Repairing a PSU After a Lightning Strike, Repairing a PSU after a lightning strike. Options

[XLR82XTC]

For my computer,monitor, and cable modem, I have them protected with a APC UPS. Which will cover up to $50,000 if the UPS should fail.

RFLMAO!!!!!!!!!
1. Does anyone have $50,000 worth of stuff hooked up to one of these? (software does not count)
2. Ever read the fine print? (some companies require you to submit receipts for a claim) all items are replaced at a pro-rated value, not actual replacement costs. Quess what, this is electronics we are talking about after 1 year 50% value after 2 years about 25% 5 years it is considered scrap.
3. Computer, printers and PC speakers are worse most manufacturers are constantly changing specs and you will not get anything for software just the actual computer part. Is there a difference? check out the cost difference at Dell for wordperfct or one with office loaded.

How do I know? I am going through this with a small office( computer, printer, wireless access point etc and a commercial copier on brand A and personal computer with a Tripp lite internet office w/ battery b/u running a computer, printer, modem , pc speakers, router. Guess what the surge went through both! Anything older than 2 years they just about laugh at you. There idea for new is wholesale not retail. At over $100 for the tripp lite it failed, they sent a new unit and may charge me for it as well............... Thank God I have a replacement clause in my homeowners it is worth more than any of the multi outlet products that are supposed to catch surges, but usually just collect dust.

[MjFred]

Hi!
Great guide about lightning damage. I have had the same missfortune, my computer gear survived thanx to the protection I had installed. However 1 TV, 1 DVD and the old XBox died. And they are worthless according to the insurance company.

So I have opened the Xbox and are now looking at the PSU, a DPSN-96AP-1.

My first question is if it is normal that there is some white "gue" here and there, sorry can't get the pictures up here now. But the white "gue" is between several components and it looks almost like some thing has cooked and due to the heat there has been an expansion of this "gue" which has spreaded out. Which would of course indicate that the PSU is fried. I have counted to 10 components that has this white "gue". And if this white "gue" is an indication of fried components I guess there is no need to even test/measure the PSU, correct? That is my non-professional guess and I just want to confirm this with you experts. (the bottom of the PSU doesn't have any burn marks like above pictures!!!)

My second question is where can you buy a new PSU if required? Since I'm assuming that this PSU is a goner!

I'm planning to get this old XBox up and running as a 24/7 server for my weather station. So if it possible I would like it to run either linux or windows, suggestions?

Thank you in advance for your answer

[Ceekay]

My first question is if it is normal that there is some white "gue" here and there, sorry can't get the pictures up here now. But the white "gue" is between several components and it looks almost like some thing has cooked and due to the heat there has been an expansion of this "gue" which has spreaded out.

No, thats ok. It prevents the components from mechanical vibration which could eventually cause them to get loose.

where can you buy a new PSU

Ebay. Or other xbox shops that sell replacement parts. I found a good troubleshooter here. If the price is ok, buy it there. I don't know US price, but here they want about 20 to 30 Euro for a new PSU in onlinestores, Ebay is about 9 to 19 for used and new stuff.

linux or windows, suggestions?

Linux.

[Jimmy_N]

interesting, thanks for posting this, lets just hope theres no lightning tonight lol

[and101]

A UPS is good for keeping surges out but it can also be a bad thing if the surge is coming from the computer.

A couple years ago my house had a direct lightning strike. It hit an aerial on my roof which was connected to a radio. The radio was connected to my pc via a serial cable. The lightning came down the aerial wire through the radio and into the computer, it then ran into the UPS which stopped it from going to earth. As it couldnt take a direct route to earth it went the next easiest direction which was down the network cable and into the switch which distributed the surge into every other computer, xbox and satellite unit on the network and from there into every tv, video and dvd player.

The total damage was 6 computers, 3 xboxes (i use them as media players on each tv), 4 tvs, 2 dvd players, a vcr, 2 satellite systems, 150 metres of wiring and 12 lightbulbs. It cost about £10,000 to replace everything which luckly the insurance company paid for. It would have cost a lot more if i didnt rewire the mains cabling and lighting circuits myself.

