What ever happened to TV technicians? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 04:50:49 am
content: Some of the smartest electronics people I knew were experienced TV technicians. In Australia, they are almost non-existent now as repair labour is too expensive in this throw-away society. TV repair shops are gone, as one can't scratch out a living doing TV repair.What are the TV technicians doing now? Retired? Dead? Or gone onto other pursuits in electronics, or even completely other industries? Maybe some are in this forum. It will be interesting to know what you are now doing today, and maybe your thoughts on the demise of electronics repair and its impacts.

author: Ysjoelfir
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 06:00:30 am
content: I was an TV technician journeyman, finished with two times shorting my apprenticeship because of good grades and still managed to achieve the best result in the journeymans exam in the country back than. TV and Radio repairs were demising back than already, and that quite notably. I worked as a repair technician for a year than, got basically nothing in terms of money or appreciation, built up my own department in the company in search for alternatives and found that in fixing coffee machines. After 3 months that already made quite a bit of money for mr. boss, still he was not willing to pay me more than what a unskilled worker gets.Switched to another company, got kicked out after 3 months and 1 day because of a contract with germanys biggest cable TV provider that was canceled (i got hired to basically provide the support for their products in the region, and they just decided to screw up and cancel the contract after my company just bought TME, a car and, well, me.)Went to a transport company than to get some income and worked as an IT guy there. Than I moved halfway through germany to Frankfurt and ended up studying electronics, which basically didn't teach me anything I didn't already know, but now I had a paper that says "I can do the stuff I learned years before!" and found a job at one of the world leading manufacturers for power analyzers, had a nice project I could work on there, but sadly after that was finished I was not needed any longer.Been freelancing besides that for some years, and moved again, this time to Hamburg where I worked as a product manager and finally got some good money. Company went bankrupt this year and now I am unemployed since may and am sitting in the EEVBlog IRC channel, complaining about how miserable life sometimes is and being grumpy in generalRegarding the demise of electronics repairs:That is indeed a thing, many products are absolutely not repairable, and aren't even designed with repair in mind. its just not a thing anymore, sadly. I always tried to create products with serviceability in mind, but that is not realy what customers want nowadays - all (most of them) they care about is the stuff being cheap cheap cheap. and it must have RGB LEDs, for whatever reasons.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 06:44:24 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on May 07, 2022, 04:50:49 amSmart in a limited practical area sufficient for their job.They didn't need broad theory to do their job.QuoteRepairing computers.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 08:02:17 am
content: Quote from: tggzzz on May 07, 2022, 06:44:24 amI agree in that control theory is perhaps the most useful things to understand in an engineering degree, that some technicians might not know of. However, it would be a big benefit if engineers had a fraction of practical experience of a TV technician. Some techs I know went on to do an engineering degree as adults after years of experience as a technician... they made top notch engineers. France has the right idea, where one has to qualify as a technician before embarking on an electronics engineering degree.A friend owned a TV repair shop up until about 15 years ago. When the industry died, he trained and qualified to become an electrician where there is plenty of work in this highly protected industry. He is happy.

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 08:16:35 am
content: I helped a friend repairing TVs in the 1980s and learned all about that trade.My friend was about 10 years older and had a professional TV repair shop in northern Germany with several employees.He taught me to find any problem in a TV set with a maximum of 6 measurements, If it took more, he got mad!Our mail tool was a Fluke 70 series DMMEventually he closed his repair shop and started selling lights, very successfully I might add!

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 09:21:41 am
content: I did it for about 5 years as a hobby/side income from 2010 onwards.I would buy faulty sets, repair them and sell them on Gumtree/eBay/etc.The truth is there's little money in it nowadays. Not only do people seem to think their broken set is worth hundreds, people are more interested in the latest-and-greatest rather than a 5 year old smart TV.TVs also became more reliable - it may be hard to believe this, but it's true. The consequence was, however, when things did go wrong, they tended to be in the more expensive or impossible to repair components. Like the main board, or panel failures, or LED backlights.I also started a full time job as an engineer, so no longer being a student, I had no time for it (and my job paid an order of magnitude more than this ever did!)I imagine a lot of technicians have just retired and few have gone into it as a new field. More money in mobile phone repair / computer services, and many of the same skills required.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 10:08:25 am
content: Quote from: tggzzz on May 07, 2022, 06:44:24 amThat and phones, although that's going down the pan quickly now as things become more reliable and more robust. I reckon a large quantity of the inbound repairer potential are wrangling software and infrastructure now instead.Most modern consumer electronics aren't really repairable past swapping out modules and those modules are extremely reliable compared to old televisions. On top of that the initial outlay for the consumer is ridiculously low compared to income generally. Consumer warranties aren't terrible these days and insurance and credit card protection allow for replacements rather than repairs. Ergo, there is no market for repairs and no repairers.We have warm fuzzy feelings about repair here because we can do it, but it's a niche and a dying one. I only repair stuff because it's fun, not because of economical viability.

author: PKTKS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 10:22:30 am
content: Quote from: bd139 on May 07, 2022, 10:08:25 amPartially true.. I did repair from mid 70s to mid 90s extensively...Made a good money to support my directions and my toys...With the advent of the PC mid 80s i got totally addicted.By mid 90s i had already specialized myself into PCs and deep further into IT degrees..Nevertheless the substantial time and effort invested in technical skills was never left..I have about 10.000 of schemas not only from TVs but also HIFI audio and VCRs which I did a lot as well..Anyone is welcome to ask for a particular schema...SANYO PANASONIC PHILIPS Telefunken.. National as well and SONY and SANSUI and Technics ..and YAMAHA and MARANTZ..Literally over 10.000 schemas... catalogs and service manuals..By late 90s i had already deep specialized myself into IT, network security and PCs only...However I still do repair for myselfTruth is .. repair became unsustainable activity due to costs, time and labor...Nostalgia..Paul

author: kripton2035
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 10:29:59 am
content: Quote from: tggzzz on May 07, 2022, 06:44:24 amcomputers become more and more unrepairable as TVs already are.coffee machines is a good idea.

