[mythtv-users] Database damage?

[Craig Treleaven]

> On Feb 13, 2021, at 5:26 AM, Mike Perkins <mikep at randomtraveller.org.uk> wrote:
> 
> On 13/02/2021 01:53, Gary Buhrmaster wrote:
>> On Sat, Feb 13, 2021 at 1:23 AM Craig Treleaven <ctreleaven at cogeco.ca> wrote:
>>> Incidentally, this unit has been powered through a UPS for most of its life.
>> Does not really matter, as the common cause of these supply
>> failures is well understood (aging/failing caps) and the quality
>> of the incoming source is typically not entirely relevant.
>>> I’ve reached out to SiliconDust about getting a replacement.
>> Replacements are available from their online shop, or if
>> you wish to source locally, the specs are referenced on
>> their forum (I think they moved them, but there is still
>> a reference on their forum to the new location).
> A point, possibly off-topic. In the UK the "online shop" is now essentially a silicondust page that buys your product through Amazon. The first HDHR dual tuner I bought came from the same page but Amazon was not involved at that time.

Long ago, I would have bought a replacement power adapter at Radio Shack.  Nowadays, I don’t know of a physical store that would have such an item in stock.  Let alone a quality product.  The pandemic situation is such that I don’t want to go pawing through a bunch of bins.  (I’m going through chemo.)

BTW, I think SiliconDust’s reputation for problems is overblown.  I purchased my first HDHomerun before they had failures with the wall warts.  They clearly got a bad batch of power adapters and did a recall to make it right.  Ever since, they’ve provided replacement adapters at a nominal cost.  As Gary says, these things have never been expected to last forever.  (And I think they are often killed by surges in lightning-prone areas of the world—which is not me.)  I honestly can’t remember if I got the free replacements from SiliconDust during the recall.  Either way, my HDHomeruns have outlived multiple configurations of backend hardware!

Incidentally, the power supply I’m using is a ‘universal’ type:  selectable 3-12 V, interchangeable tips, and with a switch to change from centre-positive to centre-negative.  However, the HDHomerun wants 5V and the nearest setting I have is 6V.  Also, the tip is supposed to be 5.5mm OD but mine is 5 mm.  It works but it isn’t really right.  My box of used power adapters does not have anything supplying 5V.  The closest I have is 9V; most are 12V.

Craig