# Dead CM 7000



## Darkside

My Channel Master 7000 just died 2 days ago. I've tried everything including unplugging it and back in. The power light remains red and the unit cannot be turned on. It's been working for more than a year. I'm not sure what the problem may be but it stays on all the time. I disable the auto off feature, so the replay can change channels. Anyone else have the same issue?


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## Whitebar

Mine also quit working properly. It would cycle the power LED between orange and green at a slow rate. This has been reported by several people, including myself, on the Coupon Eligible Converter Box (CECB) CM-7000 thread here at AVS Forum.


This is caused by failing capacitors on the power supply. I replaced mine a few months ago and have had no problems since. If you don't feel you can replace them yourself, send me a PM and maybe I can repair it for you.


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## Darkside




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Whitebar* /forum/post/20157043
> 
> 
> Mine also quit working properly. It would cycle the power LED between orange and green at a slow rate. This has been reported by several people, including myself, on the Coupon Eligible Converter Box (CECB) CM-7000 thread here at AVS Forum.
> 
> 
> This is caused by failing capacitors on the power supply. I replaced mine a few months ago and have had no problems since. If you don't feel you can replace them yourself, send me a PM and maybe I can repair it for you.




Sorry for the repeat of posts. I did a search, but could not find it. Perhaps I put in the wrong keywords.


Anyhow, it sounds like it requires soldering. I have very little experience, but I can give it a shot as practice. What do I have to lose? It's already broken.


I have a better idea. I'll just donate it to you and you can repair it.


Luckily, I have a spare CM7000 to use right now. Just pm me your address.


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## juddev

mine lasted one month past the warranty.

what caps need to be replaced?


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## Whitebar

None of the caps on the power supply board are of good quality. Replacing a few will make it operational. It may fail at a later date due to the ones not replaced, but then again may not.


From testing the caps in my unit, these are the one I would replace at a minimum:


C12 - 1000ufd 10v

C10 - 470ufd 16v

C8 - 100ufd 25v

C14 - 4.7ufd 50v

C4 - 1ufd 50v


There are 4 others in the supply that were not grossly bad.


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## juddev

Thanks, I will try replacing those caps.


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## juddev




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Whitebar* /forum/post/20172817
> 
> 
> None of the caps on the power supply board are of good quality. Replacing a few will make it operational. It may fail at a later date due to the ones not replaced, but then again may not.
> 
> 
> From testing the caps in my unit, these are the one I would replace at a minimum:
> 
> 
> C12 - 1000ufd 10v
> 
> C10 - 470ufd 16v
> 
> C8 - 100ufd 25v
> C2 - 4.7ufd 50v
> 
> C4 - 1ufd 50v
> 
> 
> There are 4 others in the supply that were not grossly bad.



My board gas 9 normal caps, but c2 is NOT a normal cap

c14 4.7 uf 50v

c13 470uf 16v

c12 100uf 10v

c11 70uf 16v

c10 470uf 16v


c8 100uf 25v

c7 220 25v

c4 1uf 50v

C ??? 22uf 400v I cant read the board to see what cap # it is


C2 on mine is a square yellow box that says 275 vac 40/100//21 0.1 uf

heat marks around u1

heat marks around d7


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## vsaasv

Thanks for the posts about the bad electrolytic capacitors.


My CM7000 has been in use for about 2 years. It went bad in March, 2011 while we were gone. I thought it might have been a lightning strike but I am using a 2000watt American Power Conversion UPS so it would have been through the antenna. I did not think it was the antenna since it is inside the attic. The antenna does have a small amplifier on it.


The LED was red meaning it could not complete the self diagnostic test.


When I opened the unit, I checked the 3 power supply voltages at the white plug on the logic board. They measured:

+12V supply 12.47VDC with ripple starting at .785VAC down to .005VAC after meter stabilized

+5V supply 5.24VDC with ripple starting at .4VAC down to .005VAC after meter stabilized

+ 3.3V supply 3.275VDC with ripple starting at 1.25VAC down to .005VAC after meter stabilized


I concluded that my power supply was OK so I moved on to the logic board.


ET1, the 1000μF 10V cap had a “domed” or rounded top so I immediately suspected it had gassed and was bad. When I removed it, it checked 0μF, completely open. I replaced it with a nichicon 1000μF 10V cap. The nichicon is slightly larger but there is no problem with having enough space.


I also replaced the two 33μF caps because they were the same color (black and gold) and same manufacturer. I did not need to replace them since they measured 31μF. Since I had gone to the trouble of removing them, I put in XICON 33μF 50V caps.


A note about removal and re-soldering, the negative terminal of the electrolytics is connected to a ground plane copper foil that sucks up the heat. I had a very difficult time getting it hot enough, without damaging the board, to be able to remove it. The positive terminals were not that bad. I set the iron to 450oC, the hottest mine goes and still had trouble. I fired up another butane iron and used it with the electric iron on the negative terminal. It still gave trouble. The soldapult or solder sipper would not suck the excess solder from the hole when I got the caps out. I used very fine drill bits to remove the excess solder. I used both irons at the same time on the negative terminal to re-solder it.


When I put the boards back in and powered it up, the red LED was on for about 30 seconds and then it turned green. I connected it to the antenna and TV and it worked well with the S video output. I tried the channel 3 and 4 output also just as a test and the picture was extremely noisy. I only use S video anyway so I did not try to determine the problem with channel 3 and 4 output.


