I repaired the lights in my closet. Hit Goodwill between Walmart and Winco on our weekly grocery shopping trip, scored a pair of new GE under-cupboard LED strips for $6 ea. Before and after. I kept the fixtures in place; maybe someone wants to change back to the tubes someday? The hard wired AC line to the fixtures would need a box anyway...off go the plugs!




Buy and store some tubes, they are gradually going out of production, particularly the fat 38 mm ones, 26 mm are still available here.
Just in case you need to use the fixtures later.
Just in case you need to use the fixtures later.
Those were unreliable, but long back.
LED tube light substitutes are a disaster here, life is short, mostly about 2 years, border of warranty.
Some companies had so many failure issues that they stopped selling them.
169 Rupees - US$ 2.20 - and up for a 4 foot fixture, ready to connect.
1800 or so lumens, and the failure rate was more than 40%.
80 Volts strip voltage, and different driver designs, based on single chip out to proper SMPS style.
But if you put them on the same line as say a passenger lift, the sudden sag on load would ultimately cause failure.
LED tube light substitutes are a disaster here, life is short, mostly about 2 years, border of warranty.
Some companies had so many failure issues that they stopped selling them.
169 Rupees - US$ 2.20 - and up for a 4 foot fixture, ready to connect.
1800 or so lumens, and the failure rate was more than 40%.
80 Volts strip voltage, and different driver designs, based on single chip out to proper SMPS style.
But if you put them on the same line as say a passenger lift, the sudden sag on load would ultimately cause failure.
Buy Philips... They were 5$CAD each and so far it's been over 2 years in my washroom. They are running on a magnetic ballast, too.
OK, they went up to 19$/2 pack... https://www.homedepot.ca/product/ph...2-universal-led-light-bulb-2-pack-/1001331536
OK, they went up to 19$/2 pack... https://www.homedepot.ca/product/ph...2-universal-led-light-bulb-2-pack-/1001331536
I use 38 mm fluorescent tubes on electronic ballasts, those are good.
Magnetic ballasts need a high striking voltage, filament life is reduced...HF ballasts don't have this issue.
Philips, Crompton, Havells, Syska, Jaguar...all have high failure rates on LED tubes.
The other names are local, Philips is still selling as Philips, though new imports will come as Signify.
Locally they have announced the change, I did not check the name on new supplies to dealers from their Indian factories.
LED bulbs are reliable enough, start about US$ 1 for a 9W bulb here in the supermarkets.
Even panel lights are reliable.
LED tubes are not, bit of a mystery really, as the basic construction and circuit are the same as other types of LED lamp.
And they all fail, irrespective of make.
We are talking at cross purposes here, those home Depot lights are to go in existing fixtures...those were expensive.
What are sold as LED tube lights here are 4 feet long strip lamps really.
These are replacements for the entire fixture, you remove the old one, and fix this in place.
Failure rates are high.
Some people fixed two 9W bulbs on a strip of metal channel, same light and much more reliable than these, and about same cost...
Magnetic ballasts need a high striking voltage, filament life is reduced...HF ballasts don't have this issue.
Philips, Crompton, Havells, Syska, Jaguar...all have high failure rates on LED tubes.
The other names are local, Philips is still selling as Philips, though new imports will come as Signify.
Locally they have announced the change, I did not check the name on new supplies to dealers from their Indian factories.
LED bulbs are reliable enough, start about US$ 1 for a 9W bulb here in the supermarkets.
Even panel lights are reliable.
LED tubes are not, bit of a mystery really, as the basic construction and circuit are the same as other types of LED lamp.
And they all fail, irrespective of make.
We are talking at cross purposes here, those home Depot lights are to go in existing fixtures...those were expensive.
What are sold as LED tube lights here are 4 feet long strip lamps really.
These are replacements for the entire fixture, you remove the old one, and fix this in place.
Failure rates are high.
Some people fixed two 9W bulbs on a strip of metal channel, same light and much more reliable than these, and about same cost...
