c/fixing-old-gadgets

Vent: That internet tip about using a hairdryer on stuck screws is B.S.

Tried it on a 1990s radio I was opening up, just made the plastic casing feel weird and the screw still wouldn't budge. What actually worked was tapping the screwdriver handle with a hammer a few times before turning. Has anyone else found that heat tricks fail on older gear or am I doing it wrong?

Tried recapping a 1980s boombox and my cat knocked the whole thing off the table

I had all 12 capacitors lined up perfectly on my workbench, cat jumped up chasing a fly, and now I'm finding tiny electrolytic cans rolled under the fridge and the board has a new crack in it, has anyone else had a pet disaster mid-repair?

Hit 100 soldered joints on one PCB and finally understood why flux matters

I always thought flux was optional until I hit my 100th joint on an old Commodore 64 power supply repair and realized my last 20 joints went so much smoother after I actually used it properly. Has anyone else fought with cold joints before giving in and using quality flux?

Spent 4 hours troubleshooting a Game Gear that just needed the power jack re-soldered

I replaced capacitors, cleaned every trace, and even swapped the screen before I realized the power plug was wiggling loose on the board. Took me two weeks of off-and-on frustration to fix a 10 minute solder joint, anyone else have a repair that should have been obvious way sooner?

Rant: Stop calling a recapped CRT "fully restored" if you didn't touch the flyback

I mean I get it, replacing 20 caps is tedious work but that flyback transformer is usually the real ticking clock on these old TVs. Had a guy sell me a "mint condition" 1986 Trinitron last month that started arcing after three days because he left the original flyback in there.

Found a 1988 Sony CRT at the dump last Saturday

I was dropping off some old fence boards at the transfer station on River Road and spotted a Trinitron sitting next to the metal bin. It was dirty and the power cord was frayed, but I brought it home anyway. After cleaning the vents and replacing the fuse inside, it actually turned on and the picture is sharp. Has anyone else had luck saving an old tube TV from the dump?

Fixed my Game Boy Advance SP with a penny and some patience

Last month my GBA SP screen went totally dark, thought it was dead. I opened it up and found the ribbon cable connection was loose, so I wedged a thin piece of cardboard behind it to hold it down. Worked like a charm, saved me $60 on a replacement from eBay. Has anyone else used random household stuff to fix a handheld console?

That $5 capacitor tester from a garage sale actually works

Picked up this old Sprague TO-5 capacitor tester at a yard sale for $5 last summer. Figured it was just a paperweight since the case is cracked and the dials are faded. Threw some batteries in it and tested a few old electrolytics from a 1980s receiver I was fixing. It matched my modern multimeter's readings within 5% on every cap I tried. Now I use it alongside my new stuff because it shows leakage current way clearer. Anyone else have good luck with ancient test gear that should be junk?

My old Game Boy Color screen went totally dim on a flight last month

I cracked it open and replaced the polarizer film with a $6 sheet from Amazon, and honestly it looks better than it did new, anyone else mess with those old LCD filters?

I still remember the old guy who fixed my NES for free back in 2012

Honestly, I was about to toss my busted NES in the trash when this retired electrician named Frank stopped me outside a thrift store in Tucson. He didn't say much, just grabbed it, opened it up, and said 'pin connector is shot, kid.' He showed me how to boil the old one to get it working again right there on his tailgate. Has anyone else had a random stranger teach them a fix like that?

That old tube TV I almost tossed...

I had this 1979 Sony Trinitron sitting in my garage for like 5 years, figured it was just e-waste. Then a buddy said try recapping the power supply board, cost me maybe $12 in parts and it fired right up... picture is actually better than my modern LED set for retro gaming. Anyone else find an old CRT that just needed a little love?

That old Nintendo I found at a garage sale finally works again

I picked up a beat up NES from a garage sale for $10 last month and it wouldn't read any games at all. After watching a few videos I tried the boiling water trick on the 72 pin connector and it actually worked perfectly. Has anyone else had luck with that method or is there a better way to keep it working long term?

Struggled for 2 hours to fix a Nintendo 64 that just needed the power switch cleaned with alcohol

I spent an entire Saturday afternoon tearing apart my childhood console, testing capacitors and tracing circuits, only to discover the simplest fix of all, so my question is: how many of you have embarrassed yourselves by overcomplicating a repair that took 5 minutes once you found the real issue?

Picked up a dead Sega Genesis at a garage sale for $5

Found this Sega Genesis at a yard sale in Austin last Saturday, looked clean but no power at all. Opened it up and saw some corroded traces near the power jack from an old leaky capacitor. Cleaned it up with vinegar and a toothbrush, replaced the cap with one from a donor board I had laying around. Fired right up and played Sonic for 20 minutes straight. Anyone else find good luck fixing retro consoles with just a basic cap swap?

