sci.electronics.repair@googlegroups.com

Today's topics:

* Nuisance fastners - winge - 3 messages, 2 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.electronics.repair/t/9108d595e22824ac?hl=en
* External Firewire CD Burner - 1 messages, 1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.electronics.repair/t/96c34c4034e31d45?hl=en
* Bakelite Asbestos - 1 messages, 1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.electronics.repair/t/b0be07665d15373b?hl=en
* Washing machine motor won't start, bad triac ? - 1 messages, 1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.electronics.repair/t/96d2b3fb706b3e62?hl=en

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TOPIC: Nuisance fastners - winge
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.electronics.repair/t/9108d595e22824ac?hl=en
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== 1 of 3 ==
Date: Fri, Feb 11 2011 8:54 pm
From: Sylvia Else

On 12/02/2011 3:48 PM, F Murtz wrote:
> Sylvia Else wrote:
>> On 12/02/2011 2:43 PM, Jasen Betts wrote:
>>> On 2011-02-11, Sylvia Else<sylvia@not.here.invalid> wrote:
>>>
>>>> A conventional pedestal fan blows in such a direction that when it's
>>>> placed as near as possible to a window, the fan blades are still
>>>> quite a
>>>> way from the cool air, and so the result is not as effective as it
>>>> might
>>>> be. If I could reverse the direction of flow, then I could also turn
>>>> then fan around, so that the blades would be much closer to the window.
>>>>
>>>> I considered simply building a duct, but the cost of materials was
>>>> excessive.
>>>
>>> I guess you didn't consider cardboard and packing tape then :)
>>> or a cheap plastic bucket?
>>>
>>
>> The fan is too big for a plastic bucket. I considered cardboard but it
>> was far from clear to me that it was going to be strong enough without
>> bracing that would further complicate the task.
>>
>> This isn't a research project. I was looking for a solution that would
>> definitely work, and be robust.
>>
>> Sylvia.
>>
>>
> Would this work?
>
> http://www.fanmanufacturers.com/images/0000_axial_fan_img4.jpg

Looks just the job. Do they come with a through glass mounting kit?

Sylvia.

== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Fri, Feb 11 2011 8:58 pm
From: Sylvia Else

On 12/02/2011 3:51 PM, kreed wrote:
> On Feb 12, 2:22 pm, Sylvia Else<syl...@not.here.invalid> wrote:
>> On 12/02/2011 2:43 PM, Jasen Betts wrote:
>>
>>> On 2011-02-11, Sylvia Else<syl...@not.here.invalid> wrote:
>>
>>>> A conventional pedestal fan blows in such a direction that when it's
>>>> placed as near as possible to a window, the fan blades are still quite a
>>>> way from the cool air, and so the result is not as effective as it might
>>>> be. If I could reverse the direction of flow, then I could also turn
>>>> then fan around, so that the blades would be much closer to the window.
>>
>>>> I considered simply building a duct, but the cost of materials was
>>>> excessive.
>>
>>> I guess you didn't consider cardboard and packing tape then :)
>>> or a cheap plastic bucket?
>>
>> The fan is too big for a plastic bucket. I considered cardboard but it
>> was far from clear to me that it was going to be strong enough without
>> bracing that would further complicate the task.
>>
>> This isn't a research project. I was looking for a solution that would
>> definitely work, and be robust.
>>
>> Sylvia.
>
> Some of those larger black plastic pot plant containers might be big
> enough, also are sturdy,
> UV resistant (since used outdoors in a garden).
>
> Cut a piece of plywood to fit the window gap, cut a hole in the ply
> suit the diameter
> of the pot, (and at the right height to suit the fan) cut the bottom
> out of the pot, and screw the pot to the ply.
>
> This might make a big enough, and very strong duct for relatively
> little cost. IIRC those pots are sturdy enough
> so that they aren't likely to flap around in the wind. You can
> probably paint them any colour you like, if you don't like black
> colour.
>

It's an interesting idea. I'll have to look at what size pots are
available (and how much they weigh) next time I'm at the hardware store.

Mind you, plywood doesn't come cheap :(

Sylvia.