What was amazing is that when I did a channel scan to add new channels, it found 7 more. We also discovered that many previously discovered channels from when we set it up new had not been working recently but they are now. The picture quality was much improved and exceptionally good compared to what it had been.


I think the ET1 1000μF 10V cap on the logic board had been going bad slowly over time and had impacted the signal.


I believe other electrolytic caps will go bad over time. The case is poorly designed with ventilation slots only under and over the logic board and not the power supply board.


I changed the auto off feature to 4 hours now. I never powered it off before.


The IR detector is not positioned well in the cabinet to work with the remote. I bent it on its leads so it would have a slightly better angle to see the beam.



Original Electrolytic Capacitors

Component Manufacturer Cap. Volt. Temp. Code Group Ca se & Letter Height

mm Dia.

mm

Power Supply

C1 Chang 22μF 400V 105 oC Black & Gray 21.25 12.1

C14 Chang 4.7μF 50V 105 oC Black & Gray 11.8 5.2

C4 Chang 1μF 50V 105 oC Black & Gray 11.8 5.2

C7 Chang 220μF 25V 105 oC Black & Gray 12.8 8.2

C8 Chang 100μF 25V 105 oC Black & Gray 11.6 6.15

C12 Chang 1000μF 10v 105 oC Black & Gray 12.5 8.1

C10 Chang 470μF 16V 105 oC Black & Gray 12.5 8.1

C13 Chang 470μF 16V 105 oC Black & Gray 12.5 8.1

C11 Chang 470μF 16V 105 oC Black & Gray 12.5 8.1



Logic Board

ET1 LH.NOVA 1000μF 10v 105 oC LE(M) H09 Black & Gold 15.25 10.25

ET2 LH.NOVA 470μF 10v 85 oC WP(M) H07 Black & Gray 12.5 8.3

EW1 LH.NOVA 470μF 10v 85 oC WP(M) H07 Black & Gray 12.5 8.3

E6 LH.NOVA 33μF 35v 105 oC LE(M) H09 Black & Gold 11.6 5.15

E5 LH.NOVA 33μF 35v 105 oC LE(M) H09 Black & Gold 11.6 5.15




New replacements

Component Manufacturer Cap. Volt. Temp. Code Group Ca se & Letter Height

mm Dia.

mm

Old bad

ET1 nichicon 1000μF 10v 105 oC PL(M) H9744 Black & Gold 20.45 10.2

Old Good

E6 XICON 33μF ±20% 50v -40-+105 oC Green & Black 11.2 6.5

E5 XICON 33μF ±20% 50v -40-+105 oC Green & Black 11.2 6.5

Attachment 206487 

Attachment 206488 

Attachment 206489


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## Darkside

vsaasv,

Your post if over my head, but very informative for those who understand it. Thanks.


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## vsaasv

Darkside,


Bottom line is just replace the 1000uF cap on the logic board.


Many failures across a platform of components is very similar so yours could very easily be the same as mine.


It could also be in the power supply as the others have indicated.


Do you have a way to measure the power at the white plug as I described?


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## replayrob

I've seen quite a few computer motherboards and lots of computer power supplies chucked because of electrolytic caps gone bad.

Better brands (ASUS, GIGABYTE, etc.. ) now use solid capacitors which contain a solid organic polymer in place of electrolytic capacitors that use a liquid electrolyte on their high end motherboards. The solid caps don't "gas out", leak, or expand like poorly made inexpensive electrolytic capacitors used in consumer grade consumer electronics.



Electrolytic capacitors....












Solid capacitors.....


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## HockeyDad99

I just want to let you know that I had a great experience with sending my defective unit to Whitebar. The turnaround was 1 week, including shipping










You should consider this option instead of buying a new one.


Thanks Whitebar


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## SeriousMachining

My Channel Master CM-7000 DTV Converter has also now succumbed to the "red light of death" after 2 years of use. This discussion thread has been very informative and I am ready to do "cap surgery". Are the caps sold by Radio Shack worth installing or should I be looking elsewhere ? Also, for doing this type of work, is a soldering gun much better suited than a soldering iron ? What should be the minimum wattage of the soldering device ? My experience is mainly with 25 watt, 40 watt, & 60 watt irons.


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## Whitebar

The parts from Radio shack will cost you more than ordering from Digikey or Mouser. Also I do not know what brand and specification of the part, they could be cheap parts.

Refer to this post for a list of replacement part numbers for the power supply caps.


For replacing caps on the power supply a 25 watt iron is good. The logic board caps are difficult, a 140 or 250 watt gun used with care works better.


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## SeriousMachining

Whitebar - Thank you for your so very prompt and helpful response, I really appreciate your effort and recommendations. I will check out Digikey and Mouser for the caps and also see what they may have for soldering guns.


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## tvdavid666

If you only need capacitors, Cap King is a great source: http://thecapking.com


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## willytex

My Channel Master box finally red lighted this morning. It has been acting up all week but unplugging it worked after a long reset time.

I bought it back in April '08 I believe. The box lasted a long time for a modern electronic device. Especially the 5 months my niece lived with us, on 24 hours a day.


So repair or replace? I like the idea of repairing it, replacing low cost caps with better quality parts.


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## WalyB

Amazing, my second CM-7000 died yesterday, about a month after my first and about exactly as far apart as I bought them. Do these things have usage timers in them ?


Anyone offering reasonmably priced repairs for the solder impaired ?


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## cliffcor

Besides the CM-7000 (I have one too), is there a Replay/Wirns Friendly D to A box available that folks have good luck with?


