Electronics Projects General - DIY, Repair, and Help

[Yaks]

After someone posted about needing help with a CRT and noticing we didn't have a general DIY/Repair whatever thread for electronics I decided to make one. I'm still learning myself, but I like seeing what other people are working on or playing with.

What are y'all working on? Need help with something?

Useful links (let me know if there's anything you think should be up here)

Repair Wiki
Electronics Club

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I'll start with me. I currently have a 1971 Sony Triniton KV-1201 that I'm not sure what to do with. It's still technically functional, but the colors are starting to bow and the red framing is coming in. I've had it sitting for about a year unplugged debating trying to fix the bowing, but I'm starting to think it's just not worth it given I have better CRTs in the house with more than just an RF cable and the potential cost of old parts.

I'm thinking about gutting it out (scandalous I know) and replacing the screen with a 4:3 monitor of some kind with a control board and re-link that and the power back up to the original dials on the front, then use the rest of the housing to hold a few more electronics like a single board PC, hide the wiring etc. My biggest issue is I can't seem to find a 12" monitor in that aspect ratio anywhere that isn't $100 or more with shipping, even on the usual Chinese sites or used older desktop monitors (the smallest I tend to find there is 15" or specialized industrial and expensive as hell). The best I've found so far is a G121X1-L02 monitor and separate driver board.

Anyone have alternate suggestions or places I might look? I'm trying to aim for under $50. I have some alternate screens I can use in my spare parts bins, but they're the incorrect aspect ratio and I would have to alter the casing of the TV itself, which I'd like to avoid, or are too small and would look odd.

 

[AmpleApricots]

Incredibly normal. These small monitors are ass-expensive and 4:3 in that area is usually exclusively some industrial NOS or very nice, "rugged" kind of stuff. That said, Point-of-Sales-Systems sometimes get sold on eBay used and from systems of that vintage, their monitors are usually 4:3 and around that size, you could nap the panel, be aware though that it'll be bad (like the one you selected) the only upside these usually have is that they're reasonably bright. Many will have CCFL backlight. It'll be really hard to find something at that aspect ratio, especially for that price.

 

[Yaks]

Incredibly normal. These small monitors are ass-expensive and 4:3 in that area is usually exclusively some industrial NOS or very nice, "rugged" kind of stuff. That said, Point-of-Sales-Systems sometimes get sold on eBay used and from systems of that vintage, their monitors are usually 4:3 and around that size, you could nap the panel, be aware though that it'll be bad (like the one you selected) the only upside these usually have is that they're reasonably bright. Many will have CCFL backlight. It'll be really hard to find something at that aspect ratio, especially for that price.

So basically, that screen I found on sale with the board is a good deal, especially since it's new and I'll know what has happened to it. I'll keep an eye out for Point-of-Sales-Systems popping up too, just to see if maybe I can get lucky there before I jump in for the full purchase.

Good to know they're expensive as balls and I wasn't just searching wrong.

 

[AmpleApricots]

Good to know they're expensive as balls and I wasn't just searching wrong.

I actually ended up googling the TV and if you want to get something much higher quality, you might also try a 13" 3:2 panel, maybe as replacement part from a notebook or tablet, these usually all have the same eDP connectors (just need to make sure about the number of lanes when selecting a cable) and maybe try getting it without that model specific assembly as it might be very hard to get the assembly off without damaging the panel. The 13" panel should be a bit wider than an equivalent 12" 4:3 but you could "hide" the additional screen real estate in software, possible in Linux at least, and it should be easy to hide those additional 3 cm under the bezel. That size should fit in theory at least, I'd still take measurements.

 

[Yaks]

I actually ended up googling the TV and if you want to get something much higher quality, you might also try a 13" 3:2 panel, maybe as replacement part from a notebook or tablet, these usually all have the same eDP connectors (just need to make sure about the number of lanes when selecting a cable) and maybe try getting it without that model specific assembly as it might be very hard to get the assembly off without damaging the panel. The 13" panel should be a bit wider than an equivalent 12" 4:3 but you could "hide" the additional screen real estate in software, possible in Linux at least, and it should be easy to hide those additional 3 cm under the bezel. That size should fit in theory at least, I'd still take measurements.

I like the prices for these way better. I'm finding quite a few of the 13.3" ones under $15. A lot of them are for an LVDS interface, not eDP, but it seems there's plenty of control boards that support it and the aspect ratios. Would searching for eDP be the better way to go?

The 13.3" screens in that aspect ratio would definitely fit. There is a ton of play room on the interior, but it's been a while since I've had it apart so I'll disassemble that again today when I have some time.

