14 million xBoxes, all Dell laptops, all HP laptops and many other mis-designed low voltage power connections are at risk!
MS has issued a recall of the power cords for 14 Million xBox power cords.
The problem is not with the cord but with the power connector that is connected to the motherboard using solder! as the mechanical connection method. Engineers should not use solder as a mechanical connection. They have done so and this mistake is still going on. Pushing the box against a wall a few times will positively demonstrate this problem. While this may be excused as abuse, it will happen many many times.
With many connector uses, plug and unplug, it is just a matter of time before the solder joint cracks and adds resistance to the power circuit which creates heat which can easily result in intermittant failure or worse fire.
My grandson's xBox showed intermittant turn off as well as "fizzing", (like sparking) in the area of the power connection at the back of the box. Without opening the xBox, I tested by adding alligator clips between the xbox and the power cord, not recommended for non-electonic knowledgeable people, nudging the various possible failure points produced predictable failure at the error point. The real failure was the female power connector, mounted on the motherboard of the xbox, not the power cord.
I discussed in detail the problem with a MS Tech, me guarenteeing that my problem was not with the cord but with the xbox female connection. after haggling about who would pay what to get it fixed, I compromised for ~$55 to send the xbox back and they would fix. MS sent me a new xBox, my grandsons are back in business and I have a $55 bad taste in my mouth.
This same thing happend to my HP Pavillion N5435 2 years ago. HP offered a motherboard replacement for ~$450. Not wanting them messing with my hard drive and not wanting another failure to occur, I engineered a wiring change which put flexible wires soldered to the mother board and clamped to the chassis, connecting to a compatible $7.50 Radio Shack female power connector waving in the breeze on the back of my laptop, with a velcro connection of the power cord to the chassis, providing a strain relief for the many times the power cord gets plugged/unpluged. This has worked under heavy use for 2 years.
This fix puts a flexible buffer between the male/female power connection and the motherboard which should be a redesign feature of 14 million xBoxes, all Dell laptops, all HP laptops and any other mis-designed power connection that does not account for 100+ uses of the connection over the lifetime of the product. Desktop systems do not have this problem because they have a very strong 110V connection with wire provided strain relief between the power plug and the rest of the chassis.
I am qualified and experienced to know that this is a serious problem that probably has gone unrecognized because of the short life span of many systems and by the "throw-away" mentality of our computer use. It is not a MS problem only. Look closely at your power connection.
Hope this helps
Bob Payne <
[email protected]>
Author
Topic: New Cords Being Sent Out (Read 429 times)