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 10:31:15 am
content: Quote from: PKTKS on May 07, 2022, 10:22:30 amImpressive!In Germany, a good quality TV set had the schematics inside the set in a pouch with a troubleshooting guide. Some good schematics even had scope pictures next to the test points.Everyone had the right to repair a TV, if you had the skills.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 01:49:03 pm
content: Quote from: tggzzz on May 07, 2022, 06:44:24 amThe thing is, they did have a solid background of theory, although not to an EE level.Over time, "dumbing down" of technical education became the accepted path for institutes of Trade training.The education organisation would "Ask the industry" what sort of training they needed, & the answer would come back from some management drone, that they wanted people to be able to do a few specific things.The wider theoretical knowledge of Electronics, which allowed Techs to adapt to changing techology over the years was no longer provided, but instead was replaced with a "Monkey See, Monkey Do" philosophy.The "Technicians" turned out by this method can do things exactly as they were taught, but are "all at sea" if confronted with something different.In an example of this type of training, over some years I would regularly call Telstra (in Oz) out for a faulty land line phone.The problem, that the leadin from the roadside "pit" was intermittent, was determined back in early 2012, by the first attending Tech who, for some unaccountable reason, could not pull a new cable through, needing to arrange for a "team" to do it.The "team" was scheduled to arrive while I was away, so when I returned & things worked, I assumed they were pretty neat & left no sign of their visit.From that time, however, the line would go noisy at intervals of several months, "Techs" would attend, fiddle about, it would "come good" till next time.When each Tech came, I would wait till they went through their set of "monkey tricks", then suggest they check the leadin.They would do that, play around, disturb something & temporarily "fix" it, (although the noise level was still higher than it should have been).This went on forsevenyears, till NBN FTTC became available, & I decided I had better get the leadin problem sorted out "once & for all".The phone noise had become horrific, so I had an excuse for a callout, in any case.The Tech came, & as he looked a bit brighter than most, I told him about the leadin,& the history of the fault.He had a look, verified it was the fault, & promptly pulled a new cable through.The first guy, seven years back, could have done that!Back when Telecom Aust were running things, one of their properly trained Techs would have replaced the leadin on the first visit.Hell, I could have done it myself, but I'm not allowed to!

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 02:02:22 pm
content: There's simply not much to break down in a modern TV and certainly nothing that would require professional adjusting. It's not like the old days when RF circuits would drift out of alignment and projection sets needed regular bulb replacements.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 02:10:42 pm
content: Quote from: HighVoltage on May 07, 2022, 10:31:15 amEveryone should have a right to repair. Apple's shareholders think otherwise. If the right to repair (where possible) was made a legal requirement, I suspect there would be a lot more technicians out there doing repair work. Apple purposely makes their products unrepairable. Apple even got caught providing firmware updates that purposely slowed your phone down so you go out and buy a new Apple phone. Apple is a company run by wankers.German schematics were good, but that barely mattered because "Cherman Excellence" TV sets like Blaupunkt were junk. In fact there was a book specifically published on symptoms versus component on Blaupunkt TV's. Good quality cabinets but lousy (and unsafe) electronics. In contrast, the Japanese manufacturers ran rings over the Euros on TV sets. With a few exceptions, TVs like NEC were superior in quality, reliability and safety.All the unreliable TVs (and junk like the Akai VS3 video recorder) resulted in plenty of work and income for TV technicians in the day.

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 05:21:26 pm
content: From my memory, Grundig TV sets were the best in Germany. Or it was just me, because I liked working on them and they were easy to repair. When the Japanese TV sets came to Germany in masses, I was out of that game.But later I liked repairing Sony and NEC monitors, I considered them well made and good to repair.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 05:43:46 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on May 07, 2022, 02:10:42 pmUm no. They have an official parts store and rent proper equipment to you to repair stuff with and provide service manuals:https://www.selfservicerepair.com/This is fairly new on the scene but they are scaling it out to most of their devices at the moment.Here’s the service manual for what I’m writing this on:https://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/2000/MA2074/en_US/iphone-13-pro-07300324A-repair.pdfThey also give you cash back for broken parts returned so they don’t end up on the grey market and people get ripped off.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 05:47:29 pm
content: People stopped paying to have TVs repaired when new ones got so cheap. I used to repair a lot of TVs, monitors and other devices but even 15 years ago it was rarely worth it except when people would give me broken devices and I could fix them and sell them. About the only related item I repair for money these days is arcade monitors, nobody makes new CRT monitors anymore and there is demand for them to keep the vintage games original. Vector monitors are especially valuable.

author: ferdieCX
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 06:04:51 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on May 07, 2022, 08:02:17 amThis information about France is very interesting for me, because the same approach is used at the technical university where I teach.Do you have a link to some specific information about that ?It can be in French, I understand it.

author: strawberry
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 06:51:03 pm
content: Quote from: NiHaoMike on May 07, 2022, 02:02:22 pmI have some VEF201 and they still work as new = lazy repairmen instead of replacing bad capacitor/tube do adjustment .. next.there is small faulty part to replace but it is not available for your 1k JBL speaker or TV = modern electronicsirreparable devices and devices that people are not wiling to pay is what makes THE ENDI am probably the youngest Audio/Video ''technician'' leftfor old TV technicians there is no work for them except retirement, I guessGrundig Philips ITT Sony ... good old days and thick dust in TV sets(good dust collectors)

