WSI Vbox X Relay Stuck??

[FTA4PA]

Ha, I beat both y'all.
I already have a socket with the chip packaged up.
There are some cases in high frequency circuits that a socket can introduce unwanted impedance and/or capacitance. In any other case, though I use sockets like mad.

Two thumbs up!

 

[Lone Gunman]

UPDATE: I hope I'm not premature posting this but I'm so excited I just had to. Got the chips (2) from KE4EST this morning and proceeded to solder one on that board. Couldn't use the socket due to the display laying back over it and the socket would have made it where I couldn't get the chip in, so I installed it without the socket.

During the soldering process I put my finger on the chip after every joint to make sure I wasn't putting too much heat in it and skipped around so as not to do too much in one place. When I was done I hooked it up to the actuator and connected the wires and viola!! IT WORKS.....................for now.

I guess time will tell if it's "really" fixed but it's good to see it working since this is the first time I've ever put one of those in. One thing that did help was removing the old one as I had an opportunity to see how long it took to get the solder to flow. Kinda works the same way when you solder it back.

Now, I've got 3 more that I'm going to do the same thing with as KE4EST sent me two of these chips and I ordered two more from a vendor on fleabay the other day.

Ennywho, at this point I'm convinced that NONE of the relays were bad to begin with and this chip seems to be the sacrificial piece lightning is destroying, which seems to be a good thing because they are cheap and fairly easy to replace.

Now for the next one...................................

 

[KE4EST]

Yes, I was thinking about you earlier. I saw where the package was delivered this morning, and was wondering if you got right to it.
Very happy to hear it was the transistor array as I suspected!!

 

[Lone Gunman]

Vbox X #2 IS WORKING.......................for now, also!!

This one would take off running West as soon as you plugged into the 110v wall socket and the display was blank. Man, I'm batting 1,000 today!! Probably a good time to take a break before my luck runs out. That and I won't have any more chips until the ones I ordered get here some time next week.

I sure am glad that I didn't throw these things away when they stopped working!!

THANKS TO KE4EST FOR FIGURING THIS OUT!!

 

[waylew]

Probably a good time to take a break before my luck runs out

And go buy your lottery ticket

 

[KE4EST]

THANKS TO KE4EST FOR FIGURING THIS OUT!!

Just glad to help!!!

 

[migold]

Congrats! Now you are an electronic tech!

 

[Lone Gunman]

Congrats! Now you are an electronic tech!

Well, not really. The way I see it I'm just a parts changer because electronic techs know how the stuff works......................and I still don't!! Remember, I'm the guy that was trying to buy relays because I though they were the problem?

 

[KE4EST]

Remember, I'm the guy that was trying to buy relays because I though they were the problem?

I know an analogy you do understand. Replacing the relay because it would not turn your motor, would be like changing the tires on your car because it will not go....without checking the power-train first.

 

[. Raine]

A little late, I should've thought of this earlier, but when I'm soldering/desoldering chips that I'm worried about heating up too much, I'll hold/prop the board onto a damp sponge on the back of them. I use the small ones for one of my soldering stations.

 

[Lone Gunman]

Well, I got those 2 chips I ordered yesterday and I struck out on that 3rd Vbox X! It tries to run but acts like it's kicking an overload and stops before the motor ever really runs. I had told KE4ST before that I had serious doubts on that one and I guess I was right. So with the Vbox X controller repairs I'm 2 for 3 but that's still a damn good average no matter how you look at it considering the fact that I don't know what I'm doing!

And one very important thing here is I learned to do something I'd never done before, proving once again that you can teach an old dog new tricks!

 

[Lone Gunman]

UPDATE: Well, I may not be done yet as I found a bad diode on that board so I ordered some replacements and we'll see if that might fix it. To be continued!

 

[Lone Gunman]

THAT DIODE FIXED IT AND IT ONLY COST ME 15 CENTS. Bought a 10 pack of 1N4007 diodes on fleabay for $1.50 shipped and got them in 3 days from Colorado. We be jamming now.

So you other guys with these Vbox controllers that were horked up by lightning need to get to work and fix them like I did!!! Seems that chip is the #1 item to go as all 3 of mine were fried.

So counting the Vbox 7 I fixed about a month ago, that makes 4 that I've repaired.

 

[KE4EST]

 

[Lone Gunman]

NO, NO, NO!!! KE4EST YOU'RE THE MAN BECAUSE WITHOUT YOUR HELP, THESE VBOXES WOULD STILL BE IN A PILE ON MY WORK BENCH!!

 

[migold]

GREAT !!!!

 

[KE4EST]

Just glad I could help.

 

[Lone Gunman]

Well, the other day I got one one of those "fixed" Vbox X controllers out and was going to put it in my Winegard system but it's got a problem that I didn't notice when I was working on it. It works in that it will run the dish both East and West, but, the display only has 2 digits on it, ie, it's not showing counts above 99? KE4EST suggested I recheck all the solder joints but that doesn't seem to be it? Hummm..................... Well, at least I have some spare parts now...........................

 

[Lone Gunman]

Update: That counter problem on that Vbox X wasn't the LCD display either!

 

[KE4EST]

Update: That counter problem on that Vbox X wasn't the LCD display either!

Unfortunately yes cause this means it is the MCU.