Scared the Crap out of Myself

[linuxman]

I answered an ad on Craig's list where a guy had two 4DTV receivers. A DSR-922 and a DSR-920. We have been negotiating for 3 or 4 days, and I finally made an appointment to go down, hook up the receivers to see if the Unit IDs were still intact.

Both were, so I paid him, stopped by Batteries Plus and picked up two batteries, and came home.

Started changing the battery in the 922, and was just about finished. I decided I needed an extra glob of solder on one of the wires, and the next thing I saw was the wire flop up out of the hole and swing away. :yikes:

I could just see my hard earned cash floating away.

I let out a dying yell, and reached for the wire, and got it re-attached knowing that the ID was gone. In the meantime, I practically wet my pants.

Dumped hot glue on the wires to make sure they wouldn't move even if they were a little short on solder. Let it cool, and hooked it up to my TV. The Unit ID was still there, but I was thinking this is too good to be true.

Went ahead and hooked it up, and got ready to call NPS. It was 5 minutes after they closed. I went ahead and started programming in satellites. Someone had done a master reset, because there weren't any satellites set up, but that is another story. Set up G1, and the thing started downloading the channels and maps. Hit the guide button and the guide came in. Looked and sure enough W5 was there and available.

Jumped to channel 100 and started fine tuning, and everything worked fine. Haven't found a digital channel I can tune in yet. No authorization.

I guess I dodged the bullet this time. Nothing like giving yourself a heart attack. I decided to wait until tomorrow to change out the 920.

How long can the battery power be out before you actually lose the ID?

I know that wire was off for at least 5 seconds.

 

[gabshere]

your getting to be an old pro at this glad it worked out for ya

 

[linuxman]

your getting to be an old pro at this glad it worked out for ya

Old Pro nothing!!!!

I darned near blew the ballgame.

 

[gabshere]

well i don't know how long it takes for power to dissipate but you made it in time

 

[linuxman]

well i don't know how long it takes for power to dissipate but you made it in time

Well that was just someone watching over me even in my stupidity.

I read where your fortunes haven't been so good lately. Hope you get everything running again.

 

[Anole]

good job!

While I wouldn't normally work on energized electronic equipment . . .
. . . I thought that was the way you were supposed to change the battery: with it powered up.
No, wait... the site I read said something about soldering in the new one and THEN cut out the old one... I think...


I'll have to come up with something clever if I ever do one.
Maybe clip-lead in a coin cell while I'm resoldering the bugger. :up


. . . maybe there was a back up capacitor that will hold sufficient charge for a quickie battery change.

The cool thing of course, is to come up with a way to reprogram dead ones . . .

 

[stogie5150]

...and to think...I could have been calling you at that same instant to ask some dumb-arsed question bout this monstrosity I have over here, than the you'd have REALLY been in a pickle!

But congrats on making it though, the decision by GI to use a board like that HAS to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

I agree with Anole, figuring out how to get the ID back if its lost should be a Nobel-prize winning endavour. :up

 

[linuxman]

While I wouldn't normally work on energized electronic equipment . . .
. . . I thought that was the way you were supposed to change the battery: with it powered up.
No, wait... the site I read said something about soldering in the new one and THEN cut out the old one... I think..

The "instructions" that I have read say, solder the new one in, then unsolder the old one.

On the 920 it is pretty easy because they give you a couple of extra holes to put the new leads in. On the 922, you have an extra hole for the + side, but you have a choice on the - side. You can use the same hole where the original is soldered in, heat it up, stick the new lead in while pulling the old out, or there is a second hole almost right under the battery. Either way, it isn't easy to change out the 922 especially for an amateur like me.

. . . maybe there was a back up capacitor that will hold sufficient charge for a quickie battery change.

I think there must be something that is relative short-lived, but will keep it alive in case of accidents.

...and to think...I could have been calling you at that same instant to ask some dumb-arsed question bout this monstrosity I have over here, than the you'd have REALLY been in a pickle!

Nah, I wouldn't have answered the phone.

The cool thing of course, is to come up with a way to reprogram dead ones . . .

the decision by GI to use a board like that HAS to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

I agree with Anole, figuring out how to get the ID back if its lost should be a Nobel-prize winning endavour.

When you guys figure out how to do that, you will make a ton of money.

I am just glad there was something that kept it alive for a few seconds.

 

[tvropro]

There had to be an electrolytic on the PCB that was holding a charge. Here's a tip for nextime. See if the negative batt lead goes to chassis ground? If it does you can solder a jumper to any ground point. Then if you want to make it look nice you can remove the old battery from its holes slowly and attach the ground there without worrying. Then you can remove the jumper.

