Repairing a KS Jive Radio Reveals Unexpected Challenges
Repairing a KS Jive Radio Reveals Unexpected Challenges
A fascinating aspect of consumer electronics repair is that you never know what challenges you will face. In a recent video posted by [Mick] from Buy it Fix it on YouTube, the subject is a KS Jive radio that encountered a series of surprises along the way.
After the radio refused to power on, neither with batteries nor external power, opening it revealed several loose wires, giving false hopes that the fix would be simple. As usual, the cause of the malfunction was a voltage spike that burnt a trace and destroyed the ST TDA7266P amplifier and a 3.3V LDO regulator.
While the trace was easily repaired and the AMS1117 LDOs are cheap and readily available, the amplifier chip proved to be a real challenge due to its end-of-life (EOL) status. The typical response in such cases is to turn to second-hand hardware suppliers, like vendors on AliExpress. Here, Mick purchased a 'new' TDA7266P amplifier, but after comparing it to the original faulty one, he began to have suspicions.
Thus, Mick decided to compare the two chips using X-ray imaging, discovering obvious differences between them. In the top image, one can observe the different markings, logos, and even prints. The X-rays showed that the die size, bonding wires, and physical package pins did not match. The unusual connections of the counterfeit chip led him to conclude that it was likely a quad-channel driver ST VNQ5E050AK-E, or at least something similar.
After further analysis with a CNC milling machine, he found himself at an impasse, as finding a replacement chip proved nearly impossible, until Mouser confirmed that they had the TDA7266P13TR version in stock, with a few units available. Interestingly, the X-ray of the replacement chip showed that it had a larger die than that of the damaged ST amplifier, which could be due to a different manufacturing process.
In the end, with the original part, the radio came back to life, reminding us how vendors on AliExpress can sell chips that are not what they claim to be.
