You previously did a similar video on the 'Bye Bye Standby' switches, which I had a load of, and were all faulty. They had the same capacitor issues, so I bought a pack of 10 on eBay and got every switch working again. This was after I'd already emailed the company for help, and they weren't interested. You saved the day once again....
Thank you Clive! I have a set of four of these and last week one of them started to play up - eventually gave up switching altogether. After watching this i retrieved it from the back of the 'Fix it later' cupboard and took it apart, spot on Sir, it was the dropper capacitor, should have been reading 330nf, but was only just managing 125nf. Fitted a new 330nf capacitor and it now works again! (I also have to thank you for me having a spare 330nf capacitor in stock anyway - it was left over from a set of tungsten fairly lights that i had converted to led a couple of years back - another idea i got from your good self! So double thanks. Happy Christmas Clive, hope you have got some suitably dodgy alcoholic beverages to hand! :-)
Clive, these are LightwaveRF appliances - home automation - use the app or little white remote. currently selling for about £20 per plug in unit! So well worth the fix! Well done. And very useful to know!
*That raised a chuckle as you got out the same screwdriver set as I have sat on the desk just under the screen. Mine has a fetching yellow trim instead of the orange on yours. It's generically labeled Toolzone, and was bought from an Irish ebay seller. The Chinglish in the listing made me suspect they may not have had deep roots on the emerald isle.*
I showed my mum one of your videos and she started watching on her own...she is almost 70. Her absolute favorite is Fanny Flambeaux...she laughed so hard she snorked repeatedly which made her laugh even harder :) You may want to increase the incidents of blowing shite up though...my mum isn't as much a geek as I am.
A big U.K. operation like TK Maxx can’t skimp on electrical safety, they’d get crucified. Offshore sellers from the great rock candy mountain, ya take yer chances, they’ll vanish off EBay in a heartbeat if anything goes wrong, and pop straight back up with a new name. They’ve got used to it, some of the junk they sell to us can’t even be sold in China.
Hi Clive, I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for all your videos and shared knowledge over the years, I wish you and your family a fantastic Christmas and a Very Happy New Year 😊
Great video. I initially watched this about 6 months ago. The other day, one of my remote power switches failed, in fact, this one is used the most. Anyway, I changed the capacitor and all fixed! Thanks Big Clive. Love all your videos and the humour too! Phil in Cornwall.
Like your chanel. I find it very watchable. I bought a HOPI, and after checking that it worked OK, I turned the out-put socket round 90 degrees so that plugs wouldn't foul to clip-in terminals.
I have one of these plugs that I bought from maplins that is still functional. The remote for it however I've repaired twice, it's manufacturered in the most bizarre way. It has two PCB boards that are held together by 4 jumper leads and you've probably guessed by now. One of the repairs involved fixing a dry solder joint 😊👍
Several years ago when I was finishing grad school (I did a lot of warranty work for major electronic brands) I saw lots of similar issues on Panasonic plasma tv power supplies. They used a cap that was below spec (I was told because of procurement trouble with the correct one) and hoped it would work. (Spoiler, it didn’t work). Luckily it was simple to replace the 5-6 failed caps. Thanks for this content. All the best to you and yours!
John Coops sorry you feel that way. Actually there have been several manufacturers that have had this issue including Samsung, Panasonic and others. The Samsung issue was only a few years back (it was all over the tech news 7+ yrs ago) while the Panasonic issue I referenced was almost 15-20 yrs ago. While I no long do technically repair and instead design and evaluate (I am within a few years of retirement), I must respectfully disagree with you mainly because that was the explanation given directly from the manufacturer. Being a troll must be a horrible existence and I pity you truly. If you ever need to talk to someone without being hostile I’d gladly lend an ear. All the best to you and yours!
John Coops my apologies but your first rude comment could make anyone defensive. Questioning vocational ability in that statement is rude and was not necessary, just ask nicely. I realize it is very different than Clive’s video and why I thought of it was the issue with powering on and then a fail. Reminded me of the cap issue. Are you this unpleasant of a person when you are with customers? Or are you just a mouth with a keyboard? If so I am glad you are not an employee of mine. I was respectful to you as I am with all folks. Then you became even more of a troll. You are the one that should have just ask me nicely. Let’s end this interaction.
@@johncoops6897 "They used a cap that was below spec (I was told because of procurement trouble with the correct one) and hoped it would work. (Spoiler, it didn’t work)." There is enough propinquity in his post to make it an interesting historical footnote, I for one enjoyed his apriori on the subject; he had first hand knowledge of the event and circumstances.
I currently have 2 Panasonic and 2 Samsung plasma TVs in my garage which I have recently repaired the power supply boards on, by replacing capacitors, and/or MOSFETs. It's sad that people throw away a 64" TV because it needed a new 70c MOSFET, but the labour to have it repaired is more than it's worth
Thoroughly enjoy all of your videos Clive. Like the down to earth commentary on whatever you do and the occasional humour. I originally watched this particular video a while back. The other day, one of our remote power switches died. Sure enough, changing the cap, fixed it! Thanks for the entertainment.
