In sci.electronics.repair, on Wed, 23 Jul 2025 17:12:52 -0500, Jim Joyce <none@none.invalid> wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2025 17:02:54 -0400, micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com>
wrote:

...
[DVDR] worked for 40 minutes this morning and then stopped
just as Beaver was going to have confess to being arrested for stealing
a rowboat (which he didn't actually steal). But I still wanted to know
what happened to him and I won't know for another 120 or so episodes and >>they repeat it again.

Multiple streaming services have Beaver available to watch whenever you
feel like it. That seems much easier than trying to deal with a broken
DVDR.

Not to me. a) And sufficient in itself, I would still need a recorder
for when I want to record something, The last thing I want to do is drag
my computer into this stuff.
b) and the computer's not connected to any of the TV's in other rooms,
so how would I get the streaming video into my televisions in other
rooms, the bedroom, kitchen, basement, and bathroom. The DVDR is
already connected to all of them.
c) I never bought records or CD's or cassettes. I just want to listen to
what the radio provides, or the TV provides. Sometimes I record it but I
let other people decide what's available. (I do occastionlly look for
something on youtube.) Beaver is what I want now because that's what's
on. When he's not on, I'll want something else.
d) Having to find something on a streaming service would be a pain.
e) I did have one for a few months before the election, in order to
watch MSNBC. It came with lots of movies and tv shows in some system I
found too much trouble to use. I think I watched all of three hours in
4 months and they weren't shows I really wanted, just the best I could
quickly find on it. I'm pretty sure it was Sling. Don't know if any of
the others are easier to use.
f) The airways are free. The first DVDR lasted about 15 years before it
broke, and it's fixed now.
g) Dealing with a broken TV or DVDR is a pleasure in itself. When I
lived in Brooklyn, NY, I used to find broken tvs on the street. One
time I found one on a Sunday just before I picked up a young woman to go
to the Bronx Zoo. Then we went out to dinner. When I took her home she
wanted me to come in, but I had looked forward all day to trying to fix
the tv, so I went home (and made her mad at me). But it turned out the
TV was not broken. I was disappointed. How can you fix it when it's
not broken? That's why I read two ng's with "repair" in their name.

Jim, I like you, I do, I read your posts diligently, and they are always well-written and never stupid, and I'm not annoyed at this either, but
it might be worth pointing out this is the third thing about me you
suggested I change. Another was that I don't collapse all my threads and
have them expand when someone posts in them. And another was that I
make my motel reservations on the phone without seeing the place, or
something like that. Maybe it's good that you give helpful suggestions
-- I mean that. It could just show that you care about people. And most
of the threads here start with people asking for help so it's consistent
with that -- but no one else gives suggestions quite as unrelated to
the thread topic as you do. Or maybe it's that they would need me to
change something about myself more important, more about me, than how I
drill a hole or what I use to glue two things together. Or it's
something about how you phrase it that makes me feel I've been a
disappointment in your eyes for not taking your advice.
But none of this will in any way discourage me from reading your
posts, and I will continue to do so diligently (except that I don't read
AHR itself as thoroughly as I used to since the horde invaded.)

And I've overdone the answer, but it came out quickly so I let it. .

--- MBSE BBS v1.1.2 (Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: Tweaknews (3:633/280.2@fidonet)

On Wed, 23 Jul 2025 22:54:26 -0400, micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com>
wrote:

In sci.electronics.repair, on Wed, 23 Jul 2025 17:12:52 -0500, Jim Joyce ><none@none.invalid> wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2025 17:02:54 -0400, micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com>
wrote:

...
[DVDR] worked for 40 minutes this morning and then stopped
just as Beaver was going to have confess to being arrested for stealing
a rowboat (which he didn't actually steal). But I still wanted to know >>>what happened to him and I won't know for another 120 or so episodes and >>>they repeat it again.

Multiple streaming services have Beaver available to watch whenever you >>feel like it. That seems much easier than trying to deal with a broken >>DVDR.

Not to me.

That puzzles me, but I've read ahead so I know what's coming. :)

a) And sufficient in itself, I would still need a recorder
for when I want to record something

True, but you wouldn't need a recorder for anything that's available to
be streamed, and these days, the vast majority of programming is
probably available somewhere, especially if it's older stuff that I know
you like. Older programming is usually ad-supported, just like OTA TV,
so there wouldn't be any additional costs to you.

The last thing I want to do is drag my computer into this stuff.

I'm not sure what that's in reference to. I mentioned streaming and you mentioned a computer. Are they related?

<...>

d) Having to find something on a streaming service would be a pain.

Well, yes, it does take a few seconds, usually less than 10, so it's not immediate. The trade-off is that you'd have access to hundreds of
thousands of programs, and you could treat a lot of it as a "channel",
just as you do now. Tune to a specific channel and let it play.

