Miraculous button makes things work again.

[micky]

With email copy to Ed. Remove NONONO to email.

I posted in another thread about my philips DVDR3575H dvdr with
harddrive that stopped working 2 or 3 months ago. (I've had medical
problems since Dec 11, so I've not gotten much done. They are scheduled
to end or be permanent by March 11. I'm optimistic.)

But I did buy another identical dvdr from ebay for 180 dollars (they had
much cheaper, but the first one lasted me 15 years, and even though the
one I just bought is also already 15 years old, I still think it will
last 15 years. See, I'm optimistic.) And he was the only one who
showed a tv with a picture on it in his photos.

I put it in and it worked fine for 2 of the 3 tv's I'm using now, but
one 14" crt tv has much more static when text or commercials come on the
screen than it did before. That is another topic. Anyone have any
ideas? I'll post details if you do.

The topic here is what happened when I took apart the broken one. Since
it was totally dead, I expected to find a problem with the power supply.
I didnt' see anything burned out, and before I got out my meter, I
looked around and in the middle of another board, iirc the tuner board,
I found a little switch that looks like the middle ones in the back row
here:
Loading Image...%3Fset_id%3D8800005007&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2F402506084854&docid=lTwHaPMd2PG4uM&tbnid=IkOz4CNcM5iAZM&vet=12ahUKEwiUzL-g8JKLAxUckokEHQRPGacQM3oECGUQAA..i&w=1600&h=1600&hcb=2&ved=2ahUKEwiUzL-g8JKLAxUckokEHQRPGacQM3oECGUQAA
The little black sticks sticking up in the middle are made of plastic or
rubber, so like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland, I
pushed it down. And the DVDR started working again!!!

How come they don't mention this in the owners manual for my model, and
I found a service manual for a similar DVDR that doesn't say a word
about it either. The switch is labeled Reset
Sw.50
I can post the urls for the manuals if you want.

I haven't connected the output yet because I'd have to connect a RF
modulator, but it shows On, Play, Rewind, none of which it did before.
I'm 95% convinced it works as good as before. Unless it fails again?
Likely? Why do they have this button if they're going to keep it
secret?

Have you ever heard of a button like this before?

[Ed P]

Post by micky
With email copy to Ed. Remove NONONO to email.
I posted in another thread about my philips DVDR3575H dvdr with
harddrive that stopped working 2 or 3 months ago. (I've had medical
problems since Dec 11, so I've not gotten much done. They are scheduled
to end or be permanent by March 11. I'm optimistic.)
The topic here is what happened when I took apart the broken one. Since
it was totally dead, I expected to find a problem with the power supply.
I didnt' see anything burned out, and before I got out my meter, I
looked around and in the middle of another board, iirc the tuner board,
I found a little switch that looks like the middle ones in the back row
https://www.google.com/imgres?q=mini%20push%20button%20switch&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ebayimg.com%2F00%2Fs%2FMTYwMFgxNjAw%2Fz%2F~CQAAOSwg-NiIKR4%2F%24_57.JPG%3Fset_id%3D8800005007&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2F402506084854&docid=lTwHaPMd2PG4uM&tbnid=IkOz4CNcM5iAZM&vet=12ahUKEwiUzL-g8JKLAxUckokEHQRPGacQM3oECGUQAA..i&w=1600&h=1600&hcb=2&ved=2ahUKEwiUzL-g8JKLAxUckokEHQRPGacQM3oECGUQAA
The little black sticks sticking up in the middle are made of plastic or
rubber, so like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland, I
pushed it down. And the DVDR started working again!!!
How come they don't mention this in the owners manual for my model, and
I found a service manual for a similar DVDR that doesn't say a word
about it either. The switch is labeled Reset
Sw.50
I can post the urls for the manuals if you want.
I haven't connected the output yet because I'd have to connect a RF
modulator, but it shows On, Play, Rewind, none of which it did before.
I'm 95% convinced it works as good as before. Unless it fails again?
Likely? Why do they have this button if they're going to keep it
secret?
Have you ever heard of a button like this before?

Glad to you you back. Hope you have a good resolution to your problem.

Seems a reset should be visible and marked. Maybe service people know
of it and can charge you $150 for a board repair when it is just push of
a button.