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 07:08:28 pm
content: Quote from: ferdieCX on May 07, 2022, 06:04:51 pmI think it is a bit of a misunderstanding. France degree system has the DUT and "brevet" which are vocational diplomas but you certainly don't need to have one of these as a pre-requisite for studying engineering. Also, these diplomas don't give you anything in the sense of a practical "technician" experience. It is merely a two year program offered by a high school (brevet) or university (DUT) that you can then extend with an extra year to get a "licence". That's basically a form of undergraduate degree in France, equivalent to a bachelor elsewhere.However, you don't need one of these to study engineering (which would usually be a master level program)! You can actually do a normal bachelor as well. Yes, the French system is complicated because of historical reasons and there multiple ways how one can arrive to the same degree.But they certainly don't have or require anything one would understand as a "technician's" qualification. I suspect the confusion comes from that "professional license" certificate one gets after the third year after the DUT/brevet.Here is the description of the French system:https://fulbright-france.org/en/study-france/understanding-french-education-system

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 08:12:42 pm
content: Quote from: NiHaoMike on May 07, 2022, 02:02:22 pmOh really?

author: mathsquid
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 08:48:11 pm
content: I worked in a TV repair shop in the early 90s. I was 17 and had always been interested in electronics. I rode shotgun on service calls with a crusty old 70-something guy who got his start as a radio tech in WWII. He was a fun guy to talk with. The main things I did on those service calls wereHelping him carry TVs and load them into the van. (Console TVs were still really common then.)Standing in front of a TV holding a mirror while he would adjust the picture.Running back to the van to get mainboards for Zenith TVs.Zeniths were the only TVs that the shop would repair in the field, because they would swap out the whole mainboard and send the old one back to be refurbished. The 9-181 board was the most common one, I think. Other brands of TVs would need to be taken back into the shop.I helped install a few big satellite dishes (my job was digging the trench for the cable).It was also my job to break the back off of picture tubes before the trash collector would pick them up. Once I opened up a really old TV (made in the 60s I'd think), and there was an empty vodka bottleinside the TV!I've wondered if that's where someone kept it hidden, or if a previous technician left it in there.Good times.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 10:12:39 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on May 07, 2022, 08:02:17 amIn general I agree. Theory without practice is mental masturbation; practice without theory is blind fumbling. Or, I suppose, if you have enough blind monkeys the new name is Machine Learning.Just like doctors and nurses, engineers and technicians are both necessary; they have different abilities and inabilities. I know which I want to draw blood, and which I want to diagnose disease.

author: coppice
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 10:14:55 pm
content: I guess TV repairers went away when the market went flat.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2022, 10:20:46 pm
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on May 07, 2022, 01:49:03 pmWhen he was a kid, Dick Feynmann worked in a radio/TV repair shop. He became known as the person that repaired them by analysing the problem from theory, then applying the fix. The other technicians simply changed valves until the radio started working again.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 02:34:58 am
content: Quote from: tggzzz on May 07, 2022, 10:12:39 pmIf a piece of equipment has to be fixed "yesterday", I would go for the (Real*) Tech, every time.EEs are mostly nice people, but many get sidetracked by interesting, irrelevant abstractions, whilst others, in contrast, have tunnel vision, & chase their "instant diagnosis" down the rabbit hole for hours.* I say "real" Tech, because there are an increasing number of semi-skilled people who couldn't "fault find their way out of a paper bag"!

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 02:43:54 am
content: Quote from: ferdieCX on May 07, 2022, 06:04:51 pmI was told this by a French engineer whom I worked with that he was required to qualify as a technician prior to becoming an engineer and that is the norm in France. Someone further down in this discussion elaborated on their system. Maybe something got lost in the translation with my colleague.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 02:50:34 am
content: Quote from: tggzzz on May 07, 2022, 10:20:46 pmOhh, you mean the guy that took 5 times as long!Most problems with things like domestic valve radios can be relatively easily diagnosed by application of a lot of experience & a tad of theory.All fault finding regimes stress "looking for the obvious" first, but that doesn't mean Techs don't have to use theory.I have never worked in a TV repair shop, but for many years, I was basically, a TV transmitter "fixer upper", who as my "other identity", had to fix TV picture monitors, the odd TV set, & some other weird stuff that came across the bench.It is hard to put EEs on a pedestal, when you see some of the design stuff ups made by those from quite prestigious companies.This was often compounded by the propensity of some such companies to supply very poor service information.

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 07:41:00 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on May 08, 2022, 02:43:54 amI very much suspect that to be the case, probably the stuff around what the French call the "license" and "brevet" as that doesn't quite have an equivalent elsewhere. Of course, they could have been required to take some particular course of study because of the specific requirements of the school they planned to attend, that's always possible. But it certainly isn't a general rule.Also, in France they have different types of "baccalauréat" (the big exam at the end of high school - "lycee") with different "tracks" focusing in different subjects. And that is where if you want to study e.g. engineering you need to graduate with the right type of "bac" to be admitted. This is different from other countries. Perhaps that's what was meant.See:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baccalaur%C3%A9at

author: porter
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 08:21:25 am
content: When I was a boy, my Dad wanted me to fix the TV. As I recall, a couple of knobs released the back panel. I pulled the tubes out and brought them to the grocery store to be tested. Tubes were kept right in the tester cabinet. I don't remember if I fixed the thing.The things kids were allowed to do back in the day.

