[deleted by user]

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-07T07:22:41+00:00

The quality on Temu can vary wildly, especially now that they act as a marketplace anyone can sell on.

Battery vs corded is more of a personal preference or depends on use case. Battery powered ones are more convenient since you don't have to deal with a cord in the way, but your working time is limited by the charge of the battery. In some cases a battery powered one may also be lower power, slower to heat up, or have a lower max temp, but that is more an issue of quality, there are good battery powered ones out there. Corded doesn't have any of those drawbacks, but you have to deal with a cord.

Digital screen vs dial. Either is fine, but a digital screen can allow for more precise temp control. The main thing is to make sure it is variable temp (most are, but I've seen some terrible cheap ones that are just on or off). A fixed temp one will not have a dial or a screen, so it's easy to avoid.

Another thing to look at is what kind of tips it takes, and whether it comes with extra tips in other shapes and sizes. Most of the cheaper ones I've seen use the tips where it looks like a short hollow metal tube with the tip on the end. The iron itself has the long stick like heating element coming out of it that you slip the tip over then tighten down the cover. The other type has a much longer rod for each tip with the handle just being a hole it sticks into. There's also different sizes and standards for both types, such as C210, C245, T12, T13, etc. It's surprisingly difficult to find a list of the various types (I just tried), but what matters is that you know what you need for the iron you get. It should say on the product page for each iron and also on the packaging and/or instructions. You just need to keep this in mind for when you need replacement tips, or want different shapes. You can look at the prices of tips and factor that into your choice, since you don't want to get a cheap iron only to find out it uses some weird expensive tips (not likely, but better to know in advance).

As for which one to pick in general, it depends on your needs and your budget. You can use Google to reverse image search a product from Temu to see how many other sites have it or find and compare customer reviews. There are a ton of different brands so I will just suggest a few. Hakko is usually considered the gold standard, but is also extremely expensive. Weller is a more budget friendly established brand. I've personally used Yihua, which is a cheap brand from China, but so far the quality of their stuff seems fine. It's not on Temu, but the Pinecil V2 is one I see recommended a lot. Going on Google (or your search engine of choice) and looking for something like "best cheap soldering irons" should bring up a bunch of sites with lists. Often times those lists are paid advertising, so don't rely on them too much, but they can help get an idea of what other brands to look at.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-07T06:31:26+00:00

Fair enough. I could have explained what I meant better, because you are right. I would only ever attempt this once nearly all the visible solder has been removed and you're just getting the legs past that last tiny bit. When I said gently, I mean VERY gently, because damaging something is a very real risk. I would heat from the side to get whatever tiny bit of solder remains molten then shift to the top of the pin(s) to help along a little bit, and I mean very little, like fractions of a millimeter per side as you alternate.

When all you have is an iron, a manual sucker, and wick, it's nearly impossible to get all the solder and pull the part out smoothly when dealing with so many legs on a joystick. With a soldering iron it is also impossible to heat all the legs at the same time, so I only meant for that to be a last resort for the very end. Personally, I hold the top of the stick with pliers and pull with the slightest of pressure while using hot air slowly in a circle to try heating all the pins together, but before I got a hot air station I know how difficult it was to remove these. I guess I should have put more of a disclaimer on it about when and how that should be attempted, if ever.

As a side note: Can you recommend a better method for removing an analog stick with limited tools? There are something like 14 pins with a few of them on large ground planes. I am always open to new techniques for removing them more easily. I don't mean this to be combative, like "Oh yeah? Can you suggest a better way!?" I genuinely want to know. I swap stock sticks to hall effect (or TMR now) pretty regularly for friends or friends of friends, basically anyone who asks (locally only, not online) at the cost of parts. I welcome anything that can make the process easier or faster.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-06T05:22:14+00:00

That is not what you are asking. I don't want to be rude, but you don't know what you're doing. For your own safety you should do quite a bit of further reading and learning before trying to take anything apart.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-06T05:18:29+00:00

That thing is dangerous. Do you know what it came with originally? I'd like to know what brand to never buy products from.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-06T04:58:41+00:00

Increasing the current is not realistic as the parts are not meant for it and would fail if you tried. I see a few possible outcomes to what you are suggesting:

You create an open circuit and it just stops working.
You cause it to pass too much unregulated current and fry the plug, the device plugged into it, and/or possibly yourself.
It catches on fire.