Thanks

Cliff


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## Whitebar

Quote:

Originally Posted by *WalyB* 
Amazing, my second CM-7000 died yesterday, about a month after my first and about exactly as far apart as I bought them. Do these things have usage timers in them ?


Anyone offering reasonmably priced repairs for the solder impaired ?
If it is the caps, cost is $18 plus return shipping. Shipping two a time would save on the shipping (to/from) which is more than the repair. Send me a PM if interested.


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## mlloyd

Quote:

Originally Posted by *cliffcor* 
Besides the CM-7000 (I have one too), is there a Replay/Wirns Friendly D to A box available that folks have good luck with?


Thanks

Cliff
I have gotten a RCA DTA800 working. It took awhile to find the IR code, which is near the end of the list.


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## willytex

I second HockeyDad99's recommendation of having the CM-7000 repaired by Whitebar. I sent mine to him on a Friday and had it back the next Thursday. It is great that he is repairing these, rather than adding more electronic waste to the landfill.


Kudos, Whitebar.


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## Pete.

Under each capacitor (see pic) there is circle drawn on the circuit board. Half of the circle has lines. The lines match up with the negative stripe on the side of each capacitor except one - the 1000 uF 10v. Did the Channel Master assemblers make a mistake? Or should I just ignore the circuit board printout and install it the way the CM assemblers had put it in (reversed)? Thank you








http://i39.tinypic.com/20tl6yp.jpg


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## Whitebar




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Pete.* /forum/post/21367350
> 
> 
> Under each capacitor (see pic) there is circle drawn on the circuit board. Half of the circle has lines. The lines match up with the negative stripe on the side of each capacitor except one - the 1000 uF 10v. Did the Channel Master assemblers make a mistake? Or should I just ignore the circuit board printout and install it the way the CM assemblers had put it in (reversed)? Thank you
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://i39.tinypic.com/20tl6yp.jpg



Your ET1 1000uf 10v cap IS installed backwards, thus the reason for bulging top. Replace per the circuit board outline. Verified by looking at other units.


The 33uf 35v (E5, E6) most likely are bad even though they measure 31uf. It is the ESR value that cause the part to fail, not the capacitance value. When replacing these, make sure they are a low ESR part designed for DC to DC switching power supplies.


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## Pete.

I replaced all the capacitors with new ones. It did not work at first. Taking out old solder to get new components in was difficult on some. I over cooked one of the holes on the circuit board which caused the problem. Whitebar gave some support to get it working. I recommend sending it to Whitebar if you want to save time and energy.


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## jlv

I just found one of my two CM-7000s to be "red and dead", and came looking to see if it had happened to others.


Thanks Whitebar and vsaasv for the detailed notes. I'll be replacing caps tomorrow, which is a lot easy and cheaper than trying to buy a new one.


(my CM-7000s have been on 24x7 since Jan'09 or so... which pales in comparison to the 10 years my RTVs have been running)


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## jlv

Darn. I don't see any obviously failed caps, and none appear to have even a slight bulge...

ciruit board image 
power supply image 


One of the coils on the power supply (labeled "100") looks odd, but other than that it looks Ok.


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## jlv

I was going to test the power supply from my other CM-7000, so I unplugged it and -- before opening it up -- plugged it back in in the shop. It is now 'red and dead', too.


It is connected to the antenna feed, since my HDHomeRun is down here, so it shouldn't be because it isn't getting a signal. It looks like I'm SOOL.


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## Whitebar




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *jlv* /forum/post/21879000
> 
> 
> Darn. I don't see any obviously failed caps, and none appear to have even a slight bulge...
> 
> ciruit board image
> power supply image
> 
> 
> One of the coils on the power supply (labeled "100") looks odd, but other than that it looks Ok.



Looks are deceiving. The caps are bad even though they are not bulged. Check the power supply voltages with a volt meter at the logic board connector. Pins are marked in the silkscreen for the proper voltages.


There are two caps on the logic board that should also be replaced, E5 and E6. These are in a switching power supply circuit and most likely are also going to go bad to the point that it will red light. These two are difficult to replace due to the internal ground plane they are attached to. It takes a lot of heat to remove and clear the hole.


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## jlv

I agree - yesterday I ordered a nearly complete set of replacement caps from Cap King for both units on both logic and power supply board (for under $4 shipped). On close inspection all of the larger ones have what might be a slight bulge, so I didn't want to take chances and decided to just replace them all.


I did check out the power supply voltages - the first unit that failed on Friday had only 4.17v on the +5v and 13.25v on the +12v, where as the second unit the voltages looked fine. However, neither unit worked with the 'better' power supply board.


Cap King didn't have the 33µF caps needed for E5 and E6, so I don't have replacements for those coming. I was planned on doing these last and only if needed, since I'd have to make a trip to 'YouDoIt' to pick them up. But, based upon what you say, maybe I'll reconsider that and do them first.


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## Whitebar

There is also a 3.3v supply besides the 5v and 12v. The high +12 and low +5 indicates that power supply has a bad C12.


Make sure the caps you purchase for the 33μF 35v on the logic board are "Low ESR" caps. Replacing them with standard caps will result in the unit not working.


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## jlv

Thanks. The 3.3v was perfect on both. I've already got the C12 replacements coming.


I was assuming that most Nichicon would be low ESR -- is there some part or mfg you'd suggest?