My speculation about the small rectangular opening under the sticker is that they originally had the indicator light (or possibly the push button) in that area. But when they moved that (whichever) component to the side, they did not want to redo the mould. So the sticker was chosen for hiding the hole. As to the reduced capacitance, it is originally due to idea of burning enough of the metallizing around any pinhole to clear a short circuit. One or two such burns would not reduce the capacitance enough to be noticed. But if the insulating film is sub par (too thin or full of pin holes) and maybe operated at a slight over voltage, then there is a cumulative deterioration. And large drop of capacitance.
I don't think it would make sense to put an indicator or switch there, since it is on the back of the unit (against the wall) when it's plugged in, and thus not visible or accessible at all. My suspicion is that those two contact points actually connect to the I2C bus for the memory chip, so during manufacture (before the sticker is applied) they can access the memory chip via that hole to program a unique code into the device (and its corresponding transmitter) after it's fully assembled and tested.
With those I always try to add a series resistor and a MOV after the resistor, to clamp those spikes down and prolong capacitor life. 100R 1W fusible resistor, and a small 7mm 275VAC MOV is typical, and makes the dropper last a lot longer.
@@NeuronalAxon Just for the capacitive dropper side, to reduce the self healing from having to deal with all the mains spikes. Nothing for the load, it has to deal with it separately.
I visited Hershey PA USA back in the 60's when they still refined the cocoa on site (you can guess why they can't anymore). The smell was pretty pervasive on that side of town. The funny thing is that they start off with decent quality stocks, but then process it to be shelf stable beyond the next apocalypse which is why the US palate tends to favor too sweet, hard, waxy chocolates. UGH. Most Brit grocery candy is better than our cr*p.
My daughter is in hotel management. She used to run a small motel about a mile out of town. They had problems with their flat screen televisions, seems they only lasted about six months then died. Well they found this guy in a neighboring town some 100 miles east of here who knew which diode or capacitor it was that was failing, so every time one of the sets went down, the fix-it man for the motel would haul one or two over to that town, drop the units off then go visit his brother who lived there. A couple hours later he would return to pick them up, pay the fellow 100 bucks per unit and haul them back to the Motel, where they would run for another 6 to 8 months. Sure a lot cheaper then buying new TV sets for each room every 5 to 8 months. The guy said it was always the same component on every television. Must have been part of the planned obsolescence.
Many mechanics learn this after cross threading just one high pressure fitting or spark plug. Some have someone else teach them the trick before they have to hard learn it.
The problem I've had on two of these (I was using in my workshop) is that the relay contacts stick shut. Give the unit a bash and it will work again for a while. The problem is probably caused by having something connected which has a large inrush current. I suspect a fluorescent light on my magnifier unit, to be the culprit.
Indeed. Power factor correction by adding a capacitor over the inductive load creates this. I've seen it happen while trying to switch the motor of a ventilator unit. That I solved by adding a small series resistor that dissipates less than a watt in normal use.
@@Okurka. Paul uses very little. Louis uses tonnes. Paul kept telling Louis he was using too much, so Louis started calling his big pool of flux a "microPaul".
I wish you’d tested the new capacitor before soldering it in place. Just would have been satisfying to see the correct numbers. Merry Xmas Clive and thanks for all your videos.
JSJS designs is a UK manufacturer that sell those items under the LightwaveRF brand. They were also sold branded Siemens. I have those plugs plus the light switches all over my house. It's quite good kit.
Hold the button in for more than 3 seconds to allow it to sync to the transmitter. Two pins through the hole is a factory reset if its anything like mine. Thanks for this vid Clive - mine are getting in a bit, so when they fail, I now know what to do - repair is always better than replace.
There is a company in the U.S.A. called American science and surplus, or something like that but they send out a little catalog with off the wall stuff in it, and the product descriptions are funny as hell, your screw driver set looks like the one they sold as the "Warranty voider's tool kit" LOL great video.
'More than enough explosives to blow the shit out of stuff.' If you weren't on a list already, you are now. Who are we kidding tho. You've been surveilled for years...
Well since nobody else has hazarded a guess yet I'm going with metal film capacitor failure. It also looks like the zener diode or related circuitry is pulling a night light situation where it takes the same power at all times so it doesn't matter if it's in use or not, power-wise.
The consumption would not change because of the zenner diode inside. The current will remain constant no matter what the device does. A very well made device, I am impressed!
I love that accent or whatever it was at 16:15. Quite amazing. And tbh, I would enjoy seeing content like this and content that involves things going boom at times.
Thank you Big Clive. Awesome. Yes, that was very useful. We didn't dive too far into the circuitry but I was noting the Capacitive Dropper with the "Full Bridge Rectifier" was interesting with the Zener Diode as a point of interest. Personally, I don't think you ever have to pause the video after saying "one moment please". There's something about just hanging out while you make noises in your shop that's sort of like just sitting there with a Ginger Beer and hanging out. :-D
DiodeGoneWild does some deliberate booms, if that's your thing. "Chips usually fail by staying on, so let's replace this chip with a giant solder blob and see what the LiIon cell does in the circuit." ruclips.net/video/CYBnEGYWgz4/видео.html Now why is that whenever I like an Andrew Yang video, RUclips recommends I review Sex with Ducks? ruclips.net/video/EXPcBI4CJc8/видео.html
I wonder how many of these items contain used capacitors. Why an X2 for this application unless it is used or failed testing... especially when it has black marker stripes on it.
@@someguy2741 Because they won't short out if they fail, making the device safer to use. I wouldn't think parts in that price range would be reused. Electrolytics yeah, but not those, but please prove me wrong, would be interesting.