Had to pick between recapping a 1970s amp or just tossing it

I had this old Pioneer receiver from 1972 sitting in my garage for 2 years, finally decided I either recap the whole board or junk it. Spent $40 on caps from a local shop in Dayton and took me 6 hours of soldering, but the thing sounds better than my newer setup now. Anyone else dump that kind of time into a gadget most people would trash?

Read a comment about recapping old amps that made me rethink everything

I was dead set on replacing every single capacitor in my 1978 Fender Twin Reverb (you know, the "if it's original, swap it" mindset). Then I saw someone on a vintage audio forum say that old electrolytics can test fine and sound better than modern ones if they're not leaking or out of spec. So I tested each one with my ESR meter instead of blindly replacing them - found only 3 of 12 caps were actually bad. Has anyone else had good luck keeping original caps that still measure within tolerance?

Hot vs cold solder joints - which actually holds up longer on vintage game consoles?

I've been repairing old Nintendo consoles for about 6 years now and I'm still on the fence about this. Always heard cold joints are weaker but I've pulled apart some Game Boys where the cold-looking joints held up for 20+ years without cracking, while some shiny hot joints on a SNES power jack failed after 3 years. On my last Sega Genesis repair I tried doing a mix of both temps on different capacitors and the cold ones actually seemed tougher when I flexed the board. Am I missing something or are shiny joints overrated? What's your experience been with joint temp on older boards?

My old Atari 2600 came back to life after a weird trick with a paperclip

I was trying to fix the power switch on my Atari 2600 from 1980. The console would not turn on at all. I opened it up and cleaned the switch with contact cleaner, but that did nothing. Out of ideas, I gently bent a small paperclip into a hook and slid it behind the switch's plastic rocker. I pulled forward just a bit to put pressure on the metal contacts inside. The red power light flickered on. I held it there, plugged in a game, and the screen came up. I learned the plastic rocker had worn down over 40 years and was not pushing the internal switch far enough to make contact. A tiny piece of folded cardboard wedged in there now keeps it working. Has anyone else had a fix this simple bring a console back from the dead?

Vent: Spent a whole weekend on a 1990s VCR just for a belt

The old belt had turned to goo and fused to the pulleys. Took over 8 hours of careful scraping with a plastic spudger and isopropyl alcohol to get it all off without damaging anything. Anyone know a better solvent for that kind of mess?

Hit 50 fixed cassette decks and it changed my whole view on parts

I just fixed my 50th old cassette deck, a Sony TC-K555 from 1988, and it made me realize I was wrong about something big. For years I thought you had to find the exact original belts and rollers for each model, which meant hunting for overpriced 'new old stock' or giving up. But after the 30th deck, I started trying generic belt kits and measuring the old parts with calipers. Turns out, a lot of those 'special' belts are just standard sizes you can get for a few bucks in a multi-pack. I saved a Nakamichi BX-100 last week with a 0.5mm thick square belt meant for a VCR. The wow and flutter is now under 0.08%, which is basically perfect. I wasted so much time and money before I hit this number and saw the pattern. Has anyone else had a moment where a repair milestone made you drop a long-held rule?

Showerthought: I just fixed a 2005 iPod with a new battery and it's wild how simple the insides were compared to my phone

Spent a whole weekend fixing a 1990s boombox just for a broken belt

I found my old Sony CFD-5 boombox in the garage and the cassette player wouldn't spin. Figured it was a simple belt change. Opened it up, cleaned everything, and ordered a new belt kit online. The new belts looked right, but the main one kept slipping off the flywheel after I put the whole thing back together. Had to take it apart and put it back together four times over two days before I realized the replacement belt was just a tiny bit too thick. Anyone know a good source for exact-size belts for these old things?

Found a box of old VHS tapes in my uncle's attic in Toledo

I pulled out his old VCR to see if any home movies were salvageable, but it just made a loud grinding noise and ate a tape. After taking it apart, I saw the rubber drive belt had turned into a sticky black goop. I cleaned the old belt residue off with some rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab, then ordered a new belt kit online for about eight bucks. Got it running again in an afternoon. Anyone know a good way to clean the tape heads without a special kit?

A bad day turned good when I found a fix for my old Walkman

Last Tuesday was rough, my Sony WM-FX421 Walkman from 1998 just wouldn't play tapes. I was ready to give up, but I found a forum post from a guy in Portland who said a drop of sewing machine oil on the capstan shaft often fixes the issue. I tried it, and after letting it sit for an hour, it started working perfectly. Has anyone else had luck with this simple fix for old tape players?

My 1998 iMac G3 came back to life with a new hard drive

Last week, I pulled my old blueberry iMac out of my parents' garage in Akron. The thing hadn't booted in maybe 15 years. I opened it up, which was a job with those special Torx screws, and found the original 4GB hard drive was completely dead. I ordered a cheap 32GB CompactFlash to IDE adapter online for about $25. After a couple hours of work and loading Mac OS 9 from some old discs, the startup chime finally played. It's wild how something so old can still work with just one part swap. Has anyone else had luck bringing these old all-in-ones back with modern storage?