== 3 of 3 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 12 2011 12:25 am
From: keithr

On 12/02/2011 12:18 AM, Sylvia Else wrote:
> On 11/02/2011 11:56 PM, kreed wrote:
>> On Feb 11, 9:20 pm, Sylvia Else<syl...@not.here.invalid> wrote:
>>> On 11/02/2011 8:11 AM, ian field wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> "Sylvia Else"<syl...@not.here.invalid> wrote in message
>>>> news:8rgq9dFodeU1@mid.individual.net...
>>>>> On 10/02/2011 11:23 AM, Metro wrote:
>>>>>> "Sylvia Else"<syl...@not.here.invalid> wrote in message
>>>>>> news:8rfc4qFt5gU1@mid.individual.net...
>>>>>>> I had occasion to dismantle a cheap pedestal fan the other day
>>>>>>> (Coles
>>>>>>> Home
>>>>>>> Collection). It hadn't failed, but I wanted to see how it was
>>>>>>> wired up
>>>>>>> (that's another story).
>>>
>>>>>>> The cover to the button panel was held in place by four screws which
>>>>>>> were
>>>>>>> identical except that two were philips head type, and the other
>>>>>>> two had
>>>>>>> a
>>>>>>> triangular socket in the head.
>>>
>>>>>>> I have bits to cope with most things I've encountered, but not
>>>>>>> those.
>>>>>>> What's the point? Are they worried about competition for
>>>>>>> repairing these
>>>>>>> $10 fans?
>>>
>>>>>>> Do consumers regularly electrocute themselves by taking fans apart
>>>>>>> without
>>>>>>> knowing what they're doing?
>>>
>>>>>>> Sylvia.
>>>
>>>>>> They are only a tamperproof head of which there are various and
>>>>>> easily
>>>>>> available.. Wait until you come across a coffin head screw.I
>>>>>> believe the
>>>>>> reason for using them is that some countries prevent the dismantle
>>>>>> of an
>>>>>> appliance without the use of a tool or special tool so this way all
>>>>>> fields
>>>>>> are covered in one assembly. Did you find out how it worked. They are
>>>>>> made
>>>>>> to break. Best way to keep them longer is to keep the Blades clean
>>>>>> and
>>>>>> lubricate the bearings NOT with WD40 or the like.
>>>
>>>>> As I said, it hadn't broken. I was actually trying to figure out which
>>>>> wire was which leading to the induction motor. I had in mind making
>>>>> it run
>>>>> backwards. Aerofoils don't perform as well backwards, but they do
>>>>> perform.
>>>>> However, on further consideration I realised that the fan blades
>>>>> would be
>>>>> aerodynamically stalled if the fan ran backwards, with the result
>>>>> that it
>>>>> would probably not work much at all.
>>>
>>>> If the fan is symetrical - snap off pairs of opposing blades.
>>>
>>> That's not going to fix the problem of the blades being stalled.
>>>
>>> What I would really need to do is fit the one-piece fan blade assembly
>>> on back to front (as well as reversing the motor), but the fan blade
>>> assembly is not designed to be attached the other way around.
>>>
>>> Sylvia.
>>
>> Might sound silly, but cant the entire fan head (including motor) be
>> rotated 180 degrees, or do you want the
>> air intake without the motor in the way ?
>
> The application is to suck cool air in through an open window at night.
> During the recent heat wave, it was noticeable that even though the
> temperature outside drops at night, the temperature of the house doesn't
> drop that much. The problem is lack of air flow.
>
> A conventional pedestal fan blows in such a direction that when it's
> placed as near as possible to a window, the fan blades are still quite a
> way from the cool air, and so the result is not as effective as it might
> be. If I could reverse the direction of flow, then I could also turn
> then fan around, so that the blades would be much closer to the window.
>
> I considered simply building a duct, but the cost of materials was
> excessive.
>
> I'm thinking of using box fans instead.
>
> Sylvia.

Sylvia's house where the fans don't blow, they suck.

==============================================================================
TOPIC: External Firewire CD Burner
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.electronics.repair/t/96c34c4034e31d45?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Fri, Feb 11 2011 10:00 pm
From: none@given.now (Joe)

Don,

It worked! Thanks for the info that made me bold enough to squeeze those
plastic pieces hard enough to get some of the "fingers" (tabs on
fingers(?)) to pop out of the grooves. See what follows for a few of my
comments interspersed about what you had said.

