LED in phone/answering machine...help

[Catty1]

This wasn't in my Readers Digest Fix-everything-in-your-home book, so I came to PT!

My mom gave me her phone/answering machine combo. It's under 3 yrs old, and works well - but the light that shows how many messages one has has gone out. It's an LED display, or something like it.

I am happy to take the thing apart - but what should I be looking for?

It's perfect to donate, but not with that light blacked out!

Thanks.

[RICHARD]

This wasn't in my Readers Digest Fix-everything-in-your-home book, so I came to PT!

My mom gave me her phone/answering machine combo. It's under 3 yrs old, and works well - but the light that shows how many messages one has has gone out. It's an LED display, or something like it.

I am happy to take the thing apart - but what should I be looking for?

It's perfect to donate, but not with that light blacked out!

Thanks.

Is it a light bulb or the whole display?

The bulb and display are usually soldered to a circuit board. It's not worth the effort to pull apart and fix it.

You could put a note in it and detail the prob if you donate it.

If it works OK with the light out, someone who need a machine probably would not mind pushing the button to check messages, it has to be done anyway!


I love the fact that PT women are really good at mechanical/computer things.
Slick helped me fix my monitor, Ssirahm fixed her washer and you are trying to fix an answering machine! Pretty darn good!

[Catty1]

Thanks, RICHARD - I didn't think it would be an actual bulb, but hey, ya never know!

There's an electronics repair place in town - I could go in with the part and say, "I want one of these!"

Although - there is an external call display with it... I would think it would show who had called!

TY

[kokopup]

If is most likely a reqular bulb that may fit in a socket. Usually LED's are very long lived devices. If it turns out to be an led these can be bought individually at radio shack. If it is a solder in type you can measure the voltage across the bulb with a volt meter while a message is present. It would probably be 5 volts. Most low voltage LED fall in this voltage range.

[Catty1]

Update: I took the phone apart...and found the LED. I plugged in the power and ta-da! The silly thing lit up!

I don't know if perhaps I tightened it when I pressed on it...or if my mom's cataracts are worse than I thought...

Now I get to put it ALL back together again!

But even if I did replace the part - I couldn't see how to separate the small circuit board from the other boards...the ribbon connectors seemed glued on.

Please pray that it still lights up when I get all the bits and pieces back together. My sweetie said I should have tested it before demolishing it! DUH me!