Videokarma.org

Go Back   Videokarma.org TV - Video - Vintage Television & Radio Forums > General Off Topic Forums

We appreciate your help

in keeping this site going.
Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 03-15-2017, 12:15 PM
Jeffhs's Avatar
Jeffhs Jeffhs is offline
<----Zenith C845
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fairport Harbor, Ohio (near Lake Erie)
Posts: 4,035
I wish I was going to the ETF convention; why are my posts on VK ignored?

I wish I could go to this year's ETF convention, but that is darn near impossible. I live in the middle of nowhere, 30 miles east of Cleveland, and do not drive. To make matters even worse, there are no antique radio or TV collectors anywhere near here, so I am out of luck when it comes to going to these things, none of which are anywhere near Cleveland.

Why on earth does VK have absolutely no active members other than myself in this part of Ohio? I feel like I am, as I mentioned, in the middle of nowhere (the town I live in is 30 miles east of Cleveland and not near any large city; this is a residential area with nothing at all in the way of electronics stores--the nearest hardware store is about five miles away in the next town south of my residence; the area's only TV repair shop is in that area as well), not being able to get much help if anything of mine breaks down or if I have any questions regarding servicing, let alone trying to help others with their TV and radio problems. I don't know much about solid state or digital TVs or radios, but I still remember most of what I know about tube-based gear and could be of some assistance to those of us on the forums who have (or have had) such TVs, radios and so on.

I am downright jealous of VK members like Doug Harland and others here on VK who are so much more popular on this forum than I am, or ever will be. I feel bad enough having had to give up my workshop when I moved to my apartment seventeen years ago (I enjoyed working down there more than I can tell anyone here), but to join a forum like this and be ignored, for the most part, is too much. I joined this forum 15 years ago because I thought I could meet people who shared my interests in vintage and antique electronics, but since I am being ignored most of the time when I post here, even with information I am sure someone could use, I don't see much sense in staying here any longer. I may not be a TV repair whiz like Mr. Harland but I do know a few things about how older TVs work, and would like to be able to share some of that knowledge. Like Mr. Harland, I like Zenith televisions and audio gear, having had a basement full of TVs and radios of that make when I was still in my house in a Cleveland suburb. (I still have several antique and classic Zenith radios here in my apartment, but no consoles and certainly no fabulous 3-way entertainment units, Zenith or otherwise--I just don't have the room for anything that big.) What is the use of having the knowledge I have of older (1950s to '70s) TVs and radios (I am an amateur radio operator, having gotten my first license 43 years ago) if I cannot share the information? There was a time when some VK members, many if not most of whom have not been heard from here for years, knew that I am very interested in and have a lot of knowledge of Zenith radios and, to some extent, Zenith televisions, but that was a long time ago. Gee, how I miss those days.
__________________
Jeff, WB8NHV

Collecting, restoring and enjoying vintage Zenith radios since 2002

Zenith. Gone, but not forgotten.

Last edited by Jeffhs; 03-15-2017 at 12:39 PM.
  #2  
Old 03-15-2017, 02:10 PM
madlabs madlabs is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 388
I wish I was going too. I do actually live in the middle of nowhere and the nearest person I know of to me who is interested in old TV's is a two hour drive. So I get wishing there was someone else to play with. There has to be some other nut in Cleveland though! Albion CA, population 399, not so much.

As a new guy to these forums I can't speak of the old days but I found some very helpful folks here. It can feel like you're being ignored sometimes on forums, I have occasionally felt that way too. I doubt it is anything personal though, just keep posting and hanging out.

Tell ya what though, when I run into my next TV project (looking for a bed side set) or have problems with my current living room set I'll give you a holler. I know little about fixing TV's and can use all the help I can get.

Jonathan
  #3  
Old 03-15-2017, 04:28 PM
SpaceAge's Avatar
SpaceAge SpaceAge is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Denver CO
Posts: 380
How do you know you're being ignored? I know Sanjarali despised you (yes I know about Sanjarali) but do you realize people may read your posts, but not necessarily reply? Doesn't mean you're being ignored. For what it's worth, I appreciated your input and help when I was restoring my Motorola radio. I've been listening to spring training baseball games on it lately, because the national sports tv networks seem to refuse to broadcast any teams that aren't the Cubs, Cubs, or Cubs. I will need help with the other projects I have, when I eventually get around to them.

You might have more luck finding local collectors by checking on the ARF. I believe they're quite a bit bigger than Videokarma as far as number of people who post and read. I found, just by reading over there, that there are at least two other people besides myself who are in Colorado and are interested in TVs. For a while I thought I was completely on my own.
  #4  
Old 03-15-2017, 04:46 PM
benman94's Avatar
benman94 benman94 is offline
Resident Lunatic
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Detroit, MI
Posts: 1,190
Please don't assume you're being ignored. Quite a few of us, myself included, have been members for years but hardly ever post. When we do post, we're usually looking for one particular piece of information, trying to help someone else with a specific issue, etc. Please don't take a lack of response personally. If I responded to everyone here that's helped me, or had posted a thoughtful reply to a query of mine, I'd never leave my desk.
  #5  
Old 03-15-2017, 08:19 PM
WISCOJIM WISCOJIM is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Grand Chute, Wisconsin
Posts: 2,452
It's been less than 8 hours after you posted and you've already got more than 120 people who have clicked on your thread. Sir, that is not being ignored.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeffhs View Post
I am downright jealous of VK members like Doug Harland and others here on VK who are so much more popular on this forum than I am, or ever will be.
I didn't know that we were here to be popular (or even liked at all). I thought we were here to share our knowledge and experiences over the internet because we can reach out to help more people that can't be readily reached in other ways.