 

[Slav Power]

This thread is sponsored by GamersNexus and the GamersNexus ‘Flux’ Project & Soldering mat. The GamersNexus ‘Flux’ Project & Soldering mat was custom-designed as an easily cleaned, extremely heat resistant surface for projects ranging from component soldering and board repair to model building and bike or car part cleaning & maintenance. The Project & Soldering Mat is a 32” x 16” surface — on the larger side for a soldering mat — made of silicone. We strategically raised the border around the entirety of the mat to help prevent screws from rolling onto the floor, we’ve lined the project mat with driver sorters, holes to socket soldering tips, trays that can easily be marked for screw tracking, and spool holsters for organizing your materials. A hexagon pattern and GN logo centrally give striking flair while electrical diagrams give functional references. This mat is made of extremely durable materials for projects of all types.

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In all seriousness I wanted to learn basic soldering and electronics but I'm yet to do anything proper. I only bought a cheap Uni-T multimeter for the sake of having one to measure basic shit like battery charge.

 

[AmpleApricots]

Would searching for eDP be the better way to go?

depends on what you wanna connect, really. You need to look at the monitor stats, LVDS is mostly what's used to be used, eDP is usually on newer panels, for the price you quoted you're probably looking at a very old panel. eDP stands for embedded display port so yes, it's a fully-fledged display port, LVDS usually needs the right connection board, you need to do some good research there. Don't forget that all the support circuity and cabling also can add up quick. It might be easier to hook up an eDP board and get expected results.

Uni-T multimeter

they're imo not bad at all. I have one I always have in reach if I just want to prod something really quickly and it was good enough to narrow down the location of a shorted tantalum on an old 286 motherboard. What you mostly need is good leads and that's where most people cheap out. If you have shitty leads, the best multimeter won't be accurate.

 

[Yaks]

In all seriousness I wanted to learn basic soldering and electronics but I'm yet to do anything proper. I only bought a cheap Uni-T multimeter for the sake of having one to measure basic shit like battery charge.

I really like these practice kits you can buy. They're cheap and you won't worry too much about fucking an actual board up with them.

There's a ton of different practice soldering boards out there to choose from, so I'd take a look if you haven't already.

It might be easier to hook up an eDP board and get expected results.

Thank you, this gives me a lot to think about and do more research on. At least I feel like there are options now.

 

[AnimuGinger]

I really like these practice kits you can buy. They're cheap and you won't worry too much about fucking an actual board up with them.

There's a ton of different practice soldering boards out there to choose from, so I'd take a look if you haven't already.

I used to get cheap Chinesium project kits online to practice. Took time, let me consoom, and gave me dumb garbage that was mildly useful.

 

[pork and beans]

i accidentally (duh) dropped my camera and the button for the focus slider fell .
the camera itself works as does the zoom but i dont know if theres a way to attach the fallen button. the only way to use the zoom without it is to stick a pencil or something sharp where the button should be and push, which i doubt is good on the long run. its a sanyo xacti hd2000 camcorder.

if anybody has ideas id love to hear them

 

[WelperHelper99]

I'm working on hooking a bunch of systems up to this old Sanyo CRT TV rn, it was fully functional once, but some parts broke and burnt out, notably a HDMI cable and a HDMI to composite converter ( the Red white yellow cables), and a 3 way composite switcher. All I'm missing now is a new HDMI cable so I can get the Blu-Ray player running on this 480P CRT, and another Composite cable to hook into the laserdisc player I have, though that's a low priority.

 

[Road Work Ahead]

I can get the Blu-Ray player running on this 480P CRT

I'm a bit curious why anyone would want to do this...

 

[WelperHelper99]

I'm a bit curious why anyone would want to do this...

Tl;Dr, I've had this TV since I was a teenager, found it on the side of the road, and I wanted to play modern shit on it. I've kept it running ever since, and it doesn't look half bad playing blu rays

 

[General Emílio Médici]

Honestly 480p is a reasonably fine resolution for a lot of daily media, especially small screens. I mostly watch stuff on my phone at 480p despite it being 1080p capable to save up on bandwidth and because the difference isn't that noticeable on such a screen..

When I was young I was really into clocks. I wanted to be a clock repair guy, and even wanted to get a mail course on clock repair. I never did manage to get it. Maybe I will now that I am older.

Anyway speaking of electronics projects DIY what about Roku? My dad got one but he didn't much like it and doesn't feel like paying for the subscriptions so he isn't gonna use it and passed it to me. I wanted to make it into a tiny RaspberryPi type of meme but apparently it's not really possible due to the architecture it is built out of. Any of you ever played with those things? Is it worth it or should I just give it to someone who wants to use the streaming services and not open it?

