In message , alan
writes
On 02/04/2013 09:48, Tim Lamb wrote:
As subject.

Reading the threads on soldering irons I was reminded just how many
posters have close links to current technology and the necessary repair
skills.


I replaced the bulging capacitors and got one of them working.
Overconfidence led to an attempted software upgrade which failed.

It's not just the bulging capacitors that fail, many show no physical
signs of failure. The current recommendation is to replace 13 on a
5800 (fewer on a 5810).
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Topfield_5800/PSU_Repair

Yes. I got kits from Andrew Fraser and carefully followed the
instructions.

A tuner failure was thought to be caused by a failed switching
transistor. The first supplied was *stolen* by the GPO's sorting
machinery. And the second physically too small for my soldering
tackle/skills.

There are at least 3 different ways of upgrading software (firmware)
one of which is now a Windows based installer. The Toppy.org.uk
Firmware Loader can be found at:
http://www.toppy.org.uk/~mystuff/cgi/Downloads.cgi
The recommended firmware found on the site contains many 10s of bug fixes.

Yes. I downloaded the upgrade stuff from the Toppy site but cocked up
the sequence of installation. My problem is that there is no TV aerial
within convenient reach of the desktop PC and both domestic TV's are too
large to lump about. The real issue now is that new PVRs with bigger
hard drives have been purchased plus most of my recorded Westerns have
been re-recorded so I feel I can let them go:-)

Most Toppy's will work again after a capacitor replacement. Sometimes
the hard disk will fail after the power supplies have gone well out of
specification. Other faults are relatively rare - but usually easily
fixable.
https://sites.google.com/site/andyfr...iew-and-satell
ite-recorder-repair/topfield-pvr-faults

The hard drives are OK; been swopped over a few times:-)

Realistically they are going to end up at the WEE bin.

Offer them on the Toppy UK forums and someone will have them.
http://forum.toppy.org.uk/forum/index.php

I'm sure that in a short time there will be 2 working 5800s

Dave Plowman was first to show interest so we are exploring postage
issues.



--
Tim Lamb