I think you need to realize that this is a forum for like-minded individuals to exchange thoughts and ideas through the internet, and not so much of a place to find local friends. You may need to try a dating service for that.

If you really want to go to the ETF Convention, have you even asked anyone here if they could pick you up and bring you along? Or are you just going to continue to sing the "Nobody Loves Me, Everybody Hates Me" song?

Sometimes YOU have to be the one to reach out to others, and not just sit back and hope that someday they will discover you.


.
Audiokarma
  #6  
Old 03-15-2017, 10:58 PM
Titan1a Titan1a is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Plattsmouth, NE 68048
Posts: 738
Wish I could go but lack the means. Where there's life there's hope. Next year!
__________________
Rick (Sparks) Ethridge
  #7  
Old 03-16-2017, 12:11 AM
Jeffhs's Avatar
Jeffhs Jeffhs is offline
<----Zenith C845
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fairport Harbor, Ohio (near Lake Erie)
Posts: 4,035
[QUOTE=WISCOJIM;3180643]It's been less than 8 hours after you posted and you've already got more than 120 people who have clicked on your thread. Sir, that is not being ignored.




Quote:
I think you need to realize that this is a forum for like-minded individuals to exchange thoughts and ideas through the internet, and not so much of a place to find local friends. You may need to try a dating service for that.
Dating service? I am not gay, and am not looking for that kind of relationship. I am only trying to find other people who share my interest in electronics, especially antique and vintage radios and televisions. I am trying so hard to find such people here because I live in an apartment building where everyone keeps to themselves, and will not have much to do with me. None of those people know the first thing about radio, television, or electronics. Moreover, I lost my father in 1998. He was an electrical engineer and taught me darned near everything I know about electronics, and I miss him. I was extremely close to him, and when he died it darned nearly tore the heart out of me. Now that he's gone, I have no one else to talk to about my interests, and that bothers me more than I can say here. To make matters even worse, I am something of a loner; have been all my life, and I don't see myself changing at this late point in my life (I am sixty years old). I knew quite a few people in my home town, but that was years and decades ago. Almost every person I ever knew in the Cleveland suburb I grew up in is now either dead or has left town. I toyed for awhile with the idea of moving back to my hometown, but there would be no point in it since I don't know anyone there anymore.

It's even worse where I live now. This is a very small town (population 3097), but as I said, everyone here keeps to themselves, so it is darn near impossible to get to know anyone unless you are extremely outgoing, and I'm not. Most people living here who have lots of friends have been here all their lives, but I have only been here seventeen years. I moved here 18 months after my father died because I always wanted to live in a small town (and because my father's third wife sold the house I grew up in; I couldn't have stayed there if I wanted to--long story), but good grief, I never realized I was going to be so darned isolated. I would gladly move back to my home town if I only knew some folks there, but unfortunately, as I said, almost everyone I used to know is either dead or has left town.

I did not mean to imply that I feel "everyone hates me" on VK. I am sure that's not the case; however, I do sometimes feel as if I am wasting my time starting threads or writing posts in response to existing threads. Good grief, all I want to be able to do is to share some of my knowledge of vacuum-tube-based radios and TVs with others who have the same interests, and to help others when I can with their electronic repair problems. As I mentioned earlier, there were members of VK years ago, almost all of whom, for whatever reason, have long since stopped posting here, who recognized my knowledge of certain types of antique and classic radios, particularly Zenith (I have several such radios here) and who would come to me for information on them.

As I said, I don't know much about solid-state radios or TVs and next to nothing about flat screens or digital TV, but I still remember perhaps 95 percent of what I know about tube-based radios and televisions. I just don't want all that knowledge to simply sit in my head unused.
__________________
Jeff, WB8NHV

Collecting, restoring and enjoying vintage Zenith radios since 2002

Zenith. Gone, but not forgotten.
  #8  
Old 03-16-2017, 06:19 AM
jstout66 jstout66 is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Ne
Posts: 1,484
VK also isn't as active as in years past. Not many people go to internet forum sites anymore. It's all about Facebook groups. (which I see many people who were once active here have joined) I'll check out of habit once in awhile.
There's lots of groups on Facebook. Cars... radios... TV's.. hoarders... autism awareness groups... just to name a few.
  #9  
Old 03-16-2017, 08:04 AM
WISCOJIM WISCOJIM is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Grand Chute, Wisconsin
Posts: 2,452
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeffhs View Post
I still remember perhaps 95 percent of what I know about tube-based radios and televisions. I just don't want all that knowledge to simply sit in my head unused.
Maybe you should check back in at ARF where there is a lot more activity in the things you do know about. Looks like you haven't even logged in there since 2010.

