Luxor Video Entertainment (Fairchild Channel F) not working

[Dennis90]

I have a Luxor Video Entertainment System (Fairchild Channel F) PAL version, model 1, that does not work at all. When I plug it in, nothing happens, the LED inside does not even turn on. Any ideas what could be wrong? Hope I can get some help here to fix it! I tested the 3 main socketed IC chips in another working console I got and confirmed all 3 worked fine at least.

Edited April 1, 2018 by Dennis90

[CatPix]

Well, before checking the IC, if you don't even have a working LED, check the power supply. Do you have power going to the transformer? Do you have power out of the transformer?

And if you do, are they the right value? (from memory, it should be +12V, +5Volts and -5 volts).

[Dennis90]

Oh, yeah the power supply is okay. As I mentioned I have a working console too so I have used the power supplies I have on that one without problem.

[CatPix]

Oh, okay

Have ytou tried swapping the power supplies from the good to the bad console?

I don't know how the Luxor cut power, but on the Nordmende and Saba consoles, they cut the 220V supply, instead of breaking the low voltage.

And 80's power switch are notoriously prone to failures, for example on many TVs of the era, on the Videopac+, and frankly on my Saba Videoplay, the switch feel gummy and awkward.

Since oyu have a working console I suppose you know how to tune it on your TV so it solve the question about tuning.

But, does your TV display anything?

A black screen is different from statics, and when you power your system, static changing pattern or flickering is also different from no change.

Black screen mean that the console get power but the video or processor are busted, statics that change mean that the consoel get power, but the tuner doesn't do anything.

Of course ther eis the power light question. It would be helpful to know how it's fed.

If I remember, on the Saba, it's a neon light wired after the power switch, so it doesn't really tells you much other than you get 220volts after the switch.

On the Nordmende it's a LED that is fed from the 5 volts if I remember.

[Dennis90]

I got the console to work again! after a closer inspection I saw a cheramic capacitor had a crack in it, so after replacing it started to work! And saw you replied just as I was writing this, too bad I did not worte a few minutes earlier, but thanks for your advice and help anyway! And btw, so does the other PAL consoles have a power switch? cus the swedish consoles don't for some weird reason... you just pull the cord out to turn it off.

Edited April 2, 2018 by Dennis90

[CatPix]

I didn't know that.

The Saba Videoplay have a power switch, which, if I remember correctly, cut the 220V power supply.

The Nordmende Videoplay also have a switch, but I can't remember if it cut the high voltage or low voltage.

 

No power switch isn't unheard of, the early European Videopac had the same thing.

 

Could you maybe post pics of your console? This isn't the most common model and the few pics I find are low-res and blurry.

[carlsson]

I believe the Luxor exists in at least two variations. The earlier one has a power button that doesn't work (at least not on the system I've tried) but the later one that I've got, has a fully working power button.

[CatPix]

Power switch failure is a common illness of 80's electronics. Maybe the system you got had such an issue, and the previous owner simply bypassed it?

[Dennis90]

Okay, both my consoles are dissasembled now cus I had been messing around with them, but you can see here in this photo it does not have a power switch, and that black cable is just soldered to those 4 pins normally and goes trough the power switch hole and then connected to the power supply, seems a bit tacky I think they did like that. And oh, so some swedish models had a power switch then, all I have seen have just had that cable sticking out. I have been thinking about adding a power switch to the console if it whould be possible Anyone got any ideas how a switch could be wired up? Cus it seems a little confusing when it has 4 diffrent cables for 12v and 5v etc.