Last edited:
Ya... So if you have the old one already anyway, pay the money for the ones that are designed for existing fixtures and save money in the long run? 🙂
This must be a newer model I linked... "No UV emitted" isn't what the paint in the washroom says 🙂
This must be a newer model I linked... "No UV emitted" isn't what the paint in the washroom says 🙂
The fun starts with substitutes, some are supply on adjoining pins, some use one set on each side, some are really direct in.
And we have an amazing variety of fixtures, one size does not fit all, figuratively.
Aluminum, magnetic, bad electronic, good electronic ballasts, and good or bad end connectors.
To go on a service call out of town because the fixture is faulty is not worth it.
And those drop in lamps were $8 and up, so not easy to convince ladies, they want visibly new things.
One of my friends had imported them around 2012, still has some lying in storage, may blew up in fluctuations, he was giving the fixtures too, with wires and tiny adapters for wiring.
He was too expensive, and did not bother with pushing them.
Main issue was convincing somebody to pay $8, in place of $2.50, then get hassled because his fixture was faulty, loose contacts, bad ballast, and so on.
He has better and more lucrative things to do.
And we have an amazing variety of fixtures, one size does not fit all, figuratively.
Aluminum, magnetic, bad electronic, good electronic ballasts, and good or bad end connectors.
To go on a service call out of town because the fixture is faulty is not worth it.
And those drop in lamps were $8 and up, so not easy to convince ladies, they want visibly new things.
One of my friends had imported them around 2012, still has some lying in storage, may blew up in fluctuations, he was giving the fixtures too, with wires and tiny adapters for wiring.
He was too expensive, and did not bother with pushing them.
Main issue was convincing somebody to pay $8, in place of $2.50, then get hassled because his fixture was faulty, loose contacts, bad ballast, and so on.
He has better and more lucrative things to do.
built by Pioneer electronics and supplied OEM to Sony..the serivce remote for the unit gives it awayThe very 'best' bit of kit I have owned (still own) has to be my Sony Digital TV Recorder from 2008. I time shift pretty much everything and I'd guess on average that it is running for 5 to 6 hours a day. You can play and record at the same time. It must have 25 to 30 thousand hours on the clock now and still perfect.
I did (ho-hum) recap the PSU about 4 years ago and to be honest when tested I found all the caps to be as good as the new ones that went in. Used a Tan ϴ meter. The only other significant change was fitting a 1Tb drive in place of the original 160Gb. Easy swap but you need a service remote to format the new drive and set the file system.
View attachment 1056803
A Philips 17" FST (one of the portable so called flat screens back in the day) from 1984 ish is still going strong. Has to be used with a modulator now of course as no analogue TV these days. For nostalgic purposes I still have the original four AAA batteries (Maxell brand) that came with it. Leak free and they still operate the remote. Use by date, September 1986.
I tend to keep stuff for a long long time 🙂
I troubleshooted my SP300 Audiomobile EQ's. Faulty Op Amp chips... They appear to operate OK now BUT I think they have a distorted sound at higher output levels. Perhaps CAPACITORS are old and out of spec?.... I understand Caps can affect HEADROOM negatively so..... Any input is greatly appreciated Thank You. I am CURRENTLY operating on a MUNTZ EQ Amplifier from 1977. A RELIC, it has a HOT TRANSISTOR issue. Bad transistor I THINK but the readings belie more than a bad transistor. Time will tell, parts in the mail. MADMAN!!!!!!! BDBD/2022
Attachments
I installed an 8 track player into my 67 Firebird this year. Why Not?... a Pioneer Tp 727 from 1975. Added PRE AMP output RCA's and a line driver to get the volume just right. LOUDEST 8 track player on EARTH..... in 2022... LOL.... BDBD.2022I last repaired one of my 8 track tapes 🙂
I got volume 2 of "1950s rock and roll collection" and the pad was no good so I went out to find a good pad...... I found one and last night I went about fixing it....