1:15 Nope - I've got the same screwdriver set - no label! Bought mine as an impulse buy when I was at the till of a DIY shop. Cost me €7.00 and I never thought for a moment it would become the best screwdriver set I'd ever owned. If you ever see one, buy it!
I bought a similar set of these from walmart 8 years ago just this year the remote to them the button was sticky. A few million button press's later it's all good. Well done, cheers from both vehicles need radiators kansas.
Hi bigClive I recently went to a resale shop and found the mate to quartz heater you recently uploaded the teardown. It's the same thing but in a USB fan version. I posted pictures to your Facebook page...
Do you send appliances back after you fix them? Also I'd like to appreciate the fact that you're ok with us skipping through your videos (not that I'd ever do that) and talking in our native languages, most youtubers seem to forget the sprit of the internet, regarding these things. Cheers!
I recently bought a set of bits like you have. I had no clue what the funny flat blade bits with the cutout were for. Thanks for educating me. No wonder you are on AvE's recommended channel list!
I have one of these from BandyQ 3-set that has failed. There was a recall on them due to self-ignition issues, but I just put an 'X' on mine and chucked it into the round-tuit box; the others still haven't caught fire. I never thought of caps failing like that, now I know, I'll fix it.
I once repaired a fridge where the only fault was that the dropper cap of the control unit had failed. It used (I believe from memory) a single 1 uF cap. But conveniently there were footprints for two caps in parallel. So I put in two 470 nF caps, of different brands, to hedge my bets. Has worked since, from what I've heard.
Why do you think this 'failing low C' is so common in this type of dropper, when the cap is not really under much stress I wouldn't have thought here.... poor quality or seconds caps ? I notice that cap has one or two big black 'strikes' across it....
I reckon Clive should mug up on capacitors and do a video special on them. I always thought that old electrolytics dried out their electrolyte, so degradation was inevitable. But modern types (eg non-polarity conscious capacitors) shouldn't be so prone to slow death IMHO. There is much to learn.
Spikes on the line exceeding the dielectric breakdown voltage of the cap and blowing some of the metal off the film each time would be my guess. Safety caps are designed to fail that way, because it's safe. Safety caps in all safety cap type applications probably do this, it's just that they're value critical in a dropper supply and not in their other roles.
@@johncoops6897 I've seen two 'back-to-back' (ie. non-polar) high voltage electrolytics used in this position ... does anybody have any thoughts on the merits of this?
I wonder if that little hole in the back would be for a little recessed reset button on a different model or something? Although, I think your idea of using it as test points while assembly makes sense too.
For opening Holes when you removed a Component You might use a simple Toothpick. The Wood of the Toothpick can stand the heat quite well and they are easily available almost everywhere. I have answered in English even you said at 13:25 it is ok for you to answer in my native Language ( German ) assuming more people we be able to understand my Comments.
That's actually a fantastic idea! I hate component replacement because of the solder left in the hole! if I could poke a toothpick through, that'd be great!
Sewing needles work well too, as they are usually stainless steel which solder doesn't want to stick to. Then you can just wiggle it around gently and the hole is clear for the new component
My name is also Ian and I had what's probably the exact same problem with a similar remote switch unit on or around December 21. If I'd watched this when it came out, maybe it would have been fixed in time to avoid reaching behind the Christmas tree to turn the lights on and off.
That bit of Clive's video gave me a wave of nostalgia. A very long time ago (1969-1971) I worked in the Control Tower at Brussels airport and lived in Zaventem. The smell from the chocolate factory down the road permeated the air. After a few weeks I got used to it. I wonder if the fabriek is still there. Recently I tried to look Zaventem up on Google Earth, but can barely recognise the place - it has grown so much. Belgian beer is amazing. I also learned to eat frites met mayonnaise, and am no longer British...
If that factory still exist, I'm afraid that I can't help with that. Probebly someone bougth it and integrate it with some other facotery. But now here in Belgium tje chcolateshops are big bisness.
1 FemtoPaul of flux is an appropriate amount of flux. Also, I like when things don't go boom because it means you took precautions and everything worked. If things accidentally go boom, that's fine, but making boom just to make boom is not good in my opinion.
@@johncrowerdoe5527 This is true. I was more referring to making electronics boom just to make boom. If you have some firecrackers or what not or something is genuinely faulty and is going to pop without you forcing it, that's a completely different situation and I'm fine with those booms.
These switches are sold under the LightWaveRF brand, and there's a full range of remote control devices available including dimmers and boiler switches. I use three of these to remotely switch my Christmas light display outside our house.
Have you done an in-depth video on a capacitive droppers? They seem pretty ubiquitous but i don’t fully understand how there sized and how they work. 👍
I've binned quite alot of these in the past couple of years. But i still buy these cheap sets often since i like remoting all my lights. For all the money spend i could probably buy decent ones though.
Good video I Like RF-related issues with me being a ham. The frequency that is on 433.92 we share that band 70-centimeter wavelength & I just tuned there & I can hear pulsing so an unusable frequency for long distant contacts. We cannot complain as we have 10 MHz bandwidth allocation on low band UHF & we are secondary users on there but, the band is getting congested with all these gadgets.. Thanks.
