Anybody know anything about electronics?

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   cindyvineposted 14 years ago

   We had huge power surges last night and even though I have a regulator, it seems to have blown my new one month old dvd player, the wii and of course the light bulbs.  Luckily, the TV will still switch on, but the wii and dvd do not respond at all to pressing their on switch.  They just sit there dead.  Does anybody know whether it'll be possible to repair them, or are they rubbish now to throw away?  Am definitely having a bad year with technology, I spilt diet coke on my daughter's macbook and that won't switch on either.  Not sure if that can be repaired.

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      ThoughtfulSpotposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I'm not a gadget geek, but I do work with electricity.  It really depends on so many factors.  I would guess that the wii and dvd player are fried.  Any mechanical parts would still work, but its pretty easy to overload and blow out a whole circuit board.  Any chance they are under warranty?  You could check if it covers the "Act of God" type stuff.
      
      As for the coke and macbook, do NOT try to turn it on again.  Take it to a computer repair shop and see what they can do.  The coke itself can do damage, but a lot of damage from liquids is done when the electronic item is turned back on while wet (or salty, or sticky or whatever.) At this point, the liquid or other substance can act as a conductor and take power to places in the computer power shouldn't go, causing more damage.
      
      (For example, if you ever drop your camera of phone in the ocean you should leave it off, and rinse it with distilled water... then don't use it until its completely dry.  The distilled water rinses away the salt and minerals that could short out the system.)
      
      I would take the laptop to be cleaned asap though... coke is very acidic and could eat away at important parts.
      
      (As I said, I am NO expert, but I think this info is accurate based on some conversations I've had and a little personal experience. Hope it might be a jumping off point for you.)

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      Ben Evansposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Cindy,
      
      The unfortunate part about electronics today is that the they are very cheaply produced.  There used to be large power supplies in all items and these would hold up to the toughest conditions.  You dont see these anymore because they a very expensive and heavy.
      
      Most items now have switching power supplies.  If you have a surge that took out your light bulbs, it is likely to take out the power supplies in the items you mentioned.  A fuse's typical purpose is to just shut a system down so it will not cause a fire or shock.  It is not to protect the electronics.  Semiconductors like transistors, which are used to drive inductive components in switching power supplies, are often much more sensitive than a fuse.  A quick spike or transient will often spare a fuse and take out the electronics behind the fuse.
      
      It is always worth a shot to check the fuse.  The dvd player is likely to have more than one fuse.  If you can open it up, the fuse that would be closest to where the plug goes into the unit will be the one you want to check.  To check it you look inside the glass (of the fuse) and there is a wire and if it has a gap you need to replace it. (this is very easy to see)  If you have a dvm you can check the continuity but i dont believe that is the case.  The fuses are inexpensive and can be bought in a hardware store.
      
      To have most techs open and check even a fuse is quite expensive.   If the internal power supply is shot, it will cost more to fix your unit than to buy a new one. 
      
      However, if you ever travel to places like the Philippines you can find electronic repair stands in the bazaars that can fix items very inexpensively.  It is not the parts that cost a lot.  It is the labor.
      
      I hope this helps.

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2. 60

   lxxyposted 14 years ago

   Thoughtful is generally spot on.
   
   The MacBook may be scrap (besides the hard drive) at this point, especially if you turned it on and it was still wet.
   
   As far as the other gadgets go, that could be anything from overloaded power supplies to total fry-out. Notice any smoke? If not, it may be possible to repair.
   
   But I'd only try to salvage the Wii, a DVD player is so inexpensive.

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3. 60

   readytoescapeposted 14 years ago

   If you were lucky, only the line fuses in the units cooked, and they actually did the job they were intended to do. The line fuse should be located very near the electrical entry point and in many cases are simple to replace. This should be easy for the DVD player and other similar equipment, however the Wii most likely has a tamper proof assembly so you may not be able to get inside to check. Send the Wii to one of their tech outlets they can tell you if it’s fried or repairable which will be cheaper than replacement.

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4. 71

   ThoughtfulSpotposted 14 years ago

   One other thought... since a few people who know more than I do have confirmed that its at least possible that a lot of bits of the machines are salvagable (if not all) don't forget that if you decide against repairing, you can always sell them for parts.  Even if you don't have any use for the working bits of the gadgets, there are many handy people out there who do.  At least, even in the worst case scenario, you'd be able to start yourself a "lightening fund."

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      lxxyposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Now that's looking ahead.
      
      eBay.cn, cindy?

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         ThoughtfulSpotposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Hijacking real quick... Ixxy - Thanks for the fanmail... cracked me up at the end of a long day!

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            lxxyposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            No problem! Glad to have made you laugh.

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5. 80

   cindyvineposted 14 years ago

   Thanks for the advice.  I'll have to wait until I travel back to South Africa in June to get them looked at.  Definitely no fundis here in tanzania to repair anything!

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