Tek LCD screen failure
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From: CC on 27 Oct 2007 16:55 Hi: It figures that with all the Tek TDS3000 series scopes I've been using at work for the past 8 years, that the TDS3014 I bought and paid for with my own money at home would have the LCD screen fail! Tek wants $1300 to fix it. There is a TDS3VM VGA output adapter for the thing. It can be had for $200. I think I'll get it. I could also inquire about the cost of the screen component, and consider doing it myself. But that has the risk that it may not the correct component. The VGA adapter, if it works, would confirm that it's the LCD panel, but after getting the adapter I might as well just use it and not spend any more money. I never need it to be portable, so it's not so bad. Could actually be advantageous, since I often look at signals from about 2m away, while changing program code for embedded micros at my desk. Using a cheap LCD monitor pegged to the wall might make that easier to see. I also have an Agilent MSO6054 at work which I love. I might not buy another Tek next time I want one at home or at work. Anyone have any sense of which maker has more LCD or other failures in these cheap plastic scopes these days? P.S. Sorry to hear about Tony Williams. My heart goes out to his family and friends. Good day! -- _____________________ Christopher R. Carlen crobc(a)bogus-remove-me.sbcglobal.net SuSE 9.1 Linux 2.6.5
From: James Sweet on 27 Oct 2007 16:58 "CC" <crobc(a)BOGUS.sbcglobal.net> wrote in message news:fg08kt078f(a)news5.newsguy.com... > Hi: > > It figures that with all the Tek TDS3000 series scopes I've been using at > work for the past 8 years, that the TDS3014 I bought and paid for with my > own money at home would have the LCD screen fail! > > Tek wants $1300 to fix it. There is a TDS3VM VGA output adapter for the > thing. It can be had for $200. I think I'll get it. > > I could also inquire about the cost of the screen component, and consider > doing it myself. But that has the risk that it may not the correct > component. The VGA adapter, if it works, would confirm that it's the LCD > panel, but after getting the adapter I might as well just use it and not > spend any more money. > > I never need it to be portable, so it's not so bad. Could actually be > advantageous, since I often look at signals from about 2m away, while > changing program code for embedded micros at my desk. Using a cheap LCD > monitor pegged to the wall might make that easier to see. > > I also have an Agilent MSO6054 at work which I love. I might not buy > another Tek next time I want one at home or at work. > > Anyone have any sense of which maker has more LCD or other failures in > these cheap plastic scopes these days? > > > > P.S. Sorry to hear about Tony Williams. My heart goes out to his family > and friends. > > > What sort of failure? Could it be just the backlight?
From: CC on 27 Oct 2007 17:28 ChairmanOfTheBored wrote: > On Sat, 27 Oct 2007 20:58:21 GMT, "James Sweet" <jamessweet(a)hotmail.com> > wrote: > >>"CC" <crobc(a)BOGUS.sbcglobal.net> wrote in message >>news:fg08kt078f(a)news5.newsguy.com... >>>Hi: >>> >>>It figures that with all the Tek TDS3000 series scopes I've been using at >>>work for the past 8 years, that the TDS3014 I bought and paid for with my >>>own money at home would have the LCD screen fail! >>> >>>Tek wants $1300 to fix it. There is a TDS3VM VGA output adapter for the >>>thing. It can be had for $200. I think I'll get it. >>> >>>I could also inquire about the cost of the screen component, and consider >>>doing it myself. But that has the risk that it may not the correct >>>component. The VGA adapter, if it works, would confirm that it's the LCD >>>panel, but after getting the adapter I might as well just use it and not >>>spend any more money. >>> >>>I never need it to be portable, so it's not so bad. Could actually be >>>advantageous, since I often look at signals from about 2m away, while >>>changing program code for embedded micros at my desk. Using a cheap LCD >>>monitor pegged to the wall might make that easier to see. >>> >>>I also have an Agilent MSO6054 at work which I love. I might not buy >>>another Tek next time I want one at home or at work. >>> >>>Anyone have any sense of which maker has more LCD or other failures in >>>these cheap plastic scopes these days? >>> >>> >>> >>>P.S. Sorry to hear about Tony Williams. My heart goes out to his family >>>and friends. >>> >>> >>> >> >>What sort of failure? Could it be just the backlight? >> > Not only that, but is it past the warranty period? > > Either way, a quote of $1300 to repair it is ludicrous. Thanks for your replies. When the scope is starting up, horizontal bars of varying display contrast flicker across the screen. After a few minutes, there are only occasional flickers, but the whole screen contrast is terrible. The white-on-grey soft menus that are displayed for instance by the "Quickmenu" button are barely visible. Overall backlight appears uniform, and the low-med-high levels appear to work correctly. I recall hearing years ago that folks had to pay about $1200 to fix a failed LCD. The reduced prices for LCDs obviously haven't percolated into Teks replacement parts. There is a lesser model of color Tek scope that I heard someone had to pay about $450 to fix. It is well past the warranty period. I think I bought it in 2001. Maybe I will consider extended warranty next time. But I will also give Agilent preferential consideration! Good day! -- _____________________ Christopher R. Carlen crobc(a)bogus-remove-me.sbcglobal.net SuSE 9.1 Linux 2.6.5