[micky]

In sci.electronics.repair, on Sun, 26 Jan 2025 12:17:56 -0500, Ed P

Post by Ed P

Post by micky
With email copy to Ed. Remove NONONO to email.
I posted in another thread about my philips DVDR3575H dvdr with
harddrive that stopped working 2 or 3 months ago. (I've had medical
problems since Dec 11, so I've not gotten much done. They are scheduled
to end or be permanent by March 11. I'm optimistic.)
The topic here is what happened when I took apart the broken one. Since
it was totally dead, I expected to find a problem with the power supply.
I didnt' see anything burned out, and before I got out my meter, I
looked around and in the middle of another board, iirc the tuner board,
I found a little switch that looks like the middle ones in the back row
https://www.google.com/imgres?q=mini%20push%20button%20switch&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ebayimg.com%2F00%2Fs%2FMTYwMFgxNjAw%2Fz%2F~CQAAOSwg-NiIKR4%2F%24_57.JPG%3Fset_id%3D8800005007&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2F402506084854&docid=lTwHaPMd2PG4uM&tbnid=IkOz4CNcM5iAZM&vet=12ahUKEwiUzL-g8JKLAxUckokEHQRPGacQM3oECGUQAA..i&w=1600&h=1600&hcb=2&ved=2ahUKEwiUzL-g8JKLAxUckokEHQRPGacQM3oECGUQAA
The little black sticks sticking up in the middle are made of plastic or
rubber, so like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland, I
pushed it down. And the DVDR started working again!!!
How come they don't mention this in the owners manual for my model, and
I found a service manual for a similar DVDR that doesn't say a word
about it either. The switch is labeled Reset
Sw.50
I can post the urls for the manuals if you want.
I haven't connected the output yet because I'd have to connect a RF
modulator, but it shows On, Play, Rewind, none of which it did before.
I'm 95% convinced it works as good as before. Unless it fails again?
Likely? Why do they have this button if they're going to keep it
secret?
Have you ever heard of a button like this before?

Glad to you you back. Hope you have a good resolution to your problem.

Thank you.

Post by Ed P
Seems a reset should be visible and marked. Maybe service people know
of it and can charge you $150 for a board repair when it is just push of
a button.

Maybe.

BTW, it was a different Ed who doesn't read usenet afaik, but I'm sure
he's insterested.

Yes, Cursitor, we need a federal law to put a button like that on
everything. .

[Cursitor Doom]

Post by micky
In sci.electronics.repair, on Sun, 26 Jan 2025 12:17:56 -0500, Ed P

Post by Ed P

Post by micky
With email copy to Ed. Remove NONONO to email.
I posted in another thread about my philips DVDR3575H dvdr with
harddrive that stopped working 2 or 3 months ago. (I've had medical
problems since Dec 11, so I've not gotten much done. They are scheduled
to end or be permanent by March 11. I'm optimistic.)
The topic here is what happened when I took apart the broken one. Since
it was totally dead, I expected to find a problem with the power supply.
I didnt' see anything burned out, and before I got out my meter, I
looked around and in the middle of another board, iirc the tuner board,
I found a little switch that looks like the middle ones in the back row
https://www.google.com/imgres?q=mini%20push%20button%20switch&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ebayimg.com%2F00%2Fs%2FMTYwMFgxNjAw%2Fz%2F~CQAAOSwg-NiIKR4%2F%24_57.JPG%3Fset_id%3D8800005007&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2F402506084854&docid=lTwHaPMd2PG4uM&tbnid=IkOz4CNcM5iAZM&vet=12ahUKEwiUzL-g8JKLAxUckokEHQRPGacQM3oECGUQAA..i&w=1600&h=1600&hcb=2&ved=2ahUKEwiUzL-g8JKLAxUckokEHQRPGacQM3oECGUQAA
The little black sticks sticking up in the middle are made of plastic or
rubber, so like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland, I
pushed it down. And the DVDR started working again!!!
How come they don't mention this in the owners manual for my model, and
I found a service manual for a similar DVDR that doesn't say a word
about it either. The switch is labeled Reset
Sw.50
I can post the urls for the manuals if you want.
I haven't connected the output yet because I'd have to connect a RF
modulator, but it shows On, Play, Rewind, none of which it did before.
I'm 95% convinced it works as good as before. Unless it fails again?
Likely? Why do they have this button if they're going to keep it
secret?
Have you ever heard of a button like this before?

