15 replies to this topic

[milamber_of_the_assembly]

So. I have this five year old who lives in our house (son) who was trying to clean the TV the other week. He managed to push the TV and knock it face first onto the carpet. Luckily it is an old CRT TV (I know get a flat screen) so the TV wasn't overly damaged except for one problem. The TV has several rear inputs and all of those were in use at the time. Unfortunately rather than the cords coming out, several of them broke off in the RCA jack. So I now have two inputs that are useless as the pin of the RCA lead has broken off in the RCA jack. Has anyone had this happen before and how have they fixed it? I have tried blutack but it doesn't have the pulling power. I am planning on little dabs of super glue next but don't really want to glue the cord in place. Any suggestions for fixes would be appreciated. Thanks M

[PointZeroOne]

Buy a new TV. Can you get the pin out at all? Open the TV up and desolder the stuffed jacks and put new ones in?

[ReapermanRS]

I've had this happen in car amplifiers, some of them are open at the other end and you can push the pin out, other ones I used a pick to manouver it out. Worst one i've ever had I ended up using a 1/64 drill to put a hole in it and drag it back, broke three bits doing it but they're cheap. Hope it works for you.

[milamber_of_the_assembly]

1/64 drill, i've got one of them. can't afford a new tv can't desolder (for various reasons but mostly because inside the tv looks like a high voltage death trap) what type of pick? Guitar? M

[ReapermanRS]

what type of pick? Guitar?

Hook and Pick set

I used a combination of the bottom one and the top one :) but anything similar would do, even a decent size sewing needle. Success not guaranteed and you need to be careful not to push them further in but I did manage to salvage an $900 amp.

[NukeJockey]

Wonder if neodymium magnets would be strong enough to pull them out. Got any old HDDs laying around?

[ReapermanRS]

Wonder if neodymium magnets would be strong enough to pull them out.

Got any old HDDs laying around?

The pins would most likely be a thin wrapping of copper, gold or aluminium around plastic.

[NukeJockey]

Wonder if neodymium magnets would be strong enough to pull them out.

Got any old HDDs laying around?

The pins would most likely be a thin wrapping of copper, gold or aluminium around plastic.

Yeah I think you're right.

[SledgY]

A fairly easy repair if you are comfortable with a soldering iron although a word of warning: CRT's have very high voltages, in particular the fly back lead. If you are not careful there is enough current to kill or seriously injure yourself. Even after it's been disconnected from the mains there is often a large amount of energy stored in capacitors. If you are wary about doing this yourself any TV repair person should be able to fix this in short order.

[osama_bin_athlon]

I pass a fair few dumped in the street all the time - flat screen ones as well as the old fishbowls

[milamber_of_the_assembly]

Hard drive magnets fail. the metal is either too thin or not metallic. trying the drill bit tomorrow, i figure if i drill a bit into it and then pull the bit out with the drill stopped it might catch on it and come out. After that i am ringing the TV shop down the block and if he says it is going to cost more than $100 then i am (unfortunately) throwing it out. I don't want to just throw it because it is such a waste, It is still just fine for watching TV on (with a set top box) so i feel bad throwing it out. I'd still feel bad throwing it out if it had exploded but there are no other options up here. M

[NukeJockey]

Yeah if repair cost starts going over 100$ then you could buy a flatscreen for $200~

[milamber_of_the_assembly]

All fixed. I gave in and took to to our local TV guy, $88 later and my TV works again! Incidentally he said he had to use to filed down cotton bud (the ones on the plastic shaft) to push the pins out as the 'live' line in the RCA plug goes directly down through the middle of the back of the plug. Because of this he couldn't just shove a small screw driver in there and pop it inside the TV and catch it. On the plus side that means i couldn't have ever pushed the pin through into the TV and destroyed it :D thanks for suggestions. M

[aliali]

Good stuff Milamber and done a t a very reasonable price IMO.

[NukeJockey]

Yup, still several times cheaper than buying a flat screen of equivalent size. Heh, I just had a thought, I wonder if you could have gotten some epoxy and put a dab of the resin on a nail or something and a dab of the hardener on the broken jack, let it set for a moment and then pull it out?

[ReapermanRS]

Yup, still several times cheaper than buying a flat screen of equivalent size.

Heh, I just had a thought, I wonder if you could have gotten some epoxy and put a dab of the resin on a nail or something and a dab of the hardener on the broken jack, let it set for a moment and then pull it out?

McGuyver called, you're stealing his schtick.