Toolong

6 minutes ago, tonray said:

Unfortunately when it comes to new TV technology, the cheaper no name stuff tends to be less reliable and it's really a throwaway rather than a repair, unless you want to ship it back to China and hope it makes it OK. Stick with a name brand like Samsung ( I would not give the same advice for phones for example) but with new TVs you do get what you pay for.

If your Mum or Dad (bear with me!????!) said they were off to buy a smart TV and you couldn't go with them but had 1 minute to tell them on the phone a few specifications (ie, 4k, HD, blah blah) that must insist on.......what would you say? (Full respect to your dear Mum & Dad, by the way. Just a hypothetical!)

I need to buy (my wife) a smart TV. But being a non-gadgety out-of-touch old duffer I regret to say I know sweet Fanny Adams about what I should be looking for in the shop and fear being a lamb for the slaughter.  I noticed a thread on this site today re buying a smart TV or non-smart TV. Though that is NOT my issue, I figured I might learn something about which smart TV I might buy anyway.

That did not happen. I don't think I made it to the end of the first page. Just now more confused than ever. I don't understand the latest lingo! There appear to be too many darned options...none of which I understand. 

Here's a bit to go on:

Want something that allows my wife and I to watch her Thai mainstream channels, plus others like Amarin, Thai Rath, etc.....plus netflix if we wish to subscribe and youtube etc, so online access. 

Now my wife is Thai and has, unfortunately, a very entrenched view that a more expensive item must be better than a cheaper item, regardless of facts that might easily disprove that.....so I'm saying that those well-meaning folk out there who kindly inform me that such and such a make or model priced at 10,000 baht is basically as good as one for 20,000 baht+.....might be wasting their time. However- I still very much welcome those recommendations!! The more I know/understand the better!

(But price-wise.....reckon I could manage 20 - 23,000 baht thereabouts....possibly more.)

With respect to all....anything connected with True......nah. True and I fell out, big time. 

I want a 55 incher, that gives a decent picture....and one with a remote that doesn't require a PHD in advanced 'devicery'.......and WON'T be obselete by the time I get it home!

Advice, kept simple, would really help. Thanks in advance.

Had similar keyboard trouble ( but random letters).

Try plugging in (via usb port) & using another keyboard. If it's ok with 'external' keyboard connected , then problem with your built-in keyboard. 

I now just use external keyboard. Not ideal but ok if at home.

Didn't want to pay for keyboard repair. 

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

 

I also seem to remember it actually needing to be in the dark (panel unplugged/inverted) before it would go into auto mode but that might be a false memory.

Ok....that's another thing I shall bear in mind and definitely check out, Crossy.

Never know - sometimes a possible 'false memory' about something turns out to not be false at all. 

Thanks for letting me know about that. ????

56 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Important note:- These lights flash to acknowledge that they've received an instruction from the remote.

 

Ours have an "auto" button which sets it up to come on at dusk, but it seems to need to be in "off" mode (the off button) before it will actually do the business of lighting at night.

 

So press "off" then "auto" and unplug/invert the panel and see what it does.

If I remember right, Crossy, your light is the same brand as mine (or at least looks very similar), so I shall definitely give your suggestion a go. Might just do the trick!

Thanks a lot. ????

2 hours ago, millymoopoo said:

In light (no pun intended) of the extra information provided about the large lamps functionality (with or without the remote) the fact that you can get it to stay on at night suggests that the battery is OK and charging during the day.
Perhaps the issue is in the electronics, or possibly more likely it is programmed, and it has a glitch.

Yes you could reasonably expect it to come on automatically at night.

Whilst I don't know how many control functions or buttons are available on the remote you could try pressing and holding the on button for several seconds, sometimes this access any program mode it may have, then up and down buttons would scroll through the programs.

There could also be a factory reset option too, possibly accessed from the same holding of the on button for an extended period.

As you say there are no manuals it's a bit of a guessing game.

Should you get the time, why not google images LED garden light, or what ever it's called, without the brand name, look at the pictures, if you can identify your lamp and it is known by a different name search for manuals for that brand, likelihood it will be the same.

All of us are good at one thing, sometimes more than one, but not good at everything.!

Cest la vie...!

Thanks for that very comprehensive response, Millymoopoo! ☺

Some very good ideas and much that I would never have considered, so thanks for the suggestions.

Holding down the on button as you suggest sounds worth a try. I'm ready to try all options!

Good idea about googling for this brand and hopefully getting some specific info about remote control use/options. I assumed being a cheapish piece of kit that searches would come up dry, but I will give it a go. 

"All of us are good at one thing...." , you say......and you're right enough Millymoopoo! However.......it is sadly self-evident, in my case, that DIY is not that thing!  But as you say....c'est la vie!????

2 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Hence, I suggested covering the solar panel as you can test out your options via the remote at your leisure.