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## Whitebar

Each manufacturer makes caps with different characteristics and the price varies with it. A general purpose cap will be low cost than a low esr.


I have not purchased any from Cap King, but when I looked, the had brand name low esr caps. I expect these will be fine for the power supply board.


For the 33µF 35v, I used either Nichicon UHE1V330MDD or Panasonic EEU-FM1V330


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## jlv

(been out of town)


After replacing all the caps (except E5 and E6), I've got one power supply putting out good voltages, but neither circuit board is doing anything but giving me anything but 'red'. I don't remember if an antenna connection was necessary, so I've even been connecting that when trying. I've not even attempted to do anything with the second power supply (since one is good).


I had hoped to pick up up the other two caps by now, but haven't been able to (out of town). They are my last hope.


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## juddev




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *jlv* /forum/post/21943111
> 
> 
> (been out of town)
> 
> 
> After replacing all the caps (except E5 and E6), I've got one power supply putting out good voltages, but neither circuit board is doing anything but giving me anything but 'red'. I don't remember if an antenna connection was necessary, so I've even been connecting that when trying. I've not even attempted to do anything with the second power supply (since one is good).
> 
> 
> I had hoped to pick up up the other two caps by now, but haven't been able to (out of town). They are my last hope.



I have had to fix mine twice now (bad soldering) and my 7000 wouldn't go green for 4-5 minutes after being plugged in (no antenna needed) Make sure you give it some time.


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## Whitebar

No antenna connection is needed. The time it takes to go green depends on which of two software version that I have seen. One boots in about 30 seconds, the other about 15-18 seconds.


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## juddev




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Whitebar* /forum/post/21943165
> 
> 
> No antenna connection is needed. The time it takes to go green depends on which of two software version that I have seen. One boots in about 30 seconds, the other about 15-18 seconds.



Mine took minutes both times I fixed it.


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## jlv

I've let them sit for over a minute, but I'll try longer. Thanks for the replies!


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## jlv

Ah... Thank you! I connected the good power supply to one repaired logic board, and when I came back 5 minutes later, it was green. The other logic board didn't go green, though.


I'll recheck my soldering on the logic board. I thought I was careful to not make a cold joint anywhere.


The not-good power supply is reading 3.10v / 3.33v / 11.13v (for the 3.3/5/12). Not sure what I messed up there.


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## jlv

While it went green, when I hooked it up, it only was able to decode 3 of 18 stations. So, I've got it back on the bench.


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## jlv

I declare defeat. I'm sending my units to Whitebar. I should have done so in the first place and saved myself lots of effort!


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## jlv

Got both my CM-7000s back from Whitebar, and both are back in service. I highly recommend him.


(I spent 3 weeks working on them, while the round trip to him and back was just 7 days!)


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## kb2vsq

Thought I'd share my experience.


The 3.3v supply was low (about 3v)

The 5v supply was 6v and the 12v supply was almost 16v.


As per suggestions, I replaced most of the caps on the power supply board. I then plugged it in and watched the led go green.


I realize that other caps might be marginal, but it appears that the power supply board is genuinely defective.


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## ota.dt.man




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *replayrob* /forum/post/20205263
> 
> 
> I've seen quite a few computer motherboards and lots of computer power supplies chucked because of electrolytic caps gone bad.
> 
> Better brands (ASUS, GIGABYTE, etc.. ) now use solid capacitors which contain a solid organic polymer in place of electrolytic capacitors that use a liquid electrolyte on their high end motherboards. The solid caps don't "gas out", leak, or expand like poorly made inexpensive electrolytic capacitors used in consumer grade consumer electronics.
> 
> 
> 
> Electrolytic capacitors....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Solid capacitors.....



The solid capacitors sound like they're excellent long-term solution. Does anyone have a complete CM-7000 solid caps parts list from a recommended supplier?


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## ota.dt.man

Sad News: Steve Inglett:


I emailed Steve to ask about his telescopic mast experience. However, I didn't receive a reply. With a Google search I unfortunately discovered Steve had recently passed away in an auto accident. He was only 48 yrs old.










I had previously corresponded with Steve about his VHF-hi antenna experience. Steve was a member of AVS and most recently learned how to repair his CM-7000 from this thread. I will miss Steve and his blogg .


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## ClearToLand




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *ota.dt.man*  /t/1322061/dead-cm-7000/0_50#post_22125014
> 
> 
> Sad News: Steve Inglett:
> 
> 
> I emailed Steve to ask about his telescopic mast experience. However, I didn't receive a reply. With a Google search I unfortunately discovered Steve had recently passed away in an auto accident. He was only 48 yrs old.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ....


Are you aware of *We'll Miss You Gary Leonard*! (aka *l8er*)recently posted over at PlanetReplay?


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## ota.dt.man

No, I was not aware about Gary Leonard. It's sad that both he and Steve passed away so early in life.


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## jimbobub

I have a dead unit, red light on, no led display and no sound or picture. How much to you charge to repair? I am interested thanks.


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## xmac81

I too have two of the CM-7000's that were purchased at the same time. One RED lighted about a week ago. Sent both to WhiteBar for repair. Turnaround was less than a week. Very professional job. I highly recommend him. Send him a PM (Personal Message) for instructions...


Keep in mind that on Ebay, these converters are still selling between $50 and $100 dollars for complete models with remotes. I intend to keep mine as I still do not own a DTV. All my TV's are still CRT's.


Thanks again WhiteBar!


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## elginite

Thanks for this Posting. It has saved 3 units from the landfill plus delayed three televisions from never ever land!