<...>

Jim, I like you, I do, I read your posts diligently, and they are always >well-written and never stupid <...>

Thank you. I'll snip there. :)


--- MBSE BBS v1.1.2 (Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: Newshosting.com - Highest quality at a great p (3:633/280.2@fidonet)

On 7/23/25 22:54, micky wrote:

Not to me. a) And sufficient in itself, I would still need a recorder
for when I want to record something, The last thing I want to do is drag
my computer into this stuff.

The Democrat's "free" OTA has one foot in the grave and the other on a
banana peel.

BigTelecom will own all the spectrum soon. You'll have to watch
Gilligan's Island reruns on your "free" ObamaPhone.

--- MBSE BBS v1.1.2 (Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: RINO DNC Communist Liberals, LLC (3:633/280.2@fidonet)

On 2025-07-22 23:34, micky wrote:

I don't think I posted abou this problem to SER before because it was
just a good story the lsst time but the new chapter starts at the asterisks*** Giving the old chapter for the newly added ng.

Old chapter. Bought a Kenwood DVDR, 3875 iirc with Hardrive about 2010.
Used it heavily, recording and watching abougt 3 hours each a day, plus
a lot of live watching, until 2024 until it broke completely, wouldn't
light up.

Bought another one just like it on Ebay, then opened the broken one.
Thought it was the power supply of course. Didn't have a meter yet, but looking and found a button, a little block button pointing up from a
1/4" square (with rivets on each corner). Just like Alice in
Wonderland or Dorothy on her trip to Oz, I was compelled to push the
button, and the DVDR lit up and seemed to work completely. nothing
mentioned about it in the owners manual or the wiring diagram or the
Repair manual for a similar device by Kenwood. The button was labeled
Reset Sw. and it did. I guess they keep these things secret for a
reason.

***So I'd installed the "new" one and I've been recording and watching
it for maybe 9 months when the picture and sound disappeared on what I
was watching, and on every other channel at the same time. Came back a
few seconds later. Repeated that a few times over the next day. Then
went blank and didn't come back except for a striped red and black
screeen for a few seconds. Then all black while the timer kept
recording three times a day. They were all black too. (I could still
play my prior recordigns and I have about 50 hours of them before I have
to put back the original DVDR.)

What does this indicate to you? A failed part? What kind of part? A
cold solder connection? Do you think I can find it by looking? Where
a part is soldered in? Or a broken trace? Something else? Do y ou
think there is a second push-button for this situation?

Have you yet pushed that hidden button?

--
Cheers, Carlos.

--- MBSE BBS v1.1.2 (Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: ---:- FTN<->UseNet Gate -:--- (3:633/280.2@fidonet)

On 7/22/2025 2:34 PM, micky wrote:

I don't think I posted abou this problem to SER before because it was
just a good story the lsst time but the new chapter starts at the asterisks*** Giving the old chapter for the newly added ng.

Old chapter. Bought a Kenwood DVDR, 3875 iirc with Hardrive about 2010.
Used it heavily, recording and watching abougt 3 hours each a day, plus
a lot of live watching, until 2024 until it broke completely, wouldn't
light up.

Bought another one just like it on Ebay, then opened the broken one.
Thought it was the power supply of course. Didn't have a meter yet, but looking and found a button, a little block button pointing up from a
1/4" square (with rivets on each corner). Just like Alice in
Wonderland or Dorothy on her trip to Oz, I was compelled to push the
button, and the DVDR lit up and seemed to work completely. nothing
mentioned about it in the owners manual or the wiring diagram or the
Repair manual for a similar device by Kenwood. The button was labeled
Reset Sw. and it did. I guess they keep these things secret for a
reason.

***So I'd installed the "new" one and I've been recording and watching
it for maybe 9 months when the picture and sound disappeared on what I
was watching, and on every other channel at the same time. Came back a
few seconds later. Repeated that a few times over the next day. Then
went blank and didn't come back except for a striped red and black
screeen for a few seconds. Then all black while the timer kept
recording three times a day. They were all black too. (I could still
play my prior recordigns and I have about 50 hours of them before I have
to put back the original DVDR.)

What does this indicate to you? A failed part? What kind of part? A
cold solder connection? Do you think I can find it by looking? Where
a part is soldered in? Or a broken trace? Something else? Do y ou
think there is a second push-button for this situation?

I don't remember if there is a separate tuner board, but I presume that
is the place to look the most. It has both analog and digital but I
don't think I have analog to test it with.

New chapter. Then today, I forgot that it doesn't work and turned it on
for the 5PM televison and it's been working fine for 30 minutes. All stations of course. Does that change what you said two paragraphs up?