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 10:02:51 am
content: For the German speaking people here...... there is a funny older guy on Youtube that shows many repairs on older TVs and Radios under the name of "Meister Jambo". He goes through the schematics and explains the old systems and explains pretty well, how it was in the old days as a TV repair technician.Here he explains, how it was to be working in that field.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 10:07:53 am
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on May 08, 2022, 02:50:34 amCorporate culture overrides most things. "Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain" - Friedrich Schiller, The Maid of OrleansNobody should be pigeonholed and put on a pedestal.Nobody should be pigeonholed and regarded as better than (or even equal to) another.Pigeonholing is lazy, and leads to an usvsthem mentality.We all have differing competences and incompetences.Vive la difference, and "trust, but verify"

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 10:13:20 am
content: Quote from: janoc on May 08, 2022, 07:41:00 amIm the UK you will have had to have 3 appropriate A-levels, e.g. maths (pure and/or applied), physics and other STEM subjects. That means that individuals will have specialised for the last two years.It is likely countries that were part of the British Empire have something similar.

author: David_AVD
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 11:07:24 am
content: I've never been into TV repair, but have gotten back into consumer audio equipment repairs in the last few years.There are fewer techs around and more people wanting their old (1970s' to 2000s') gear fixed now.

author: SmallCog
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 11:19:34 am
content: They run racist newsletters (Louis Thereoux and the Nazis reference)In all seriousness though at work we have an ex TV tech, he’s in his 60s and has been with us for about a decade.He was one of the last to leave his previous employer and one of the younger guys thereI suspect many have retired, possibly after a slight shift in the latter part of their careers.

author: Circlotron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 12:13:12 pm
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on May 07, 2022, 01:49:03 pmI tip my hat to any old school TV repairman that understands the finer points of a vacuum tube horizontal output stage.

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 01:00:45 pm
content: My neighbour is a radio/TV technician and had his own shop. In the later years he did a lot of sat TV dish installations since we don't have cable TV. He was fortunate to be old enough to retire early before the industry downfall. An old friend is also a radio/TV technician and he moved on into IT.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 01:40:15 pm
content: Quote from: David_AVD on May 08, 2022, 11:07:24 amA lot of that is likely the return of LPs and modern audio equipment being designed for digital input with analog input as an afterthought.

author: PKTKS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 01:48:44 pm
content: Quote from: Circlotron on May 08, 2022, 12:13:12 pmNot really that hard... the hard part is the voltage probing .. values are really dangerous..Apart the really methodic methods..It is a simple plain SMPS...If you can deal with a modern SMPS..FLYBACKsare just a specialized smps..Paul

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 04:56:17 pm
content: Quote from: NiHaoMike on May 08, 2022, 01:40:15 pmOld audio equipment is often better than new audio equipment so is often worth fixing.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 05:14:19 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on May 08, 2022, 02:43:54 amAnd it's not.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 05:21:49 pm
content: Quote from: coppice on May 07, 2022, 10:14:55 pmWhile repairing modern TV sets requires less "tweaking", there still are lots of things you can do. The main reason for not doing it, as some have said, is cost, not feasability.I've repaired my Samsung TV a couple years ago - a leaky cap in the power supply board that would prevent it from starting altogether. Something extremely common. You must like it when designers put electrolytic caps right next to heatsinks. And I mean, not a few mm away, but literally stuck to the heatsink.A couple bucks and some work were worth it compared to binning the TV set and shelling out a few hundreds bucks instead. It's still working find to this day.Sure some repairs can be a lot trickier, say if it's a bad solder joint on a BGA chip, which also happens. But can still be done (as long as you can spot the fault), or you could also change the whole faulty board. Mind you, old TV repairers also did this sometimes when they couldn't find the fault.

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 07:24:38 pm
content: Quote from: tggzzz on May 08, 2022, 10:13:20 amPossibly, not familiar with the British/UK system. However, e.g. in Slovakia all you legally need to study at a university (any university, regardless of subject) is the final exam from the high school. And then passing the admission exams of the chosen university unless you qualify for a direct admission or the uni doesn't do admission exams.So in theory you could go study electrical engineering even though you have never seen a multimeter in your life because you have graduated from a grammar school and not a vocational school.In fact, most people who go to universities there do so from the generalist grammar schools, students coming from the vocational ones are an exception because they usually lack background in mathematics, physics and other subjects that are taught only to a much lesser degree there. The more practical, industry-focused stuff they teach at the vocational schools is rarely useful at the uni - but people without a solid math/physics background tend to flunk out in the first year already.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 08:10:19 pm
content: Quote from: cdev on May 08, 2022, 04:56:17 pmI assume you're referring to build quality since modern transistors and opamps perform vastly better than old ones. They're still improving albeit well into diminishing returns.I also read claims that old music (especially from the days of tube amps) was mastered with technical limitations of that era consumer equipment in mind and sound "wrong" on modern equipment, similar to retro games looking really poor on a modern gaming monitor.

author: David_AVD
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 08:57:47 pm
content: Quote from: NiHaoMike on May 08, 2022, 01:40:15 pmYou can get phono preamps that do the job and they cover a wide range in performance and price.

author: David_AVD
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2022, 09:04:14 pm
content: Quote from: cdev on May 08, 2022, 04:56:17 pmBetter is a very subjective thing in the audio world. Some of the choices come down to nostalgia and perceived an actual differences in the sound.Sometimes the way that the tone controls work (frequency, slope, etc) and how the speakers interact with that can make quite a difference.Everyone's hearing, preferences and past experiences are also different so it's not always a specs comparison.

author: Zoli
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2022, 12:44:55 am
content: Quote from: NiHaoMike on May 08, 2022, 08:10:19 pmI challenge you to build the Alexander amplifier(https://www.analog.com/media/en/technical-documentation/application-notes/58052492001115525484056221917334an211.pdf) with current transistors, and show the original performance(output power, distorsions, bandwith).Case rested.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2022, 01:05:44 am
content: Quote from: NiHaoMike on May 08, 2022, 08:10:19 pmAudio reproduction long surpassed the capacity of human hearing, so a lot of modern specs seem to be for their own sake, rather than any audible improvement.That said, many FM/AM tuners from the later 1970s to today, are very poor, particularly on AM, where the reproduced bandwidth is barely better than communications quality, wasting the relatively wide audio response of AM stations in those countries which still transmit baseband audio out to 9 or 10 kHz on AM.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2022, 02:26:47 am
content: Quote from: Zoli on May 09, 2022, 12:44:55 amI'm pretty sure there exist specialty amplifiers for scientific equipment with even more impressive specs than that, especially with respect to bandwidth.There also has been a trend of audio ADCs and DACs going up to 384kHz sample rate and beyond. While that's not going to make audible differences for the original application, it did come with the side benefit of making a reasonably low cost source of high speed, high resolution ADCs and DACs for stuff like narrowband SDR and ultrasound experimentation.

