I think my ISY or PLM is dead!

[scotcarter]

This morning none of the programs I have set ran. Unplugged everything plugged back in but still no good.

I seem to have several issues I think.

   

1. One mobilinc doesn't connect with a message about Your ISY is not connected to our servers. I have a working internet connection and I can see the ISY from my PC.

  

 2. When I look at the ISY from my PC is says I am in safe mode. Not communicating with the PLM. Also when I click on programs I get, Could not open config file to read [CONF/INSTENG.OPG]. I restored an older backup but same thing happens.

 

 3. Should the LED on my PLM be on? It is not! I unpluged it held the button while plugging back in and continued to hold for 3 seconds to reset it. But the LED never came on.

 

Thanks in advance for helping me get my system back up!

[apostolakisl]

Safe mode is what happens when there is no PLM.

 

Odds are VERY high that it is your PLM.  Is it jut a bit over 2 years old?  They are programmed to self destruct just after the warranty.  They are made with a number of cheapo capacitors that burn out in just about exactly 26 months.

 

There are a number of threads on the forum, one fairly recent about this.  If you are skilled with electornics and soldering, you can fix it yourself per the parts list on that thread.

 

Also, UD is making their own PLM of high quality materials.  But that is no yet for sale.

 

EDIT:  Here is the thread

 

http://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/13866-repair-of-2413s-plm-when-the-power-supply-fails/

Edited August 29, 2014 by apostolakisl

[scotcarter]

Two years would be just about right! Thanks for the link, I will be replacing the caps myself. 

[Teken]

Two years would be just about right! Thanks for the link, I will be replacing the caps myself. 

 

I know lots of folks may be interested in your endeavor. So, would kindly ask that you try to document the steps and process to complete this undertaking. Guided pictures for the visually impaired is always welcomed! 

[apostolakisl]

I know lots of folks may be interested in your endeavor. So, would kindly ask that you try to document the steps and process to complete this undertaking. Guided pictures for the visually impaired is always welcomed! 

 

I ordered and received the parts.  I will do the soldering this weekend.  I'll take a few photos, but it isn't rocket science.  The thread lists which ones go in which spot (the pcb has all the caps numbered c1, c2, c3, etc).  Caps do have polarity, so you have to note which way they go before removing them so that you put the new ones in the same way.  Also, the one cap is substantially larger than the one it replaces, but I think it will still fit OK.

[Teken]

I ordered and received the parts.  I will do the soldering this weekend.  I'll take a few photos, but it isn't rocket science.  The thread lists which ones go in which spot (the pcb has all the caps numbered c1, c2, c3, etc).  Caps do have polarity, so you have to note which way they go before removing them so that you put the new ones in the same way.  Also, the one cap is substantially larger than the one it replaces, but I think it will still fit OK.

 

Looking forward to your surgery and follow up. Let the games begin and hope that little monster lives on for another five years!

[scotcarter]

Well find out! I just placed my order....

[Brian H]

The larger one is most likely C3.

Originally a 6.8uf 250 volt. My rough measurements is about 7mm diameter and 10mm tall.

 

The Kemet 10uf 400 volt from the specifications sheet is 10mm diameter and 19mm tall.

 

I have a Rubycon 10uf 400 volt in a order I have placed with MCM Electronics. Specification sheet says 10mm diameter 16mm tall. I will see how it fits.

 

The Serial Daughter Card is not in the C3 area so it can stick up fairly high into the top case if necessary.

Edited August 29, 2014 by Brian H

[apostolakisl]

The larger one is most likely C3.

Originally a 6.8uf 250 volt. My rough measurements is about 7mm diameter and 10mm tall.

 

The Kemet 10uf 400 volt from the specifications sheet is 10mm diameter and 19mm tall.

I have a Rubycon 10uf 400 volt in a order I have with MCM Electronics. Specification sheet says 10mm diameter 16mm tall. I will see how it fits.

The Serial Daughter Card is not in the C3 area so it can stick up fairly high into the top case if necessary.

Yes, the 400v one that replaces the 250v one is the one to which I refer.  The others are more or less the same size as the ones they replace.

[dstanley]

I would love it if someone would package and sell a 'kit' of the parts for us less fortunate (Canadian) neighbours. It is just too hard to find a reasonable costed parts for the amateur here in Canada. Any helpers!?

 

Dwight

[apostolakisl]

I would love it if someone would package and sell a 'kit' of the parts for us less fortunate (Canadian) neighbours. It is just too hard to find a reasonable costed parts for the amateur here in Canada. Any helpers!?