Glad to you you back. Hope you have a good resolution to your problem.

Thank you.

Post by Ed P
Seems a reset should be visible and marked. Maybe service people know
of it and can charge you $150 for a board repair when it is just push of
a button.

Maybe.
BTW, it was a different Ed who doesn't read usenet afaik, but I'm sure
he's insterested.
Yes, Cursitor, we need a federal law to put a button like that on
everything. .

That would be a major step forward for sure.
Is it the laser diodes in these things getting weaker over time that's
a principal cause of failure in these drives?

[Bob F]

Post by micky
In sci.electronics.repair, on Sun, 26 Jan 2025 12:17:56 -0500, Ed P

Post by Ed P

Post by micky
With email copy to Ed. Remove NONONO to email.
I posted in another thread about my philips DVDR3575H dvdr with
harddrive that stopped working 2 or 3 months ago. (I've had medical
problems since Dec 11, so I've not gotten much done. They are scheduled
to end or be permanent by March 11. I'm optimistic.)
The topic here is what happened when I took apart the broken one. Since
it was totally dead, I expected to find a problem with the power supply.
I didnt' see anything burned out, and before I got out my meter, I
looked around and in the middle of another board, iirc the tuner board,
I found a little switch that looks like the middle ones in the back row
https://www.google.com/imgres?q=mini%20push%20button%20switch&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ebayimg.com%2F00%2Fs%2FMTYwMFgxNjAw%2Fz%2F~CQAAOSwg-NiIKR4%2F%24_57.JPG%3Fset_id%3D8800005007&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2F402506084854&docid=lTwHaPMd2PG4uM&tbnid=IkOz4CNcM5iAZM&vet=12ahUKEwiUzL-g8JKLAxUckokEHQRPGacQM3oECGUQAA..i&w=1600&h=1600&hcb=2&ved=2ahUKEwiUzL-g8JKLAxUckokEHQRPGacQM3oECGUQAA
The little black sticks sticking up in the middle are made of plastic or
rubber, so like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland, I
pushed it down. And the DVDR started working again!!!
How come they don't mention this in the owners manual for my model, and
I found a service manual for a similar DVDR that doesn't say a word
about it either. The switch is labeled Reset
Sw.50
I can post the urls for the manuals if you want.
I haven't connected the output yet because I'd have to connect a RF
modulator, but it shows On, Play, Rewind, none of which it did before.
I'm 95% convinced it works as good as before. Unless it fails again?
Likely? Why do they have this button if they're going to keep it
secret?
Have you ever heard of a button like this before?

Glad to you you back. Hope you have a good resolution to your problem.

Thank you.

Post by Ed P
Seems a reset should be visible and marked. Maybe service people know
of it and can charge you $150 for a board repair when it is just push of
a button.

Maybe.
BTW, it was a different Ed who doesn't read usenet afaik, but I'm sure
he's insterested.
Yes, Cursitor, we need a federal law to put a button like that on
everything. .

Is there a tiny hole in the case above that switch for usimg as paper
clip to reset the device?

[micky]

In sci.electronics.repair, on Wed, 29 Jan 2025 10:38:40 -0800, Bob F

Post by Bob F

Post by micky
In sci.electronics.repair, on Sun, 26 Jan 2025 12:17:56 -0500, Ed P