author: Zoli
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2022, 02:33:41 am
content: Quote from: NiHaoMike on May 09, 2022, 02:26:47 amIf you are so sure, why don't you link it?Thank you.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2022, 04:04:37 am
content: Quote from: Circlotron on May 08, 2022, 12:13:12 pmOf the top of my head.... 6AL3, 6CM5!I had a huge collection of TV valves and gave them to Arthur Courtney (the original founder of Resurrection Radio) when he was one of the managers at IBM. Sort of spewing I did that, but Arthur was a top bloke.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2022, 04:11:49 am
content: Quote from: porter on May 08, 2022, 08:21:25 amFrankly I think kids should be allowed to do a lot more than they typically are these days. I think there are a lot of people that suffer from a sort of stunted development where they reach adulthood having no ability to go out and do basic life tasks. Kids are too sheltered now.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2022, 04:56:53 am
content: Quote from: Zoli on May 09, 2022, 02:33:41 amA quick search found the PA119.https://apexanalog.com/products/pa119.html

author: Zoli
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2022, 05:32:02 am
content: Quote from: NiHaoMike on May 09, 2022, 04:56:53 amWell, slightly fells short: 4A vs 10A+, ±40V vs ±70V(+); what about the distortions(sorry not to put it up up in the previous posts), because the square wave doesn't looks too nice(overshoot)?

author: Miyuki
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2022, 08:28:18 am
content: Oh that brings memories of the late 90sEverything was soaked with nicotineIn the basement of the apartment house, I lived as a kid, was a small repair shop. Cigarette smoke come out of the window and at the night there were TVs running to test the long-term functionality.

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2022, 12:54:09 pm
content: Quote from: Zoli on May 09, 2022, 12:44:55 amI see a bunch of jellybeans and those weird linear IGBTs from Toshiba.Do you think the latter are irreplaceable in this design or that they don't make 2N5551 like they used to?BTW, Cordell's error-corrected MOSFET amplifier has been characterized in similar manner and beats this thing in most every way except DIM, apparently. That's 100% jellybean discretes, vertical MOSFET output stage.

author: Zoli
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2022, 04:31:42 pm
content: Quote from: magic on May 09, 2022, 12:54:09 pmEither my google-fu fails me, but I cannot find any P-channel IGBT's available to buy; beside, what do you recommend to replace the MPS-Ux0's(originals, or suggested replacements are unobtanium)?The only way I can think to replace the IGBT+MPS-U's are darlingtons; the problem with those are the fT, typically around 60MHz, which gives you a bandwith around 500kHz; the rest of the parts are available as originals or improved versions, AFAIK.Quote from: magic on May 09, 2022, 12:54:09 pmLink, please; with proper parts list, so we can discuss what is jellybean and what unobtanium.

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2022, 09:42:36 pm
content: Hmm, you've got me, there is no complete parts list in the original article. It can be found on Cordell's website:http://www.cordellaudio.com/papers/At a quick glance, whatever JFETs he used are likely obsolete and the MOSFETs are IRF parts in TO-3 and the N-ch is obsolete so it would need to be replaced or the whole thing redesigned with newer plastic parts. I suppose you could just go to DIYAudio and ask him there if he (or anyone else for that matter) thinks an updated version would be feasible today. Maybe something has actually been built, I honestly have no clue.P-IGBTs aren't a thing anymore, not even in switching. I just fail to see how they are supposed to be better than alternatives like ordinary power MOSFETs. (The author mentions cost as a factor). It is my understanding that IGBTs are fairly sluggish too; they are minority carrier devices, essentially a MOSFET/BJT Sziklai pair.

author: Zoli
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2022, 11:23:55 pm
content: Quote from: magic on May 09, 2022, 09:42:36 pmIGBT vs. MOSFET: beside the price, the input capacity make the IGBT's favourite for the output stage; to have similar performances(SOA included), the MOSFET has multiple times the input capacity of the IGBT's: CissGT20D201-Y:1450pF, IXTH32P20T:14.5nF.The start of the discussion was:Quote from: NiHaoMike on May 08, 2022, 08:10:19 pmI think at this moment we can stop, and agree, that currently a wide-band, high powered linear amplifier is a real challenge to build, specifically caused by the lack of the proper output&driver stage.

author: Circlotron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2022, 12:05:09 am
content: Quote from: Zoli on May 09, 2022, 11:23:55 pmFrom what I understand, IGBTs have a smaller die than a MOSFET of similar rating so I'm surprised that they have a comparable SOA. Does the "bipolar" part of the IGBT name indicate that they would be subject to second breakdown like a traditional bipolar transistor?