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## Ecaroh

I've got one red-lighted unit, one that is OK. The only anomaly among PSU voltages on the bad one is 11.65 on the 12V supply. For the other two, I get 4.95 and 3.33, seems close enough. Before I start desoldering on the logic board, does anybody think the 11.65 is cause for concern?


Thanks! This is a great thread.


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## Whitebar

The +12v is used only in the audio section and is not critical. 11.65 is a bit low but should not cause a problem.

Typical voltages of the units I have repaired are:

+12.06 to 11.91, avg 11.98

+5.19 to 5.17, avg 5.18

+3.3 to 3.26, avg 3.278

Logic board power supply

+1.2 to 1.184, avg 1.192


When replacing caps, make sure to use good quality low ESR caps. Using standard caps on the logic board E5/E6 WILL cause the the light to stay red.


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## Ecaroh

Thanks, Whitebar. You were certainly right about voltage on the 12-volt supply. The PSU from that (faulty) unit successfully powers on my working unit (i.e. the logic board on it).


And the PSU from the good, working unit does not produce a green light on the faulty unit.


On the faulty unit, I've pulled both 33uF electrolytics, the 1000uF, and one of the 470uF. All of them read with correct capacitance. But I understand that your position is, a bad ESR could still occur on one or more and prevent the unit from functioning.


Correct? (I can't measure ESR, as far as I know.)


Thanks again!


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## Whitebar

To measure the ESR you need a LCR meter. The two 33uf part are the ones that need to be replaced. They are in the 1.2v switching power supply circuit. The other 470/1000 are bulk capacitors and do not get stressed.


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## Ecaroh

It's fixed! Whitebar, you were totally right about the 33uF caps on the logic board being the problem -- despite reading correct for capacitance. I put in some Panasonic FRs and got the green light right away. I then went in and replaced the suggested PSU caps. There'd previously been a hiss coming off the PSU board; interestingly the hiss stopped when the PSU was able to successfully power the logic board. But it would come back on when the unit was turned off. The hiss stopped once the new caps were in place. Also interestingly, I don't believe the hiss was coming from any of the caps, but instead from transformer.


BTW, for the 1000uF cap, I used a 16-volt Nichicon HE, because why not. Insurance. It fits easily and costs no more, maybe less, than the 10-volt.


For desoldering on the logic board -- I actually was able to achieve this with a conventional iron. As everyone notes, it's the ground pin that's the harder one. I first got every bit of solder off the positive side, with a sucker -- till that side was unattached and loose. I then sucked all the solder I could off the ground side after getting it quite hot. After that, I reheated for as much as 20-30 seconds and wiggled the cap from the top side while keeping the pin hot. Once it was loose, I pulled it off. Board was fine, intact. For the new cap, you can simply get the ground lead very, very hot, and then let the lead draw a good-sized bead of solder down into the board. This technique is only for experienced wigglers. It would be easy to burn something, like your hand.


Thanks, Whitebar, you're a hero.


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## sciconf

While I was watching the TV, my TV stopped working completely

When I pulled the plug from the wall and put it back in, it is RED.


Checked the voltages - the 3.3v is spot on - but

12.8v on 12v line

5.5v on 5v line


Are the voltages indicate fault? If so which capacitors? Is Frys electronics a good place to buy?


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## Whitebar

The 5 and 12 volts are a bit high, see this post for the typical voltages.


This post lists my suggested parts for the power supply board.


There are also two caps on the logic board that will need to be replaced. These are very difficult to replace because of the ground plane make a very good heatsink. Recommended parts are in this post .


I took a quick look at parts available from Fry's online. Majority of the caps are NTE. NTE does not provide any ESR specs so I would not recommend using them. Use the parts I list and you will have no problems.


Send me a PM if you want me to repair it for you.


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## sciconf




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Whitebar*  /t/1322061/dead-cm-7000/30#post_23730521
> 
> 
> The 5 and 12 volts are a bit high, see this post for the typical voltages.
> 
> 
> There are also two caps on the logic board that will need to be replaced. These are very difficult to replace because of the ground plane make a very good heatsink. Recommended parts are in this post .
> 
> 
> I took a quick look at parts available from Fry's online. Majority of the caps are NTE. NTE does not provide any ESR specs so I would not recommend using them. Use the parts I list and you will have no problems.



Thanks @Whitebar.


What are the Cap #s corresponding to 5 and 12 volts?


What is ESR - are they Electrolytic?


I already checked the voltages on the logic board Caps and compared with that of a post in this thread - they are spot on.


Is that yellow stuff on that big capacitor intended - see photo below - what # is this cap? - other than this, I didn't see any visible sign of damages:


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## Whitebar

The cap for the 3.3 is really the bad one. The power supply regulates this voltage and the +5/+12 are setup to be correct when the 3.3 is correct. Most on the time the caps will not look bad. C12 is the main problem in the 3.3 circuit,


The DC voltage measured with a meter does not show the noise or ripple voltage that is present. It is the noise that causes it not to work.


If the two caps on the logic board are not bad now, they will be shortly after fixing the power supply.


The cap with the yellow stuff is C1. Because of its' size, the yellow stuff is applied to keep the part stable when vibration or physical shock is applied to the unit.


All of these caps are electrolytics. ESR is the abbreviation for Equivalent Series Resistance. This is a parameter of every electrolytic and is not always specified by the manufacturer. In switching power supplies used by most electronics today, it is extremely important to use low ESR parts intended for these power supplies.