When I opened the cartridge the tape came off the spool a little and I thought I lost the tape but I managed to get it wound back on the spool and into the cartridge and she plays fine 🙂
Now to get volume 3 of this amazing set.... Its a 4 record set,3 8 track set (Im not sure how many cassettes or CDs in the set)
Attachments
If they operate on a low supply then opamp choice is critical.I troubleshooted my SP300 Audiomobile EQ's. Faulty Op Amp chips... They appear to operate OK now BUT I think they have a distorted sound at higher output levels.
I used almost 10 years fluorescent tubes on electronic ballast designed by me around an improved schematic (personal idea) made with IR2520. The used tubes were Philips 840 circular ones 20W, 32W and 40W. I started to change with LED's (COB with CRI >98, R9>80, and CCT 4000K) 4-5 years ago. In over 10 years of use only 2 or 3 were changed because of weariness from 20-25 installed tubes, and no tube were completely bad, only decreased light.
Now with LED/COB I do not use commercial solutions but I design and made personal ones. With these designs I expect it to last at least 30-40 years. This custom solutions are more expensive but more reliable and the light quality is almost perfect, much better than commercial solutions. I do not like remote control for light but I will implement in the next designs color temperature control to be able to set between 3300K to 6500K.
Now with LED/COB I do not use commercial solutions but I design and made personal ones. With these designs I expect it to last at least 30-40 years. This custom solutions are more expensive but more reliable and the light quality is almost perfect, much better than commercial solutions. I do not like remote control for light but I will implement in the next designs color temperature control to be able to set between 3300K to 6500K.
I swapped them all out with new ones of the same make and model. I noticed the one made in MEXICO has a TLO72CP chip set and the American made one uses LF353N chips. Upon swapping these I discovered 3 out of the 10 chips I purchased were bad. Ugggggggg.... 7 Good so I have some extra. It seems the American version SOUNDS better than the Mexico model and I wonder if the different chips used is the difference. I get the impression they are a direct replacement in regards to pin layout and supply voltage needs. Not really sure. I have found time to TRY to repair my OLD gear. These SP 300 EQ's are 1977 constructs. OLD and I am sure the CAPS are OLD too.... I just am weary of replacing them OLD caps with these modern caps that seem to die fast.... I am no TECH. Thank You for chiming in.If they operate on a low supply then opamp choice is critical.
The TL072 and LF353 are virtually the same, one from Texas Instruments and the other National Semiconductor. So they will be interchangeable on something like this and they are very decent performers even by todays standards.
If you had 3 bad chips out of 10 then that suggests big big problems with the supplier and I'm thinking maybe fake devices and/or wrongly marked parts. You can't even be sure the ones that work are what they are supposed to be. If they do happen to 'work' then they could be any dual opamp, you just don't know.
You should not see faulty parts bought new from recognised suppliers. Also never buy from ebay as there are numerous issues with fake and incorrectly marked parts on offer.
The electrolytic caps at that age might be worth replacing but its not a given they are bad. New parts from recognised suppliers will be as good or better than those originally fitted. Go for 105C rated replacements if you change them and write down the value and note the polarity as actually fitted to the board.
Most problems we see on the forum with recaps are caused by poor soldering, shorts and other damage occurring.
If you had 3 bad chips out of 10 then that suggests big big problems with the supplier and I'm thinking maybe fake devices and/or wrongly marked parts. You can't even be sure the ones that work are what they are supposed to be. If they do happen to 'work' then they could be any dual opamp, you just don't know.
You should not see faulty parts bought new from recognised suppliers. Also never buy from ebay as there are numerous issues with fake and incorrectly marked parts on offer.
The electrolytic caps at that age might be worth replacing but its not a given they are bad. New parts from recognised suppliers will be as good or better than those originally fitted. Go for 105C rated replacements if you change them and write down the value and note the polarity as actually fitted to the board.
Most problems we see on the forum with recaps are caused by poor soldering, shorts and other damage occurring.