Post by Ed P

Post by micky
With email copy to Ed. Remove NONONO to email.
I posted in another thread about my philips DVDR3575H dvdr with
harddrive that stopped working 2 or 3 months ago. (I've had medical
problems since Dec 11, so I've not gotten much done. They are scheduled
to end or be permanent by March 11. I'm optimistic.)
The topic here is what happened when I took apart the broken one. Since
it was totally dead, I expected to find a problem with the power supply.
I didnt' see anything burned out, and before I got out my meter, I
looked around and in the middle of another board, iirc the tuner board,
I found a little switch that looks like the middle ones in the back row
https://www.google.com/imgres?q=mini%20push%20button%20switch&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ebayimg.com%2F00%2Fs%2FMTYwMFgxNjAw%2Fz%2F~CQAAOSwg-NiIKR4%2F%24_57.JPG%3Fset_id%3D8800005007&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2F402506084854&docid=lTwHaPMd2PG4uM&tbnid=IkOz4CNcM5iAZM&vet=12ahUKEwiUzL-g8JKLAxUckokEHQRPGacQM3oECGUQAA..i&w=1600&h=1600&hcb=2&ved=2ahUKEwiUzL-g8JKLAxUckokEHQRPGacQM3oECGUQAA
The little black sticks sticking up in the middle are made of plastic or
rubber, so like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland, I
pushed it down. And the DVDR started working again!!!
How come they don't mention this in the owners manual for my model, and
I found a service manual for a similar DVDR that doesn't say a word
about it either. The switch is labeled Reset
Sw.50
I can post the urls for the manuals if you want.
I haven't connected the output yet because I'd have to connect a RF
modulator, but it shows On, Play, Rewind, none of which it did before.
I'm 95% convinced it works as good as before. Unless it fails again?
Likely? Why do they have this button if they're going to keep it
secret?
Have you ever heard of a button like this before?

Glad to you you back. Hope you have a good resolution to your problem.

Thank you.

Post by Ed P
Seems a reset should be visible and marked. Maybe service people know
of it and can charge you $150 for a board repair when it is just push of
a button.

Maybe.
BTW, it was a different Ed who doesn't read usenet afaik, but I'm sure
he's insterested.
Yes, Cursitor, we need a federal law to put a button like that on
everything. .

Is there a tiny hole in the case above that switch for usimg as paper
clip to reset the device?

No, nothing like that. Like most VCRs, DVD players, DVDRs, amplifiers,
One big piece of sheet metal covering the top with no holes, no writing.
I wonder how it decides when to break?

[danny burstein]

In <***@4ax.com> micky <***@fmguy.com> writes:

[snip]

Post by micky

Post by Bob F
Is there a tiny hole in the case above that switch for usimg as paper
clip to reset the device?

No, nothing like that. Like most VCRs, DVD players, DVDRs, amplifiers,
One big piece of sheet metal covering the top with no holes, no writing.
I wonder how it decides when to break?

Two days after the warranty expires, of course.

[Cursitor Doom]

Post by micky
With email copy to Ed. Remove NONONO to email.
I posted in another thread about my philips DVDR3575H dvdr with
harddrive that stopped working 2 or 3 months ago. (I've had medical
problems since Dec 11, so I've not gotten much done. They are scheduled
to end or be permanent by March 11. I'm optimistic.)
But I did buy another identical dvdr from ebay for 180 dollars (they had
much cheaper, but the first one lasted me 15 years, and even though the
one I just bought is also already 15 years old, I still think it will
last 15 years. See, I'm optimistic.) And he was the only one who
showed a tv with a picture on it in his photos.
I put it in and it worked fine for 2 of the 3 tv's I'm using now, but
one 14" crt tv has much more static when text or commercials come on the
screen than it did before. That is another topic. Anyone have any
ideas? I'll post details if you do.
The topic here is what happened when I took apart the broken one. Since
it was totally dead, I expected to find a problem with the power supply.
I didnt' see anything burned out, and before I got out my meter, I
looked around and in the middle of another board, iirc the tuner board,
I found a little switch that looks like the middle ones in the back row
https://www.google.com/imgres?q=mini%20push%20button%20switch&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ebayimg.com%2F00%2Fs%2FMTYwMFgxNjAw%2Fz%2F~CQAAOSwg-NiIKR4%2F%24_57.JPG%3Fset_id%3D8800005007&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2F402506084854&docid=lTwHaPMd2PG4uM&tbnid=IkOz4CNcM5iAZM&vet=12ahUKEwiUzL-g8JKLAxUckokEHQRPGacQM3oECGUQAA..i&w=1600&h=1600&hcb=2&ved=2ahUKEwiUzL-g8JKLAxUckokEHQRPGacQM3oECGUQAA
The little black sticks sticking up in the middle are made of plastic or
rubber, so like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland, I
pushed it down. And the DVDR started working again!!!
How come they don't mention this in the owners manual for my model, and
I found a service manual for a similar DVDR that doesn't say a word
about it either. The switch is labeled Reset
Sw.50
I can post the urls for the manuals if you want.
I haven't connected the output yet because I'd have to connect a RF
modulator, but it shows On, Play, Rewind, none of which it did before.
I'm 95% convinced it works as good as before. Unless it fails again?
Likely? Why do they have this button if they're going to keep it
secret?
Have you ever heard of a button like this before?