In article <ij4qe5$pob$1@speranza.aioe.org>, D Yuniskis
<not.going.to.be@seen.com> wrote:

> On 2/11/2011 3:25 PM, Joe wrote:
> > I have a Que Fire, model QPS-525. I would like to remove the Teac CD
> > burner and replace it with a bare Combo drive (CD Read/Write and DVD
> > Read). How do I open that plastic case that encloses the drive? The only
> > visible screws are very small ones on the back that look like they only
> > hold the on/off switch and the firewire ports to a black plastic panel.
> > Thanks.
>
> If it is similar to the other Que's that I've had, the
> "accent colored" pieces (wrap over each side and another
> on the front) snap off.

The third "accent colored" piece is on the back, but nothing really
different about its being there.

Once they are off, you'll understand
> how to *get* them off (catch-22) -- hard to explain, here.
> (putting them on, you kind of have to *hook* one half and
> then "stretch" the other half -- of each *piece* -- until
> it clicks into place)
>
> IIRC, once these are off, the top and bottom halves of the
> shell separate.
>

Nope, once I had the "accent colored" pieces off, the sumbitch was still
solidly held together. There are three tabs X 2 on the translucent
colorless halves, and they come apart in the same way that the other
pieces came off. But the front-most tabs on fingers were a real biyatch
to open, even though I had already honed my tab-releasing skills on the
preceding eight tabs. Holey moley, Batman!

> Just remember: plastic breaks!

Disassembled without breaking any of it! :)

>
> I can't recall the role of the screws you mentioned. Can't
> hurt to take them out *first* and see what else loosens up.
>

Didn't have to loosen those screws.

> You should probably test new drive cabled into the case
> *before* reassembling.

Absolutely! I have been playing with it for (mumble) some time now, and
some things work, others don't. The interesting thing is that my internal
CD DVD R & W won't read some data Maxell DVD-R's that *it* burned but the
DVD reader that is now in the Que Fire *will* read those DVD-R's.

>
> HTH,
> --don

And the whole operation only took like 15 minutes! Yeah, right, April Fool :)

--- Joe

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Bakelite Asbestos
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.electronics.repair/t/b0be07665d15373b?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Fri, Feb 11 2011 10:25 pm
From: John Robertson

Smitty Two wrote:
> In article <uvKdnefd0I0wgsnQnZ2dnUVZ_hCdnZ2d@giganews.com>,
> John Robertson <spam@flippers.com> wrote:
>
>> vjp2.at@at.BioStrategist.dot.dot.com wrote:
>>> By some accounts the original bakelite was up to half asbestos (which kind?
>>> WHite or blue?). I saw online some electrical outlets made of bakelite, and
>>> I
>>> was wondering if it really is bakelite, and if so if there is a new
>>> bakelite
>>> without asbestos? ANy clues?
>>>
>>>
>> Unless you are grinding the Bakelite product into a powder and snorting
>> it I'd not worry about it...
>>
>> John :-#)#
>
> The wikipedia article should answer the OPs questions, but I can tell
> you that machining phenolics is an easy way to produce snortable powder.
> Covers the every square inch of the entire shop with a very fine dust.

Granted but the original question was actually about old bakelite
outlets - I do not think he was going to be machining them - rather it
sounded like he wasn't sure if he should be concerned about them
containing asbestos. Hence my somewhat flippant answer.

John :-#)#

--
(Please post followups or tech enquiries to the newsgroup)
John's Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9
Call (604)872-5757 or Fax 872-2010 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
www.flippers.com
"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Washing machine motor won't start, bad triac ?
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.electronics.repair/t/96d2b3fb706b3e62?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Fri, Feb 11 2011 11:35 pm
From: Andre Majorel

On 2011-02-11, Jeffrey Angus <jangus@suddenlink.net> wrote:
> On 2/11/2011 2:32 PM, Andre Majorel wrote:
>> After reflowing everything on the controller board and reseating
>> the connectors it still won't work.
>>
>> The motor of the washing machine spins for a few degrees and
>> stops. You can get it to spin (slowly) by pulling on the belt
>> but only in one direction ! Lots of sparks inside the motor.
>>
>> The brushes are good and the motor seems mechanically fine.
>> I suspect the triac (ST BTB16 600CI). Plausible ?
>
> does the motor have a start capacitor and a centrifugal
> speed switch to disconnect it?

I thought that was mutually exclusive with having brushes.

--
André Majorel http://www.teaser.fr/~amajorel/
"The object of this year's expedition is to see if we can find
trace of last year's expedition."

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