From: Joerg on 27 Oct 2007 17:38 CC wrote: > ChairmanOfTheBored wrote: >> On Sat, 27 Oct 2007 20:58:21 GMT, "James Sweet" <jamessweet(a)hotmail.com> >> wrote: >> >>> "CC" <crobc(a)BOGUS.sbcglobal.net> wrote in message >>> news:fg08kt078f(a)news5.newsguy.com... >>>> Hi: >>>> >>>> It figures that with all the Tek TDS3000 series scopes I've been >>>> using at work for the past 8 years, that the TDS3014 I bought and >>>> paid for with my own money at home would have the LCD screen fail! >>>> >>>> Tek wants $1300 to fix it. There is a TDS3VM VGA output adapter for >>>> the thing. It can be had for $200. I think I'll get it. >>>> >>>> I could also inquire about the cost of the screen component, and >>>> consider doing it myself. But that has the risk that it may not the >>>> correct component. The VGA adapter, if it works, would confirm that >>>> it's the LCD panel, but after getting the adapter I might as well >>>> just use it and not spend any more money. >>>> >>>> I never need it to be portable, so it's not so bad. Could actually >>>> be advantageous, since I often look at signals from about 2m away, >>>> while changing program code for embedded micros at my desk. Using a >>>> cheap LCD monitor pegged to the wall might make that easier to see. >>>> >>>> I also have an Agilent MSO6054 at work which I love. I might not >>>> buy another Tek next time I want one at home or at work. >>>> >>>> Anyone have any sense of which maker has more LCD or other failures >>>> in these cheap plastic scopes these days? >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> P.S. Sorry to hear about Tony Williams. My heart goes out to his >>>> family and friends. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> What sort of failure? Could it be just the backlight? >> Not only that, but is it past the warranty period? >> >> Either way, a quote of $1300 to repair it is ludicrous. > > Thanks for your replies. > > When the scope is starting up, horizontal bars of varying display > contrast flicker across the screen. After a few minutes, there are only > occasional flickers, but the whole screen contrast is terrible. The > white-on-grey soft menus that are displayed for instance by the > "Quickmenu" button are barely visible. > > Overall backlight appears uniform, and the low-med-high levels appear to > work correctly. > > I recall hearing years ago that folks had to pay about $1200 to fix a > failed LCD. The reduced prices for LCDs obviously haven't percolated > into Teks replacement parts. There is a lesser model of color Tek scope > that I heard someone had to pay about $450 to fix. > > It is well past the warranty period. I think I bought it in 2001. Maybe > I will consider extended warranty next time. But I will also give > Agilent preferential consideration! > If you don't need more than 200MHz check out GW Instek. I bought one, very nice. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/
From: Ken S. Tucker on 27 Oct 2007 17:41
On Oct 27, 2:28 pm, CC <cr...(a)BOGUS.sbcglobal.net> wrote: > ChairmanOfTheBored wrote: > > On Sat, 27 Oct 2007 20:58:21 GMT, "James Sweet" <jamessw...(a)hotmail.com> > > wrote: > > >>"CC" <cr...(a)BOGUS.sbcglobal.net> wrote in message > >>news:fg08kt078f(a)news5.newsguy.com... > >>>Hi: > > >>>It figures that with all the Tek TDS3000 series scopes I've been using at > >>>work for the past 8 years, that the TDS3014 I bought and paid for with my > >>>own money at home would have the LCD screen fail! > > >>>Tek wants $1300 to fix it. There is a TDS3VM VGA output adapter for the > >>>thing. It can be had for $200. I think I'll get it. > > >>>I could also inquire about the cost of the screen component, and consider > >>>doing it myself. But that has the risk that it may not the correct > >>>component. The VGA adapter, if it works, would confirm that it's the LCD > >>>panel, but after getting the adapter I might as well just use it and not > >>>spend any more money. > > >>>I never need it to be portable, so it's not so bad. Could actually be > >>>advantageous, since I often look at signals from about 2m away, while > >>>changing program code for embedded micros at my desk. Using a cheap LCD > >>>monitor pegged to the wall might make that easier to see. > > >>>I also have an Agilent MSO6054 at work which I love. I might not buy > >>>another Tek next time I want one at home or at work. > > >>>Anyone have any sense of which maker has more LCD or other failures in > >>>these cheap plastic scopes these days? > > >>>P.S. Sorry to hear about Tony Williams. My heart goes out to his family > >>>and friends. > > >>What sort of failure? Could it be just the backlight? > > > Not only that, but is it past the warranty period? > > > Either way, a quote of $1300 to repair it is ludicrous. > > Thanks for your replies. > > When the scope is starting up, horizontal bars of varying display > contrast flicker across the screen. After a few minutes, there are only > occasional flickers, That sounds like a thermal fault, likely a loose connection or bad solder joint. Open and try heat gun or cold spray and some wiggling. I've found 80% of faults are mechanic it's the other 20% that suck. Ken > but the whole screen contrast is terrible. The > white-on-grey soft menus that are displayed for instance by the > "Quickmenu" button are barely visible. > > Overall backlight appears uniform, and the low-med-high levels appear to > work correctly. > > I recall hearing years ago that folks had to pay about $1200 to fix a > failed LCD. The reduced prices for LCDs obviously haven't percolated > into Teks replacement parts. There is a lesser model of color Tek scope > that I heard someone had to pay about $450 to fix. > > It is well past the warranty period. I think I bought it in 2001. > Maybe I will consider extended warranty next time. But I will also give > Agilent preferential consideration! > > Good day! > > -- > _____________________ > Christopher R. Carlen > cr...(a)bogus-remove-me.sbcglobal.net > SuSE 9.1 Linux 2.6.5 |