No, but I wish to hell I had one.

[Cursitor Doom]

(...)

Post by Cursitor Doom

Post by micky
Have you ever heard of a button like this before?

No, but I wish to hell I had one.

On behalf of hell, I'm here to answer your wishes. These buttons are
<https://www.google.com/search?num=10&q=destruct%20button&udm=2>
<https://www.google.com/search?q=do%20not%20push%20&udm=2>
You only need the button and not the switch. The switch only supports
the button and otherwise does nothing useful.
Incidentally, it's acceptable to pray for a miracle. However, relying
on a miracle to make your project work is not acceptable.

Dang it, Jeff, that last suggestion of yours is my go-to principal
design technique. :(

[Jeff Liebermann]

Post by Cursitor Doom

(...)

Post by Cursitor Doom

Post by micky
Have you ever heard of a button like this before?

No, but I wish to hell I had one.

On behalf of hell, I'm here to answer your wishes. These buttons are
<https://www.google.com/search?num=10&q=destruct%20button&udm=2>
<https://www.google.com/search?q=do%20not%20push%20&udm=2>
You only need the button and not the switch. The switch only supports
the button and otherwise does nothing useful.
Incidentally, it's acceptable to pray for a miracle. However, relying
on a miracle to make your project work is not acceptable.

Dang it, Jeff, that last suggestion of yours is my go-to principal
design technique. :(

Miraculous design worked well for biblical prototypes but not so well
meeting modern standards and safety requirements. Fortunately,
miraculous design might soon be replaced by AI and other forms of
traditional magic which does not require a miracle to function. If
you are uncertain as to which approach is best for whatever you're
building, I suggest you consider reverse engineering, patent
infringement, cloning the competition, changing the specs, faking the
test data, bribing the inspector and other modern engineering
practices. It also helps to have a designated culprit or scapegoat
available. Good luck.

[Cursitor Doom]

Post by Jeff Liebermann

Post by Cursitor Doom

(...)

Post by Cursitor Doom

Post by micky
Have you ever heard of a button like this before?

No, but I wish to hell I had one.

On behalf of hell, I'm here to answer your wishes. These buttons are
<https://www.google.com/search?num=10&q=destruct%20button&udm=2>
<https://www.google.com/search?q=do%20not%20push%20&udm=2>
You only need the button and not the switch. The switch only supports
the button and otherwise does nothing useful.
Incidentally, it's acceptable to pray for a miracle. However, relying
on a miracle to make your project work is not acceptable.

Dang it, Jeff, that last suggestion of yours is my go-to principal
design technique. :(

Miraculous design worked well for biblical prototypes but not so well
meeting modern standards and safety requirements. Fortunately,
miraculous design might soon be replaced by AI and other forms of
traditional magic which does not require a miracle to function. If
you are uncertain as to which approach is best for whatever you're
building, I suggest you consider reverse engineering, patent
infringement, cloning the competition, changing the specs, faking the
test data, bribing the inspector and other modern engineering
practices. It also helps to have a designated culprit or scapegoat
available. Good luck.

Thanks, Jeff!

[john larkin]

Post by Jeff Liebermann

Post by Cursitor Doom

(...)

Post by Cursitor Doom

Post by micky
Have you ever heard of a button like this before?

No, but I wish to hell I had one.

On behalf of hell, I'm here to answer your wishes. These buttons are
<https://www.google.com/search?num=10&q=destruct%20button&udm=2>
<https://www.google.com/search?q=do%20not%20push%20&udm=2>
You only need the button and not the switch. The switch only supports
the button and otherwise does nothing useful.
Incidentally, it's acceptable to pray for a miracle. However, relying
on a miracle to make your project work is not acceptable.

