Helpful Site....

[lewinskys]

I personally think that this forum is very helpful in some respect, but I think there needs to be a more focused area.
The thread on particular models is good for some of the repairs, but some novice users try to apply exactly what they read from one model type to the model that they have a problem with. What is actually lacking is more of a systematic trobleshooting approach to help a novice hobbiest step through and understand what is supposed to happen and what is failing on thier monitor.
Maybe a step by step to take the user through each circuit to test logically to try to narrow down the issue with tools that a novice would have on hand. DVM, Soldering Iron, etc.

Also a schematic repository here would be nice too. Anyone have a source for Schematics for these LCD monitors?

[PlainBill]

Re: Helpful Site....

You raise valid points. I'll add a couple of comments. First of all, remember that this site is www.badcaps.net/forum, not www.fixyourmonitorin10minutes.org. Fixing a monitor with a shorted transistor is definitely a sideline here.

Both a description of operation of a typical LCD monitor and a logical troubleshooting approach would be welcome additions. Of necessity, these would have to be very generic. Fortunately, the similarities between monitors far outweigh the differences.

This breaks down when we get down to the component level. Two similar appearing inverters can use a different controller, and have greatly different layouts. Even inverters based on the same controller can look totally different, and have different weaknesses. Of course, this would be solved by good schematics.

And that causes another problem. For example, Gateway has at least two versions of the FPD1760, based on different PC boards. There is an Acer 19" monitor that is identical to a Westinghouse 19" monitor. We REALLY need schematics of the power supply, inverter (or power supply/inverter), and logic (A/D) boards. And if they exist, most of those schematics are in Chinese.

Two areas you did not mention are background and equipment. Some people came here unable to distinguish between a picofuse and a resistor. Some weren't real sure which end of a soldering iron to grab until they plugged it in. And many don't have the equipment to troubleshoot these boards, and it doesn't make sense to invest several hundred dollars into test equipment to fix a single monitor.

PlainBill

[EGuevarae]

Re: Helpful Site....

You raise valid points. I'll add a couple of comments. First of all, remember that this site is www.badcaps.net/forum, not www.fixyourmonitorin10minutes.org. Fixing a monitor with a shorted transistor is definitely a sideline here.

Both a description of operation of a typical LCD monitor and a logical troubleshooting approach would be welcome additions. Of necessity, these would have to be very generic. Fortunately, the similarities between monitors far outweigh the differences.

This breaks down when we get down to the component level. Two similar appearing inverters can use a different controller, and have greatly different layouts. Even inverters based on the same controller can look totally different, and have different weaknesses. Of course, this would be solved by good schematics.

And that causes another problem. For example, Gateway has at least two versions of the FPD1760, based on different PC boards. There is an Acer 19" monitor that is identical to a Westinghouse 19" monitor. We REALLY need schematics of the power supply, inverter (or power supply/inverter), and logic (A/D) boards. And if they exist, most of those schematics are in Chinese.

Two areas you did not mention are background and equipment. Some people came here unable to distinguish between a picofuse and a resistor. Some weren't real sure which end of a soldering iron to grab until they plugged it in. And many don't have the equipment to troubleshoot these boards, and it doesn't make sense to invest several hundred dollars into test equipment to fix a single monitor.

PlainBill

I agree with PlainBill. There's not much specific model info in some cases, and that's why we always suggest posting pictures and other info (more often than not, cap info). Some of us started from a $0.99 soldering iron and no previous experience at all, to being able to give advice to others based on just previous experience, observations (sometimes just from the submitted pictures) and just sometimes gut feelings. Some of us are really technical, like PlainBill, PCBONEZ, Toasty, davmax and others (long list, sorry guys ...), and others in the middle of the spectrum, who happen to miss something from time to time, and then there is where one of the rest of us jump in. Schematics are provided when available and when it applies, either because the member can read schematics, trace circuits and figure out something out of them, or as they are available (they are mostly never available). The place is full of LCD and other electronics references because they are plagued by bad capacitors and they cause lots of failures, but more than once I've been able to repair a unit without changing a single cap, just following forum info, suggestions (yes, Toasty, I'm talking of you. You have been a great help ...), or answers to direct questions. This site is helpful, no doubt about it, but is mostly member maintained. Guided troubleshooting instructions are widely available here, or even you can ask for them. Want cap specs or equivalences? PCBONEZ is the man. Want replacement caps? BigPope or TopCat can provide them. willawake can help (as well as davmax) with those BenQ hated units. Wizard has many good suggestions too. I have broken the 50 repaired unis barrier and believe me : no schematics were used on the units (except for one of that NEC 1830 unit with the dead inverter that still is seating on the "cold cases" box...).
And welcome to the forums