Suzy Wafels - the company that originally made these was owned by Silvain Tack, a colorful Flemish entrepeneur that also ran "pirate radio station" Radio Mi Amigo that advertised these all the time in the seventies.
hey @bigclivedotcom, i cant remeber if u covered these candles on ur channel before but in sainsburys, they got candles that with like gel surrounding the candle cup , when you light up the candle the lights light up when you light the candle, maybe a candle for you too look into , "exclusive sainsburys my stars light up when lit" just a idea :)
I'm slowly filling my house with them, good stuff. Support is good too, had an old 200 series fail and even though it's not in production any more thay rummaged about in the bins and found 400 series replacement for me. They also have a few of the wirefree switches about when I can afford them. Things that aren't in the new smart series that I will really miss. Reasons not to upgrade ;)
Just a thought on that covered window in the front panel - Don't suppose it was for an 'activity' light by any chance? - A small LED on those two pads that might flash when the remote control is activated, or possibly to confirm 'pairing' of the remote and socket unit? - A featured that might have been discontinued to save a few pennies on an LED and a small lens, or an option that was never implemented. - Just a couple of ideas as to what it might have been for. So, there goes our Clive again, anti-tampering with with far eastern commerce by mending things that weren't meant to be mended!
Wishing you a very merry Xmas Clive, I hope it's safe and enjoyable, thanks for all your videos they give me a great deal of pleasure, I learn a few tricks too..
You previously did a similar video on the 'Bye Bye Standby' switches, which I had a load of, and were all faulty.
They had the same capacitor issues, so I bought a pack of 10 on eBay and got every switch working again.
This was after I'd already emailed the company for help, and they weren't interested.
You saved the day once again....
Thank you Clive! I have a set of four of these and last week one of them started to play up - eventually gave up switching altogether. After watching this i retrieved it from the back of the 'Fix it later' cupboard and took it apart, spot on Sir, it was the dropper capacitor, should have been reading 330nf, but was only just managing 125nf. Fitted a new 330nf capacitor and it now works again! (I also have to thank you for me having a spare 330nf capacitor in stock anyway - it was left over from a set of tungsten fairly lights that i had converted to led a couple of years back - another idea i got from your good self! So double thanks. Happy Christmas Clive, hope you have got some suitably dodgy alcoholic beverages to hand! :-)
I would never skip through your videos, but I'm mostly here to listen to you talk so I can relax. The fact it's highly educational is just a bonus.
Shouldn't that bit set be a "tamper kit", rather than anti-tamper.. 😀
Perhaps "anti-tamper tamper kit"?
@@soundspark A bit like missiles?!
"pro-tamper"
I don't know but I do wonder if the lid for it should be held shut by an anti-tamper screw to stop it from being used to abuse.
This is the re-record where he removed the C4 trap and spring loaded nail bomb. He just likes to understate his videos.
Clive i would never skip to the end of your videos. You're way too entertaining for that.
Clive, Ralf and all the fellow viewers.
MERRY CHRISTMAS 🎉🌲 and have a great new year.
Hi Clive. Just to thank you. I've repaired
3 of these over Christmas. Thanks to your video and even bought another faulty one knowing I can fix it.
Clive, these are LightwaveRF appliances - home automation - use the app or little white remote. currently selling for about £20 per plug in unit! So well worth the fix! Well done. And very useful to know!
*That raised a chuckle as you got out the same screwdriver set as I have sat on the desk just under the screen. Mine has a fetching yellow trim instead of the orange on yours. It's generically labeled Toolzone, and was bought from an Irish ebay seller. The Chinglish in the listing made me suspect they may not have had deep roots on the emerald isle.*
I showed my mum one of your videos and she started watching on her own...she is almost 70.
Her absolute favorite is Fanny Flambeaux...she laughed so hard she snorked repeatedly which made her laugh even harder :)
You may want to increase the incidents of blowing shite up though...my mum isn't as much a geek as I am.
True anti tamper- left hand thread, right hand head. That’ll stop emm!
Wonder how do you assemble that. No such thing as untamperable. Ask the Lockpickin gLawyer.
The first click of the relay combined with the the red to blue switching is extremely satisfying
Yes!
12:12 Your Electroboom reference was appreciated yet painful at the same time.
That's actually well made, most would skip shutters and temperature fuse
A big U.K. operation like TK Maxx can’t skimp on electrical safety, they’d get crucified. Offshore sellers from the great rock candy mountain, ya take yer chances, they’ll vanish off EBay in a heartbeat if anything goes wrong, and pop straight back up with a new name. They’ve got used to it, some of the junk they sell to us can’t even be sold in China.
America could learn something here.
These are LightwaveRF switches - they do a whole range of home automation kit. UK based.
Hi Clive,
I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for all your videos and shared knowledge over the years, I wish you and your family a fantastic Christmas and a Very Happy New Year 😊
I always enjoy it when Clive says he buys things from TK Maxx. He pays my wages. :o)
there's a mostly clothing store in the US called TJ Maxx, is there any relation?
@@Polite_Cat Yes, same company. Just in Europe it's TK.
They called it TK here because they were worried it would confuse people due to the existing (and now defunct) TJ Hughes.
I like the funky housewares, some nice uninhibited designing going on there.
Great video. I initially watched this about 6 months ago. The other day, one of my remote power switches failed, in fact, this one is used the most. Anyway, I changed the capacitor and all fixed! Thanks Big Clive. Love all your videos and the humour too! Phil in Cornwall.
