Thanks for all the safety concerns but I wasn't about to electrocute myself. My hope was some simple tester device that would determine whether the power supply was actually dead. I have no illusions of doing anything more than that. The subject matter and knowledge required is way beyond my pay grade.
I was just hoping to revive an ATV3 that's been lying around. The ATV4 hasn't shown enough value for me, to jump back in.
Nobody ever expects to electrocute themselves. That's why they're called "accidents." But since the questions you've been asking are so rudimentary, I (and others) have had to assume that your knowledge of electricity (and electronic repair practices) is similar.
I used to receive the (US) national magazine of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Each issue had pages devoted to fatal accidents involving union members. Sobering stuff, considering they're professionals who definitely did "know better." The cause was nearly always human error by the victim - a momentary lapse in judgement or procedure. Granted, most of these incidents were in highly hazardous environments, working with voltages and currents far and above what this little ATV project involves. But since the ATV has to be connected to 110-240 volts AC in order to test the power supply, you are indeed working in a potentially fatal environment - the contacts carrying that current are exposed when you have the case open.
Anyway, you've asked us for a bit of test gear (not that you necessarily need it). That "simple tester device," is the VOM (volt-ohm-milliammeter), aka "multimeter," available wherever electronics and electrical tools are sold - you needn't spend more than $25-$30 for one adequate to the task. Though $30 is a lot to spend on this particular project, it's as close to "universal tester" as you'll find in the world of electricity and electronics. I've had the same, inexpensive VOM in my tool kit for the past 40 years. I've definitely gotten my money's worth.
I'm sure you'll find a fair number of YouTube videos on how to use a multimeter - everyone's hoping to hit the YouTube jackpot and get millions of views.
But there's another bit of knowledge you'll need, if you get that multimeter, which is to know what voltages should be found on which pins of the power supply connector. But hey, it's the Internet - the info is out there.
That video you shared shows a way to determine that the power supply has failed without using a multimeter, though the host ignores the possibility that the power
cable failed (presumably he assumed that nobody would need to be told how to do something that basic).
The
first thing you need to do is ensure that the power cable is not at fault - why tear apart two ATVs, only to learn that it was the stinkin' cable all along? No need for fancy test gear, so long as you can find another cable with the same connector. It's a standard connector, so you may have a compatible cable lying in a box along with a long-abandoned audio cassette recorder, or plugged into a cable TV box.
So, here's a bit of Troubleshooting 101: First, determine if the power cable is faulty by swapping cables (does the same cable work OK with a different bit of gear?). If it seems the power cable is OK, try that power supply test in the video (you'll need a USB to mini-USB cable for that). If it fails that test, yeah, you can assume the power supply is faulty. I just saved you $25-$30 (presuming you didn't have to buy any cables), and since you didn't have to open up the case, there no exposed electrical contacts to pose a hazard while you test.
