Thread: Help please...electrical/electronic gurus

assuming you mean you just pulled he mains cord out of it and left it plugged onto the batteries you might be lucky and it will be the main power fuse that spiked.

Hardest thing about it will be pulling the case apart to get to the bugger.

have you tried a different power lead into the case (assuming that it uses one of the DIN computer type leads) or a different power out let just incase youve tripped the circut in the house wiring?

I used the lead again for something else afterthe spark..... no probs there.

Just take it back under warranty-it's not unreasonable that it was a fault with the unit and not something you have done - if you bought it from a big chain they'll normally replace it no questions asked.

A unit that price should have self protection against things like reverse polarity, high currents etc.

If that fails, I could take a look at it for you. There must be a way you can get it apart.
You say there was a spark where did it come from, the battery clips or inside the unit itself ? Any burning smells from the unit ? ( which normally is not good )

The spark was at the clips, no burning smell . I called Autobarn and they send them away...min 6 weeks and i need it back before that. Would really appreciate it if you coud take a look wayne.

ahh from the clips......

I thought he ment from the 240v plug...

my money says it will be an output transistor. (assuming its switch mode and not a transformer with a rectifier and choke)

Originally Posted by wardy1

The spark was at the clips, no burning smell . I called Autobarn and they send them away...min 6 weeks and i need it back before that. Would really appreciate it if you coud take a look wayne.

Go back to Autobarn and demand an exchange; 6weeks is not good enough.

Wont help you but
For a couple of days my wifes computer has been a pain to start, suspecting the power supply I pulled it today and fitted a newy. Within 30 seconds of starting it blew in a puff of smoke (well the smoke nearly filled the room and set off the smoke alarm), took it back to the supply and he tried to blame the computer (might be green but I aint cabbage looking), I told him what I thought and he reluctantly replaced it, refitted another newy and all works well. Moral of the story is even new can fail, I suspect by the smoke it had a faulty transformer winding.
cheers
blaze

It'll have an internal fuse. You just have to figure out how to get to it. Is it in one of those extruded type aluminium cases with a front and rear panel ? if so look for little screws on the side or underneath, undo em and the insides slide out. Did the same thing to mine, not a Projecta, and that all it was. What the point is of having a consumable part like a fuse sealed inside the unit beats me, but its not unusual

Deano