Hacker News Reader

Comment by BigCatStuff | Hacker News Reader

I believe Youtube videos are a great resource for learning this! I picked up electronics and computer/gpu repair as a hobby over the pandemic lockdowns.

A cheap multimeter and a cheap soldering iron/hot air station combo will get you very far in the hobby. I enjoy these channels:

MyMateVince (a guy who fixes many useful household items): https://www.youtube.com/user/mymatevince

StezStixFix: https://www.youtube.com/@StezStixFix

Electronics Repair School (more advanced, he fixes laptops, tvs, and sometimes gpus): https://www.youtube.com/@electronicsrepairschool

View on HN

YouTube videos are great -if- the problem you're having is exactly the same as the problem the YouTuber is solving. For example, I was able to replace the HDMI capacitors on my A/V receiver because I lucked upon a YT video where the problem I was having was identical to the problem the YouTuber was solving. So it was basically, buy these capacitors, replace them, and off you go. Repair usually just requires basic soldering skills and the ability to put things back together you took apart.

When the problem is not exactly the same, I'm just lost. There is not a lot of diagnosis videos on YouTube. All the videos are: "1. I observed this problem. 2. [???] 3. I'll walk you through soldering on the new components." skipping the most important step 2.

Same for car repair videos: "I see Problem X happening. Problem X usually means component Y has failed. Here's how to replace component Y. The end." If that doesn't work, you wasted money on the part and your time ripping apart your car and putting it back together.

I agree that the diagnosis and visual inspection is the most important skill in fixing random items.

In the channels that I suggested, all of them go into the repair not knowing what the fault actually is. They take the viewer through the whole diagnosis, and they (with the exception of Electronics Repair School) are not electronics technicians.

Once a person has seen enough different ways of diagnosing items (by watching videos or hands on trying), then faults in other items become easier to find.

What _i'm_ missing from those videos is - while they do go through the steps finding the fault - usually don't really explain their reasoning why they suspect component a, b, c to be faulty and how exactly a good (or bad) component would behave...

Might not be the case for all the vids of course, but for those i watched i never had that "ah, that's how it works" gotcha moment...

Big Clive, too. https://youtube.com/@bigclivedotcom

He buys cheap crap, takes it apart, and usually infers a schematic. He also admires or critiques the designs. After a while you'll notice patterns.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com