Homie did an excellent job but!!

[Tom Spang]

I have an Abit KT7a Raid system. It was very hard starting so I sent it out to Homie Motherboard service for re-capping. Gary Handlee did a real nice fast job and got it back to me in NJ with shipping 3days from the time I sent it. Really great service.

I now have a problem. After I reassembled my system, I find my powersupply is dead. I ordered a new one from PC Power & Cooling. My question is how do I find the short that caused the powersupply to fail. (it was working before I took the machine apart).I was thinking of taking the motherboard out of the case to be sure there is no shorts. Could the wires going to the ON/Off switch etc cause such a problem. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Tom

 

[TomG]

your approach is exactly where I would go. in fact, I would have tried removing the mobo from the case in the event that I had inadvertently caused a short when reinstalling the mobo before I ordered a new supply, unless you just wanted a new supply anyway.

try the board out of the case on a save (non-conductive surface) with just cpu, ram and video installed. no front panel leads and no drive ribbons. see if it will boot.

glad you had a good experience with Homie as I would expect nothing less.

 

[Fishface]

Tom Spang wrote:

I now have a problem. After I reassembled my system, I find my powersupply is dead.

Well, yah know, I once had a socket-pin on an ATX connector get pushed-out when inserting, causing an intermittent open circuit. Took me a while to track that down. It's something of which to be aware, eh?

 

[Phil Weldon]

Short circuits in ATX systems (as long as not in the power supply itself) do not cause power supply failure, or even (usually) cause damage at all: the power supply shuts down when the current draw becomes too great. Try reassmbling the minimum system (CPU & motherboard), using your original power supply, outside the system case on a pad of paper (a yellow legal pad is perfect.) Try to start the system. After each start that goes as far as can be expected with the simplified system, install another component and try again. You will eventualy either discover the problem or will get proper operation without discovering the problem. If the latter occurs, then most likely improper mounting of the motherboard caused the original short.

Phil Weldon,

"Tom Spang" wrote:

I have an Abit KT7a Raid system. It was very hard starting so I sent it out to Homie Motherboard service for re-capping.
Gary Handlee did a real nice fast job and got it back to me in NJ with shipping 3days from the time I sent it. Really great service.

I now have a problem. After I reassembled my system, I find my powersupply is dead. I ordered a new one from PC Power & Cooling. My question is how do I find the short that caused the powersupply to fail. (it was working before I took the machine apart).I was thinking of taking the motherboard out of the case to be sure there is no shorts. Could the wires going to

the

ON/Off switch etc cause such a problem.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Tom

 

[Bob Troll]

There are some who would argue the point about the yellow legal pad being a safe surface, but be aware that paper is a great source of the dreaded static electricity which is fatal to sensitive components. It would indeed be a insulator from metal, etc though.

A better idea may be to place the antistatic bag your mainboard came in on top of the yellow pad between the board and yellow pad.

Bob Troll

Phil Weldon wrote:

Short circuits in ATX systems (as long as not in the power supply itself) do not cause power supply failure, or even (usually) cause damage at all: the power supply shuts down when the current draw becomes too great. Try reassmbling the minimum system (CPU & motherboard), using your original power supply, outside the system case on a pad of paper (a yellow legal pad is perfect.) Try to start the system. After each start that goes as far as can be expected with the simplified system, install another component and try again. You will eventualy either discover the problem or will get proper operation without discovering the problem. If the latter occurs, then most likely improper mounting of the motherboard caused the original short. ...

 

[colinco]

In article <cYZPa.16792$>, Bob Troll
wrote...

A better idea may be to place the antistatic bag your mainboard came in on top of the yellow pad between the board and yellow pad.

The bag is NOT an insulator. It will connect all the component leads that touch.

 

[Homie]

Connecting all the leads with very high resistance is a good thing, however the outside of the plastic bag itself has a natural static charge, so it's best not to set boards on the outside of the ESD bags unless the bag is already setting on a earthed/grounded ESD safe surface. If static electricity is common in your area, just mix a little Downy with a spray bottle of distilled water and give the work area a light misting before handling ESD sensitive stuff, hold boards by the ground planes or make a habit of touching the metal surfaces on PCB before picking emup or sitting em down, then before you set em down , while holding/touching a metal surface on the board reach out with the other and touch the surface where the board is going, this will equalize the objects , no differential....no damage.

 

[Phil Weldon]

In South Florida we just turn off the air conditioner for a bit B^) And since the purpose of this excercise is two OPERATE the simplified system, then one assumes that the power supply will ground the system. Before the power supply is attached perhaps those of you further North should consider a pack of 'Cling Free' rather than the legal pad.

Phil Weldon,

"Homie" wrote:

Connecting all the leads with very high resistance is a good thing, however the outside of the plastic bag itself has a natural static charge, so it's best not to set boards on the outside of the ESD bags unless the bag is already setting on a earthed/grounded ESD safe surface.
If static electricity is common in your area, just mix a little Downy with a spray bottle of distilled water and give the work area a light misting before handling ESD sensitive stuff, hold boards by the ground planes or make a habit of touching the metal surfaces on PCB before picking emup or sitting em down, then before you set em down , while holding/touching a metal surface on the board reach out with the other and touch the surface where the board is going, this will equalize the objects , no differential....no damage.

--
Mainboards, Videocards & CPU pin repair.

http://motherboardrepair.com

"colinco" wrote:

In article <cYZPa.16792$>, Bob Troll
wrote...
... on top of the yellow pad between the board and yellow pad.