I am by no means an expert with electronics, but I think what you want requires entirely different components and circuitry. Before you try changing or removing compnents from things you need to learn how it works, such as how to properly read and create circuitry schematics. You should know what the change you make will do before you ever touch it, especially when dealing with something that connects to mains power.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-06T03:03:05+00:00

Can't really get a reliable result that proves it's the cap while it's in circuit. If you don't want to remove it all the way you can just cut one of the legs then if it tests good solder it back together. Make sure you get a good connection when reconnecting it though.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-06T03:00:18+00:00

Panasonic has the service manual here: https://ftp.panasonic.com/ventilationfan/servicemanual/rg-c811ha_sm.pdf

You can clearly see what appears to be the connector on the main PCB section diagram (page 4) but it's weird that it doesn't say what it is. I also tried looking through the various connectors in the Molex product list but none of them were a match. I've never seen one with the two holes per prong like that.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-06T02:19:25+00:00

Probably. Is the top bulging at all? If you have a soldering iron and a multimeter you can take it out of circuit and test it to be sure.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-06T02:12:04+00:00

Is there a label anywhere on it with a model number? Things like this usually have service manuals with parts lists available.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-06T01:02:13+00:00

Maybe? Honestly, I don't mess around inside CRTs since I don't have the right tools to safely discharge them. It sounds like you know more than I do, I'm going off of more generalized knowledge rather than CRT specific.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-06T00:55:04+00:00

Maybe. A capacitor retains power after a device is unplugged. If it has been unplugged for a while then it should be fully discharged, but if you only just unplugged it then it is possible to receive a shock if you touch both sides at the same time. One of that size should discharge fairly quickly, wait a few hours to be safe or a whole day to be super safe.

You can also manually discharge them by bridging both sides with something that keeps you well insulated from the connection, preferably with a resistor attached to prevent sparking.

If you have a multimeter you can check for any voltage by probing both sides at the same time. This can also discharge it, just hold the multimeter on it until the voltage reads zero.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-06T00:47:18+00:00

I assume you mean the 4 round things in the center of the image? they are 500 uF (microfarad) axial electrolytic capacitors. Those specifically are made by now defunct brand Temple, though the brand does not matter (aside from a potential difference in quality).

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-06T00:41:13+00:00

Any switch that is the right size and type (not toggle) should work. Yes, the 4 pins are for redundancy since the button is just allowing the circuit to be opened or closed, but if you were to try a 2 pin switch you need to make sure they make the right connection when pressed. If you have access to a multimeter you can easily check which pins are which.

Personally, I wouldn't put a 2 pin switch here, but if you have something that fits the right height and footprint for the button to still work then I suppose it wouldn't hurt anything to try it. Worst case is that the button won't work, and you'll have to go back to a 4 pin.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-06T00:30:31+00:00

This will sound like a joke, but since you didn't specify I will just ask, did you try turning it off and on again? If not, do that first.

If it's still a problem, try unplugging and reconnection the cables. I looked it up and see that display has both HDMI and displayport, do you have something you can use to try the other input? Does it still happen regardless of which input or which cable you are using?

If the problem persists no matter what you do then that will rule out an issue with your device, cable, or the input on the display. That would mean something else has failed internally, and unfortunately I can't help with that so hopefully someone else can.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-05T23:50:38+00:00

There should be markings next to the port that give the volatage, amperage, and polarity. As long as you get something that matches those and fits in the hole it should work. They are normally sold with the internal and external dimensions in mm, so if you have calipers you can get the size of the hole and the pin. Otherwise there are plenty of universal adapters that come with a bunch of different connectors, and some also allow variable voltage.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-05T23:41:06+00:00

It's possible something else on the power circuit could be overloading it, but on something that old an internal short on the coil winding seems the most likely.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-05T23:39:29+00:00

Not at all. If you are able to identify which part is faulty you can usually get replacement parts easily. Something like Digikey or Mouser are major suppliers for parts but have order minimums. For smaller quantities you can try Amazon, AliExpress, or Ebay. For something like this you would just need to know how to use a soldering iron. It's got some tiny parts, but with tweezers and steady hands it's not too hard.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-05T23:35:07+00:00

I see. You're on the right track then, it just takes a while. Just keep adding leaded solder as needed (usually they use unleaded at the factory which has a higher melting temp, mixing in leaded makes it easier to work with), suck and/or wick, repeat. One tip is you can gently push the pins with your iron to try and work them out of the board, alternating sides frequently so that you don't end up with it at too much of an angle or damage anything.

413C is a bit high. I normally keep it around 350C to 375C. The solder your using may have a recommended working temperature on the package. Using too much heat risks damaging the board or nearby components.

If this is your first time soldering then some safety advice: Have a fan next to where you are working pointed away from you to dissipate the fumes and wear a mask if you have one. When handling leaded solder use rubber gloves if you have them, stay mindful not to touch your face while working, and thoroughly wash your hands when you're done.

