tips on using cheap hardware parts to fix odd problems....
Straight_Man
Geeky, in my own wayNaples, FL Icrontian
Here's a place for the odd problem fixes.... Things the average person would not think of.
I will start with an audio problem. I had a set of earphones, one side channel kept cutting out at random. CD-RW drive had been laser lense cleaned, and more often than not, the sound from audio CDs checked to be stereo and tested on a stand-alone stereo CD player as good would feed mono to earphones. Earphones were new, from a reputable mfr, and the extension cord had been changed out. mobo in this case was an Abit IC7-Max3, this has happened on on other mobos also. I hand soldered a new extension cord, stereo audio type. Cord checked perfect several ways. Radio Shack parts and cord were used. Cord tested fine from end to end on spool. resistance checks said cord was good. Earphones worked on another computer, same CD, and same extension cord. Another set of earphones did same thing. Speaker set did same thing.
Problem fix was a 5 cent part, one o-ring, rubber. Put to base of jack that went into motherboard, sound was consistently stereo. Reach from base of jack on end piece to first insulator was too great. same thing for earphones if plugged directly onto motherboard, o-ring fixed. O-Ring was about 3\64" thickness when stretched onto base of jack. Jacks\plugs were very close to standard specs, within 1\64". I used a micro-ruled stainless steel ruler to check this, and a 3X magnifying glass to read.
Wild, the IC7-Max3's I got, both of them, had audio speaker socket contacts not spaced to spec. And a tiny o-ring from a hardware store fixed. if you have an sudio problem that replicates with changout of most things, does not duplicate with a normal audio CD player, try an o-ring (or two if thin o-rings when stretched) OR two fiber motherboard holddown screw washers at base of audio cord jack going into motherboard speaker socket. Nickel to dime fixing.... Daignoses is to move jack slowly out from fully in to see if suddenly you get stereo consistently, with jack NOT fully seated.
Any other cheap fixes out there you would like to share????
I will start with an audio problem. I had a set of earphones, one side channel kept cutting out at random. CD-RW drive had been laser lense cleaned, and more often than not, the sound from audio CDs checked to be stereo and tested on a stand-alone stereo CD player as good would feed mono to earphones. Earphones were new, from a reputable mfr, and the extension cord had been changed out. mobo in this case was an Abit IC7-Max3, this has happened on on other mobos also. I hand soldered a new extension cord, stereo audio type. Cord checked perfect several ways. Radio Shack parts and cord were used. Cord tested fine from end to end on spool. resistance checks said cord was good. Earphones worked on another computer, same CD, and same extension cord. Another set of earphones did same thing. Speaker set did same thing.
Problem fix was a 5 cent part, one o-ring, rubber. Put to base of jack that went into motherboard, sound was consistently stereo. Reach from base of jack on end piece to first insulator was too great. same thing for earphones if plugged directly onto motherboard, o-ring fixed. O-Ring was about 3\64" thickness when stretched onto base of jack. Jacks\plugs were very close to standard specs, within 1\64". I used a micro-ruled stainless steel ruler to check this, and a 3X magnifying glass to read.
Wild, the IC7-Max3's I got, both of them, had audio speaker socket contacts not spaced to spec. And a tiny o-ring from a hardware store fixed. if you have an sudio problem that replicates with changout of most things, does not duplicate with a normal audio CD player, try an o-ring (or two if thin o-rings when stretched) OR two fiber motherboard holddown screw washers at base of audio cord jack going into motherboard speaker socket. Nickel to dime fixing.... Daignoses is to move jack slowly out from fully in to see if suddenly you get stereo consistently, with jack NOT fully seated.
Any other cheap fixes out there you would like to share????
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