 

Maybe it isn’t designed to turn on automatically at dusk ??, sounds crazy yes but could possibly be that way !! After all why have a remote ?

 

My lights are far from sophisticated, Lazada/China quality costing 150 baht !! and not very powerful but they serve my purpose and are very easy to use set up, access to the battery is via a screwed in panel , also the battery is in a holder so no messing with soldering wires !.

I bought one for a test and couldn’t believe how good, for the money, it was so bought another 5!

 

Yours is no doubt a lot more powerful than mine.

 

Thanks, Andrew. I appreciate the advice. I agree that it would be useful to do as you suggest (covering panel in order to try out remote options) but I had to chuckle cos it took me ages yesterday to securely rig it up at the unreachable end of a huge bamboo pole which is now fastened, via the most overly complex mass of knots, to the outside wall!

The thought of taking it down is way too much for my old bones right now! ????

For now, I'll wait for dusk and then start experimenting with the remote.

I do agree that some solar lights do seem to come surprisingly cheap, but they do the job! ????

44 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

To test the solar light during the day just cover the solar panel or put it face down.

This should replicate nighttime and the light will illuminate.

 

These lights usually have different modes , I have some that have motion detect and illuminate for 45 seconds when sensing movement ( only at nighttime ) or they can illuminate at dusk and stay illuminated as the battery allows with a couple of strength options.

 

Yours doesn’t appear to have motion detect ( usually a small white dome on the lamp itself denotes this ).

 

I should charge the battery with 8 hours of sunlight then put the solar panel face down to test what options you have with the remote.

Obviously if nothing happens then the battery could be dead, but the battery in the remote could also be !!

Thanks for your comment/advice Andrew.

Right now I don't think I need to test the light, as I can now get it working thanks to the remote (I didn't have one for a while, at first).

I guess what's essentially confusing me now is why it won't turn on at dusk by itself. Maybe this model isn't desgned to....but I doubt it. Or maybe I'm not operating the remote correctly. (Btw...remote batteries are new.)

Btw....your lights sound a bit more sophisticated than mine! ????

21 hours ago, millymoopoo said:

There are batteries (as many have already said), just not obviously seen.

The big one is trying to charge a dud (dead) battery, thus the green/red LEDs during the day. But if the battery is a dud and no charge goes in during the day then no charge will be available at night.

There's usually a fix it shop in most villages, just take it there and ask if they can put a new battery in.

That's interesting. When you say 'the big one', are you referring to a battery? That's trying to charge another battery?

I wish I wasn't so dumb when it comes to matters like this! 

If you read my initial post, you'll know I didn't at that time have the remote control. Just 1 red & 4 green lights in the day time and nothing at night. So when I finally got the remote, I tried using it and the lamp lit up!

Hooray!, I thought.....but it got confusing. When I pressed the red power button on the remote the lamp flashed on but did not stay on. It just flashed every time I pressed the red button. It also did the same thing when I pressed the 'on' button (there's the red power button at top and there are 2 blue 'on' and 'off' buttons).

The only time the lamp stays on is when I press the blue 'auto' button. The lamp stays on and it does its job of giving out light. Which is fine by me....cos at least it works........but it doesn't seem to make sense. At night, I have to turn on the lamp by pressing 'auto'. Shouldn't it come on by itself? The other smaller units I have (same brand) come on by themselves.

This matter is not important in the wider scheme of things!!

So, Millymoopoo, you reckon it's all to do with dud batteries, essentially? 

Hope this minor mystery can be resolved! ????

16 hours ago, Crossy said:

Leave the panel (connected to the light of course) in full sun all day whilst waiting for the remote, with luck the cells will recover.

 

Good idea, will do that........and without delay this morning, cos the rain clouds have been taking up most of the afternoons recently up here in Korat!

Thanks for the advice, Crossy.

11 minutes ago, maxpower said:

 

Gentle warming of the bonded area and a plastic spudger helps avoid breaking the glass. Not a job for the ham-fisted.

The person who gave me the light said they forgot to pack the remote, so when I get the remote I'll see if it helps, though Crossy did say the green lights may indicate that it's the fault of the battery, in which case, if the remote doesn't help.......I'm going into that casing somehow and may take your advice!!

(Nothing to lose.) 

12 minutes ago, johng said:

 

I would be more tempted to cut a hole in the back  plastic to access the battery rather than try prying off the glass...seal up again afterwards with silicon sealer.

Yes, that crossed my mind. The picture Maxpower posted would allow one to see how you could do it without damaging the stuff inside.....in theory!

But the plastic is ribbed and quite hard! You would have your work cut out to do it without getting in one hell of a mess! That was my (second) thought anyway so I abandoned that endeavour!

????

1 minute ago, maxpower said:

 

 

 

Similar light with bonded glass forced open

 

 

Crikey!

Well, Maxpower......that's mighty interesting!

So it does have a remote! Ok...that's useful to know, cheers!????

Now....is that blue thing the battery/ies?? 