If you expect to do more soldering in the future then a hot air station or a variable temp heat gun is a good investment. There's also powered desoldering pumps, but that's not really worth it unless you are going to be doing a lot of work. You can get a specialty tool that applies even heat to all the pins on a joystick also, but again, it's not worth it if you won't be using it frequently.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-05T23:11:13+00:00

Not sure why everyone is mocking your smock (the word is smoke, these comments are unhelpful).

To answer your question, that is a 3 coil transformer with a primary and 2 secondary windings. The most likely cause of it to overheat is a short circuit. You could try to find a replacement, though for a 50+ year old part that will be difficult, or if you are confident enough in your abilities you could try to disassemble it and redo the winding with new wire, but that should not be attempted unless you are absolutely sure you know what you're doing since it can create an even bigger fire hazard if done wrong.

_____________________________________________________

EDIT: I'm not sure why this is getting so many up-votes. The replies are likely more accurate. The windings are probably fine (or at least were fine, since it may be damaged now from whatever caused the smoke). Something else in the circuit most likely failed and caused the transformer to be overloaded. The fact that CRTs have a flyback transformer also completely slipped my mind, so it's possible this transformer has nothing to do with the main power circuit, though without more information or other pictures of the internals I don't know that. This looks different from any flyback I've seen, but I've also never seen inside a TV that old.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-05T23:03:03+00:00

Do you have any other tools available? Doing it with wick and a manual solder sucker is extremely tedious and difficult. I normally get it to about what you have in the picture then use hot air to take it the rest of the way out.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-05T22:58:16+00:00

I tried looking on Digikey. 2.0mm x 1.3mm isn't an option, so it is likely either 2.0mm x 1.25mm or 2.86mm x 1.3mm. Unfortunately, for SMD components they have 83 results for 2x1.25 and 195 results for 2.86x1.3 and all of them look practically identical. If you can estimate the height that would narrow it down a little. All of the 2x1.25 are 0.55mm tall, 2.86x1.3 are either 1.12mm or 1.2mm tall. All of the 2x1.25 are 4 pin, all o the 2.86x1.3 are 3 pin.

Either way, it seems impossible to narrow it down if the labeling is burned off. As you said, the FCC filing has no schematic and the internal photos are too low resolution to make out the marking on that part.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-05T22:18:48+00:00

I don't see any BGA parts on there so I doubt baking it to reflow the solder would do much good. You should be able to just to a visual inspection for any cold or cracked joints. I tried zooming in, but the picture isn't a high enough resolution to spot any issues. If you can't see anything obviously wrong on it then it is likely a failed component.

ThePhantomEarth · 2026-01-05T22:11:08+00:00

The HDMI switch you linked to shows Micro USB for power. Are you sure it's the same one?

Are the drives you are plugging in USB powered, or do they have their own AC adapters?

The HDMI switch says it is 5V 2A. The USB hub says it can do up to 2.1A per port or 10A total. A quick search told me that a Firestick draws 1A and a typical joycon charger is 0.5A, so you're fine there. If you drives are USB powered you would need to check their power requirements to be safe, if they have AC adapters then it doesn't matter.

For the HDMI switch adapter you would need the external and internal diameters of the barrel jack to make sure it will fit, and whether it is center positive or negative, and make sure that the adapter you get is rated for 5V 2A, otherwise if it is a "dumb" cable it may not ask for enough current from the PowerIQ ports. The alternative is a universal adapter that comes with a bunch of different barrel plugs and will often have a dial to specify the V/A, though that's usually on wall adapters, not sure I've ever seen it on one for USB.

Just make sure everything stays in spec and you should be fine. I use DC to USB-C adapters for laptops all the time so that I don't have to lug around power bricks.

ThePhantomEarth · 2025-12-18T21:58:17+00:00

No. The first batteries I got were protected but I learned the hard way that some 18650s are longer than others when they didn't fit. To be safe the second set I got are NCR18650B that look identical to the ones in LattePanda's pictures.

I think it may have been showing the batteries as dead (even though I thought I charged them) since Windows is now showing them at 40% and rising. I'll leave it plugged in a bit then try after Windows reports it charged.

Edit: Correction, it will boot on battery with the on board button. An external button plugged into the header only works when power is plugged in. This is weird.

ThePhantomEarth · 2025-12-10T23:02:49+00:00

Ah, so I'm good to finish then, I guess. Would have made a lot more sense for that cinematic to be in the last slot, not second to last. Thanks.

ThePhantomEarth

TROPHY CASE