 

[Yaks]

Anyway speaking of electronics projects DIY what about Roku? My dad got one but he didn't much like it and doesn't feel like paying for the subscriptions so he isn't gonna use it and passed it to me. I wanted to make it into a tiny RaspberryPi type of meme but apparently it's not really possible due to the architecture it is built out of. Any of you ever played with those things? Is it worth it or should I just give it to someone who wants to use the streaming services and not open it?

Honestly unless you're using the Roku for streaming capabilities or screen mirroring, what's available right now isn't worth the time. You can root it to change some things, DNS etc, but there isn't much out there that homebrewers have cooked up for it. Amazong Fire Stick might have more opportunities since it runs android.

i accidentally (duh) dropped my camera and the button for the focus slider fell .
the camera itself works as does the zoom but i dont know if theres a way to attach the fallen button. the only way to use the zoom without it is to stick a pencil or something sharp where the button should be and push, which i doubt is good on the long run. its a sanyo xacti hd2000 camcorder.

if anybody has ideas id love to hear them

You're going to have to open it up and reassemble the button back into its proper place. Unfortunately a lot of new electronics attach shit with flimsy plastic so it might not go back in as intended. You'll have to open it up and see if you still have the original button to figure out what's going on inside. You could also DIY a new button to go in its place if that's the case where you no longer have the original or there may be a generic part for it.

 

[pork and beans]

Honestly unless you're using the Roku for streaming capabilities or screen mirroring, what's available right now isn't worth the time. You can root it to change some things, DNS etc, but there isn't much out there that homebrewers have cooked up for it. Amazong Fire Stick might have more opportunities since it runs android.


You're going to have to open it up and reassemble the button back into its proper place. Unfortunately a lot of new electronics attach shit with flimsy plastic so it might not go back in as intended. You'll have to open it up and see if you still have the original button to figure out what's going on inside. You could also DIY a new button to go in its place if that's the case where you no longer have the original or there may be a generic part for it.

thanks a lot, bless you
i do have the original part thankfully though i suspect theres a little piece that got lost because i couldnt find a way to reattach it. i found that the mechanism under was loose.

this morning i took it to a repair place i found. if the fix is cheap enough they told me they would do it for free, so fingers crossed! i hope its done before i go on vacation, i really wanted to take some photos with it.

 

[WelperHelper99]

Honestly 480p is a reasonably fine resolution for a lot of daily media, especially small screens. I mostly watch stuff on my phone at 480p despite it being 1080p capable to save up on bandwidth and because the difference isn't that noticeable on such a screen..

Totally agree. Even in America, on phones, bandwidth is at a premium. Sometimes bumping it down is a good thing.

Update on my setup; it's done, for now at least. Currently what's hooked into the Sanyo CRT is as follows: a Mitsubishi VHS player, a OG Xbox, a Xbox 360, a hookup for a HDMI device ( had to move my Blu-ray player, much sad) and in the corner, though it would require a 20 foot composite cable and yet another splitter to keep everything hooked up, is a Sony laserdisc player I rebuilt (want to replace with a old solid pioneer, it's kind of a Frankenstein that has issues scratching discs. If I want to hook it up in the future, luckily I already have S video cables which the current splitter accepts.

As for auxiliary devices, there is a charger for 2 Xbox 360 controllers, and the DVD remote hookup for the OG Xbox. So I still have DVD capability on the retro rig.

Future additions would possibly be a soundbar and again, hooking up the laserdisc player. The speakers are getting a bit sketchy on the TV, which is why I don't power it up often anymore. Any recommendations on cheap speakers with analog ports would be most appreciated

 

[Shroom King]

In the year 2023, we finally cut the cord on our landline phone service, and now we have a Panasonic cordless phone that isn't doing anything. What can I do with the orange AAA Ni-MH rechargeable batteries? They are 1.2 v, so I assume I can use them in a flashlight, tv remote or any other device that uses AAA batteries. I would have to keep the phone and base to recharge the batteries.

 

[WelperHelper99]

In the year 2023, we finally cut the cord on our landline phone service, and now we have a Panasonic cordless phone that isn't doing anything. What can I do with the orange AAA Ni-MH rechargeable batteries? They are 1.2 v, so I assume I can use them in a flashlight, tv remote or any other device that uses AAA batteries. I would have to keep the phone and base to recharge the batteries.

Like you said, flashlight, remote, a small clock like one of those cheap Sharp ones at Walmart, the sky is the limit

 

[Shroom King]

Like you said, flashlight, remote, a small clock like one of those cheap Sharp ones at Walmart, the sky is the limit

Thank you for your help, kind sir. Google and Duckduckgo were both absolutely useless in answering this question.