author: Zoli
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2022, 12:27:14 am
content: Quote from: Circlotron on May 10, 2022, 12:05:09 amHad - past tense, since the linear IGBT's became unobtanium; and I think I saw the second breakdown line on the the linear IGBT's SOA graphic.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 10, 2022, 01:44:28 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on May 07, 2022, 02:10:42 pmIf you are referring to the construction of their products, then I would have to disagree to a point. To provide the functionality in a form factor that the market will accept, space saving alternatives are mandatory. This does have the result of making repair more difficult - requiring a higher level of skill and/or equipment to do so - but not impossible.If you are talking about post-purchase support, then there is a case to answer - especially when Apple takeactivesteps to block access to resourcesQuoteThat was unconscionable.QuoteSome may agree with you, others will not. Considering the company's value and brand loyalty, they must be doing something right.Quote from: bd139 on May 07, 2022, 05:43:46 pmApple did much the same sort of thing for third party repair service people - their "Authorized Service Provider Program" - but it was little more than lip service. For those service people, the facilities provided were abysmal and the demands made upon them were draconian, to say the least. It made a good PR stunt for those who don't read past the headlines.How much better will this be?QuoteBreadth is nice, but how about depth? More devices is great, but how much detail will they go into for each of those devices?QuoteThe "Orderable Parts" list is rather short, IMHO. I would like to see that expand. It is also painfully devoid of any technical detail.Do we know if Apple will ease on their stance regarding (for example) prohibiting chip suppliers from selling to third party repairers?QuoteThat is sensible and I applaud that move. I see it as a brand protection move more than anything else - but they do have a brand worth protecting.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2022, 05:52:30 am
content: Quote from: bd139 on May 07, 2022, 05:43:46 pmThat right there is exactly how Apple maintain an iron grip on their products whilst still appearing to support right to repair.They stick a huge premium on 'repair' parts which is then discounted on return of the faulty bits, they've been doing it for *decades*.It's nothing to do with protecting people from getting ripped off and everything to do with trying to ensure that nobody else can repair their stuff.I've been on the non Apple side of that shady practice and was eventually forced out of business by their repeated, baseless legal claims.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2022, 10:28:26 am
content: I disagree. I think you need to look at the customer side of things and work back rather than the right to repair. The customer story is simply:I want my phone to work like it was before I broke it.The third party repair market has long been a race to the bottom on cost which leads to some quite horrible outcomes. The third party clone cameras and screens are generally shitty. Even if there is a genuine repair supply chain available, the independent repairers will supply the shitty parts to maintain margins. And that's where the customers walked away from it, other than the desperate and those who can't afford a reliable repairer. The outcome is a net negative for the customer almost universally.Everyone I know has been burned at least once by this, myself inlcuded, and wants to go down the official repairs business route now. That means authorised or vendor provided repair services where possible. And Apple has become incredibly popular because it does a really good job of repairs and provides an affordable insurance hedge policy if you break your premium device which surpasses independent insurers and network insurance.No one out there other than us cares or understands right to repair. They hire a plumber when the tap stops working. They hire a roofer when the roof leaks.The reality is that right to repair is actually a pretty stupid thing because it compromises on numerous things: Firstly it allows the vendor to shift liability onto the end user quickly. 1y warranty, then on your own for service. Secondly it doesn't solve the problem which is device longevity and service support. Thirdly, it still pushes the environmental responsibility of the device onto the end user rather than the vendor.We should throw right to repair in the hype bin where it belongs and force vendors to support the device for a reasonable lifetime on the software and hardware front (5 years minimum) and if they do not fulfil their obligation have a pro-rata return refund for anything that isn't serviceable ore replaceable. At the end of life, they should give you cash back and be forced to recycle it for materials.This applies to more than just phones for ref. Everything from washing machines to cars needs environmental and consumer protection legislation, not an empty marketing policy of "right to repair"tl;dr: we've been conned by marketing of self repair nostalgia into accepting a worst environmental and customer-centric outcome.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2022, 10:38:22 am
content: Quote from: Brumby on May 10, 2022, 01:44:28 amThat's the nature of modern devices and a big point of this thread.At a high level, the only realistically serviceable components are at module level at this point. When I say realistically, I mean in a commercially viable scenario. No vendor is going to set up a supply chain for individual parts for board level repair. It makes no economic sense whatsoever to do this when the post-repair manufacturing test cases would need to be executed on rather large and expensive kit. What you end up with board level repair is an unvalidated system and the vendor would not risk their reputation on shipping that. Independent repairers (and I've pissed off Rossman on here before) do not do that validation and do not necessarily provide working kit after repair. It looks like it works but might not. Enough for data recovery, yes, but that's about it.It's being terribly dishonest that a mechanical board level repair on a complex SoC is fit for purpose when you have no way of validating that other than it POSTing.Also the default nature of supply chains is exclusive and is concerned with protecting intellectual property. If you start selling chips then your entire supply chain and IP is compromised. I certainly wouldn't entertain that approach if I was bringing a product to market that I was selling. Incidentally some of the parts, at least in my MacBook Pro are off the shelf and shipped by TI and Intel. The ASICs are however ASICs and the supply chain is not open. I have insurance and an expected lifespan, which is the correct approach to handling assets like that.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 10, 2022, 02:23:15 pm
content: Quote from: bd139 on May 10, 2022, 10:38:22 amSorry. I don't see that as a valid concern in any way, shape or form.Why? ... Simple. You've already sold the chip when you sell the product!Anybody that would be in a position to compromise IP wouldn't have a problem buying a device and ripping into the chips. Preventing the direct sale of chips does NOTHING the protect intellectual property since the chips are already out in the wild.Please ... tell me how you think it would.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 10, 2022, 02:50:40 pm
content: Quote from: bd139 on May 10, 2022, 10:38:22 amIf you are talking about Apple here, then this, IMO, is a dumb comment .... sorry. Nobody is suggesting Apple turn into Mouser or Digikey - just that they LET Mouser and Digikey sell the partsif Mouser and/or Digikey feel it is worth doing.In addition, you can't be too critical at a repair industry that cannot GET original parts andhaveto go scrounging for whatever theycanget.QuoteThis is where one repairer can differentiate themselves from others - perhaps not by their post-repair test processes, but by their overall success (or failure) rate. This results in a thing called areputation- something by which a great many non-manufacturer repair organisations have distinguished themselves within an industry. The vendor's reputation is isolated because it is the repairer's actions that are at the forefront. When did the reputation of Ford, GM or Toyota ever suffer because the mechanic around the corner stiffed a customer on a service?QuoteMaybe. Such repairs could run for years - but it is an unknown. The skill of the repairer has a lot to do with that.QuoteEven if they offer a warranty on the repair and declare any concerns they have? If a duly informed customer is OK with that, where is the dishonesty?Certainly, I am looking at the scenario of a repairer with some principles. There are going to be bottom feeders - as there are in any industry.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2022, 05:35:46 pm
content: Quote from: Brumby on May 10, 2022, 02:50:40 pmAgree with pretty much all of that. Apple have actively sought to prevent anyone doing component level repair on their equipment by fair or foul means over the past 30-35 years that I know of, they've created the market where people have to clone components precisely by denying anyone access to spares.I have some sympathy for the argument that module level repair is the only feasible route for home repairers but I know of companies that make very nice profits repairing warranty boards for companies like HP, Dell etc and even some mobile device manufacturers (though that is a relatively small part of their business) who would *love* to be able to get their hands on genuine Apple parts and ramp up to offer component level repairs.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2022, 06:20:53 pm
content: I don’t think my argument was dumb. Go and look at the logic board in an M1 MacBook Air. It’s a couple of ASICs, FLASH, RAM and power management and SFA else. The component level repair isn’t viable even if skilled.Reputation doesn’t even factor in here. That’s not a value you can add without lying about your capability to validate the repair.People have access to spares now and everyone is complaining stillNo one is ever happyFor reference Apple are slowly ramping their repair scope to all devices. They did the phones first because the market impact is the highest. It’s computers next I understand.What I really want to see on the market is replacement port daughter boards for the recent MacBooks because that’s the thing I’m probably going to break and can replace myself. (Unlike Lenovo who solder the damn things onto the logic board now and when they go it tears the tracks off)

