Roberts DAB 43, no power, easy fix, designed failure

Easy fix on a Roberts sound 43 DAB radio unit with a designed power fault. Help with costs: www.paypal.com...

[@shroomskunk]

Superb work Andy. Similar to thermal overloads in power tools. Most are fan cooled so a simple run on would cool them. Nothing worse than a hot unit stopping suddenly. Heat spike big time 🙈. Good ol uncle Harold 👍

[@TheInfoworks]

Hi, I think it's designed failure, they should be ashamed, cheers

[@g7mks383]

Thanks Andy, another item saved from the scrapheap of life. That heatshrink on the dud fuse was properly to stop it contacting that big heatsink. That fuse sometimes called the idiot fuse is put in to protect it. In case some idiot puts a bigger fuse in the plug. Cheers.

[@TheInfoworks]

Martin, as we all know heat is the killer of electronics, as with most things as it seems we are all about to find out, cheers

[@petertwyford2161]

Marvellous, mine has stopped powering up and now I know what the problem is and how to fix it.

[@TheInfoworks]

Peter, how opportune, let me know how you get on and please subscribe, cheers

[@rongrip1]

Great video ad always Andy, and We all need Uncle Harold in our lives… thank for sharing him with us

[@TheInfoworks]

Thanks for the comment and understanding, cheers

[@pompeycycle8711]

Andy great video. The sudden total loss of power was exactly as you described. Extra complication with the unit containing one of my wife’s favourite CDs! Following your instructions I got access to the 2A fuse only to find that the fuse was intact! My rudimentary knowledge of electronics wasn’t up to fault finding elsewhere on the board. Fortunately with some ingenuity and brute force I was able to retrieve the CD. I’ve had to recycle the unit. Just in case, I’ve kept the tiny 2A fuse so if anyone needs an original replacement, direct message me

[@TheInfoworks]

Hi, thanks for your comment.My initial experiment was to power up the unit from an external source. There are 2 wires that come out of power supply so it's reasonably easy to do this. That proved that it was the supply not anything else. Subscribed? cheers

[@558vulcanxh]

Found this on mine Andy, thanks, but was left with a dead short , still investigating . my voltage should be 10.5 by the way .

[@TheInfoworks]

Interesting, I suggest you take the capacitors out and test them, hope all goes well, cheers

[@bidders77]

Good old Harold 👍🏼

[@TheInfoworks]

I miss him and am reminded each time I use something of his, cheers

[@AfternoonPlay]

T stamped on the barrel represents TIME aka slow-blow fuse. F stamped on the barrel represents FAST aka fast-blow fuse. A fuse V rating is the maximum voltage, not the operating voltage.

[@TheInfoworks]

Hi, thanks for the interest, yes the slow blows often incorporate some form of spring or coil. This apart it's a deceit to hide the fuse and keep it hot in shrink insulation. cheers

[@bootsowen]

We have a similar radio here on the kitchen windowsill. Our one has the buttons on the top, but the same CD and ipod input. The ipod thing is under the cover on the top. I presume all the guts inside are the same so it's good to know about that fuse. Found in a skip about 3 years ago, working daily since. Probably thrown away because the ipod dock was out of date! It's good to throw things out! Keeps the wheels of commerce turning, and me in radios! I always wonder about the many others who watch the video but don't comment. I can imagine their heads turning to check behind as they look up from their soup bowls!

[@WashSMASH]

Don't mind him, he's only talking guff!😁

[@TheInfoworks]

Owen, you live in the metropolis of waste and see much more of it. I just think this is an engineered failure, why put a fuse in heat shrink. In the old days fuses were accessed easily, just twist and the holder springs out. How many of these have been thrown? Cheers

[@TheInfoworks]

@@WashSMASH Thought it was me who did the talking to myrself, cheers

[@bootsowen]

@@TheInfoworks The whole concept of a non-replaceable fuse is just silly. It's all part of a calculated risk. If it goes in the first x years then its a warranty replacement, send them a new one and the old one, if it is even returned, goes on a pallet to be sold to @Everyday Sollers. I have a friend (yes one) who had 2 DAB radios (maybe pure) fail in the warranty period. The first time they wanted him to return it, the second time they didn't bother, maybe covid, maybe too much hassle. It's all factored into the price!

[@lewiscropley2308]

Excellent, thanks 👍

[@TheInfoworks]

Brilliant, you've fix it, please like, subscribe, and donate, cheers

[@noakeswalker]

Good fix Andy - shame that this fuse blowing seems to be common with this model - and that the fuse isn't reachable from outside - those days are gone I feel. The heat shrink on the fuse is to contain it if it blows explosively due to a dead short - it might just stop an arc from forming, and then a fire. Big Clive has videos on ceramic fuses with sand inside, designed to do just this but in a more reliable way. Cheers, Dave

[@TheInfoworks]

Dave, good to hear from you. I figure at a 2 amp fuse won't explode but I might be wrong. Shame the fuse was not accessible. I've seen the Big Clive fuse videos and they are normally huge units. I still think heat retention could be failure mode, cheers

[@noakeswalker]

@@TheInfoworks I agree that a little 2A fuse probably isn't going to make much trouble even under a dead short. Bear in mind that UK mains plug fuses are supposed to be sand filled, though the fake ones aren't, apparently.