 

Dwight

 

Are you saying Mouser doesn't ship to Canada?  I just ordered $500 worth of parts and had them delivered to a factory in China using Mouser.

[apostolakisl]

Just repaired mine.  Sorry, I didn't take pictures, but I don't really think they would help.  Mine seems to be working for 10 minutes now.  My procedure.

 

Disclaimer:  Do at your own risk.  I am not a pro at this, just a hobby guy.  Following my directions should not be considered expert advice.

 

Stuff

1) Fine tipped soldering iron

2) sand paper

3) solder

4) flux

5) can of compressed air

6) the parts

7) Vice

Magnifying glass

9) Bright Light

 

Procedure

1) Dissemble unit

2) Put unit in vice, heat up soldering gun, clean solder iron tip on sandpaper (repeat this cleaning step often)

3) Melt solder on one prong, simultaneously blow off solder with compressed air

4) Do the other prong, remove from vice, and remove cap.

5) Place new cap in place checking polarity (written on board) and bend wires out a bit to hold in place

6) Put back in vice

7) touch a dab of flux on the solder tip and solder using very little solder.  Make sure to melt solder to hot board and wire, not from hot solder to board and wire.

repeat to other

9) wiggle wire back and forth till it breaks off at solder edge.

10) Repeat for the others.

11) Blow off entire board and carefully inspect for any solder flecks and clean them off. (the blown solder does not melt into the other components should it hit them, it just lightly sticks there and is easily removed.  But it will short stuff out if it is not removed.)

12) Reassemble

 

Done.

[dstanley]

Are you saying Mouser doesn't ship to Canada?

I just checked this out ... Yes mouser ships to Canada ... Parts are $3.03 and shipping is $20.00 ... I suppose if it worked it might be a a good backup for an $80 new PLM.

 

Dwight

[apostolakisl]

I just checked this out ... Yes mouser ships to Canada ... Parts are $3.03 and shipping is $20.00 ... I suppose if it worked it might be a a good backup for an $80 new PLM.

 

Dwight

 

I think I paid about $7 in shipping to TX.  The shipping would pretty much be the same whether you ordered one set or 20 sets, or maybe even 100 sets.  These caps could easily be put in a padded envelop and sent as regular mail for less than $1 (which mousser doesn't do).  But that would require someone ordering a bunch of them, putting them in envelops collecting money, and then mailing out to fellow forum members.  

[Brian H]

If your soldering iron has a plated tip. Just wipe it on a damp sponge and lightly tin it. Sanding a plated tip will remove the plating and shorten its life.

 

I would also recommend checking your can of air if you are going to blast the solder. I have seen some that use a flammable gas.

[Teken]

If your soldering iron has a plated tip. Just wipe it on a damp sponge and lightly tin it. Sanding a plated tip will remove the plating and shorten its life.

 

I would also recommend checking your can of air if you are going to blast the solder. I have seen some that use a flammable gas.

 

+1,

 

SOP is wiping the tip with a damp sponge and retinning it during and after use. This ensures rust does not take hold and damage the soldering iron tip. Using a solder sucker bulb, solder strip, or vacuum station is what most folks use. If you are using actual compressor with a blow gun be mindful of the water that may come out.

 

Unless you have a water filter like I do on my compressor.

 

I too would appreciate a care package of parts should anyone be willing to send it my way. I don't currently have a need for any parts as I have three brand new PLM's sitting in my back up drawer. But, wouldn't mind having the parts for that just in case opportunity and try my hand at this.

[apostolakisl]

I have one of those suckers.  I have found that air works better.  I normally use my air compressor, but it is on loan to my father in law.  The air compressor cleans the solder out of there like it is a brand new untouched pcb.

 

Not sure what company would put flammable gas in a air can.  That sound like a law suit waiting to happen.  They are supposed to have the non-ozone depleting refrigerant in them.

 

My soldering iron is cheap and the tip just needs to be sanded.  I only do this kind of stuff about 3 times per year, so I don't put much into the equipment . . . seeing as how this technique gives me soldering that looks better or equal to the factory.

 

EDIT:  Just read on wikipedia that the boiling liquid fluorinated carbons are flammable.  I gave it a try and indeed you can get ignition if you turn the can upside down and spray liquid into a flame.  Right side up, it doesn't ignite and in fact damn near blows out a high btu stove top burner. 