The bag is NOT an insulator. It will connect all the component leads that touch.

 

[Jerry Polyak]

A pad of paper? It's a wonder you are able to post any messages? Do you also assemble your parts outside during an electrical storm?

Phil Weldon wrote:

Short circuits in ATX systems (as long as not in the power supply itself) do not cause power supply failure, or even (usually) cause damage at all: the power supply shuts down when the current draw becomes too great. Try reassmbling the minimum system (CPU & motherboard), using your original power supply, outside the system case on a pad of paper (a yellow legal pad is perfect.) Try to start the system. After each start that goes as far as can be expected with the simplified system, install another component and try again. You will eventualy either discover the problem or will get proper operation without discovering the problem. If the latter occurs, then most likely improper mounting of the motherboard caused the original short.

...

 

[0_Qed]

Jerry Polyak wrote:

A pad of paper? It's a wonder you are able to post any messages? Do you also assemble your parts outside during an electrical storm?

Nah ...
you're both way off base ...
Reynold's Oven Wrap ... properly de_sanitized with a dry feather duster. <chort><guffaw>

Qed.

 

[0_Qed]

Phil Weldon wrote:

In South Florida we just turn off the air conditioner for a bit B^) And

...snip...

You =josh= !!!

Where the hell do find "ground" in S. Fla ???

I have a 'notion' of "non_condensing" ... but in S. Fla., this time of year???


Qed.

 

[Phil Weldon]

The water table is at LEAST four feet below the surface for the majority of Miami-Dade County. On the other hand 'non-condensing' ambient is still four months away and this time of year you just throw a string out the window for a ground and Global Warming does take on an ominous tone B^)

Phil Weldon,
"You know you're in trouble when your County Government think it an improvement to add 'Miami' to the County name."

"0_Qed" wrote:

Phil Weldon wrote:
In South Florida we just turn off the air conditioner for a bit B^) And ...snip...

You =josh= !!!

Where the hell do find "ground" in S. Fla ???

I have a 'notion' of "non_condensing" ... but in S. Fla., this time of year???


...

 

[0_Qed]

Phil Weldon wrote:

The water table is at LEAST four feet below the surface for the majority of Miami-Dade County.

...snip...

Is THAT where Safeway gets it's distilled water ???
<chort>

Qed

 

[Phil Weldon]

Only the flavor that has small fish swimming in the bottle. Or the flavor with white power ... no, not that white power, the calcium carbonate kind.

Phil Weldon,

"0_Qed" wrote:

.
.

Is THAT where Safeway gets it's distilled water ???
<chort>

Qed

 

[John Lewis]

On Sat, 12 Jul 2003 10:31:45 -0600, Maxy Z. Toplik
wrote:

On Fri, 11 Jul 2003 21:56:11 -0400, "Tom Spang"
wrote:

I have an Abit KT7a Raid system. It was very hard starting so I sent it out to Homie Motherboard service for re-capping.
Gary Handlee did a real nice fast job and got it back to me in NJ with shipping 3days from the time I sent it. Really great service.

I now have a problem. After I reassembled my system, I find my powersupply is dead. I ordered a new one from PC Power & Cooling. My question is how do I find the short that caused the powersupply to fail. (it was working before I took the machine apart).I was thinking of taking the motherboard ...

If the main fuse in a switching power-supply blows, 99.9% of the time it means that several main-regulator electronic components have already failed. The fuse is there to stop a fire. The one exception is if a power-supply set for 110Volts gets plugged into 220Volts. The fuse MAY blow soon enough to avoid permanent damage to the electronics.

John Lewis

Maxy Z. Toplik

 

[Bob Troll]

You are correct 0_Qed except you assumed they would know about rubbing the feather duster through the hair a few times before use. Got to remember to keep the feathers all running in same direction...

Bob

0_Qed wrote:

Jerry Polyak wrote:
A pad of paper? It's a wonder you are able to post any messages? Do
you also assemble your parts outside during an electrical storm?

Nah ...
you're both way off base ...
Reynold's Oven Wrap ... properly de_sanitized with a dry feather duster. <chort><guffaw>

Qed.

 

[0_Qed]

Bob Troll wrote:

You are correct 0_Qed except you assumed they would know about rubbing the feather duster through the hair a few times before use. Got to remember to keep the feathers all running in same direction...

Couner_counter intuitive , kinda ...

My 'Unk' used to do that with the foil in his Leyden jars , in a pinch ... build up a charge for his oven-baked, red hot xray tubes ... early 1920s . Gloved hands threw 'em in the holders, quick set the clips, hit the switch. Whoosh.

Qed.

 

[Rusty (archive)]

On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 20:41:56 -0400, 0_Qed
wrote:

Bob Troll wrote:
You are correct 0_Qed except you assumed they would know about rubbing the
feather duster through the hair a few times before use. Got to remember to
keep the feathers all running in same direction...


Couner_counter intuitive , kinda ...

My 'Unk' used to do that with the foil in his Leyden jars , in a pinch ... build up a charge for his oven-baked, red hot xray tubes ... early 1920s . ...

Reminds of the famous words of my college roommate: "Sure it's okay, throw the switch"

(In your best Rod Serling voice "Imagine if you will the sensation of 440V 3-phase coursing across the time-space continuum of a dead short circuit..."