http://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/...profile&u=2948

.
  #10  
Old 03-16-2017, 11:02 AM
Kamakiri's Avatar
Kamakiri Kamakiri is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Buffalo, New York
Posts: 5,109
Quote:
Originally Posted by jstout66 View Post
VK also isn't as active as in years past. Not many people go to internet forum sites anymore. It's all about Facebook groups. (which I see many people who were once active here have joined) I'll check out of habit once in awhile.
There's lots of groups on Facebook. Cars... radios... TV's.. hoarders... autism awareness groups... just to name a few.
The Facebook groups are definitely easier, because they integrate directly with your social media account. But the one thing they DON'T do, is catalog any information nor do they show up in Google searches. Found out something special about a repair procedure or want to show progress on something? It's gone within six months to a year. That's the "vig".

That, and though the subject matter here, and, say, on the Facebook Vintage TV group, is the same......the discussions are totally different. On VK, you can get thoughtful input on diagnostic issues, parts questions, problem solving, etc.

The Facebook group is pretty much general posts about set scores, people swapping stuff, youtube videos, and general questions or comments that even starting a thread would be wasted on.
__________________
"Restoring a tube TV is like going to war. A color one is like a land war in Asia."
Audiokarma
  #11  
Old 03-16-2017, 11:06 AM
dieseljeep dieseljeep is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 7,562
Quote:
Originally Posted by WISCOJIM View Post
Maybe you should check back in at ARF where there is a lot more activity in the things you do know about. Looks like you haven't even logged in there since 2010.

http://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/...profile&u=2948

.
I'm better versed with tube equipment, but I'm just not crazy about ARF.
Probably, just the way they do things. I go there a few times a week to look around, but this is the place, I go to first, several times a day.
  #12  
Old 03-16-2017, 11:10 AM
Kamakiri's Avatar
Kamakiri Kamakiri is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Buffalo, New York
Posts: 5,109
What's ironic is at times I'll go over to the ARF TV forums to poke around, and at least twice every time I do I'll see the exact same people posting the exact same threads with the exact same titles and content as was posted here....and the exact same people chiming in with the exact same responses.
__________________
"Restoring a tube TV is like going to war. A color one is like a land war in Asia."
  #13  
Old 03-16-2017, 03:32 PM
WISCOJIM WISCOJIM is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Grand Chute, Wisconsin
Posts: 2,452
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kamakiri View Post
What's ironic is at times I'll go over to the ARF TV forums to poke around, and at least twice every time I do I'll see the exact same people posting the exact same threads with the exact same titles and content as was posted here....and the exact same people chiming in with the exact same responses.
Yes, as far as TV subjects, you are correct. But this often evokes new responses from different people that are not on both groups. Can't blame a guy needing assistance from posting in both (and maybe more) places.

No doubt that VK is better for the TV guys, but ARF shows a whole lot more traffic in the radio categories, which is just what it was created for. I use both, multiple times daily. I can help and get help from people on both forums, and if I ignore either for more than a few days I'll go back and regret not being a contributor in many of the threads that interest me.

If Jeffhs wants to share his knowledge of Zenith in the way of helping others, there are multiple live Zenith threads daily over on ARF where he may be able to feel more useful. Not as an alternative to VK, but as another outlet for his needs.

.
  #14  
Old 03-16-2017, 04:18 PM
Electronic M's Avatar
Electronic M Electronic M is offline
M is for Memory
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Pewaukee/Delafield Wi
Posts: 14,758
If you have your heart set on going to the ETF, can't drive, and no one will take you, then perhaps you can find a bus route that will get you most of the way, and fill in the gaps with other routes, taxis/uber, etc...That is what I'd look into if I was in your shoes.
__________________
Tom C.

Zenith: The quality stays in EVEN after the name falls off!
What I want. --> http://www.videokarma.org/showpost.p...62&postcount=4
  #15  
Old 03-16-2017, 06:03 PM
old_tv_nut's Avatar
old_tv_nut old_tv_nut is offline
See yourself on Color TV!
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Rancho Sahuarita
Posts: 7,184
Getting back to the main topic, Greyhound has three buses a day from Cleveland to Columbus. I'm flying in to Columbus Tue May 2, out Tue May 9, so if you take the bus on Wed May 3 or later and return on Mon May 8, I could pick you up and drop you at Greyhound; and depending on where you stay near ETF, I or someone else should be able to drive you back and forth. (FYI, I'm staying at Best Western Hilliard Inn and Suites, 3831 Park Mill Run Drive, Hilliard; 614-529-8118.)

Will you do it?
__________________
www.bretl.com
Old TV literature, New York World's Fair, and other miscellany
Audiokarma
Closed Thread


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:00 AM.



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
©Copyright 2012 VideoKarma.org, All rights reserved.