[@TheInfoworks]

@@noakeswalker Dave, nothing it seems is what it's supposed to be, but was it ever. People sometimes accuse my of not trusting anything, but really? Cheers

[@manukainfinity]

Thank you for the video. I have a similar unit. Currently a cd won't eject. Can't work out how to remove from panel to get at the cd tray

[@TheInfoworks]

Hi, yes I had that problem getting to the power supply, cheers

[@kjellrogerjgensen60]

Its not unusual with hidden fuses. They are not there to help the customer, but more for the 《safety》for lawsuits.

[@TheInfoworks]

Hi, I'm thinking it's bad form, there to protect profits, not the customer, shame on them, cheers

[@sim6699]

Radio cruncher does repair videos on old analogue Roberts radios for reference.

[@TheInfoworks]

Hi, thanks for the info, cheers

[@dingnextstop]

Hi Andy, slightly off subject, can I ask how you keep your batteries charged in winter when there is no sun or wind? I’m assuming you do not use the national grid so is it a Genny you use? as I live on boat and solar non existent at the moment and I have to run my main engine to charge my Trojan Batts which seem to take forever… thanks Andrew

[@TheInfoworks]

Andrew, the secret here is to charge regularly every day to avoid battery cycling.So avoid deep battery discharging. As we have both solar battery and solar grid (which needs the grid to work), we use the grid as backup, charging during the day when the grid panels are generating, cheers

[@chrisharr9423]

The only vid on this great device the MP-43. My CD player has stopped responding. I push it in, no reaction. Any ideas?

[@louisemccrory6465]

Andy,thanks for this. followed you up until you were to solder in the new 2amp fuse. My board has a slightly different layout. The fuse had blown. It was only connected on one side. Because it had blown? Does the new solder have to be insulated? Are there 2 specific points you have to attach? I can’t see in your after video. Amateur, very, DIY er

[@TheInfoworks]

Hi, I'm very pleased you are having a go at this. Yes there should be a connection to each end of the fuse. I did not insulate the fuse as this holds the heat in. The short wires come out of the board to the fuse, Hope you have subscribed, cheers

[@dannywhite3538]

Hi I have a roberts sound 43 got power but no sound, checked its not on mute . Still playing dc but no sound. Any idea. Thanks dave

[@TheInfoworks]

Danny, sorry can't help you, never dug in that far, could be something simple like an internal plug or another hidden fuse on the amplifier board. Cheers

[@davedrew9328]

Wouldn’t it been a better to have put a cloth on that bench before starting this job ?

[@massimobroccoli9854]

Thumbs up !

[@TheInfoworks]

Splendid, cheers

[@philiponsolent7232]

My Roberts radio wouldn't charge. It turned out it was a microscopic crack in one of the traces on the underside of one of the board's but you had to remove it to see.

[@TheInfoworks]

Philip, and you had the will and confidence to investigate and there by learn something. That sort of fault I can forgive, but a hidden fuse? cheers

[@pbwauthor]

Can you tell me please, Andy - can I (or anyone) repair the battery recharger on my 5yr old Roberts UnoLogic - or is it just for the bin? AA batteries last less than a few hours. I'm a totally non-electrician, as you can imagine. Very grateful and thank you. Paul

[@TheInfoworks]

Paul, is this a plug in power supply that sits on the socket with a cable that has a small round plug on the end. Normally they are 12v DC. If so then a multi meter is required to check if it is producing power. Normal alkaline (1.5v) AA cells will not charge up and you need to use rechargeable cells like Enaloop NiMH. Does the wireless fire up just from the power supply, I'm assuming it should, cheers

[@pbwauthor]

@@TheInfoworks thanks for reply Andy. Charger is internal hidden part of radio. I opened radio but no way could I do anything. I'll buy a new one! Cheers, Paul

[@TheInfoworks]

@@pbwauthor If you cannot find the internal fuse, rather than scraping it contact BUY it Fix it, he commonly pays for the postage and does videos on the fix, cheers

[@kareemmahmood9896]

Hello my friend, there is a small resistor next to the MOSFET in the motherboard. It is damaged. What is its value? With my sincere thanks to you

[@TheInfoworks]

Hi, thanks for the interest. I do not have the unit here, it is still being used by my friend, cheers

[@kareemmahmood9896]

My friend, if you can send me her number, I will thank you

[@TheInfoworks]

@@kareemmahmood9896 That's rude

[@kareemmahmood9896]

@@TheInfoworks Thanks for your manners

[@kareemmahmood9896]

Hello, can you tell me how many volts the power supply has?

[@TheInfoworks]

about 10.5 volts

[@kareemmahmood9896]

Thank you for your ban

[@kareemmahmood9896]

Hello my friend, there is a small resistor next to the MOSFET in the motherboard. It is damaged. What is its value? With my sincere thanks to you

[@TheInfoworks]

@@kareemmahmood9896 I will let you know if this unit fails again, cheers

[@healysn]

Enjoy the bbc propaganda on the radio. Silence is golden!

[@TheInfoworks]

You are so right, constant churning to numb the mind, cheers

[@louisemccrory6465]

Didn’t work ☹️ my dodgy first time soldering might be to blame. Ah well.

[@TheInfoworks]

Lou, check with your multi meter to see if the mains is getting through, cheers

[@louisemccrory6465]

@@TheInfoworks it’s not getting through sadly

[@TheInfoworks]

@@louisemccrory6465 Lou, there will be a point where there is mains power and then non beyond that point. There will be a break in the circuit. A fuse has wire on either end. With a blown fuse there will be mains power on one end but not the other. Just follow the circuit on the board until you find the break, it's all about gaining skills, cheers