Bulging Capacitors?
Check this out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYVUgSIsib4

--- MBSE BBS v1.1.2 (Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (3:633/280.2@fidonet)

In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 24 Jul 2025 14:00:32 +0200, "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

On 2025-07-22 23:34, micky wrote:

I don't think I posted abou this problem to SER before because it was
just a good story the lsst time but the new chapter starts at the
asterisks*** Giving the old chapter for the newly added ng.

Old chapter. Bought a Kenwood DVDR, 3875 iirc with Hardrive about 2010.
Used it heavily, recording and watching abougt 3 hours each a day, plus
a lot of live watching, until 2024 until it broke completely, wouldn't
light up.

Bought another one just like it on Ebay, then opened the broken one.
Thought it was the power supply of course. Didn't have a meter yet, but
looking and found a button, a little block button pointing up from a
1/4" square (with rivets on each corner). Just like Alice in
Wonderland or Dorothy on her trip to Oz, I was compelled to push the
button, and the DVDR lit up and seemed to work completely. nothing
mentioned about it in the owners manual or the wiring diagram or the
Repair manual for a similar device by Kenwood. The button was labeled
Reset Sw. and it did. I guess they keep these things secret for a
reason.

***So I'd installed the "new" one and I've been recording and watching
it for maybe 9 months when the picture and sound disappeared on what I
was watching, and on every other channel at the same time. Came back a
few seconds later. Repeated that a few times over the next day. Then
went blank and didn't come back except for a striped red and black
screeen for a few seconds. Then all black while the timer kept
recording three times a day. They were all black too. (I could still
play my prior recordigns and I have about 50 hours of them before I have
to put back the original DVDR.)

What does this indicate to you? A failed part? What kind of part? A
cold solder connection? Do you think I can find it by looking? Where
a part is soldered in? Or a broken trace? Something else? Do y ou
think there is a second push-button for this situation?

Have you yet pushed that hidden button?

I'm hoping that will work, but the last time the thing was totally dead.
This still plays what's been recorded. Maybe I can find a second
button. I'll let you know in a few weeks.

--- MBSE BBS v1.1.2 (Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: Tweaknews (3:633/280.2@fidonet)

On 7/25/2025 6:44 PM, micky wrote:

In sci.electronics.repair, on Thu, 24 Jul 2025 06:42:43 -0700, Bob F <bobnospam@gmail.com> wrote:

On 7/22/2025 2:34 PM, micky wrote:

I don't think I posted abou this problem to SER before because it was
just a good story the lsst time but the new chapter starts at the
asterisks*** Giving the old chapter for the newly added ng.

Old chapter. Bought a Kenwood DVDR, 3875 iirc with Hardrive about 2010. >>> Used it heavily, recording and watching abougt 3 hours each a day, plus
a lot of live watching, until 2024 until it broke completely, wouldn't
light up.

Bought another one just like it on Ebay, then opened the broken one.
Thought it was the power supply of course. Didn't have a meter yet, but >>> looking and found a button, a little block button pointing up from a
1/4" square (with rivets on each corner). Just like Alice in
Wonderland or Dorothy on her trip to Oz, I was compelled to push the
button, and the DVDR lit up and seemed to work completely. nothing
mentioned about it in the owners manual or the wiring diagram or the
Repair manual for a similar device by Kenwood. The button was labeled
Reset Sw. and it did. I guess they keep these things secret for a
reason.

***So I'd installed the "new" one and I've been recording and watching
it for maybe 9 months when the picture and sound disappeared on what I
was watching, and on every other channel at the same time. Came back a
few seconds later. Repeated that a few times over the next day. Then
went blank and didn't come back except for a striped red and black
screeen for a few seconds. Then all black while the timer kept
recording three times a day. They were all black too. (I could still
play my prior recordigns and I have about 50 hours of them before I have >>> to put back the original DVDR.)

What does this indicate to you? A failed part? What kind of part? A
cold solder connection? Do you think I can find it by looking? Where
a part is soldered in? Or a broken trace? Something else? Do y ou
think there is a second push-button for this situation?

I don't remember if there is a separate tuner board, but I presume that
is the place to look the most. It has both analog and digital but I
don't think I have analog to test it with.

New chapter. Then today, I forgot that it doesn't work and turned it on >>> for the 5PM televison and it's been working fine for 30 minutes. All
stations of course. Does that change what you said two paragraphs up?

Bulging Capacitors?
Check this out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYVUgSIsib4

NIce video. It might be obvious, but I never before thought of cutting
off the extra leads with a nail clipper.

Use one you don't depend on for good cutting. Or use a real wire cutter.

My first big screen TV was a 50" plasma TV I got one free off Craigslist
TV that did not work. Opened it up, and replaced a dozen bulging caps,
and used it for years. Cost was less than $10. The were a lot of bad
caps made back in that era. I had a PC motherboard replaced under
warranty for this problem. It is nice that the failure is so easily identified.


--- MBSE BBS v1.1.2 (Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (3:633/280.2@fidonet)