A Reason to watch what power supply to use!

[IzzyEng4 427]

All of us are electronic buffs out there whether we use a scanner, camera or any other device. I want to share my screw up with you, which actually happened today.

I own a Uniden Bearcat 396T hand held scanner. Now it requires a 6 volt, 800 milliamp connection to charge it. While in my car, the scanner's rechargeable batteries were dying so I went to plug it in to charge it. The problem was instead of using my 6 volt car adapter, I grabbed the 12 volt one that I use for another device. And this is what happened:

The first picture shows a blown transistor / resistor towards the bottom of the screen. If you look and see the one towards the top that had a silver line and has 100 10V printed on it, the one blown is below it (the same type of circuit). The second picture shows the cover that was over the circuit board and has the pieces of the chip that was blown and the stain it left on the inside of the cover. When it blew, there was the ominous blue smoke that us techies are afraid of and that peculiar electronics burning smell.

So, be careful with your electronics, I usually am but this time I wasn't.

[jack10562 414]

OUCH! That was certainly a VERY $$$.$$ mistake!

Once you let all the manufacturers smoke out, it never seems to work the same....

[SteveOFD 176]

I hate that burnt electronics smell, I've done it too many times!

[Guest]

OUCH! That was certainly a VERY $$$.$$ mistake!

Once you let all the manufacturers smoke out, it never seems to work the same....

YOU beat me too it!!!! you let the magic smoke out