Blue Ring Tester Result
Today I am going to share one of my troubleshooting experiences with Blue Ring Tester which I have bought from Mr. Jestine Yong. There was a problem with one SMPS which was dead and not showing output voltages. The SMPS was a 12V 120Watt and used as LED power supply.
One of my customers came to my office and told me that the SMPS was not working. After testing the SMPS I found the main fuse, bridge rectifier and power FET was shorted. After replacing all the components I used the series light bulb trick and the bulb was brightly lit and this means there was still short circuit in the board.
I suspected the main filter capacitor but after replacement the problem was still the same. My next moved was to check on the SMPS transformer primary winding. The Blue Ring Tester showed full LEDs and this means the SMPS transformer primary winding was good. When I checked on the secondary winding I found that it was open circuited causing the bulb to light up.
Here is how I have checked the transformer:
I removed the bad Switch Mode Power Transformer (SMPT) and compared with a good one. I checked it the way as mentioned in the Switch Mode Power Supply Ebook by Mr. Jestine Yong. First, I checked the primary winding of the transformer and found the winding to be good as shown in the below photo (8 full LEDs lighted up).
Then I made a short between pins in secondary winding with Long Nose Plier and there was no effect on LED bar of Blue Ring Tester. Please see the photo below:
Note: A good transformer when shorted the secondary pins, the Blue Ring Tester LEDs should go off or one or two LEDs should be blinking. Please see the photo below:
All the 8 LEDs went off when shorted the secondary pins with a long nose plier
A replacement with a new SMPT brought the dead power supply to life again.
This article was prepared for you by one of my ERG members. Please give a support by clicking on the social buttons below. Your feedback on the post is welcome. Please leave it in the comments.
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Robert Calk
September 14, 2013 at 7:42 pm
Thanks Owais. I just recently got into electronics and I love it. I got the Blue Ring tester in kit form so I could also practice on my soldering skills, and it works great.
The first TV I've worked on is my sisters Vizio that her grandbaby poured Dr Pepper into while it was on. Lol, it blew the transformer and 4 of the 5 HV Transformers on the inverter board, as well as many
other components.
I love my Blue Ring tester!!
Thank You guys/gals for sharing your articles with us. And Thank you Mr. Yong for sharing your knowledge with us at a very, very affordable price!!
Thanx!!
Jestine Yong
September 14, 2013 at 9:36 pm
Hi Robert,
Welcome to the world of electronics repair. There are many more interesting thing in electronics repair that is yet to come.
Jestine
Robert
September 15, 2013 at 9:08 pm
That's true Mr. Yong, I wish I got into electronics in my youth. My dad used to fix TV's back in the tube days and quit with the advent of solid state IC's. That may be why I didn't get the "bug".
Anyway, I've found a secret in the operation of the trip 5. I've looked on U-tube and other books and resources and haven't found anyone that has found it. How do I handle something like that without someone stealing it and claiming they found it first??
Jestine Yong
September 16, 2013 at 12:00 am
HI Robert,
Sorry I don 't get your meaning about "trip 5". Could you elaborate?
Jestine
Robert
September 16, 2013 at 4:38 am
555 Timer IC
Jestine Yong
September 16, 2013 at 10:24 am
HI Robert,
Noted. You can keep your secret tip and not necessary have to be revealed out. This was no one will know bout your secret.
Jestine
Robert
September 16, 2013 at 11:47 pm
From all I've read, the chip should not work this way, but it does. It's been running on my breadboard for several months now and the chip doesn't get hot or anything. I will do some more testing and try to figure out what's going on and try to write an article about it to send to you so you can see if it's worthy to show it here on your blog.
Thanks Mr. Yong for everything.
Jestine Yong
September 17, 2013 at 12:28 pm
Hi Robert,
Ok will wait for your good news.
Jestine
Tana
September 14, 2013 at 9:28 pm
Your student has learned his lesson from you well and is able to do repairs confidentially . I like that kind of person. There is one difficulty for me especially getting a good transformer for replacement.
Jestine Yong
September 14, 2013 at 9:38 pm
HI Tana,
You are right. Not all electronics shop all those SMPS transformer. You either get it straight from the main supplier or order online. In many cases, repair techs rather buy a new board than just the transformer itself because they could not locate the single transformer for sale.
Jestine
Robert
September 15, 2013 at 9:13 pm
I'm going to start building my own transformers. I think it might be fun.
ALVASOL777
September 15, 2013 at 12:02 am
i want only say thankyou for great articles,
Tyrone.
September 15, 2013 at 1:37 am
Thanks Jestine very good information and God bless.
Jestine Yong
September 15, 2013 at 3:07 pm
Hi All,
You are welcome and thanks also to the one that have written the article.
Jestine
Waleed Rishmawi
September 15, 2013 at 5:11 am
thanks for sharing. great one
Andre Gopee
September 15, 2013 at 6:48 am
Great Job. That blue ring tester is great. Thanks Jestine for introducing it to us and sharing you valued knowledge as well. Its good to know that there is someone like you who is willing to share these great information and experiences with us. Thanks Again and keep up the good work.
Andre
Jestine Yong
September 15, 2013 at 3:11 pm
HI Andre,
Yes having one is a great advantage to cut down the guessing game.