I’m glad you made this video. I have never had any of these go bad but now I know what to do if it goes bad.
Everytime I watch a Big Clive video that doesn't contain an explosion: "Where was the earth shattering kaboom?"
"It will give me a sun tan when it explodes" - EEVBlog.
These diodes are full bridge rectal fire!... Great Scott
FULL BRIDGE RECTIFIER! Great humor from our electronics Bob Ross. I love to learn from you Big Clive!
Thanks from Colorado, I enjoyed the power factor discussion and the treat reward for a repair well done. Merry Christmas.
Like your chanel. I find it very watchable. I bought a HOPI, and after checking that it worked OK, I turned the out-put socket round 90 degrees so that plugs wouldn't foul to clip-in terminals.
I have one of these plugs that I bought from maplins that is still functional. The remote for it however I've repaired twice, it's manufacturered in the most bizarre way.
It has two PCB boards that are held together by 4 jumper leads and you've probably guessed by now. One of the repairs involved fixing a dry solder joint 😊👍
Several years ago when I was finishing grad school (I did a lot of warranty work for major electronic brands) I saw lots of similar issues on Panasonic plasma tv power supplies. They used a cap that was below spec (I was told because of procurement trouble with the correct one) and hoped it would work. (Spoiler, it didn’t work). Luckily it was simple to replace the 5-6 failed caps.
Thanks for this content. All the best to you and yours!
John Coops sorry you feel that way. Actually there have been several manufacturers that have had this issue including Samsung, Panasonic and others. The Samsung issue was only a few years back (it was all over the tech news 7+ yrs ago) while the Panasonic issue I referenced was almost 15-20 yrs ago. While I no long do technically repair and instead design and evaluate (I am within a few years of retirement), I must respectfully disagree with you mainly because that was the explanation given directly from the manufacturer.
Being a troll must be a horrible existence and I pity you truly. If you ever need to talk to someone without being hostile I’d gladly lend an ear.
All the best to you and yours!
John Coops my apologies but your first rude comment could make anyone defensive. Questioning vocational ability in that statement is rude and was not necessary, just ask nicely. I realize it is very different than Clive’s video and why I thought of it was the issue with powering on and then a fail. Reminded me of the cap issue. Are you this unpleasant of a person when you are with customers? Or are you just a mouth with a keyboard? If so I am glad you are not an employee of mine. I was respectful to you as I am with all folks. Then you became even more of a troll. You are the one that should have just ask me nicely. Let’s end this interaction.
@@johncoops6897 "They used a cap that was below spec (I was told because of procurement trouble with the correct one) and hoped it would work. (Spoiler, it didn’t work)."
There is enough propinquity in his post to make it an interesting historical footnote, I for one enjoyed his apriori on the subject; he had first hand knowledge of the event and circumstances.
I currently have 2 Panasonic and 2 Samsung plasma TVs in my garage which I have recently repaired the power supply boards on, by replacing capacitors, and/or MOSFETs. It's sad that people throw away a 64" TV because it needed a new 70c MOSFET, but the labour to have it repaired is more than it's worth
Thankfully that “John Coops” guy shut the f*ck up
Thoroughly enjoy all of your videos Clive. Like the down to earth commentary on whatever you do and the occasional humour. I originally watched this particular video a while back. The other day, one of our remote power switches died. Sure enough, changing the cap, fixed it! Thanks for the entertainment.
My speculation about the small rectangular opening under the sticker is that they originally had the indicator light (or possibly the push button) in that area. But when they moved that (whichever) component to the side, they did not want to redo the mould. So the sticker was chosen for hiding the hole.
As to the reduced capacitance, it is originally due to idea of burning enough of the metallizing around any pinhole to clear a short circuit. One or two such burns would not reduce the capacitance enough to be noticed. But if the insulating film is sub par (too thin or full of pin holes) and maybe operated at a slight over voltage, then there is a cumulative deterioration. And large drop of capacitance.
I don't think it would make sense to put an indicator or switch there, since it is on the back of the unit (against the wall) when it's plugged in, and thus not visible or accessible at all.
My suspicion is that those two contact points actually connect to the I2C bus for the memory chip, so during manufacture (before the sticker is applied) they can access the memory chip via that hole to program a unique code into the device (and its corresponding transmitter) after it's fully assembled and tested.
LOL ! you're trying to emulate ElectroBoom voice on the "full bridge rectifier". Epic !
Honestly you're the best RUclipsr ever. Always said you deserve way more subs
With those I always try to add a series resistor and a MOV after the resistor, to clamp those spikes down and prolong capacitor life. 100R 1W fusible resistor, and a small 7mm 275VAC MOV is typical, and makes the dropper last a lot longer.
With what kind of loads?
What's an MOV. Is it the same as a VDR (Voltage dependent resistor) ?
@@NeuronalAxon Just for the capacitive dropper side, to reduce the self healing from having to deal with all the mains spikes. Nothing for the load, it has to deal with it separately.
@@geoffbirkinshaw8466 Metal Oxide Varistor, Voltage dependant resistor, similar enough, all are ceramic constructions that clamp overvoltage.
@@SeanBZA Thanks, I should have realised , I have got several in a component draw marked "Varistors"
I visited a location near the Lindt factory in Germany, the smell was amazing.