 

[linuxman]

There had to be an electrolytic on the PCB that was holding a charge. Here's a tip for nextime. See if the negative batt lead goes to chassis ground? If it does you can solder a jumper to any ground point. Then if you want to make it look nice you can remove the old battery from its holes slowly and attach the ground there without worrying. Then you can remove the jumper.

That's an excellent idea. I'll remember that the next time I do a 922.

Like I said the 920s are easy. They have extra holes that are pretty easy to get to. It is just the 922s are a bear. The jumper is a great idea.

Thanks!

Edit:I just found a ZK digital channel and it works, so all is well!!

 

[tvropro]

Fred, I believe the hole under the batt in the 922 is for a coin cell, since GI used both an axial lead battery and a solider in coin cell. As long as the batt ground is ground which I would believe you should be good to go. Dealing with electronics daily as I do certain things become second nature and you just do them out habit.

Lately in my free time I've been into designing & building video circuits for my own use with my home theater systems. So I've been seeing transistors Ic's, resistors etc in my sleep It's also keeping me sharp as a tack with circuit design and what you can and can't do. All knowledge is good.

 

[linuxman]

Fred, I believe the hole under the batt in the 922 is for a coin cell, since GI used both an axial lead battery and a solider in coin cell. As long as the batt ground is ground which I would believe you should be good to go. Dealing with electronics daily as I do certain things become second nature and you just do them out habit.

The 905 have the coin cells in them, and they are pretty easy to change out too, so it should be fine. I can guarantee that wire ain't going to move anytime soon. I hope it lasts another 5 to 8 years so I don't have to change it again.

I never will get all that hot glue out of the way to get to a new hole.

Lately in my free time I've been into designing & building video circuits for my own use with my home theater systems. So I've been seeing transistors Ic's, resistors etc in my sleep It's also keeping me sharp as a tack with circuit design and what you can and can't do. All knowledge is good.

I have been wanting to practice soldering and messing with electronics. I got the new multimeter for Father's Day, and haven't even opened it yet. Too many other things occupying my mind.

I want to get good enough to do things like this without blowing a couple of hundred dollars in the process. Course that's how I learned computers. I made a couple of costly mistakes early on. I don't make those mistakes again.

 

[linuxman]

WooHoo!!!

It works. Just got authorized by NPS and it is good to go!

 

[tvropro]

I have been wanting to practice soldering and messing with electronics. I got the new multimeter for Father's Day, and haven't even opened it yet. Too many other things occupying my mind.

I want to get good enough to do things like this without blowing a couple of hundred dollars in the process. Course that's how I learned computers. I made a couple of costly mistakes early on. I don't make those mistakes again.

Crash and burn is a good way to learn. Been there done it.

The last 3 weeks I built 3 video distribution amplifiers. They cost me 0$ I thought up a design did a bit of research on parts spec's, drew a schematic then scrounged parts from old PC boards that were from junk gear. Built a prototype did some testing then tweaked the design a bit to improve it. With video you just can't throw a simple few transistors together, it won't hold sync. You have to add a dc clamp reference voltage to the circuit since when you couple the input you loose reference. I can say the finished video quality is seamless, looks just like the original. Now I can drive all my recording gear etc.

Then my neighbor a retired tool & die maker & machinist helped me build some nice cases for them out of scrap steel I had. He did a real nice job getting holes exact for RCA jacks that I scrounged from an old dead AV receiver I have. And the boxes look store bought. Have them all hooked up now and enjoying the benefits. It was fun to do, a learning experience in electronics and sheet metal work, and the cost of 0$ you can't beat.

 

[Corrado]

Good going, Linuxman...I think you got lucky.

If there is such a thing as a next generation 4DTV receiver, I hope this obsolete design goes away. I noticed inside of my DSR550 Voom receiver, that there is no battery.

Do the Starchoice boxes have batteries?

 

[linuxman]

Good going, Linuxman...I think you got lucky.

If there is such a thing as a next generation 4DTV receiver, I hope this obsolete design goes away. I noticed inside of my DSR550 Voom receiver, that there is no battery.

Do the Starchoice boxes have batteries?

Thanks!

I think I did too!

I hope they come up with a better design too. This one seems like a terrible way to keep such important information intact.

Don't know anything about the Starchoice boxes.

 

[tvropro]

Thanks!

I think I did too!

I hope they come up with a better design too. This one seems like a terrible way to keep such important information intact.

Don't know anything about the Starchoice boxes.

They designed the DC II like the VC II, they want it to die. It's called job security. Look at all the throwaways out there today.