Even though the voltages measure ok with a meter, the caps are the problem.


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## sciconf

Thanks indeed @Whitebar


I measured the voltages again (day time repeatedly) and I got:

12.42 V

5.37 V

3.28 V


The logic board gave me - Whitebar, what are the part # for these? Are these two difficult to change?

3.04 V

1.17 V


The last measurement was made in the night time.


Does the new measurement still point to the same issue? The Post #8 seems to have found other issues - would this be the case on mine?


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## Whitebar

I not sure where you measured on the logic board for the 3.04 and 1.17. All the thru hole caps on the logic board are difficult to change. The internal ground plane takes a lot of heat before getting the temp high enough to melt the solder.

Part numbers for the two 33uf E5/E6 were listed here .


After repairing 60 plus units, trust me the caps are the problem.


The issue in post #8 with the domed ET1 cap on the logic board is very rare. The reason that cap failed is because it was installed backwards. In all the units I have fixed, none have had any of the caps installed backwards.


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## sciconf




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Whitebar*  /t/1322061/dead-cm-7000/60#post_23733506
> 
> 
> I not sure where you measured on the logic board for the 3.04 and 1.17. All the thru hole caps on the logic board are difficult to change. The internal ground plane takes a lot of heat before getting the temp high enough to melt the solder.
> 
> Part numbers for the two 33uf E5/E6 were listed here .
> 
> 
> After repairing 60 plus units, trust me the caps are the problem.
> 
> 
> The issue in post #8 with the domed ET1 cap on the logic board is very rare. The reason that cap failed is because it was installed backwards. In all the units I have fixed, none have had any of the caps installed backwards.



Thanks @Whitebar

The 3.04 and 1.17 were from E5/E6.


A friend of mine measured my power supply voltages and ripples and says that the problem is in the logic board - he feels that the ripples are not a lot (power supply). Then again, he is not an expert on CM-7000.


Which part of MI are you? I might be coming to Troy - maybe I can bring it with me then.


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## Whitebar

While it maybe just the logic board at this time, the caps on the power supply will also fail in the future, I would replace them at the same time.

I sent you a PM.


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## sciconf




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Whitebar*  /t/1322061/dead-cm-7000/30#post_23117841
> 
> 
> The two 33uf part are the ones that need to be replaced. They are in the 1.2v switching power supply circuit. The other 470/1000 are bulk capacitors and do not get stressed.



These 470/1000 are on logic board?


Which are the caps for the 5V circuit on power supply board?


I got a insignia DTV now - it works but unsure if the CM7000 received better signal.


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## Sonshine


How do I get Whitebar's info to possibly send my CM7000 for possible repair?


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## jweinel

Sonshine, I suggest that you send him a Private Message.Looks like he was on AVS earlier today. Click near his name below his avatar in post #63 above and then click "Send PM".


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## cat.lady

My CM-7000 went out after several years of faithful use. I got another and that one went out within hours! If Whitebar is still doing repairs can he PM me? I tired to send him one but there is a posting quota I didn't reach yet to qualify to send PM's to members. Thanks!


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## Ecaroh

cat.lady said:


> My CM-7000 went out after several years of faithful use. I got another and that one went out within hours! If Whitebar is still doing repairs can he PM me? I tired to send him one but there is a posting quota I didn't reach yet to qualify to send PM's to members. Thanks!


cat.lady, post here if interested. I have two of these that have had the caps upgraded (by me) and are working nicely. At this point I only need one, at the most. In other words, I can sell you one with reliable caps if that will fit the bill. Although if Whitebar is still doing these and liking it, I certainly don't want to take anything away from him.


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## cat.lady

Thanks for the offer Ecaroh. I might take you up on that, but since I have 2 units now to repair thought if Whitebar was still doing them, I can do both. Lets see if he will see these posts within the next few weeks. If you sell it in the meantime, I understand.


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## Whitebar

Still here and repairing them.
I sent PMs to cat.lady and wesam101 with contact info.


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## cat.lady

Replied to your message Whitebar...not sure if you got it as a notice stated I have not met my quota of posts to send out PM's. Will ship end of this week but not sure how to get you the tracking number as I don't want to post it here for privacy reasons.


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## marci1111

Whitebar said:


> None of the caps on the power supply board are of good quality. Replacing a few will make it operational. It may fail at a later date due to the ones not replaced, but then again may not.
> 
> 
> From testing the caps in my unit, these are the one I would replace at a minimum:
> 
> 
> C12 - 1000ufd 10v
> 
> C10 - 470ufd 16v
> 
> C8 - 100ufd 25v
> 
> C14 - 4.7ufd 50v
> 
> C4 - 1ufd 50v
> 
> 
> There are 4 others in the supply that were not grossly bad.


Is anyone on this thread currently repairing the cm 7000-pal? I can't find anyone in my local area to repair mine. It is stuck on the loading page (red/white page with dots) and won't move past it. I believe it happened the night that daylight savings started (Nov 2/3 when clock were set back an hour). I have tried troubleshooting with no success. If someone on here repairs this unit for this problem, please respond as I'd like to fix it vs trashing it.


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## cat.lady

marci1111 said:


> Is anyone on this thread currently repairing the cm 7000-pal? I can't find anyone in my local area to repair mine. It is stuck on the loading page (red/white page with dots) and won't move past it. I believe it happened the night that daylight savings started (Nov 2/3 when clock were set back an hour). I have tried troubleshooting with no success. If someone on here repairs this unit for this problem, please respond as I'd like to fix it vs trashing it.