I visited Hershey PA USA back in the 60's when they still refined the cocoa on site (you can guess why they can't anymore). The smell was pretty pervasive on that side of town. The funny thing is that they start off with decent quality stocks, but then process it to be shelf stable beyond the next apocalypse which is why the US palate tends to favor too sweet, hard, waxy chocolates. UGH. Most Brit grocery candy is better than our cr*p.
My daughter is in hotel management. She used to run a small motel about a mile out of town. They had problems with their flat screen televisions, seems they only lasted about six months then died. Well they found this guy in a neighboring town some 100 miles east of here who knew which diode or capacitor it was that was failing, so every time one of the sets went down, the fix-it man for the motel would haul one or two over to that town, drop the units off then go visit his brother who lived there. A couple hours later he would return to pick them up, pay the fellow 100 bucks per unit and haul them back to the Motel, where they would run for another 6 to 8 months. Sure a lot cheaper then buying new TV sets for each room every 5 to 8 months. The guy said it was always the same component on every television. Must have been part of the planned obsolescence.
I like how you turn the screws counterclockwise to find the beginning of the threads =)
Many mechanics learn this after cross threading just one high pressure fitting or spark plug.
Some have someone else teach them the trick before they have to hard learn it.
backthreading is just (un)common sense ;D
The problem I've had on two of these (I was using in my workshop) is that the relay contacts stick shut. Give the unit a bash and it will work again for a while. The problem is probably caused by having something connected which has a large inrush current. I suspect a fluorescent light on my magnifier unit, to be the culprit.
Indeed. Power factor correction by adding a capacitor over the inductive load creates this. I've seen it happen while trying to switch the motor of a ventilator unit. That I solved by adding a small series resistor that dissipates less than a watt in normal use.
@@blaap NTC inrush limiter from old PC power supplies works well for things under 400VA, and is easy to get.
@12:13 - "Full bridge rectifier!" :D
Love that solder-wick. Makes the pads totally clean, tinned and ready to solder.
a femtopaul of flux... well louis is a living meme...
@@Okurka.
Paul uses very little. Louis uses tonnes. Paul kept telling Louis he was using too much, so Louis started calling his big pool of flux a "microPaul".
Well done for finding the fault Clive ~ I’m glad it arrived intact.
Hi Ian. I was trying to find your email to send the unit back to you. Can you get in touch again?
I wish you’d tested the new capacitor before soldering it in place. Just would have been satisfying to see the correct numbers. Merry Xmas Clive and thanks for all your videos.
JSJS designs is a UK manufacturer that sell those items under the LightwaveRF brand. They were also sold branded Siemens. I have those plugs plus the light switches all over my house. It's quite good kit.
Hold the button in for more than 3 seconds to allow it to sync to the transmitter. Two pins through the hole is a factory reset if its anything like mine. Thanks for this vid Clive - mine are getting in a bit, so when they fail, I now know what to do - repair is always better than replace.
Man , u should really do ASMR Electrician videos , your video was so chill i relaxed like crazy plus i learned new things.
There is a company in the U.S.A. called American science and surplus, or something like that but they send out a little catalog with off the wall stuff in it, and the product descriptions are funny as hell, your screw driver set looks like the one they sold as the "Warranty voider's tool kit" LOL great video.
'More than enough explosives to blow the shit out of stuff.'
If you weren't on a list already, you are now.
Who are we kidding tho. You've been surveilled for years...
i never skip your vid because if i find it`s not for me i dont watch have a freat weekend
thank you
Well since nobody else has hazarded a guess yet I'm going with metal film capacitor failure. It also looks like the zener diode or related circuitry is pulling a night light situation where it takes the same power at all times so it doesn't matter if it's in use or not, power-wise.
New Year's Resolution for Clive - make more things go BOOM!
The consumption would not change because of the zenner diode inside. The current will remain constant no matter what the device does. A very well made device, I am impressed!
love the video's that you actually repair items!
I have a fair few of these! Nice to see the fix video Incase any of mine develop the same fault in the future. Many thanks Big Clive.
I love that accent or whatever it was at 16:15. Quite amazing. And tbh, I would enjoy seeing content like this and content that involves things going boom at times.
For those who want more "boom", watch Electroboom. I find Clive to be good enough.
Actually, Clive did an Electroboom call back with the FULL BRIDGE RECTIFIER thing.
Great video as always Clive.
Thank you Big Clive. Awesome. Yes, that was very useful. We didn't dive too far into the circuitry but I was noting the Capacitive Dropper with the "Full Bridge Rectifier" was interesting with the Zener Diode as a point of interest.
Personally, I don't think you ever have to pause the video after saying "one moment please". There's something about just hanging out while you make noises in your shop that's sort of like just sitting there with a Ginger Beer and hanging out. :-D
Also, what sort of accent was that when you say "More than enough explosives to blow the shit out of stuff"? Sounds like from a movie.
please make some more booms, mr dotcom
Matthew Shaw Electroboom for boom, Big Clive for accidental boom. :)
DiodeGoneWild does some deliberate booms, if that's your thing. "Chips usually fail by staying on, so let's replace this chip with a giant solder blob and see what the LiIon cell does in the circuit." ruclips.net/video/CYBnEGYWgz4/видео.html
Now why is that whenever I like an Andrew Yang video, RUclips recommends I review Sex with Ducks? ruclips.net/video/EXPcBI4CJc8/видео.html
Happy holidays / Merry Christmas, Clive :)
Or as we say over here: God Jul
It's always the metal film cap, no matter the design, brand or country it's sold in.
