Duo stuck with a red light

[steve1978]

Hello Team,

I have a slight problem. I have a vu DUO, its one of the original ones with the white remote. purchased from the forum sponsor back in a bout 2012.

After a recent update the box started playing up when booting, it would take 3 or 4 attempts with a red light on the front and then it would boot up. now it has got to the point that it wont boot just stays with the red light on.

I took it to a local electrician who carries out all this kind of repair work and he carried out an inspection of the board. he called and said the board is fine, he said that often this can happen with clones. I told him it is 100% original as i have several from the forum sponsor and trust him without reservation.

So, I cant flash the box using USB so the question is, can it be flashed any other way? RS232 or anything else? I know that i am not the only person with this problem.

Any help really appreciated.

Thanks

[pz8l8t]

Hi,
The common problem with red light on vu duo is the capacitor needs replacing at c807. There's a thread on it here that gives more details.

http://www.world-of-satellite.com/showthread.php?26743-Dead-Vu-Duo-repair-guide

I would assume that the repair shop would have picked up on this but might be worth highlighting and getting them to check if they haven't already done so.

[Larry-G]

On such a old receiver it's almost certainly going to be a failed capacitor or if you have been using it long enough with failing capacitors you could have also damaged the regulator, either way I would get the "electrician" to test these if he is competent enough.

you can also be 100 percent certain it's not a clone, not only does the sponsor not sell clones but they were not even around when the Duo was being sold with the white remote (approximately 4 years ago).

[steve1978]

Is there any way to check if I took a photo?

[Huevos]

Check what? Check if it's a clone? Or check if the capacitor is faulty?

If it came from WoS you can be absolutely certain it is not a clone, and anyway like Pheonix says clone Duos didn't exist at that time.

If the capacitor has failed you may be able to see the lid bulging or some brown fluid has leaked out, but not always.

[Larry-G]

As Huevos says you may be able to see the capacitor bulging but that is not always the case, personally I would just get the capacitor changed out and go from there.

[brundlefly]

its really easy to do to be honest , just snip the legs off the old capacitor, tin the legs of the one you just snipped, tin the new one the same way, make the legs go the right wauy round ,ie + and - make you leave them long enough for the new to join on, just touch the legs togoethr and the heat from the soldering gun will solder the legs together..jon done..

[paul362]

done a few of these now nice easy job and will in most cases fix the problem.

[steve1978]

Ok I will give it a whirl! Yes I meant the photo to see for signs that it's developed a fault. I have no doubt that its an original, non what so ever. I have bough many boxes from WoS over the years. Wouldn't buy from anywhere else

Can anyone post a link to the cap that I should buy?

[khan888]

Have a search on maplins for product code VH41U....59p!

[steve1978]

Ta just read the thread, bought some from eBay, Panasonic ones. This should be interested no, I'm a total biff at this stuff!

[khan888]

Cut the legs on the old capacitor and solder the new one onto the existing legs. It's easier then trying to desolder the old one and solder the new one onto the circuit board.