Moved to Iceland, some electronics aren't working.

[bumble864]

Hiya,
First post, and I didn't think I would need it but it turns out I do Very Happy ... I got some faulty information. This kind of falls into the repairing of electronics forum also, but it's also general questions so I figure I'll post it here.

About a month ago my wife and I moved to Iceland for my work. We shipped our Dynex model DX-L32-10A (32" LCD) tv with us. I know It won't work with the reception out here but it was for a nice monitor for my computer and TV shows off the net, and video games. Everything arrived yesterday and I tried hooking the TV up. I was under the impression I could use a Trisonic model TS-514R-A (TS-514R-A Trisonic 1650-Watt International Travel Voltage Converter w/ Hi-Lo Switch) power transformer set to the 1650 watts setting to run my TV. It worked for a few minutes.
The TV started smoking so I unplugged everything immediately, brought it outside and let it sit and cool off. After that I opened the TV up to see how screwed I was on the inside. Most everything looks in tact, even the fuses weren't blown out. The only thing that looked off was a Jianghai model CD-296 (200v680µf). The top oval lip at the top of the part had come undone in one section and dripped some brownish liquid. I don't know what this product is or what the liquid was but my guess is that's what was smoking also.

So now I'm on the internet looking for advice on my next move.

1. What is this Jianghai cd296? Is it blown out? Is the TV salvageable?
2. Does anyone know a way we CAN run our Dynex TV out here 120v, 60hz 100w?
3. Any idea why the power transformer that should be able to output foreign voltage at 110-120v, 50-60hz, 50-1650w didn't do the job? or maybe did it to well?

Anything will help at this point, my wife and I are going crazy with just computer monitors.

Thanks for any help
Russ
russell.stenberg@gmail.com

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

That sounds like the main electrolytic, if you're really lucky that might be all you've blown. It should be fairly easy to source a replacement, although you might have to go for a 400V one (as presumably you're in a 230V country, so they are unlikely to have 200V ones).

Your problem is the crappy 'converter' you are using - I would suggest you don't try it again (on anything), the only safe method is a stonking great big auto-transformer, which will cost a LOT more than that 'toy' you have.

 

[crutschow]

You need a transformer not a converter to power electronics. A converter chops the sine-wave to lower the voltage which electronic devices do not like (see this) as you have found out the hard way. Edit: For safety margin the transformer should be rated about 50% higher than the load it will supply. Get one big enough to supply all the 110V electronics you may want to run.

As Nigel stated, the Jianghai model CD-296 is an electrolytic capacitor which has obviously blown. It's a 200V 680µF unit which can be replaced with any electrolytic that has equal or higher voltage and/or capacity.

 

[Reloadron]

Been there and done that. When I lived in Italy (240 VAC @ 50 Hz.) I used a 5 KVA transformer to run my fridge (the compressor survived on 50 vs 60 Hz.) and other things we dragged from the US. You don't need 5 KVA but transformers are not that expensive as long as the TV doesn't mind 50 Hz.

I set that transformer up off the mains and ran 120 VAC wherever I needed it. That thing ran 3 years and when I left I sold it to someone just getting there.

Ron

 

[Diver300]

In England, the power is 240 V, but portable power tools that are used outside for commercial purposes have to be 110 V (2-phase, so 55V to ground on both power wires). That means that there are lots of 1 - 2 kW transformers (yellow!) like this:-**broken link removed**
I guess that those would be available in Iceland. If you put one of the yellow plugs on a US powerstrip, you can run many items from the transformer.

A lot of electronics have switch mode supplies, and many of those can work at anywhere in the 110 - 240 V range. Unfortunately it seems that most TV aren't rated to that, but other devices may be fine on 240 V if you look at the rating sticker.

I think that the big power supplies on TVs cost more to make work on wide voltage ranges, and TVs are rarely moved between countries. So the manufacturers have to modify them for different standards anyhow, and they might as well save a few dollars on components.

Smaller items, especially ones that aren't country specific in any other way, or are likely to be taken abroad by their users, tend to have switch mode power supplies that work over the wider voltage range. The printer, router, network hard drive, laptop and mobile phone chargers I have are all rated over 100 - 240 V. The TV and PS3 aren't.