Dang it, Jeff, that last suggestion of yours is my go-to principal
design technique. :(

Miraculous design worked well for biblical prototypes but not so well
meeting modern standards and safety requirements. Fortunately,
miraculous design might soon be replaced by AI and other forms of
traditional magic which does not require a miracle to function. If
you are uncertain as to which approach is best for whatever you're
building, I suggest you consider reverse engineering, patent
infringement, cloning the competition, changing the specs, faking the
test data, bribing the inspector and other modern engineering
practices. It also helps to have a designated culprit or scapegoat
available. Good luck.

Amazingly, Flux is still in business.

https://www.flux.ai/p/

[Jeff Liebermann]

(...)

Post by Cursitor Doom

Post by micky
Have you ever heard of a button like this before?

No, but I wish to hell I had one.

On behalf of hell, I'm here to answer your wishes. These buttons are
not quite what you want, but should make suitable substitutes:
<https://www.google.com/search?num=10&q=destruct%20button&udm=2>
<https://www.google.com/search?q=do%20not%20push%20&udm=2>
You only need the button and not the switch. The switch only supports
the button and otherwise does nothing useful.

Incidentally, it's acceptable to pray for a miracle. However, relying
on a miracle to make your project work is not acceptable.

[Carlos E.R.]

Post by micky
Why do they have this button if they're going to keep it
secret?

To charge for the repair. Yes, I have seen this before, in some
expensive machine. They told us in training about the secret reset button.

[Martin Brown]

Post by Carlos E.R.

  Why do they have this button if they're going to keep it
secret?

To charge for the repair. Yes, I have seen this before, in some
expensive machine. They told us in training about the secret reset button.

Or the cunningly hidden additional thermal cutout or fuse.

It is what "repair cafes" are for - to mend things that are in fact
perfectly OK but have been disabled by designed in obsolescence.

[micky]

In sci.electronics.repair, on Mon, 27 Jan 2025 02:02:30 +0100, "Carlos

Post by Carlos E.R.

Why do they have this button (that made my DVDR work when it was apparently dead) if they're going to keep it
secret?

To charge for the repair. Yes, I have seen this before, in some
expensive machine. They told us in training about the secret reset button.

That's incredible. (well, not really, since I believe you, so it must be
credible.)

Where was this training, in the US or Spain? And if they tell people
like you, what prevents the people they tell from telling everyone else?
I guess they have to tell someone or it wouldn't be of any value, but
I'd think they'd be worried everyone not doing repairs would be annoyed
when they heard about this.

What made it break when it did, about 15 years after I bought it. Is it
on a timer? Will it break again in another 15 years? Or maybe it's
operational time, not calendar time. For maybe 10 years I recorded 3
hours a day and played back 3 hours a day. plus some more time watching
what wasn't recorded. 3 or 4 years I left it running (and the hard
drive spinning I guess) 4 or 5 days of the week. So it was running for
5 or 6 years total, I think. That's not very much imo, compared to 15
years elapsed time.

[Carlos E.R.]

Post by micky
In sci.electronics.repair, on Mon, 27 Jan 2025 02:02:30 +0100, "Carlos

Post by Carlos E.R.

Why do they have this button (that made my DVDR work when it was apparently dead) if they're going to keep it
secret?

To charge for the repair. Yes, I have seen this before, in some
expensive machine. They told us in training about the secret reset button.

That's incredible. (well, not really, since I believe you, so it must be
credible.)
Where was this training, in the US or Spain?

Both :-)

It was an international USA company. I'm not going to say the culprit,
that product seems to be still active (which surprises me). Ah, no, the
current supplier says it is EOL.

:-D

Post by micky
And if they tell people
like you, what prevents the people they tell from telling everyone else?
I guess they have to tell someone or it wouldn't be of any value, but
I'd think they'd be worried everyone not doing repairs would be annoyed
when they heard about this.
What made it break when it did, about 15 years after I bought it. Is it
on a timer? Will it break again in another 15 years? Or maybe it's
operational time, not calendar time. For maybe 10 years I recorded 3
hours a day and played back 3 hours a day. plus some more time watching
what wasn't recorded. 3 or 4 years I left it running (and the hard
drive spinning I guess) 4 or 5 days of the week. So it was running for
5 or 6 years total, I think. That's not very much imo, compared to 15
years elapsed time.