Edited August 30, 2014 by apostolakisl

[apostolakisl]

While we are on the topic of soldering up pcb's, has anyone repaired one of the old lamplincs with the bad diode in it?  I have a bunch of those that I wouldn't mind fixing if I had a part list and someone who confirmed that replacing that one diode would fix it.

[Brian H]

I have a soldering iron similar to yours. Has a unplated copper tip. You file or sand it back into shape and then tin it.

 

If you ever have a chance to look in some of the major electronic parts vendors catalogs. They sell CFC free canned air with and with out extremely flammable gas as the main ingredient. Mine has an added bitterant in it to discourage inhalant abuse.

 

I have not seen anyone finding the exact replacement for the Zener diode in the older LampLincs or ApplianceLincs.

Thirty volts. The size and wattage is what seems to be in question.

 

The newer Lamplinc HW 4.3 still has 30 volts on the main capacitor. D3 is now a glass body version.

 

Some of them had a physical marking of 30 then below it 15. Not sure if the 15 was a wattage code. I know they measure about 30 volts across a working one.

Edited August 30, 2014 by Brian H

[apostolakisl]

My repaired plm seems to be in good shape but it is kind of hard to really test.  I am not going to transfer over from my current plm to this one since that is kind of a big deal.  I factory reset both my old isy99 and the repaired plm and have linked them together.  but without any devices linked, I would not know if there was a corrupted table, which is always the first sign of a failing plm.  I can say the led is nice and bright and the isy 99 says the plm is working.

 

At this point, my assumption is these higher capacity, higher qualities caps are going to outlast my current factory plm.  But who knows?

 

It sure would be nice if someone could figure out a replacement part for that lamplinc diode.  I have like 4 or 5 of them that I could probably fix in 10 minutes.

[ravedog]

It be super awesome if someone did a nice photo step by step (ala iFixit on how to do this) visuals work great. I'd do it but I just got mine. Gonna give it 2 yrs and a day when it blows before tearing it up

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[scotcarter]

It's alive!!!!

I got a little excited and forgot to take photos as well but the steps listed on page 1 are right on. I did vary slightly so here is how I did it.

 

 1. Open the PLM and remove the daughter board.

 2. Take out the power supply board (larger one) and use some helping hands or a small vise to hold it.

 3. I used a soldering gun with a large tip. I did have a bowl with a wet pot scrapper laying in it to wipe off my tip.

 4. Get the gun hot and wipe the tip on the pot scrapper. Then on the back side of the board heat up the solder under the cap while prying slightly from the front. When the solder melts it will just pull right out.

 5. Next take your new cap and from the front place the tip of the positive lead (the long one) on the correct solder pad. Place the iron or gun on the cap lead near the board. When it gets hot the lead will just drop right through the board until the       negative lead touches.

 6. Do the same with the negative lead. Just as the negative leads passes into the board, I was able to get my guns tip to touch both leads and could just push the cap all the way down.

 7. Flip the board over, add a little more solder, break off remaining leads.

 8. Repeat for the remaining 4 caps and put back together.

 

Took me about 20 minutes and mu house is now smart again!!!

 

Thank you all for how to and parts list. 7 bucks beat 80 any day!

[Teken]

It's alive!!!!

I got a little excited and forgot to take photos as well but the steps listed on page 1 are right on. I did vary slightly so here is how I did it.

 

 1. Open the PLM and remove the daughter board.

 2. Take out the power supply board (larger one) and use some helping hands or a small vise to hold it.

 3. I used a soldering gun with a large tip. I did have a bowl with a wet pot scrapper laying in it to wipe off my tip.

 4. Get the gun hot and wipe the tip on the pot scrapper. Then on the back side of the board heat up the solder under the cap while prying slightly from the front. When the solder melts it will just pull right out.

 5. Next take your new cap and from the front place the tip of the positive lead (the long one) on the correct solder pad. Place the iron or gun on the cap lead near the board. When it gets hot the lead will just drop right through the board until the       negative lead touches.

 6. Do the same with the negative lead. Just as the negative leads passes into the board, I was able to get my guns tip to touch both leads and could just push the cap all the way down.

 7. Flip the board over, add a little more solder, break off remaining leads.

 8. Repeat for the remaining 4 caps and put back together.

 

Took me about 20 minutes and mu house is now smart again!!!

 

Thank you all for how to and parts list. 7 bucks beat 80 any day!

 

Rock On . . .

[arw01]

Be ordering the parts and see how it goes, have one PLM that died, another that is flakey and a quarter or more until I see a UDI PLM to buy and be done with this silliness!