Thank you very much for your reply. Yes I bought these from a ebay seller. Uggggggggg..... So the Specifications are the same between these chips. I have several LF353's as I purchased 10 of them and the EQ only needs 3 to operate fully or 2 if you dont care about the red lights PEAK function. I hooked one up to the CAR and its cracklin and poppin so its in need of more attention BUT the Made in Mexico one seems to be solid, no cracklin and poppin.... Have to open that American one up yet again and possibly spray them connections. Seemed to be OK on my test bench but once installed it showed itself. I REALLY just want to get these OPERATING again so I can enjoy them one last time.... Then they will be sold. I am old... I have had these in a BOX for DECADES... broken products removed from a customers car for the most part. I am HAPPY to say that these DO work... BUT It appears I have a BAD CHANNEL in one amp.... squealing and motorboating on the right channel upon HARD volume and EQ settings.... Just ONE channel. I understand thats a CAP issue as well.... Time to buy some CAPS. I buy from ebay as the part I need are somewhat OLD and unavailable... Hmmmmm...... BDBD/2022The TL072 and LF353 are virtually the same, one from Texas Instruments and the other National Semiconductor. So they will be interchangeable on something like this and they are very decent performers even by todays standards.
If you had 3 bad chips out of 10 then that suggests big big problems with the supplier and I'm thinking maybe fake devices and/or wrongly marked parts. You can't even be sure the ones that work are what they are supposed to be. If they do happen to 'work' then they could be any dual opamp, you just don't know.
You should not see faulty parts bought new from recognised suppliers. Also never buy from ebay as there are numerous issues with fake and incorrectly marked parts on offer.
The electrolytic caps at that age might be worth replacing but its not a given they are bad. New parts from recognised suppliers will be as good or better than those originally fitted. Go for 105C rated replacements if you change them and write down the value and note the polarity as actually fitted to the board.
Most problems we see on the forum with recaps are caused by poor soldering, shorts and other damage occurring.
Hard to say for sure, it may or may not be a cap problem. There is no easy way to tell without more detailed testing and having schematics to see what is what.
Good luck though 🙂
Good luck though 🙂
Thank you. These AUDIOMOBILE amplifiers are somewhat simple constructs. I struggle in regards to ANY info, schematics etc. I own 3 SA 1000 amplifiers, 2 appear to be happy.... one has a bad channel so I am CONTEMPLATING changing the MAIN caps... BIG ones, first and take it from there. I have a cap tester so I will test them others and see... I gather that only ONE cap is bad on that one channel. FUN FUN FUN here... The MOTHER of INVENTION..... necessity... BDBD/2022Hard to say for sure, it may or may not be a cap problem. There is no easy way to tell without more detailed testing and having schematics to see what is what.
Good luck though 🙂
Well this is not so much of a "repair", more like a "restoration"........
I had sitting around a 1966 Zenith "Micro Touch" record changer that needed overhauling.
It was originally in a trashed console stereo.
For a VM/Zenith product, it has some good features, and needed a major cleaning, relubing, etc.
It actually sounds quite respectable with a new stylus, and I added an equalizing network to enable the high quality ceramic "Floating" cartridge to be used with any amp's RIAA/Magnetic phono input.
It also needed a "home" - so I hit the woodshop in the garage and fashioned a nice base for it, then painted it a dark brown satin finish.
I'll probably add it to my Craig's List ad and see if someone's interested.
I had sitting around a 1966 Zenith "Micro Touch" record changer that needed overhauling.
It was originally in a trashed console stereo.
For a VM/Zenith product, it has some good features, and needed a major cleaning, relubing, etc.
It actually sounds quite respectable with a new stylus, and I added an equalizing network to enable the high quality ceramic "Floating" cartridge to be used with any amp's RIAA/Magnetic phono input.
It also needed a "home" - so I hit the woodshop in the garage and fashioned a nice base for it, then painted it a dark brown satin finish.
I'll probably add it to my Craig's List ad and see if someone's interested.
- Home
- Member Areas
- The Lounge
- What did you last repair?