17
Pro tip: a cheap thermal camera can find a short in under a minute
Was working on a laptop with a dead short. Spent an hour checking caps. Borrowed a coworker's FLIR One phone attachment. Plugged it in, powered the board for 5 seconds. One tiny capacitor near the RAM slot lit up bright orange. Replaced it, fixed. Has anyone else used one of these for board repair? Worth the $200?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
bethwhite7d ago
Worth the $200" is a stretch. That's a lot for a tool you might use twice a year. Most shorts you can find with a careful visual check or a multimeter.
6
noahpark7d ago
Totally agree with that. Felt the same way when I looked at those fancy short finders. Bought a decent multimeter years ago for way less, and it's handled every wiring gremlin I've ever had. Honestly, most of the time you can just follow the harness with your eyes and spot the rubbed-through spot. Spending that much only makes sense if you're fixing cars every single day.
1