Paradigm PS-800, woofer, will not power up

[obob@]

My Paradigm PS-800 woofer has auto-on. Stopped working. Fuse is ok
with ohm meter.

Any suggestions as to repair?

 

[James Sweet]

My Paradigm PS-800 woofer has auto-on. Stopped working. Fuse is ok
with ohm meter.

Any suggestions as to repair?

Have you checked the voltage output of the standby power supply? If it's
dead, check the impedance of the transformer primary, could have opened up.

 

[Chuck]

My Paradigm PS-800 woofer has auto-on. Stopped working. Fuse is ok
with ohm meter.

Any suggestions as to repair?

Unless things have changed in the last 2 years, the woofer will have
to be taken to a Paradigm dealer because Paradigm didn't sell parts or
service manuals for these. The electronics had to be shipped to
upstate N.Y. where a technician from Ontario would repair them and
ship them back to the store. Chuck

 

[Doug]

Things have not changed. I tried to service one a few months ago and
was told that the customer had to take it to an authorized dealer. I
had already tracked the problem down and only needed to know the value
of a resistor.

Doug

 

[James Sweet]

Unless things have changed in the last 2 years, the woofer will have
to be taken to a Paradigm dealer because Paradigm didn't sell parts or
service manuals for these. The electronics had to be shipped to
upstate N.Y. where a technician from Ontario would repair them and
ship them back to the store. Chuck

Just because a service manual can't be bought doesn't mean it can't be
fixed. I've almost never used service manuals and only once or twice ordered
parts from a manufacture.

 

[James Sweet]

Things have not changed. I tried to service one a few months ago and
was told that the customer had to take it to an authorized dealer. I
had already tracked the problem down and only needed to know the value
of a resistor.

Doug

Is it burned beyond recognition? Did you find out what shorted and caused it
to burn? Shouldn't be too hard to find someone with a good unit to check the
resistor, or if you can tell where it's used in the circuit you could make
an educated guess.

 

[NSM]

Things have not changed. I tried to service one a few months ago and
was told that the customer had to take it to an authorized dealer. I
had already tracked the problem down and only needed to know the value
of a resistor.

Did you try a pot to see if you could make it work?

 

[Doug]

Thanks for the suggestion.

No, couldn't try a pot. There were two damaged resistors in series with
the primary of the power transformer. The fuse had blown but there were
no shorted semiconductors or caps. Due to the issues of safety and
reliability, I wanted to repair the unit to factory specs. Especially
with subwoofers being left powered up on standby all the time.

Another side of the issue is that we guarantee our repairs. If we
repair a unit we need to know we can get parts to fix it if it comes
back with another problem.

 

[NSM]

Thanks for the suggestion.

No, couldn't try a pot. There were two damaged resistors in series with
the primary of the power transformer.

Were they used as fuses or to drop the volts to the transformer?

 

[Doug]

Probably to drop the voltage. I've never encountered that scheme
before. They had obviously overheated, I could't be sure of the colors,
and didn't trust a resistance measurement. They were in series with the
primary, one on each leg. They didn't look like they'd handle enough
current for the product, though. I'm pretty sure they weren't used as
fuses because there was a regular glass fuse.

The unit was a Paradigm PS1200. I emailed the manufacturer's support
and was told, no parts or information ...must be taken to an authorized
dealer for return.... So I emailed to get the details for my customer,
and they responded that HE must take it himself. Furthermore, they
attached a copyright notice to their email. I wasn't even allowed to
forward it to prove how uncooperative they were! So, I put it back as
it was, no repair. Now Paradigm is another of the product lines we no
longer accept for service.

Sorry for the rant. Thanks for your reply and interest in my problem.

Doug

 

[NSM]

Probably to drop the voltage. I've never encountered that scheme
before.

It makes for a cheaper transformer, but it has risks (obviously).

They had obviously overheated, I could't be sure of the colors,
and didn't trust a resistance measurement. They were in series with the
primary, one on each leg. They didn't look like they'd handle enough
current for the product, though. I'm pretty sure they weren't used as
fuses because there was a regular glass fuse.

The unit was a Paradigm PS1200. I emailed the manufacturer's support
and was told, no parts or information ...must be taken to an authorized
dealer for return.... So I emailed to get the details for my customer,
and they responded that HE must take it himself. Furthermore, they
attached a copyright notice to their email. I wasn't even allowed to
forward it to prove how uncooperative they were!

Can you post it on the Wall of Shame in your shop!

 

[Doug]

Thanks for the reply.

We try to keep everything positive. Therefore, no Wall of Shame. We do,
however, have a list of brands we cannot service hanging behind our
counter.

We want to provide good service at a fair price, but some manufacturers
treat us like an enemy. Some others don't value customer satisfaction
and don't have a parts department. I guess it keeps costs down. We
provide warranty service for some prestigious and well respected
brands, and their support is first-rate.

Doug

 

[obob@]

Seems llike things haven't changed.

I phoned the paradigm dealer, who gave me paradigms support email
addy.

Emailed the addy, and the reply ' take it to the dealer.. No user
servicable parts.'.

Immediately I replied a queery, asking for Paradigms repair depot
address, in order that I could ship the unit there. Got no reply.

 

[Chuck]

Seems llike things haven't changed.

I phoned the paradigm dealer, who gave me paradigms support email
addy.

Emailed the addy, and the reply ' take it to the dealer.. No user
servicable parts.'.

Immediately I replied a queery, asking for Paradigms repair depot
address, in order that I could ship the unit there. Got no reply.

Paradigms are phenominal speakers for the money but they are
extremely protective of their distribution chain and replacement
parts. When I did warranty work for them, we had to send the serial
numbers of the speakers we were replacing the blown drivers in because
they were afraid someone would use their drivers in homebuilt
enclosures. Chuck

 

[obob@]

Took the unit to dealer Feb 24. Dealer removed the power pack and
sends it for repair.

 

[obob@]

Final followup for this repair.

Final solution, paradigm repaired, by replacing the RCA connector, and
the power module RI110.

The power indicator lite still doesn't work but that doesn't matter.

Total bill from dealer, $135-can, + $20 shipping + $21 taxes = $176.70
can $. App 4 wk turnaround time.

The $135 repair cost seems to be the same, for a lot of the sub amps,
reguardless of whats wrong with them.

 

[obob@]

Repaired:

replaced RCA connector,
replaced power module RI110

Cost:

Paradigm dealer, 135, + 20 shipping, + 21.70 taxes = 176.70 can $

4 weeks turnaround. Paradigm seems to charge same price, for a
woofer power module repair, without reguard to what the problem is,
within limits.