Marci111 in your effort of troubleshooting did you disconnect the antenna coax so you can reset your factory defaults? There are other threads in this place that might lead you to some firmware updates if there is one.


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## galenaz

Whitebar said:


> Still here and repairing them.
> I sent PMs to cat.lady and wesam101 with contact info.


Whitebar

Could you PM me as well - I just tried to send you a PM and had the same problem as Cat.lady - not enough posts to send you a PM. We changed 6 capacitors a couple months ago and ours worked for a couple weeks then died again. Thinking sending it to you to fix would be easier 

Thanks
Gail


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## Whitebar

galenaz said:


> Whitebar
> 
> Could you PM me as well - I just tried to send you a PM and had the same problem as Cat.lady - not enough posts to send you a PM. We changed 6 capacitors a couple months ago and ours worked for a couple weeks then died again. Thinking sending it to you to fix would be easier
> 
> Thanks
> Gail


PM sent


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## galenaz

Whitebar said:


> PM sent


Thanks packing up to ship out. I'll email the tracking number


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## galenaz

galenaz said:


> Thanks packing up to ship out. I'll email the tracking number


If you need your box fixed whitebar is your man. Total time with me sending to him, him fixing and shipping back it was a total of seven days and LESS expensive than buying a new one. Also his communication was awesome. When he fixed it he emailed and let us know exactly what he had done.

So glad I found this forum and post.


Thanks everyone


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## 2ejennings

*CM 7001 dead*

@Whitebar: You fixed a couple of dead CM7000s for me some time ago, and now I have a dead CM 7001. Would you be able to fix this one for me? I have lost your contact info and the forum won't let me PM you.


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## 2ejennings

*Forum seems to have lost my posts*

My PC hard drive crashed last year and I haven't tried to post on AVS since. Now that I need to contact a member, the forum won't let me post because I don't have 6 posts under my new registration (apparently). I really don't see the need for this rule, but it is not my forum. Hopefully, Whitebar will see my request and PM me so that I can contact him.


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## 2ejennings

*Whitebar, if you see this, please PM me*

Please note my previous posts


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## Whitebar

2ejennings said:


> Please note my previous posts


PM sent


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## 2ejennings

*Newbie trying to PM*

Argh! Now the forum reports that I need 15 posts to PM!! How frustrating. I have over 15 but the forum doesn't remember them because I had to re-register.


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## Baker123

*Repair of CM-7000 PAl*



Whitebar said:


> PM sent


I would like to get my CM-7000 repaired by Whitebar. How do I get information about how to go about it? Thank you!


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## Baker123

Whitebar said:


> PM sent


I would like to get my CM-7000 repaired by Whitebar. How do I get information about how to go about it? Thank you!


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## Baker123

Whitebar------If you see this, please send me a PM. I have a CM-7000 PAL that needs repair. I am like several others on here that do not have enough posts to be able to PM you directly. Thank you! Baker123


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## Whitebar

Baker123 said:


> Whitebar------If you see this, please send me a PM. I have a CM-7000 PAL that needs repair. I am like several others on here that do not have enough posts to be able to PM you directly. Thank you! Baker123


PM sent


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## curtw

Baker123 said:


> Whitebar------If you see this, please send me a PM. I have a CM-7000 PAL that needs repair. I am like several others on here that do not have enough posts to be able to PM you directly. Thank you! Baker123


Same problem here--not enough posts to PM. Whitebar, I've got an unresponsive unit as well. Could you let me know how to get your repair?

Thanks!


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## Whitebar

curtw said:


> Same problem here--not enough posts to PM. Whitebar, I've got an unresponsive unit as well. Could you let me know how to get your repair?
> 
> Thanks!


 PM sent


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## navagator

Whitebar - Could you send me a PM also. I don't have a enough posts to PM directly either. I have a question regarding the Channel Master CM-7000 repair.

Thank you.


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## Whitebar

navagator said:


> Whitebar - Could you send me a PM also. I don't have a enough posts to PM directly either. I have a question regarding the Channel Master CM-7000 repair.
> 
> Thank you.


PM sent


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## Whitebar

For those looking to get their CM-7000 D2A converter fixed but don't have enough posts to PM, there are two options. 
1. Post here for me to send you a PM. I usage check this forum daily.
2. Send me a PM on the Planet Replay forum contact: jhagen 

I will send you a PM with details on the cost, what and where to send it.

I will also answer questions if you are trying to repair it yourself.


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## srfrdan

hard to believe 19000 rtvers' looked at this topic! even after 5 yrs. there may be many of us left.


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## CA_Guy

*CM-7000 with RED only*

I have a couple of these boxes. It's interesting that each of them lasted about 13 months before failing. Nice thread, thank you. 

First I wonder if anyone has found a problem with these units OTHER than the poor quality capacitors (other than caps installed backwards). Is everyone's issue related to these capacitors? Wow.

I opened up a couple of units, disconnected the logic board from the power supply and measured voltages. I get 11.87, 5.08 and 3.351. Looks great. 

Next I connected the first logic board to the supply and the voltages become 14.5, 6.1, 2.8 with E6 measuring 1.19. I connected a 2nd logic board to the same power supply and get 14.6, 6.1, 2.9 (and E6 is 1.19).

I find it interesting, for example, that the 12V supply is higher with a load.

Thank you in advance for your reply.


