Schematics: Question...

[eageshadow]

I'm a new member, but would like to know if there is a source for schematics of most appliances and electrical equipment used in the home. Most manufacturers
that I'm aware of will not release these schematics, but are more than glad to send someone to charge you and arm and a leg.
I am not asking for anything, and if one has to pay for these schematics or diagrams, that's not a problem. A little costly possibly, but no problem.
I have a Garage door opener, an old Genie model 209 chain driven unit, that
I made a great sketch of the interior, but I left out the 3 control wires that go from the actual unit to the receiver and push button switch. I'm try to visualize how these different circuits work, but I'm coming up blank so far.
Next time, and I have no ideal why I didn't think of it, I'll take several photos of the unit and there will be no doubt when reassembling the unit.
It's still nice to know how things work though.
Any suggestions or comments appreciated.

 

[Papabravo]

The short answer is no. The reason is that there is no economic benefit and the potential for economic damage to releasing schematic diagrams. In any case they are unlikely to do you any good because the chips on them are mostly undocumented and unobtainable. We live in a throwaway society because it is cheaper to throw things away than it is to diagnose and repair them.

 

[HiTech]

The other and more important reason is that many mfgrs. choose to protect their dealers by providing only them with service literature. It also serves the company's image better when they can afix "factory authorized" to a service dealer's credentials. However, if you browse long enough on the net, you may be able to locate what you need.

 

[eageshadow]

Thanks !

Thank you HiTech & Papabravo ! I was under no illusions that schematics were available, but, it never hurts to ask [most of the time !].
I'll keep at it, keep looking and try to get back up to speed on electronic circuits. The only reason I even fooled with the unit was because the light that
normally comes on when the door is opened quit working, and someone had told
me it's "just a 555 timer". Well, it may be, but it's surely not a standard 555 timer, it's one that was made specifically for Genie, and my crystal ball is pretty
cloudy at present as far as deciphering their designation on the chip !
Thanks again for the informative replies.

 

[ke5frf]

Consumer electronics manufacturers in general are stingy with schematics, but there are (sometimes) exceptions to the rule.

I have obtained service manuals (at a price) from some manufacturers, but they certainly were NOT free. It never hurts to call and ask if you are really interested in reading up on how the appliance works and doing a repair yourself (and are willing to pay for the information)

Some niche manufacturers will provide schematics, especially if their target customer is a hobbiest. For instance, audiophiles can still sometimes have luck with amplifier, equalizer, and tuner manufacturers, but again this comes with a price usually. As an amateur radio hobbiest, it is usually EXPECTED that the manufacturer provide service documentation, at a minimum upon request, and they often will. The smaller companies especially.

There are people out there reverse engineering things too, and the internet is a great place to look for things.

And while perhaps unethical, some foreign countries do not enforce copyright laws, so browsing the internet can turn up interesting finds