I wonder how many of these items contain used capacitors. Why an X2 for this application unless it is used or failed testing... especially when it has black marker stripes on it.
@@someguy2741 Because they won't short out if they fail, making the device safer to use. I wouldn't think parts in that price range would be reused. Electrolytics yeah, but not those, but please prove me wrong, would be interesting.
It's not connected directly across the mains, the fusible resistor protects it so it doesn't need to be X2.
there are capacitors for use as "capacitor dropper", they are differend from x2 "across the mains". probably they'll last longer
Good autopsy and the patient lived. Excellent.
Thank you Clive..All fascinating and useful stuff. Have a great festive break and look forward to seeing you back in 2020 ..
I'm one person who skips your videos and I apologize, but sometimes, I haven't enough time to watch the entirely video
Greetings from Argentina
Skipping through my videos is fine. It lets you cram in more videos to your free time.
1:15 Nope - I've got the same screwdriver set - no label! Bought mine as an impulse buy when I was at the till of a DIY shop. Cost me €7.00 and I never thought for a moment it would become the best screwdriver set I'd ever owned. If you ever see one, buy it!
I bought a similar set of these from walmart 8 years ago just this year the remote to them the button was sticky. A few million button press's later it's all good. Well done, cheers from both vehicles need radiators kansas.
Well I'll be!! For once Clive doesn't destroy a device! Excellent! 😁😁👍👍
And wish you a very happy Holidays! ☃️☃️🎄🎄
Since you don´t mind comments in other languages: Schöne Grüße aus Deutschland! :)
Und gute Grüße auch an dich.
Hi bigClive I recently went to a resale shop and found the mate to quartz heater you recently uploaded the teardown. It's the same thing but in a USB fan version. I posted pictures to your Facebook page...
Do you send appliances back after you fix them? Also I'd like to appreciate the fact that you're ok with us skipping through your videos (not that I'd ever do that) and talking in our native languages, most youtubers seem to forget the sprit of the internet, regarding these things. Cheers!
@16:14 uncle clive gets himself on a list. if he wasn't on already.
I recently bought a set of bits like you have. I had no clue what the funny flat blade bits with the cutout were for. Thanks for educating me. No wonder you are on AvE's recommended channel list!
SunTans are my favourite poly caps. Nice weight, smooth satisfying texture (probably nylon?) and quality stuff.
I have one of these from BandyQ 3-set that has failed. There was a recall on them due to self-ignition issues, but I just put an 'X' on mine and chucked it into the round-tuit box; the others still haven't caught fire. I never thought of caps failing like that, now I know, I'll fix it.
I once repaired a fridge where the only fault was that the dropper cap of the control unit had failed. It used (I believe from memory) a single 1 uF cap. But conveniently there were footprints for two caps in parallel. So I put in two 470 nF caps, of different brands, to hedge my bets. Has worked since, from what I've heard.
The screwdriver set is made by Blackspur - I have the same one.
Cheapskates
@@ashbashbaby2 Indeed. The Ifixit Kit as absolutely amazing, yet not the cheapest.
Why do you think this 'failing low C' is so common in this type of dropper, when the cap is not really under much stress I wouldn't have thought here.... poor quality or seconds caps ? I notice that cap has one or two big black 'strikes' across it....
I reckon Clive should mug up on capacitors and do a video special on them. I always thought that old electrolytics dried out their electrolyte, so degradation was inevitable. But modern types (eg non-polarity conscious capacitors) shouldn't be so prone to slow death IMHO. There is much to learn.
Spikes on the line exceeding the dielectric breakdown voltage of the cap and blowing some of the metal off the film each time would be my guess. Safety caps are designed to fail that way, because it's safe. Safety caps in all safety cap type applications probably do this, it's just that they're value critical in a dropper supply and not in their other roles.
@@Broken_Yugo
Don't forget good old fashioned cheap manufacturing resulting in not quite on spec products and higher than you'd like failure rates.
@@johncoops6897 I've seen two 'back-to-back' (ie. non-polar) high voltage electrolytics used in this position ... does anybody have any thoughts on the merits of this?
Using "Pauls" of flux, somebody has been watching Louis Rossmann /the Rossmann group computer repair channel hehe 👍
Those shell candies are very good. I usually get mine from Lidl.
Zalige kerst en een gelukkig nieuwjaar
I wonder if that little hole in the back would be for a little recessed reset button on a different model or something?
Although, I think your idea of using it as test points while assembly makes sense too.
For opening Holes when you removed a Component You might use a simple Toothpick. The Wood of the Toothpick can stand the heat quite well and they are easily available almost everywhere. I have answered in English even you said at 13:25 it is ok for you to answer in my native Language ( German ) assuming more people we be able to understand my Comments.
можете пожалуйста говорить по русскому языку))))
@@OscarSturgess Leider verstehe ich kein Russisch :-(
That's actually a fantastic idea!
I hate component replacement because of the solder left in the hole! if I could poke a toothpick through, that'd be great!
