Market for used BPC NTSC TV sets in 3rd world?

[wa2ise]

Looking at a TV standards map of the world it looks like Mexico, and Central America and most of the western portion of South America uses NTSC, and Phillipeans and Burma too.

Next issue is powerline voltage

That would knock out everywhere except northwest South America, Central America and Mexico. Unless some sets have a switching power supply capable of accepting 240VAC.

AFAIK, all NTSC broadcasts use an FM sound carrier at 4.5MHz. And most BPC sets are cable ready, which means that they should be able to receive most TV stations that might be broadcast on oddball frequencies.

Maps from http://www.algert.com/Panasonic/Technical/Broadcast.htm

[radiotvnut]

There is a group of Mexicans that hit the local TV shops for dud TV's; and, have been doing it for years. I was told that they are taking them back to Mexico, fixing them, and making a killing on the used market. According to my friend at one of the TV shops; they are getting pickier about what they will take. They used to take almost anything, unless it was really old. Now, they only want TV's not over 5 years old and they must be clean and carry a name brand. He said he's gotten as much as $50 for 36" sets and he also said they would pay good money for flat panel sets.

[bgadow]

A common practice by enterprising immigrants is to buy a cheap used van and fill it with cheap electronics and tools, then ship it to their relatives where they came from. The nicest house in my neighborhood is owned by a great Haitian-American who does this all the time. I've never heard of any of them doing it with used TV sets but I have heard they can do well with appliances. A customer of mine has a key employee from Guatemala who does this, too. His family runs a store down there which he keeps stocked, mostly with refrigerators but other stuff too.

I have noticed that the main sellers of TV sets at the flea market are immigrants now. That also seems to be the main group of buyers. I am very curious to see, once it warms up again, what the digital switch will do to that business. I like those guys because every so often they end up with older stuff (transistor T-O's, Superradios, an occasional 40 year old tv) and they sell them dirt cheap to get rid of them.

[Robert Grant]

What is a BPC set?

[radiotvnut]

Originally Posted by Robert Grant

What is a BPC set?

Black Plastic Crap

SPC means Silver Plastic Crap