Who knows. But my guess is that any machine that has some sort of
computer inside must have some reset method.

[Greta Thongturd]

Post by micky
The switch is labeled Reset
Sw.50
[snip]
Have you ever heard of a button like this before?

Yah, and some of them have a very specific finger dance to get it to reset.

Push and hold the reset button while plugging in the power cord until the green light flashes red 5 times.
Release the reset button for 60 seconds then press the wifi button until the yellow led flashes red.
Warning: Failure to follow these directions exactly will turn your $500 plastic piece of crap into a forever brick.

[Carlos E.R.]

Post by Greta Thongturd

The switch is labeled    Reset
                                             Sw.50
[snip]
Have you ever heard of a button like this before?

Yah, and some of them have a very specific finger dance to get it to reset.
Push and hold the reset button while plugging in the power cord until
the green light flashes red 5 times.
Release the reset button for 60 seconds then press the wifi button until
the yellow led flashes red.
Warning: Failure to follow these directions exactly will turn your $500
plastic piece of crap into a forever brick.

The dances are there usually when there is no dedicated reset button.

[Martin Brown]

Post by Greta Thongturd

The switch is labeled    Reset
                                             Sw.50
[snip]
Have you ever heard of a button like this before?

Yah, and some of them have a very specific finger dance to get it to reset.
Push and hold the reset button while plugging in the power cord until
the green light flashes red 5 times.
Release the reset button for 60 seconds then press the wifi button until
the yellow led flashes red.

I recall one particularly painful reset method on an Andriod device that
required holding in the tiny on/off switch and volume-down buttons for
120s. Your fingers start to go numb after about 90s.

Post by Greta Thongturd
Warning: Failure to follow these directions exactly will turn your $500
plastic piece of crap into a forever brick.

Some things do that automatically.

Various smart speakers and some high end internet tuners for example
when the protocols are changed and the makers CBA to support old kit.

[john larkin]

On Mon, 27 Jan 2025 13:11:29 +0000, Martin Brown

Post by Martin Brown

Post by Greta Thongturd

The switch is labeled    Reset
                                             Sw.50
[snip]
Have you ever heard of a button like this before?

Yah, and some of them have a very specific finger dance to get it to reset.
Push and hold the reset button while plugging in the power cord until
the green light flashes red 5 times.
Release the reset button for 60 seconds then press the wifi button until
the yellow led flashes red.

I recall one particularly painful reset method on an Andriod device that
required holding in the tiny on/off switch and volume-down buttons for
120s. Your fingers start to go numb after about 90s.

Post by Greta Thongturd
Warning: Failure to follow these directions exactly will turn your $500
plastic piece of crap into a forever brick.

Some things do that automatically.
Various smart speakers and some high end internet tuners for example
when the protocols are changed and the makers CBA to support old kit.

We have a horrible new Panasonic microwave oven. The BEEP is
ear-splitting. The procedure to silence it is complex, and only works
if the door is open.

[Mark Lloyd]

On Mon, 27 Jan 2025 13:56:59 -0800, john larkin wrote:

[snip]

Post by john larkin
We have a horrible new Panasonic microwave oven. The BEEP is
ear-splitting. The procedure to silence it is complex, and only works if
the door is open.

Does it keep forgetting it was silenced, so you have to do this procedure
multiple times?

[Jeroen Belleman]

Post by micky
[snip]

Post by john larkin
We have a horrible new Panasonic microwave oven. The BEEP is
ear-splitting. The procedure to silence it is complex, and only works if
the door is open.

Does it keep forgetting it was silenced, so you have to do this procedure
multiple times?

On one occasion, I muted an obnoxious beeper by stuffing
chewing gum into it. There! Problem solved.

Jeroen Belleman

[john larkin]

On Tue, 28 Jan 2025 20:04:05 +0100, Jeroen Belleman

Post by Jeroen Belleman

Post by micky
[snip]

Post by john larkin
We have a horrible new Panasonic microwave oven. The BEEP is
ear-splitting. The procedure to silence it is complex, and only works if
the door is open.

Does it keep forgetting it was silenced, so you have to do this procedure
multiple times?

