Spontaneous Transformer Failure.

Yesterday, I had a spontaneous transformer failure. What is that! you might ask? Well most of you know about the little box like object with a long wire and a funny looking plug on the end. Well! that is actually a little power supply containing a transformer and other components inside it to convert AC electricity to DC electricity and convert it to a specific voltage and amperage. Then you plug this into a wall socket and into an electronic device, which in my case is a Wireless Internet Router, which in turn allows anybody with a wireless adapted computer to access the interenet.

So yesterday, I am on my computer surfing the internet, when suddenly my internet connection is gone, just gone. So I am checking my comcast router, it is till working, I check to ensure I haven't kicked any wires loose under my desk, then I look at my Wireless Router and low and behold, it is dead, no blinking lights, no nothing. I unplug it, replug it, reset it, nothing, no lights. Since it went out so suddenly I become highly suspicious, no power to the router, I check the transformer( see picture)  using my meter(see picture) and find no output from the transformer.

That is nada, nothing, nyet, kaput. So I take the transformer and head to my nearest Radio Shack To see about getting a replacement transformer.
This young man meets me and asks me, "can I help him?" and I handed him the tranformer and said, "it's brokeded, and I cain't fix it" and he says, "it's brokeded and you can't fix it?" "yep". "Are you sure?" "yep, I used my handidandy multimeter, and it said, it's brokeded!"
So the young man walks over to a rack of similar transformers and looks for one that has the correct Voltage and Amperage, which should be 12VoltsDC and .5Amps output. Then he takes the plug end and starts comparing it with a series of similar plugs hanging from the wall. He pulls one off and takes it to Bob the Store Manager, (whom I know) and asks if it matches and Bob says, "as near as I can tell they're the same." Then I take a look and could tell, nope ain't the same, and I find the correct size and hand it to the sales clerk, who pulls the correct plug from the rack and hands it to me. As I am paying for the new transformer, Bob looks at both of the clerks and tells them, "this man will be your best customer, he knows and has forgotten more about electronics then you will ever know, and I'm not kidding."

As I am leaving with my purchase, I smile at Bob and say "You gotta train these young ones, don't you." "yep, that you do, have a great day."


 Now, I return home, take the replacement transformer out of the package, connect everything up, plug it in, and lo and behold, the Wireless Router now has power and I am back up and running.

I have to say, it felt really good to be able to troubleshoot, find, and fix the problem so quickly.

It's a shame, a person can't be fixed as quickly and easily.

Well God Bless us all from the gahillbilly.

Oh yes! Happy Fathers Day.
 
"(C) Copyright by Victor Winebrenner"