrown out on the side of the road on trash day, you should take the boards out of it. Those TV boards often have good high-voltage caps - especially Sony TVs. I have quite a few 47-120 uF, 100-160V caps from such boards.

[eccerr0r]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

Yeah I've been looking for parts to salvage, I don't remember where I got the CapXon from. It may very well be from the monitor I accidentally dropped, but no clue. I wish I had a few more 160V caps, my stock is just about depleted, and almost wondered if I should use the pile of 470uF caps from PSU inputs to replace the 100uF... (The original was a dual section 90uF/60uF prior to the ghetto 100uF/100uF fix).

Though I see no (or cannot discern any) date codes, the Cornell-Dubilier caps are probably late 60s parts and probably NOS when the person who did the first repair fixed it, likely in the 90s. These do not look like 70s or newer caps as 70s caps started using plastic or heat shrink as the insulator instead of paperboard, plus started using rubber bungs instead of ???i have no clue what they were using before the 70s.

I've noticed a lot of 70s and early 80s caps are still good, it's the 60s and before, and late 80s through 90s caps that are horrid. Time will tell if the 2000s caps and newer are any good (all of these are an average of both good and bad caps).

[stj]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

stop screwing around and buy some rubycon BXW's - your radio deserves better than capxon!

[Compgeke]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

I don't have the original PSU for my Macintosh LC. Gotta make due with what I've got.

Using an old Antec 300W PSU with some wires shoved in the 20 pin ATX connector. All it needs is ground, +5V, +12V and -5V so it's no problem.



And yes, it works.


Bought a 20 pin extension cable so soon I'll have a far prettier solution than just wires shoved in a connector.

[Philly Cheese Steak]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

Hey all thought id post a few of my own, Ghetto mod res.






ran out of water parts.......ENJOY!

[stj]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

cant see anything - you used a photo-host i suppose

[jiroy]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

I Have a ghetto mod on my mind , but i always delay it for another time . I want to try soldering the tiny microscopic pins in small chipsets using sun rays through lenses ..Hope to have some spare time in the near future to conduct some experiments .

[TechGeek]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

Ghettoed a charger together for my portable DVD player(lost charger). I took a variable voltage transformer(300mA max) and spliced the proper plug for the DVD player on it, and I have it almost all the way up(it starts cutting out at higher voltages) and it works fine, but charges SOOOOOOO slowly. Can't post photos(Winblows 7 won't let me select them).

[diif]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

Ghettoed a charger together for my portable DVD player(lost charger). I took a variable voltage transformer(300mA max) and spliced the proper plug for the DVD player on it, and I have it almost all the way up(it starts cutting out at higher voltages) and it works fine, but charges SOOOOOOO slowly. Can't post photos(Winblows 7 won't let me select them).

300mA doesn't seem much.
Why not fix the issue instead of whining about it ?

[Compgeke]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

Figured I might as well update with Revision 2 of the hacked up LC PSU. Works fine and far less sketchy than the original, despite still being sketchy as hell.

[goontron]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

Made parts of a Dell HDD chassis fit a lenovo Thinkpad T520. Works well and has held out for the short time i've had it travelling. The real test will be DEFCON 24 in two days!
RIP Toughbook.

[joshnz]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

Faulty power switch fixed lol.
No longer cat rated.

[stj]

Re: The ghetto mod thread

Faulty power switch fixed lol.
No longer cat rated.

you can buy those switches dirt cheap - you did not need to bodge it!