Sewing needles work well too, as they are usually stainless steel which solder doesn't want to stick to. Then you can just wiggle it around gently and the hole is clear for the new component
GENIUS
Thanks Clive, I have three dead ones and two have duff capacitors. I will fix them soon, probably buy the caps from RS rather than ebay. Cheers.
My name is also Ian and I had what's probably the exact same problem with a similar remote switch unit on or around December 21. If I'd watched this when it came out, maybe it would have been fixed in time to avoid reaching behind the Christmas tree to turn the lights on and off.
Belgian chocolates. Still the best. Just like our beers.
When is the next tattoo 2020-2021?
That bit of Clive's video gave me a wave of nostalgia. A very long time ago (1969-1971) I worked in the Control Tower at Brussels airport and lived in Zaventem. The smell from the chocolate factory down the road permeated the air. After a few weeks I got used to it. I wonder if the fabriek is still there. Recently I tried to look Zaventem up on Google Earth, but can barely recognise the place - it has grown so much. Belgian beer is amazing. I also learned to eat frites met mayonnaise, and am no longer British...
If that factory still exist, I'm afraid that I can't help with that. Probebly someone bougth it and integrate it with some other facotery.
But now here in Belgium tje chcolateshops are big bisness.
既然你喺段片入面叫人用母語留言，咁我就留一條俾你睇下啦 [sosad]
可能因為香港係用緊英式三腳插同埋啲電力條例係跟英國，所以每次睇你啲片都有啲親切感haha
It's Cantonese. Good luck finding an accurate translator for that!
1 FemtoPaul of flux is an appropriate amount of flux.
Also, I like when things don't go boom because it means you took precautions and everything worked. If things accidentally go boom, that's fine, but making boom just to make boom is not good in my opinion.
Your opinion is duly noted even if not requested.
Making boom just to make boom is good if you're a pyrotechnician, it's new years eve or you are celebrating the capture of that terrorist guy.
@@johncrowerdoe5527 This is true. I was more referring to making electronics boom just to make boom. If you have some firecrackers or what not or something is genuinely faulty and is going to pop without you forcing it, that's a completely different situation and I'm fine with those booms.
You want BOOM? - electroBOOM wants ya!
11:14 brought a smile here, too.
Have you ever done video narration or audio books. You have a great voice.
These switches are sold under the LightWaveRF brand, and there's a full range of remote control devices available including dimmers and boiler switches. I use three of these to remotely switch my Christmas light display outside our house.
Have you done an in-depth video on a capacitive droppers? They seem pretty ubiquitous but i don’t fully understand how there sized and how they work. 👍
You could try searching Clive's videos, I see a couple: ruclips.net/user/bigclivedotcomsearch?query=capacitive+dropper
They show up everywhere a cheap, inefficient power supply is needed and excuseable :(
Berkeloid thanks 🙏
A capacitor has an equivalent AC resistance (impedance) of Z=1/2πfC so at 50Hz, 220nF is like 15kOhm.
Thanks Clive fixed my socket with your advice. Cheers
Excellent and knowledgeable videos as always. Cheers Clive!
Comment in native language: Aprendo mucho de electronica con el gran Clive :)
I've binned quite alot of these in the past couple of years. But i still buy these cheap sets often since i like remoting all my lights. For all the money spend i could probably buy decent ones though.
Good video I Like RF-related issues with me being a ham. The frequency that is on 433.92 we share that band 70-centimeter wavelength & I just tuned there & I can hear pulsing so an unusable frequency for long distant contacts. We cannot complain as we have 10 MHz bandwidth allocation on low band UHF & we are secondary users on there but, the band is getting congested with all these gadgets.. Thanks.
Suzy Wafels - the company that originally made these was owned by Silvain Tack, a colorful Flemish entrepeneur that also ran "pirate radio station" Radio Mi Amigo that advertised these all the time in the seventies.
hey @bigclivedotcom, i cant remeber if u covered these candles on ur channel before but in sainsburys, they got candles that with like gel surrounding the candle cup , when you light up the candle the lights light up when you light the candle, maybe a candle for you too look into , "exclusive sainsburys my stars light up when lit" just a idea :)
Oooh, a LWRF product. Used to work for them not so long back, pretty cool team.
I'm slowly filling my house with them, good stuff.
Support is good too, had an old 200 series fail and even though it's not in production any more thay rummaged about in the bins and found 400 series replacement for me.
They also have a few of the wirefree switches about when I can afford them.
Things that aren't in the new smart series that I will really miss.
Reasons not to upgrade ;)
Just a thought on that covered window in the front panel - Don't suppose it was for an 'activity' light by any chance? - A small LED on those two pads that might flash when the remote control is activated, or possibly to confirm 'pairing' of the remote and socket unit? - A featured that might have been discontinued to save a few pennies on an LED and a small lens, or an option that was never implemented. - Just a couple of ideas as to what it might have been for.
So, there goes our Clive again, anti-tampering with with far eastern commerce by mending things that weren't meant to be mended!
Wishing you a very merry Xmas Clive, I hope it's safe and enjoyable, thanks for all your videos they give me a great deal of pleasure, I learn a few tricks too..
மிக்க நன்றி அய்யா. அருமையான வீடியோ பதிவு
உங்களை வரவேற்கிறோம்.
Good job Clive, I will definitely say hi if I spot you next time I'm down North in Ramsey...
Merry Christmas Clive
Excellent video.
Thanks for sharing!