DIYbanter - View Single Post

wrote:
Hi everyone.

Sorry If I am asking dumb questions, I am trying to get a leg up on
(new to me) technology in the repair field. My background is computer
programming but Tesla has been my hero since I was young if that helps
any! Currently I am reading through some books to learn this technology
area but I do not have enough knowledge yet to know what type of test
equipment I will need. So I am asking you for advice.

Questions:
=-=-=-=-=
I am hoping to learn and start repairing things like computer monitors
and work up to repairing motherboards, flat-screen monitors (LDC /
plasma and related technology), overhead projectors and maybe even
digital camcorders. -Am I being overly ambitious?

With my target being learning to repair the above types of devices,
what kind of test equipment would I need to invest in?

Please offer your advice on equipment I may be missing in my list and
also which signal generator and oscilloscope would be the best fit. Old
technology would be fine. Reliable devices I could learn to repair
myself would be ideal. I suppose parts being available for these
devices would be important as well.

Digital multimeeter and a few VOMs (do I need special probes?)
Perhaps a signal generator
Oscilloscope (which probes?) (what kind of bandwidth and sampling
would be needed?)
Soldering station

I am thinking of watching ebay and building my test bench as
inexpensively as I can preferably with reliable older equipment I can
repair or calibrate myself and learn at the same time. - Again, I am so
new to the trade as to not know if what I am saying is achievable or if
I am saying something that would make the seasoned technician laugh!

To start with, get a multimeter, something with a diode check function
is very handy for testing semiconductors, I love the one on my Fluke 29
as it gives a momentary beep for a good junction and solid beep for
shorted as well as displaying the voltage drop but I'm sure others with
a similar feature are available. A Hakko 936 is about the best deal
there is for a soldering station but if you're just starting out a Radio
Shack 40W iron is perfectly usable, I'd recommend their desoldering iron
to go with it, the one with the rubber bulb on it. That should be enough
to get going, the rest is practice, research and more practice. There's
no shortage of broken junk to repair, an unlimited supply of it lurks on
craigslist and elsewhere. Don't expect to make a lot of money doing
this, but I've found I can make some decent change on the side fixing
free equipment and selling it.