h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: How To Fix Electronic Things - A28436853
Author: Eco Worrier - U290

Flea Market rescue.

I know nothing about the subject, but there didn't seem to be much wrong with it. Two people offered to nurse it through PR but it didn't happen.

I added the content from the PR thread (F103891?thread=263217), credited Potholer as I used lots of his comments and here we are.

Two queries:

Know Your Limitations

I'm talking here mainly about small electronic devices such as radios, small appliances, toys, telephones, etc.

I couldn't think of a way to rephrase that, so if someone could suggest something I would be grateful.

Also, for some reason I can't credit the original author, although it let me add Potholer. Anyone else come across this problem?

If the entry is complete enough to get into the Guide I'll start adding links later.

My main issue with this Entry is that it doesn't actually tell you anything. Under the guise of being a handy home-help Entry, it wouldn't actually help me fix any electrical appliance in my house.

Now, I'm no electrician, but I would start an Entry such as this with a guide to wiring plugs, and then follow it up with a quick-identification guide to electrical components such as resistors, capacitors and so on. A guide to keeping an eye on your home fuses would be a good idea, too.

Sorry, Mina, but this Entry just doesn't tell me anything.

B

Would the same content do better from a different angle?

For instance, things to check before you take something in for repair rather than how to repair things yourself?

Traveller in Time working in an Electro Static Discharge safe workplace
"Some proposed changes regarding the actual content:

>>. . . you will generally be safe if you first touch the metallic case of the equipment (eg computer) to before touching any of the internal components.

Should be rephrased as

. . . you will generally be safe if you touch the metallic case of the equipment (eg computer) before touching any of the internal components.

You build up static charge any second, you do not have to walk on carpet to charge just not touching ground will cause charge to build up.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Why not define small and relative saef equipment by some of their electiracal properties. Small power devices using less the 5W are mostly safe (unless high voltage is involved).

Devices generating heat (even as a by-product) are dangerous.
Devices with a motor rating over 500W are dangerous.

----------------------------------------------------------------

>> Checking yhe Obvious

Checking the Obvious

Well, _t_he obvious

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>> line cord

should be

mains cord

or

mains line cord

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>> Many devices have more than one power switch;

Add to the sub paragraph:

Also check the mains wire is firmly inserted into the socket.

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>>Sometimes batteries fail to make contact,

Rotate batteries in place to clean the contact areas. (Before bending the clips, they may break on trying to bend them.) Also check the contacts for corrosion sometimes a white oxide is present on the surface.

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>>Adaptors . . .

A good functioning adaptor is sligtly warm, not hot or environment temperature.

----------------------------------------------------------------

>>Less expensive is a neon test lamp . . .

It is also very much less reliable; parasitive conductance may lead you to think a line is life while it is not. It also only works for potentials above 63V.

----------------------------------------------------------------

>>A vacuum cleaner is not recommended

a small brush is.

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>>Small appliances such as blow driers,

Make sure there is no obstruction (such as fluff) in the air flow before testing the device.

----------------------------------------------------------------

>>When partially dismantling equipment

A great help in beeing able to reassemble any device is arranging the screws and parts in sequence of removal. A saucer for each layer comes in handy.

"

Hi,
Great subject - but I must agree that it is lacking in content. It's more of an introduction to the subject - while it doesn't really help getting anything fixed.

There's a lot of stuff that can go in there, but it doesn't seem like a very informative piece as it stands though.

sockets, light switches, lamps, phone sockets, phones, general appliances, anything with a motor, Audio plugs & sockets, fuses... these are the common fixables that came to mind at the moment.


Dancer

Hi, may be worth noting that in the UK DIY repairs to anything mains electric powered can no longer be done except by a registered, qualified electrician.
I wanted to move a light switch 3 feet when I decorated earlier this year and mentioned this to the plasterer at the time from the housing association. That was when I was informed I couldn't do it myself, the association would either have to send their electrician or I would have to employ one myself from a register. When I checked seems this is the case for any mains powered item as well as house wiring etc.
Needless to say, light switch didn't get moved!

Hmmm. I kind of agree; it doesn't really say much, and is written more like an informal discussion piece rather than a logical fault-finding procedure. The title "How to Fix..." kind of implies it's going to tell you how to fix things, but in reality it just contains a few first-stab ideas for the novice. It's a vast subject to cover in one entry.