Jestine
Dusty
September 15, 2013 at 8:25 am
Hey jestine yong how do you go about getting a transformer replacement parts its so hard to find one i have a insignia and the transformer is bad on the power supply i dont want to buy another board I just want to replace the transformer
Jestine Yong
September 15, 2013 at 3:08 pm
HI Dusty,
There is no guarantee that one can find one. You may have to visit ebay or some China website to search for those transformers.
Jestine
Luis
September 15, 2013 at 10:08 pm
Jestine
Re. your answer to Tana and Dusty about finding replacement parts. If parts can't be found, there can be no repair! Perhaps a more apropos question is: where did Owais Akhter get his transformers?
Congratulations to Owais for a well written and informative article.
Luis
Jestine Yong
September 15, 2013 at 11:53 pm
HI Luis,
Yes sometimes we have to face the reality of not getting the parts. In certain equipment one can always modify an external power supply to it. As for Owais, I did not ask where he got the transformer. I will check from him.
Jestine
Amir Mukhtar
September 16, 2013 at 12:55 am
Sir, Jestine
Nice information about Blue ring tester and Troubleshooting about SMPS Chopper transformer.
thanks you
yours student
Amir Mukhtar AShrafi
Jestine Yong
September 16, 2013 at 10:22 am
HI Amir,
You are welcome.
Jestine
KARLO
September 16, 2013 at 5:32 pm
nice article again!
Daniel
September 16, 2013 at 7:33 pm
Hi Jestine, I'd like to know how an eeprom ic is programed? I came across a crt TV with a standby fault and all it's secondary voltage are ok but no picture because there's no 180volt going to the tube base panel even when I try switching it on with the remote so, that's where I suspected d eeprom ic could be faulty. The problem how is what would I do firstly with the new ic before replacing it with the old one?
Jestine Yong
September 16, 2013 at 8:57 pm
HI Daniel,
You need an eeprom programmer to do the job. You also need the original program to overwrite on the existing one.
Jestine
Daniel
September 17, 2013 at 8:50 pm
Am greatfull with your respond, but on how do I go about getting a programmer? Is it going to be online or if there's any link you can assist me I'll be most thankful. Thanks.
Jestine Yong
September 17, 2013 at 9:06 pm
HI Daniel,
It depends on the IC part number. Buy programmer that can support your type of ic. Just type in the google the ic part number + programmer.
Jestine
Muiddin
September 17, 2013 at 4:52 am
Beutiful,i really like this, it is helpful thanks .
Atish Chand
September 17, 2013 at 6:29 am
(JUSTINE)Sir your are the brilliant ones,it helped me to encourage myself to learn more in Electronics
Thanks for the repair news that i get from you,now ill also start to send you reports like this so that i can learn and others too.Regards Atish
Jestine Yong
September 17, 2013 at 12:27 pm
Hi Atish,
You are right, the more all of us share the more we will learn.
Jestine
John Konie
September 17, 2013 at 8:26 am
It still gives me pleasure and statisfaction to go back to your old articles and refresh on my electronics skills. I am still trying to order the blue ringer tester. Keep up the great work.
petr
September 17, 2013 at 11:07 am
that very very best, thank's
Darryl Widman
September 17, 2013 at 1:28 pm
Jestine,
Many times when a transformer is suspected, we can verify that it is the problem by using that tool located on our faces and centered just below our eyes. On pigs faces they are called snouts. We call them noses. When transformers are suspected I have been known to have said, "When in doubt, use your snout!" A good transformer will not have that hot, burnt smell that an overheated unit often has.
Thank you, Jestine.
Jestine Yong
September 17, 2013 at 2:23 pm
HI Darryl,
You are right and in fact we can use our nose on other components as well. But in this case, it was open circuit (which is quite rare) unless if the primary winding have a shorted turn.
Jestine
Humberto
September 17, 2013 at 7:54 pm
A very instructive article.
Congratulations.
Mark Tembo
September 19, 2013 at 8:50 pm
This article still encourages me to buy a blue ring tester. I have had problems with testing things like colis, Switch mode power transformers, capacitors, etc. . I really need to get one this month-end!
Thanks for the article.
Regards,
Mark.
Jestine Yong
September 20, 2013 at 3:52 pm
HI Mark,
Yes you should get those meters as both meters could cut short the repairing time.
Jestine
Rohmell Brills
September 21, 2013 at 6:39 am
I have been using the Huntron Tracker to check transformers in a similar wat to the Blur Ring Tester. Connect the Huntron to the primary of the transformer and observe the huntron waveform while shorting the secondary. If no change in the display, then windings are open.
Rohmell Brills
September 21, 2013 at 6:42 am
Also, it is easy to build a device that acts very similar to the Huntron Tracker. Search Google for "oscilloscope octopus circuit".
Very handy, indeed!
Jestine Yong
September 21, 2013 at 10:24 am
Hi Rohmell,
Thanks for the good tip!
Jestine
Amir Mukhtar
February 6, 2014 at 3:08 pm
Thanks you Mr. Rohmell Brills
for oscilloscope octopus circuit using as Blue Ring Tester Guidance.
Thanks a Lot
Amir Mukhtar Ashrafi
Amir Mukhtar
January 2, 2014 at 4:20 am
Thanks you for your Great Information about Instrument
Allah Bless you
A Student of Electronics
Amir Mukhtar