So you have to force the bonded glass open? With great care, I imagine!

Then....if you do change the battery, you then fix the glass back on (with silicone and a prayer) ?

Wow, that's a puzzler!

Maxpower....I appreciate you sending the info & pics. Thanks.

21 minutes ago, Crossy said:

The batteries are in the big black bit on the right (ours is not readily opened).

 

The string of green LEDs are the charge indicator, if they all go off when the panel is disconnected the chances are the batteries are shot.

Well, Crossy, that's the info I needed to be clearer about what's going on....and I sincerely thank you for that. ????????

But I'm now confounded by a new mystery..........you're absolutely correct about the black lamp being 'not readily opened'!!

As far as I can see, it's not possible to open it at all!

No screws, clips or anything that allows access to the battery! 

So in theory and by the looks of it, in practice, when the battery conks out, game over! 

Don't know whether to laugh or cry! 

But....whatever........I do appreciate your help. Cheers. ????

21 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Can you post some photos of what you have?

 

There's certainly batteries involved somewhere.

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

If it's the street light the cover on the light bit just unscrews, batteries inside.

The floodlight I have is sealed, so until it actually stops it's not getting opened.

 

I will grab a screwdriver and go and investigate that! ????

17 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Could be "built in" rechargeable cell that is no longer holding the charge.

Possibly? (I really don't have much knowledge of these things! ????)

4 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Can you post some photos of what you have?

 

There's certainly batteries involved somewhere.

Ironic that you should reply, Crossy, as a few minutes ago I was reading one of your posts where you included a photo of the model you had.....and strangely enough.....it's the same one I have!

In which case, it apparently does have a remote, right? And a battery! So maybe I need to get my hands on the remote (somehow) and/or locate the battery and maybe change it.

3 minutes ago, Gulfsailor said:

Pretty sure there is a battery in there somewhere, how else can it store energy from the day and use it to power the light at night. Unless that’s the problem, put a battery in...

I figured the same thing, Gulfsailor, but have made exhaustive efforts to find one but to no avail.

There's a little connection box on the rear of the panel but only two wires soldered on tight. 

No battery. ????????

Hi.

Hope someone reading this might be able to help.

I was kindly given some (used) solar panels/lamps by someone who no longer needed them.

Two small panels & lamps, plus one larger panel & lamp.

The two small sets work fine, with 1 red light on each lamp blinking during the day, then darkness falls and they light up. No problem.

But the large one has 1 little red light and about 5 little green lights on the lamp during the day  (but they don't blink).....and at night time the red & green lights go off and then.....nothing. The lamp does not put out any light at all....completely dead.

There are NO on/off switches anywhere and there are NO batteries.

They didn't come in boxes with information about any problems that might occur.

Was not given any remote controls. (I don't know if they're required for these models....but I don't think so.)

Can anyone give me clues about why the large lamp won't work? There IS life there, as the red light and the 5/6 green lights come on in the daytime.

I didn't buy it, so can't complain...

but it's kind of bugging me that it won't work. 

Can anyone help solve this mystery? He or she who does so will achieve everlasting fame and glory!

1 hour ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Yes the rules are different, and it’s an extension not a visa 

Thanks, sometimeswoodworker!

4 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Yes.

For extensions based on marriage, the financial requirement is 400K deposited in a Thai bank for 2 months prior to the date of application, although it's recommended to leave it their until the extension application is approved and you receive the stamp.

 

Thereafter you can withdraw and spend as required, provided you top up the account to 400K again 2 months before planning to submit the following years extension.

1. 327-2557 (2014) - extension criteria & conditions Eng.pdf 735.35 kB · 0 downloads

 

Section 2.18

 

Unlike extension based on retirement, there is no requirement to keep funds in a Thai bank account after receiving an extension based on marriage.

Tanoshi.....you have made my day! ????

I thought for a moment I'd messed up big-time. 

I really appreciate you replying to this and sending the link too.

Thanks a lot! ????

2 minutes ago, Toolong said:

Thanks for the quick respnse Tanoshi, and I'm glad you say it isn't a problem.

 

But can I just ask why? Are the rules dfferent for the marriage visa 400k?

Or is it that the money was just moved to a new account? 

1 minute ago, Tanoshi said:

Not a problem.

Thanks for the quick respnse Tanoshi, and I'm glad you say it isn't a problem.

But can I just ask why? Are the rules dfferent for the marriage visa 400k?

23 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You must keep 800k baht in the bank for 3 months from the day you apply for a extension of stay and then 400k baht for the remainder of the year.

That has been a requirement since March of 2019 and the immigration order for the extension has not been changed.

ubonjoe......I got the full extension stamp for my marriage 'visa' on April 2, in Korat.

A few days ago, on April 27, I closed down the 400k account and moved that 400k to a new account that I opened the same day. 

Do you think that will be a problem for me when I apply for the next extension in March 2022?