This is a thread dedicated to people who might like to explore and take matters into their own hands. Maybe it's to fix or repair or bodge something that has annoyed you when it stopped working just outside of warranty? Or maybe you modified a piece of hardware? Maybe you wanted to fix something on the cheap? It can be anything really but I thought I would try to keep the theme on electronics or powered items.
What electronic items have you fixed/bodged/repaired/modded/taken apart?
- Thread starter jaybee
- Start date
I took 3 knackered dell projectors - with broken mirrors, dud electrics and something else and made 2 good ones. To the best of my knowledge both are still going strong a couple of years later 
One certainly is as it's on my ceiling.
Rewired a Drewry shunter once as well without a wiring diagram http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_04
which was an experience! Ok not electronic but it involved electrics!
One certainly is as it's on my ceiling.Rewired a Drewry shunter once as well without a wiring diagram http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_04
which was an experience! Ok not electronic but it involved electrics!
Soldato
- Joined
- 4 Aug 2007
- Posts
- 22,396
- Location
- Wilds of suffolk
I have a Sansa Clip+ on my desk in two halves right now.
some stupid bint wacked it off at the gym and "stoved in" the power switch
One taking it apart the main on off switch has been broken off the board. Trying to decide how to fix it now, its tiny so I doubt I can solder it. Seems that it still makes contact if its in the right place so I am contemplating some super glue to glue the switch back but its going to be 50/50 if it works I think.
Seem a really sturdy little player but the main switch looks like its literally soldered into place and thats it so a sharp knock can break that bond.
some stupid bint wacked it off at the gym and "stoved in" the power switch
One taking it apart the main on off switch has been broken off the board. Trying to decide how to fix it now, its tiny so I doubt I can solder it. Seems that it still makes contact if its in the right place so I am contemplating some super glue to glue the switch back but its going to be 50/50 if it works I think.
Seem a really sturdy little player but the main switch looks like its literally soldered into place and thats it so a sharp knock can break that bond.
Soldato
- Joined
- 10 Sep 2003
- Posts
- 5,019
- Location
- Midlands
fish tank lights bust so i had to saw it open to replace the ballast which to my amazement worked and saved me £75
My little girl has a Sansa Fuze (I think it's called). Seems alright. Yeah I hate it went hardware gets manufactured with a weak on/off switch. My LCD TV switch is going to break one day on the side (main on/off switch) so I have to leave it on standby till I can be bothered to fix it.
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Feb 2008
- Posts
- 11,114
Modded a couple of original Xboxes.
Replaced casing and modded a chunky PS2.
"Modded" a hard drive with a sledgehammer, some lighter fuel and lighter. They make a funky green flame once they fully go up!
X-clamp mod/fix on Xbox 360.
Took a hacksaw to a hoover when a 2p piece got stuck perfectly inside the plastic bit of the tube. That didn't go so well.
Replaced casing and modded a chunky PS2.
"Modded" a hard drive with a sledgehammer, some lighter fuel and lighter. They make a funky green flame once they fully go up!
X-clamp mod/fix on Xbox 360.
Took a hacksaw to a hoover when a 2p piece got stuck perfectly inside the plastic bit of the tube. That didn't go so well.
I have so many things awaiting the fix most even when fixed I will never use. You just can't beat the feeling when you resurect something from the dead and shout "Its Alive"... My wife thinks i'm mental but what does she know...
I will attempt most things, my origional xbox was more useful and powerful than my PC at the time, multiple HDD's an all that!
The last thing was a small desk digital alarm clock organiser, taped it under a more touchy colleagues desk setting the alarm to go off while he was working lates, came back the next day to find it in pieces, managed to use a combo of tape a blu tac to fix it back in place and did the same trick again.
Found it in the bin with a note stating try that again and every wire ripped out. Well after a good hour and some trial and error i managed to get the alarm to go off again this time locked it in my own desk!
He went skitz worth it though!
Oh i did try seperate a flash from a polaroid camera and fix a power source and switch to it....ended with burn fingers.......=(
The last thing was a small desk digital alarm clock organiser, taped it under a more touchy colleagues desk setting the alarm to go off while he was working lates, came back the next day to find it in pieces, managed to use a combo of tape a blu tac to fix it back in place and did the same trick again.
Found it in the bin with a note stating try that again and every wire ripped out. Well after a good hour and some trial and error i managed to get the alarm to go off again this time locked it in my own desk!
He went skitz worth it though!
Oh i did try seperate a flash from a polaroid camera and fix a power source and switch to it....ended with burn fingers.......=(
I used to love taking things apart as a kid. Mostly watches but I dismantled a few handheld arcade games, NES controllers, a portable TV... most of them went back together almost as good as new 
I wasn't really interested in how they worked I just liked to see how many little pieces I could dismantle it into without breaking it.
The last thing I took apart was a curtain rail. Pain in the arse to put back together but it's up and working now.
I wasn't really interested in how they worked I just liked to see how many little pieces I could dismantle it into without breaking it.
The last thing I took apart was a curtain rail. Pain in the arse to put back together but it's up and working now.
I once fixed a broken VCR \o/
Then fried it trying to put the metal case back on without switching off first
I'm very careful about that now
Also fixed my ACER laptop twice but it has a design fault with no amount of botching could solve.
Back in the day, my dad wouldn't let me upgrade the RAM and video card in our first PC, until I'd proved myself by fixing something less valuable. I fixed a calculator which didn't display properly, because the LCD screen was loose. I cut a shim out of kitchen sponge and wedged it behind the display to maintain the pressure on the screen. It worked, so I was then allowed into the PC.
I upgraded it from 16MB RAM to 80MB, installed a Voodoo Graphics video card so we had proper 3D acceleration, and overclocked the Pentium chip from 120MHz to 133MHz. Then I played GLQuake, and it was awesome.
I fixed our PVR a while back. I'd attempted to sell it, but the postman dropped something on it so it didn't work. They sent it back to me and I claimed from them and refunded the buyer. I replaced the hard disk and bent the casing back into shape, and it worked fine for another year until I sold it. So, the Royal Mail paid me to keep my PVR. Excellent.
I upgraded it from 16MB RAM to 80MB, installed a Voodoo Graphics video card so we had proper 3D acceleration, and overclocked the Pentium chip from 120MHz to 133MHz. Then I played GLQuake, and it was awesome.
I fixed our PVR a while back. I'd attempted to sell it, but the postman dropped something on it so it didn't work. They sent it back to me and I claimed from them and refunded the buyer. I replaced the hard disk and bent the casing back into shape, and it worked fine for another year until I sold it. So, the Royal Mail paid me to keep my PVR. Excellent.
Associate
- Joined
- 15 Jun 2009
- Posts
- 215
- Location
- Wales!
Recently - A Oven and a hoover!!