 

[Diver300]

the only safe method is a stonking great big auto-transformer, which will cost a LOT more than that 'toy' you have.

The TV only takes about 100 W, although you want a safety margin on that. A stonking great big auto-transformer will work, but if it is only that TV, you don't need it to be very big. Also, while auto-transformers are smaller and lighter than isolation transformers, at less than 500 W there won't be a big difference and an isolation transformer will work fine. The yellow site transformer are isolation transformers, not auto-transformers, but they might be much easier to get hold of.

**broken link removed** might be worth contacting. Farnell have some remaindered transformers (CLAIRTRONIC|10245|TRANSFORMER, ISOLATION, 1500VA | Farnell United Kingdom) for very little money.

 

[Reloadron]

In England, the power is 240 V, but portable power tools that are used outside for commercial purposes have to be 110 V (2-phase, so 55V to ground on both power wires).

Thanks for that little tid bit. I just assumed (wrongly) that everything was 230/240 volts including outdoor power tools. The only time I saw that configuration was on US warships and aircraft carriers to be specific.

Thanks
Ron

 

[Diver300]

I used to work in the cement industry, which included quarries. There was split phase 110V everywhere for the tools. I was working outside and I went to pick up the electric drill, to find that it was sitting in 1/4" of water, and thinking to myself that I'm glad that it's only 55V to ground.

 

[bumble864]

Thanks for the advice, I found a place not far from here that sells parts so I´m sure they will have the capacitor. Does it have to be the same brand or just rated the same? It´s been a while since electronics class back in High school but I´m pretty sure I remember how to solder. If it´s not just that capacitor I found I can order the entire power board for $50US and have someone from my company bring it over next time they come this way.

Hopefully the place sells isolation transformers also.

Thanks again for all the help.

 

[Reloadron]

Hopefully the place sells isolation transformers also.

What you want is a step down transformer to get from 220/240 VAC to 110/120 VAC.

As to the capacitor a slightly higher capacitance value is OK as well as a slightly higher working voltage.

Ron

 

[bumble864]

Ok, thanks for clearing that up Ron. It looks like the PS3 and 360 take between 160 -190w so if I get something that runs 500w I should be good. I plan to only have one item along with the TV plugged in at any given time. Or should I go with the 750w just to be safe?

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Thanks for that little tid bit. I just assumed (wrongly) that everything was 230/240 volts including outdoor power tools. The only time I saw that configuration was on US warships and aircraft carriers to be specific.

It's been that way here for years now - basically because builders are completely incompetent and too dangerous to use power tools

The company I work for bought the old cinema next door, and had it converted to shop units - the builders kept borrowing extension mains leads, you could guarantee no lead lasted more than half a day before they cut through it!!.

Not only that, round the back of the building is a mobile phone site (for Orange), it's got a mast at the top of the building, with a large cabinet on the ground below - the builders used a digger just to the right of the cabinet, and what a shock - they went straight through the underground cable feeding it. It's not rocket science is it?, big metal box with no visible wires, where did they think it got power from?.

Incidently, this same feed powers the workshop where I work, so I lost all power as well.

So the electricity company came out and repaired the break (no doubt at huge expense), so what do the builders do - dig the other side of the cabinet - BANG!! - through the same cable again. So the electricity company were out again to mend the break. A day or so later they were digging down the carpark, just a few yards away - BANG!! - straight through the cable again, you can even see where the cable comes out of the ground and runs up the wall to the workshop where I am. This time it even blew wires off the wall in the workshop, and melted some entirely - I still can't figure out quite how, although it is a 3 phase cable.

So I've got a VERY, VERY low opinion of builders and electricity

 

[Reloadron]

Nigel, thanks for sharing. Maybe all contractors should be issued battery powered tools?

The cable was funny, how many times can they dig through the same cable? Once a few miles from here a road crew hit an overhead 5 KV cable. So cable flops to ground arcing and sparking. News helicopter is overhead giving a live feed of this situation. While this is going on another crew hit a natural gas main with a back hoe. When the gas ignited that helicopter rose about 1,000 feet in literally seconds. It was an incredible clip.

Ron

 

[hiya]

Just maybe the TV uses low voltage DC and what you blew was the switch mode power supply?
If so you could connect a DC power supply directly to the board bypassing its internal one........