So remember UPS's are good, but not if you have a direct strike.

[johnjon246]

Ok, so i am having the same problems as you all. Lightning sturck, Xbox down. My PSU model # is DPSN-96BP.
My XBOX obviously does not turn on at all.
To the people who have delt with this beforre, what kind of trouble shooting have you done to the PSU to determine it was bad? I have mine sitting in front of me, and from just looking at it, it seems fine. I dont see or smell anything burnt. Are there tests i can perform on it with a volt meter to see if there is a fuse burnt? Please help. Thanks.

[thcmagus]

Ive done a few soft mods for some people and had 2 of them come back after a storm and sure enough there psu's ( i assumed ) were fried. I looked all over but couldnt see any damage nor did I or smell any burned components. Since I was bored I was looking through the old xbox tutorials and I stumbled across this

http://www.xbox-scene.com/articles/psu-v10-on-v12.php

I know this isnt the answer for all you people out there but if you have some extra parts give it a shot.. I personally had 3 xboxs sitting around ( one with a botched TSOP ) the other 2 were the lightning ones. By using that tut I was able to take the PSU from the botched TSOP and wire it up to work with the other motherboards. So now I have another xbox maybe I can figure out whats wrong with the other psu's and bring another back from the dead.

Hope you guys out there can fix your boxes

[919]

I have followed the tutorial and when I put power to the supply, it blows the fuse. I see no charring or anything else on the supply.

[aymen]

I am kind of lost here. Not sure if it is a power supply.

My unit will not power when I press the power or eject button. But if I hold either button for a while, it will power with no audio/video and I can hear the HD and fan. Then the eject button lights up green, followed by flashing orange (not red).

The system then powers down for a while then attempts to power on again. Once more, no a/v and it flashes orange.

I know it is not a FRAG, because the Green lights up only the first time, then it flashes Orange.

Any help?

[Reaper527]

The system then powers down for a while then attempts to power on again. Once more, no a/v and it flashes orange.

I know it is not a FRAG, because the Green lights up only the first time, then it flashes Orange.

Any help?

if there is no a/v cable, the led's will flash green/orange regardless. if you plug the a/v cable into your system, you'll get a more accurate reading of the problem.

[xTKMx Caboose]

Or you can go to the store and get a power cord that has a safty feature that prevents lightning striks to damage your power suplie that coasts like 5$.

[red eye]

how do you test the power supply if its working or not?
mine went pop last night when i turned it off. i checked the fuses and they are ok.

so how do you test the psu and the motherboard with out frying yourself?
also would a psu out of a pc work in an xbox?

[njmbb8]

Um, what's wrong when the xbox automicly comes on when it's plugged in?

that happened to mine what happened is the solder on the power supply broke and is apparently completing the circuit somewher other than where its supposed to when that happened to mine the disk would come out aswell my friend bumped into it and they fell down and completed the circuit and i scared him by saying dude wutd you do and he was about to buy me a new xbox but then i explained i to him that it had already happened and he didnt really do anything bad lol

[Matt Devo]

Anyone have a good source for the T3.15A, 250V fuse shown in the original post? I can't seem to find anything locally at rat shack or Frys. I can find a fuse with the same specs, but not one I can easily drop in.

TIA

[go0phi]

Ok! so I had a lightning strike and even though my xbox was connected (alongwith the tv and vcr) to the power through a spike buster, seems like my xbox is down (although the TV and VCR are fine).

My xbox is not turning on, but I dont think the PSU is out. I have the IR mod and I can see the IR mod's blue LED lighted when the power supply is connected, hence I believe the PSU is still good. So what is happening with my xbox - when I press the power button, the green button light turns on and immediately goes off. If I keep the button pressed, then the green light keeps coming on and going off. Sometimes, I think I can hear the fan coming on and going off with the light.

I have not opened the xbox, yet, and was wondering if anyone could give me hints on where to start troubleshooting.

Thanks.