Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Monitor/Video Forum => Topic started by: Lilwolf on April 06, 2004, 10:11:28 am
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How hard is installing a cap kit? I'm about to place an order for some parts, and thought I might tag on a cheap cap kit and see if it helps.
but I'm not super handy with the soldering iron. Should I even consider doing it?
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It's not that difficult, but poor soldering causes as many monitor problems as failing caps.
What I'd suggest is ordering a spare cap kit, then when you recieve your order go to Radio Shack and buying some desoldering braid and a piece of perfboard. Use the spare cap kit to practice soldering and desoldering caps to the perfboard. When you get the hang of it, install the other cap kit on the monitor chassis board.
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Complexity depends on the monitor model to recapped. Some monitors are quite easy while others are more involved. Remember you are dealing with high voltages even with the monitor turned off and unplugged.
If you are not skillful with a soldering iron (and carefull, too) you can damage the copper foil traces on the circuit board. Then you end up causing additional nagging or intermittent problems. If you screw something up then no repair shop will touch it. I've had to fix monitors that customers had tried to 'repair' or recap on their own and f**ked up. What normally would have been a simple 30 minute recap job turns into a 4 hour major repair. But that's ok if the customer likes to give me $100 an hour to fix his mistakes. My opinion would be to hire a tech to do it for you.