apex AD-500 sloppy workmanship

[techristian]

I'm not blaming Apex for my DVD player burning out after only 18 months. We had several DVDs and VHS tapes piled on top and it was 95-100 degrees in here (no air conditioning) BUT WHEN I OPENED THE UNIT TO SERVICE IT , I FOUND A VERY SHODDY SOLDERING JOB. Some solder pads had very little solder, while others were almost BRIDGING over to adjacent SOLDER PADS. DIODES which are very heat sensitive must be properly HEAT SINKED before soldering and one of them was SO CLOSE TO THE PCB on one end, that there was no way that a heat sink could have been used. That same diode was WAY UP in the air at the other end. I guess you get what you paid for. this was the least expensive DVD at the time. I'll be looking for a JVC, Sony, Samsung or Sharp next time.

Dan Laskowski

http://teachmedrums.com

[techristian]

I was hoping to get a reply on my first post. I would like to add that I bought a new Zenith 5512NC and guess what? It already acted up with skipping and frozen frames. I read the specifications in the book. It is allowed up to 104 degrees farenheit and/or 90 % humidity. This time we made sure that the player was IN THE OPEN. We never got up to even 95 yesterday, but the combination of heat and humidity may have been taxing on the new player. I don't think that there was a MELTDOWN of any type, but I will be watching it closely for the next few days. Could you all look at your HUMIDITY/OPERATING TEMPERATURE SPECIFICATIONS AND POST THEM HERE FOR ME? I would like to see more HEADROOM on the operating temperature. I can bring the Zenith back within a few days.
I live in the Detroit area.

Dan