author: David_AVD
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2022, 09:20:40 pm
content: Getting back closer to the original post, the number of electronics repair shops has definitely decreased over time.Most of the A/V repair techs I know are in the 50+ year old age bracket. There has been a lack of people entering the trade for a long time now.The interest in component level repairs from younger people just doesn't seem to be there.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2022, 10:21:43 pm
content: QuoteHow much of that is down to the falling price of consumer electronics? A quick google says an average black +white tv in 1970 was equal to over 2 months pay,now your average tv is less than a weeks wages,is it really worth paying £50-£100 to get your 40" tv fixed when you can buy a new one for less than £200.

author: David_AVD
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2022, 10:35:40 pm
content: That's definitely part of it. I used to repair A/V gear back in the 80s' and 90s' but then people started replacing those items instead, so I pivoted to other technical areas. Now there is demand again for the repair of older gear, so it's come full circle in a way.The other issue now is that the techs who used to repair stuff other than TVs and stereos are disappearing. That leaves very few to work on specialty gear at anything more than a board change level. What happens when the boards are NLA or 6 months leads time?

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2022, 11:09:57 pm
content: Quote from: David_AVD on May 10, 2022, 10:35:40 pmThat was the case with components from the EU for TV transmitters or test equipment, as early as the late 1980s.A month to even notice an order from Oz, two months to finally find the part, one month to organise to place it at the very bottom of a container, one month for the shipping company to fill the container, a month in transit, followed by less than a week for the container to be emptied, so yes, just over six months.I often thought that a fleet of fast "clipper ships", could, under sail, economically trim a couple of months off that time for small parcels.Sony, of course, used airfreight!

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 11, 2022, 11:17:41 am
content: Quote from: bd139 on May 10, 2022, 06:20:53 pmThat's a pretty broad statement. Replacing a shorted SMD cap is not an unrealistic possibility ... and that's not viable?Certainly, having access to a schematic would be helpful. Yeah, well.QuoteWhile I understand the value of a validation process, I don't see why it is so essential here. When a motor vehicle is first released, it goes through exhaustive testing, but when you change a head gasket or just replace brake pads you don't go through all that again.There are risks - yes - inversely proportional to the level of skill utilised, but those risks will be reflected in the longer term results and it is these results which will create the reputation for that repairer. Yes - I admit - validation would apply to each repair and a reputation is something built "after the fact".However, validation of each and every repair will make the whole concept absurd. A reputation built on previous results will indicate how well a customer will be looked after - and that is what really matters. If a repairer is fair, honest, explains things to the customer and offers a warranty, then validation isn't really necessary ... IMO.QuoteYes sir, we have spares for your vehicle. We have replacement windscreens, spark plugs and tail lights. <end-of-list>.... and I'm supposed to be happy with that?QuoteIncreasing products included is to be commended, but without more depth, to me it feels more like a PR stunt than a genuine effort. I call what they have offered - a start. It needs more to truly be what it purports to be .... IMHO.QuoteThe more the merrier!Anyway, getting back on topic - If manufacturers (such asApple) are more forthcoming with support for repair, we could see a resurgence in the repair industry as people with the interest and ability will have fewer issues chasing parts.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2022, 12:05:27 pm
content: Quote from: Brumby on May 11, 2022, 11:17:41 amGiven the profusion of lights with funky shapes, I wouldn't presume they would have spares available at a reasonable price.A replacement for a Toyota Yaris 2003's exhaust system from the manufacturer is >£1000, not far off the value of the car. Fortunately I found someone that could fix the faulty bit for a sensible sum.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 11, 2022, 12:42:37 pm
content: Quote from: tggzzz on May 11, 2022, 12:05:27 pmWas there a validation process performed before you took delivery after the repair?