But the biggest problem - it is extremely light on safety. Either the reader fully understands the hazards - in which case he/she is probably an engineer and has no need of such superficial advice - or you have to spell them out very carefully. The entry is encouraging the novice to ignore the manufacturer's warnings, so you have to be very, very careful to include your own. Like all repair procedures, this is going to have to be 90% hazard warnings and 10% content.

Even if you cover yourself by saying everything must be disconnected, unplugged and left to discharge / cool down / spin down for an hour before you open it up, you're still encouraging amateurs to poke around in things that could easily become live or burst into flames if a repair is bodged. Low voltage devices can catch fire just as easily as mains devices if something gets shorted accidentally, and batteries can explode.

But there are a few other inaccuracies:

The title is how to fix *electronic* things, but most of the advice offers relates to *electrics*, many of the devices mentioned are electric.

<>

This isn't really true. Most things use mains that is converted to a "safe" voltage internally or externally by one of those horrible black wall-warts. Just because the electronics themselves run on 5V does not make the whole device safe.

<<>

<>

Just about anything that is mains powered and electronic is likely to contain big capacitors in the power supply that could give you a belt if you don't discharge them first, even when unplugged. Not enough to kill you directly, but enough to make you drop whatever you're holding, jump back and hit your head on something etc etc. Same applies to mains filters and simple mains/battery devices like shavers.

I think the original author is confusing higher-than-mains-voltages with stored charge hazards - the two are not related. The problem might be worse with high-voltage power supplies, but is not unique to them. Anything mains-powered is potentially risky.

<>

Take a microwave oven apart and you risk creating a radiation hazard by misaligning the cover, breaking seals, breaking earth connections, losing screws etc. I would suggest you just don't.

I'm afraid I can't see any practical way of making this EG suitable, without limiting it to just checking that the thing is plugged in and the fuse is OK.

Well, I disagree with Dave and B.
I think the safety aspect is pretty well covered here, and as for the usefulness objection, there really wouldn't be much EG left if we applied that criterion rigorously.
I'd just suggest a title change to something like "Things to Look For if your Appliance Stops Working". That would fulfil reader expectations better.
There's a subtitle typo too, a "yhe" instead of a "the".
On the whole, well-written, fun to read and a worthy FM recovery.
Pin

It looks like I've abandoned this, but really I was just hiding cos it looked very complicated.

I will have a go at trying to work this into something that can be agreed on asap - hopefully tomorrow.

I think it's a good entry, but could do with a different title to reflect its content a bit better.

I'm not sure about the second sentence, though:
>>Strangely enough, a lot of people don't know what to do when this happens and they throw something out than can be easily fixed.<<

Why is that strange? If nobody ever shows you, you're not likely to know, so it's not strange at all.

Maybe it would be better like:

Unfortunately, a lot of people ....

How about: Tragically, a lot of...

The amount of stuff which gets thrown away just cos a wee wire got loose somewhere is painful really, unless you happen to be on the streets before the bin men, and it isnt raining.

Where are you with this one, Eco?

Haven't done a thing, sorry.

My intentions are to do some work on it, as soon as I get a chance. I didn't think it would need this much work and I haven't been able to find the time it's going to need to try to answer all the PR points.

Ok, had a look through and made some changes. Hopefully I've removed anything that's actually quite dangerous, and one third of this entry is now about safety and warnings of what not to do.

I think I've taken account of everyone's comments, and have changed the title to hopefully reflect the entry more.

This looks good to me, except for a lack of links.

Some that would offer themselves:

A20600849 Batteries: Energy on the Move

A112366 Mobile Phones

A590762 Radios

A1006534 Watches

A246313 Rechargeable Batteries

to name but a few.

Thanks, I will do the links, but usually wait until it's agreed an entry is EG worthy - just in case!

I'll add some now as there doesn't seem to be any huge oposition to this, as long as safety has been taken care of, which I think it has.

I'll credit the people in the thread who's content I've used if that's ok with everyone.

Still feeling bad the original author is not on the list, but his space is comletely wiped as if he'd never been here.

No idea how to amend that, I guess that will be up to the eds.

I don't think they're going to be able to, but I hope at least there is an email address so that they can send an email about his entry.

I just checked, and I see the problem. Doesn't seem likely that there's a valid email address, but then who knows?

"Sometimes electronic things stop working"


May be just me but I think this would read better as

"Sometimes electrical appliances stop working without any obvious signs as to why".


Just a suggestion. Otherwise I think it's looking ok, you've fleshed it out quite well.