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## Whitebar

Also notice your 5v went to 6.1. The reason is the power supply uses only the 3.3v for feedback in the regulation. With the bad caps, the average voltage on the 3.3v drops so the regulator turns on longer to try and bring the 3.3v to the set point. This also applies more energy to the other supply voltages so they rise beyond the normal voltage.

I have only seen one unit fail besides the caps, and this happened when somebody changed caps. Not sure what he did but the turner no longer worked.


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## djr01749

Whitebar said:


> Mine also quit working properly. It would cycle the power LED between orange and green at a slow rate. This has been reported by several people, including myself, on the Coupon Eligible Converter Box (CECB) CM-7000 thread here at AVS Forum.
> 
> 
> This is caused by failing capacitors on the power supply. I replaced mine a few months ago and have had no problems since. If you don't feel you can replace them yourself, send me a PM and maybe I can repair it for you.


Hello,

I replaced the caps in my CM7000 but still get the red light. I noticed that the F4 fuse is missing (blown?).
Would you know the value for that fuse ?

Thanks


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## Whitebar

F4 on the logic board next to EW1 cap is not stuffed.
Did you replace the two 33ufd caps on the logic board? These can also cause the red light problem.
Do you have a voltmeter and did you measure the power supply voltages at the logic board connector while connected to the logic board? What did you measure?
Did you use low ESR caps? Using standard caps can cause the red light problem.


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## djr01749

*Red Light on CM7000*

Hello,

No, I did not change the 33uf caps (yet). I was hoping the missing fuse might mean 
a quick and easy fix.

The voltages coming out of the PS are now 11.7, 5.1 and 3.1. The voltage at E5 is 3v but
the voltage at E6 is only around 50mv. I have some 33uf caps in my spare parts but they 
measure around 25ohms which I don't believe qualify them as ESR. Looks like the next step 
is to get the low ESR 33uf caps, install them and see what happens.

Thanks


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## Whitebar

Voltage at E6 should be 1.2. Replacing E5 and E6 with good low ESR caps should fix it.


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## djr01749

*Dead CM7000*

Hello,

Finally got the ESR caps but ran into a problem removing the old ones. The E5 cap was no 
problem but E6 was a bear. After I got it out I checked the four connections at E6 and they 
are all shorted together. I put in the new cap but naturally it did not fix the red light.
It was the first time I worked with a multilayer PCB and I guess they are very delicate since 
it seems the board is now toast.

Thanks


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## Girl7956

Whitebar said:


> For those looking to get their CM-7000 D2A converter fixed but don't have enough posts to PM, there are two options.
> 1. Post here for me to send you a PM. I usage check this forum daily.
> 2. Send me a PM on the Planet Replay forum contact: jhagen
> 
> I will send you a PM with details on the cost, what and where to send it.
> 
> I will also answer questions if you are trying to repair it yourself.


Hello, I am a newbie to the forum, although not new to Channelmaster problems.

I have the CM 7000 PAL DVR, do you work on those also?

Similar problems, after 3 years, started having problems with the unit, freezing, red light staying on, remote not responding. I opened and could see that one of the capacitors was bulging. (I am not technie enough to work on it, I had just googled what a bad capacitor looked like.) 

Took it to a shop and they fixed it. Got another year out of it, and same problems started again. I opened up and could not see any bulging capacitors. Took it to shop, they said the motherboard was dead, nothing they can do. Now the red light does not even come on.

Is there any slight chance this is still fixable?


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## Whitebar

Girl7956 said:


> Hello, I am a newbie to the forum, although not new to Channelmaster problems.
> 
> I have the CM 7000 PAL DVR, do you work on those also?
> 
> Similar problems, after 3 years, started having problems with the unit, freezing, red light staying on, remote not responding. I opened and could see that one of the capacitors was bulging. (I am not technie enough to work on it, I had just googled what a bad capacitor looked like.)
> 
> Took it to a shop and they fixed it. Got another year out of it, and same problems started again. I opened up and could not see any bulging capacitors. Took it to shop, they said the motherboard was dead, nothing they can do. Now the red light does not even come on.
> 
> Is there any slight chance this is still fixable?


I sent you a PM


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## Zerobeat

If anyone is still looking to pick one of the CM-7000 DVR's, I recently pulled mine out of service in favor of a Tivo Roamio OTA DVR. I re-capped the unit a couple of years ago (per advice and parts list on this very forum), and have had no issues since. Stock hard drive, will probably need the dust bunnies blown out again, factory remote. If interested, make me an offer.


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## wa2ise

vsaasv said:


> Thanks for the posts about the bad electrolytic capacitors.
> 
> ...
> 
> The LED was red meaning it could not complete the self diagnostic test.
> 
> ...
> 
> Logic Board
> ET1 LH.NOVA 1000μF 10v 105 oC LE(M) H09 Black & Gold 15.25 10.25
> ET2 LH.NOVA 470μF 10v 85 oC WP(M) H07 Black & Gray 12.5 8.3
> EW1 LH.NOVA 470μF 10v 85 oC WP(M) H07 Black & Gray 12.5 8.3
> E6 LH.NOVA 33μF 35v 105 oC LE(M) H09 Black & Gold 11.6 5.15
> E5 LH.NOVA 33μF 35v 105 oC LE(M) H09 Black & Gold 11.6 5.15



I got my CM7000 alive after I replaced caps E5 and E6. Before that I replaced the other ones but had no joy, but it came alive after E5 and E6. Thanks for this post.


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