I love it when TV shops don't want to/don't know how to fix TV's

[dr.ido]

Originally Posted by ablethevoice

After reading the responses here, you guys have restored some hope in me that there are some folks who still do have a decent set of ethics - and are willing to actually LOOK at an item and determine if, indeed, the device is truly dead or only "unconscious".

And yes, this damned "everything is disposable" mindset is a plague. Of course, modern manufacturing techniques support this habit. Anyone ever see a cellphone repair shop? Is it possible to resurrect/repair a PCs motherboard? Has anyone ever tried?

It never ceases to amaze me what people will throw away. Almost everything I own from computers, audio/video gear, cameras to appliances and furniture is stuff that was thrown away. Much of it needing minor if any repairs.

Up to a certain point PC motherboards and related parts can be repaired. It is just that most people - PC technicians included either assume that they can't or are unwilling to do so.

Among other things I sometimes repair PCs for people. Some of those that have waited around for something done on the spot have been down right shocked when rather than replace the motherboard because the capacitors have failed or they broke off a connector when they tripped over a cable I will repair it.

To me it just seems practical. Cheaper, quicker and easier than driving down to the shop to buy a replacement only to find that they no longer stock a compatible board and then having to replace even more parts. Though especially in the PC industry this is seen as wrong. I once applied for a job at one of those refurbished PCs places, but was told they didn't want someone who worked so "in depth".

In the past I've gone as far as changing the platters in a hard drives. This can't be done with any even remotely recent drives, but back when I was running MFM drives in XTs and ATs it was possible. Done on the kitchen table, no clean room or special equipment required, no bad sectors.

I don't claim to be an expert at anything, but I will try to repair anything. If I fail I've lost nothing and have learned something.

[rcaman]

me i try to fix anything and everything that needs repair and fix most of them. we have been in the repair business going on 30 years and it is still doing ok. not many left anymore and customers are driving further to get to us. we have a great word of mouth advertizing. steve

[Dr Tinear]

There are still a few good repair shops out there. I found one in suburban Detroit when I was debating whether to repair a '94 27" Sanyo CRT set or replace it with a plasma set. The owner charged only $30 to prepare the estimate and applied that $30 against the repair bill when I told him to go ahead. The set had a number of deteriorated solder joints on the main board and a handful of electrolytic caps that were going bad. It works like new after the repair. Needless to say, I'm recommending this shop to anyone who asks and will send my future TV work (and perhaps some audio "tough dogs") his way as well.

[AUdubon5425]

Well, in the spirit of service (although against my better judgement,) I'm cracking open a wonderful Yorx DVD/surround sound unit for an employee of a friend. It won't turn on anymore.

[67Zenith]

Arkay - I agree with you. Wal-Mart is a big offender, very true - and the world is getting crazier and crazier. Cars today still have grilles - but why - most of them are crappy bottom breathers since the 1990s and so the grille is now just an ornament (I'll gladly keep my 1968 Buick Electra 225 as long as I'm alive).

The most ridiculous recent thing that occured was in December 2007 when Congress decided to ban incandescent light bulbs by 2014 - that's right folks - the Edison 100 watt light bulb won't be for sale by 2012, then the 75 watt, then the 60 watt and in 2014 the 40 watt. It sounds crazy but it is true. GO GREEN (LOL) buy a $20. compact flourescent light bulb - those bulbs that cast horrible, "blue light" (and the cost is pure nonsense). Congressman John D. Dingell of Michigan says that the Dept. of Energy is sticking with the bill and it does not matter that CFL bulbs contain highly toxic mercury when they burn out in two to three years - they use less energy and Americans are just used to the warm glow of the Edison incandescent light bulb but they will have to adjust to the compact flourescent because that's going the green way. The green way my a**! I'll stock up on Edison's bulbs next year to last a lifetime.

Ok, I will now stop my Friday evening ranting and take the '68 Electra 225 out for a drive and then come home and read my mail by the light of a 100 watt incandescent light bulb, then turn on the 1969 RCA Victor portable strereo for a while and eat some ice cream (it won't be long before they ban ice cream because it has saturated fat and we Americans are just too fat LOL or maybe they'll just add a luxury tax to ice cream to discourage us from eating it!) and I might even be really bad tonight and smoke a Marlboro cigarette (they will also probably be banned by the government in the years to come). Gee whiz, where's the Beaver and Wally? Where's Oldsmobile? Where's Howard Johnson's? Where's the Bell System? Have a great weekend everyone!

[Ghoulardi]

67Zenith, I'm with you on that 100%!

[zenithfan1]

Me too man! Great stuff!

[wilkes85]

Originally Posted by zenithfan1

And the most frustrating part of it all, they say "We're going green, we're buying a new green product now". When all they needed to do was fix one small part on the old one (whatever it may be) instead of throwing it in a land fill.

EXACTLY!!! That act right there is actually a lot worse for the enviroment, making them a bunch of hypocrates.

This whole green thing pisses me off. CFL bulbs especially. And the media is just full of CFL bulb propoganda. Sorry I like my lights to come on the second I flick the switch, give off good light, and not interfere with the radio.

The bastard government sent everyone here one of those things in the mail. I tried it out to see what the big deal was about. I ended up chucking it in the garbage.
Besides, they're full of mercury.

Break a real bulb... you cut yourself. No big deal.
Break a CFL bulb... mercury poisoning.