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2022, 01:07:01 pm
content: Quote from: Brumby on May 11, 2022, 11:17:41 amNot a MacBook, but not a rare fault:And Apple's repair program is just for soothing politicians to prevent right-to-repair laws. If one has followed how much effort Apple put into hindering independent repair shops and trade of spare or salvaged parts the last few years it's pretty clear what's happing here.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2022, 03:52:52 pm
content: Quote from: Brumby on May 11, 2022, 12:42:37 pmYes, it passed the annual MoT testThe fault was the second silencer had a leak, so the emissions test indicated an unacceptable lambda. Solution: attach a new second silencer to the old pipe.Once upon a time that would have been simple, but this time I had to find a garage that made custom exhausts etc. Nice guys

author: eti
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2022, 12:07:47 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on May 07, 2022, 04:50:49 amI was a TV & VCR repair apprentice from 1991 to around 1993, and although I enjoyed it, I couldn't ever have envisioned myself making it a career. Sadly, the REAL engineers, the component-level people such as my first boss (a very kind man who taught me nearly all I know of electronics) are all but gone. I loved my apprenticeship, and having an eidetic and photographic memory, I still remember everything to the detail, as it was. Beautiful times.My boss was SO kind and trusting, he even left me in charge of the business at 17 years old, when he went on holiday! I clearly recall wiring up a long string of octal relays (which I'd scavenged from old "mid tech" fruit machines) in a sequence, on the workshop bench, whilst he was away (the bench wasn't being used) and I connected each of the N/O contacts so that the current relay would energise the coil of the next in sequence, once the first relay in the line was energised via a switch... good days! Beautiful! He had HUGE archives of the UK TV engineers magazine - I forget the name of it now. I still have a friend from back then, who is still a TV engineer, and who will help me maybe once or twice a year, should I have queries I cannot answer, from friends. GOD bless the analogue TV days and the folks who repaired them - it was my first EVER job at 16, and I have extremely fond and sentimental memories of those lovely days.

author: Ground_Loop
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2022, 01:41:31 am
content: I would suggest that if one is really interested in making a living doing board level repairs, then the high end audio world still seems viable. People are still willing to drop a $grand to get their $20k amplifier repaired, modified, or 'tuned'. Then there is always the filler work fabricating those mono crystalline, unidirectional, unicorn cables. I mention this because I did it in a former lifetime. You just need to set up shop in a high end audio city.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2022, 03:18:19 am
content: Quote from: eti on May 12, 2022, 12:07:47 amI can just plcture those relays "click, click, click, cick, click, click....."Just messing round?--No way, you learnt an important lesson about the inherent delays in such a sequence.My first few years working with the old Oz PMG's Dept in the, then, Radio Section taught me a lot of stuff which has paid dividends over the years.Shifts with the older shift leaders were like a "Master Class" in Applied Electronics", as they had such a wide range of experience, & also encouraged me to "get in there" doing proper tech work, rather than just "holding the AVOmeter".As well as the Broadcast building, we had the HF Comms building, where the HF SSB & CW transmitters lived, & I got to spend time in "solitary splendour".That was where the "Midnight Shift" (0000-0800) was done,which was pretty much a "caretaker shift".Apart from the morning frequency changes on the SSB Tx, & checking the CW Txs worked when the operator remotely keyed them, you were "left to your own devices".You could read, with one ear cocked for the sudden cessation of the blower noise from one of the big SSB Tx, which meant trouble, or mess around with your own projects.I still remember bringing in the skeleton of an AM mantel radio, which still had a complete power supply section, & borrowing the Dept's 12AT7 twin triodes & some other bits, as well as my own junkbox, to make up various versions of multivibrators, which I then observed with the station Telequipment Serviscope CRO.It is one thing to be taught about something, but to able to "see what happens if I do this" really embeds concepts.Before anyone says "Aieee!!", the dead "mantel set" was a standard Australian design of the period, using a power transformer, not a transformerless type, so the danger was minmal.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2022, 04:53:33 pm
content: Quote from: eti on May 12, 2022, 12:07:47 amIt was, rather aptly, named Television and featured such names as Les Lawrie Johns, Pat hawker as well as other notables from the various professional engineering bodies around the UK.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2022, 01:33:32 am
content: Quote from: CJay on May 12, 2022, 04:53:33 pmAn excellent magazine!Somebody, in the past, organised a subscription for the TV studio I worked at.It was very useful for the non-Sony Picture Monitors & some other stuff, as it had much better detail on some of the special ICs, & other devices so beloved of EU manufacturers than their rather skimpy service manuals.

author: KG7AMV
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2022, 09:24:14 am
content: We still exist.. look in to arcade monitor repair it is in demand!

author: eti
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2022, 12:35:11 am
content: Quote from: KG7AMV on May 14, 2022, 09:24:14 amI used to love learning all about LOPT and CW multipliers, and love the unique design of the HV plastic enclosure with focus and "screen" (?) controls; I always thought how challenging it must've been to go to all the effort of potting them SO carefully, and then having to have a potential source of EHT breakdown, two holes for the pots, in the casing.

author: ethernet
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 30, 2022, 04:19:12 am
content: New Member. First let me say that on a very very old 'Get Smart' episode radio repair or TV repair' technicians were associated with KAOS and ultimate evil doers. Secondly, it would be wise to know why 'Radio Rentals' was formed, later moving into TV rentals. Thirdly that TV technicians has the rug pulled under them when brand makers hid manufacturing defects and cause of failures from them, and also tried to upsell module replacement, which failed when they got the message that inventory was expensive.Product liability, and unenforced consumer warranty is why manufacturers - sorry - Chinese box movers, are still going. Nobody will ask 'Why did it fail, and when did you know' - not OK we will absorb the repair cost. Rarely does a real EE designer like Magic smokeor Louis Rossman expose design bungles for what they are - consumer defects .As for the smartest TV tech: He jumped into airport scanner machines and security. Never looked back. He told me about some of his most outlandish quotes, and asked if he works for KAOS.