On one occasion, I muted an obnoxious beeper by stuffing
chewing gum into it. There! Problem solved.
Jeroen Belleman

I break the piezo buzzer, if I can get at it.

We should arrest whoever invented piezo buzzers. Put him in a prison
cell with 100 piezos.

[Allodoxaphobia]

Post by john larkin

Post by Jeroen Belleman

Post by micky
[snip]

Post by john larkin
We have a horrible new Panasonic microwave oven. The BEEP is
ear-splitting. The procedure to silence it is complex, and only
works if the door is open.

On one occasion, I muted an obnoxious beeper by stuffing
chewing gum into it. There! Problem solved.

I break the piezo buzzer, if I can get at it.
We should arrest whoever invented piezo buzzers.
Put him in a prison cell with 100 piezos.

Additionaly, if you have 'normal' hearing loss, those piezo buzzers
cannot be heard without hearing aids. I don't wear hearing aids
to bed -- so smoke and carbon monoxide alarms will never awaken me.
We had a CO 'incident' several years ago, and my wife heard the alarm.
Not me. I can be standing in front of the microwave and I won't know
my coffee is hot until the "END" lights up.

[john larkin]

Post by Allodoxaphobia

Post by john larkin

Post by Jeroen Belleman

Post by micky
[snip]

Post by john larkin
We have a horrible new Panasonic microwave oven. The BEEP is
ear-splitting. The procedure to silence it is complex, and only
works if the door is open.

On one occasion, I muted an obnoxious beeper by stuffing
chewing gum into it. There! Problem solved.

I break the piezo buzzer, if I can get at it.
We should arrest whoever invented piezo buzzers.
Put him in a prison cell with 100 piezos.

Additionaly, if you have 'normal' hearing loss, those piezo buzzers
cannot be heard without hearing aids. I don't wear hearing aids
to bed -- so smoke and carbon monoxide alarms will never awaken me.
We had a CO 'incident' several years ago, and my wife heard the alarm.
Not me. I can be standing in front of the microwave and I won't know
my coffee is hot until the "END" lights up.

Microwaves usually have a fan that makes lots of low frequency noise.
They don't really need a buzzer.

Piezos are cheap. For a few cents more they could use a speaker and
give users a choice of sounds.

[croy]

Post by micky
[snip]

Post by john larkin
We have a horrible new Panasonic microwave oven. The BEEP is
ear-splitting. The procedure to silence it is complex, and only works if
the door is open.

Since I got hearing aids, I feel your pain!

Whoever came up with the notion that the oven alarm should continue to
alarm after the door is opened, is an evil sort for sure.

[john larkin]

On Mon, 27 Jan 2025 06:53:49 -0500, Greta Thongturd

Post by Greta Thongturd

Post by micky
The switch is labeled Reset
Sw.50
[snip]
Have you ever heard of a button like this before?

Yah, and some of them have a very specific finger dance to get it to reset.
Push and hold the reset button while plugging in the power cord until the green light flashes red 5 times.
Release the reset button for 60 seconds then press the wifi button until the yellow led flashes red.
Warning: Failure to follow these directions exactly will turn your $500 plastic piece of crap into a forever brick.

We recently did a box that uses the Raspberry Pi RP2040 cpu chip. The
Pico board has two pushbuttons, reset and boot. We have a single push
button accessed from outside our box, with a toothpick or something. A
1-second push is reset and a 10-second push is boot, where the thing
goes into USB memory stick mode, for code upgrades.

A user can put a sticker over the pushbutton hole if he wants. Some
do.

[Cursitor Doom]

On Mon, 27 Jan 2025 06:53:49 -0500, Greta Thongturd

Post by Greta Thongturd

Post by micky
The switch is labeled Reset
Sw.50
[snip]
Have you ever heard of a button like this before?

Yah, and some of them have a very specific finger dance to get it to reset.
Push and hold the reset button while plugging in the power cord until the green light flashes red 5 times.
Release the reset button for 60 seconds then press the wifi button until the yellow led flashes red.
Warning: Failure to follow these directions exactly will turn your $500 plastic piece of crap into a forever brick.

I would never, ever buy anything from a company who used such tactics
to screw customers over. For a similar reason, I would never buy a VW
car after it emerged they were purposlely falsifying their emissions
tests by a similar sort of scheme.