Another interesting Great Big Story
The Fine Art of Television Repair
- Thread starter kb0nes
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Finally... A nice tribute
Finally a nice tribute to tv repairmen.
I "grew up" in TV shops. I still tell people I am the "caboose" of the old time tv repairmen. And I'm not that old.
Similarly, I've always loved it. Didn't pay well but I didn't starve. Always interesting work. No regrets.
Finally a nice tribute to tv repairmen.
I "grew up" in TV shops. I still tell people I am the "caboose" of the old time tv repairmen. And I'm not that old.
Similarly, I've always loved it. Didn't pay well but I didn't starve. Always interesting work. No regrets.
I would love to find someone like him to repair my grandparents 1952 Stromberg-Carlson TV that hasnt worked since 1961.
corvairgeek
Well-known member
Went through the last 'TV Theory / Repair' class offered as part of the technician program at DeVry back in 1983. I thought it was a great course in applying and troubleshooting analog technology (besides my love for TV repair), but they saw the writing on the wall back then.
lordkenmore
Well-known member
Interesting video!
lordkenmore
Well-known member
Went through the last 'TV Theory / Repair' class offered as part of the technician program at DeVry back in 1983.
I can imagine the writing was pretty easy to read by 1983...
We had a small TV in the 1970s that had at least some tubes, and I can recall it going in for service. The last time it was serviced, we went to a shop near our home. They basically said: "Don't bother fixing this--it will cost more than it's worth." Something about that last visit makes me think that the woman my mother talked to might be very aware of the realities of the future of that business.
That shop was gone within a short time (although I can't swear it went out of business--it may have moved, but I'm guessing it's more likely they just closed). Eventually the building housed a tanning salon.
I went to a TV repair place about 2000. They were an old business, and had a connector that no one else in town had. Something that had been collecting dust in some corner of their store room since the 1970s probably. I remember asking about TV repair--it seemed like no one would be repairing now. And the woman there commented that business wasn't exactly brisk, and said, in fact, they only recommended repair for the biggest sets. That place (and another repair place I remember from the 80s) now appear to be closed.
I can imagine the writing was pretty easy to read by 1983...
We had a small TV in the 1970s that had at least some tubes, and I can recall it going in for service. The last time it was serviced, we went to a shop near our home. They basically said: "Don't bother fixing this--it will cost more than it's worth." Something about that last visit makes me think that the woman my mother talked to might be very aware of the realities of the future of that business.
That shop was gone within a short time (although I can't swear it went out of business--it may have moved, but I'm guessing it's more likely they just closed). Eventually the building housed a tanning salon.
I went to a TV repair place about 2000. They were an old business, and had a connector that no one else in town had. Something that had been collecting dust in some corner of their store room since the 1970s probably. I remember asking about TV repair--it seemed like no one would be repairing now. And the woman there commented that business wasn't exactly brisk, and said, in fact, they only recommended repair for the biggest sets. That place (and another repair place I remember from the 80s) now appear to be closed.
Both sides of the business
I spent the beginning of my career in TV shops, then ended up on the manufacturer's side working with these same shops.
The most successful shops were diverse. One shop I worked for did TVs, stereos, VCR, CD, DVD, videodisc (all), major video games consoles, dashboard video monitors for cars (remember those?), microwave ovens and just about anything under the sun they could get warranty status for.
Sadly, most are obsolete or too inexpensive to repair. Indeed, as a manufacturer, small LCD TVs were too inexpensive to field repair and became depot repair. Large LCD TV and high-end electronics seem to be what's left in field repair. I suppose whatever is too heavy or too fragile to ship is what gets repaired in the field. Still an exception to that is cheap microwave ovens.
I spent the beginning of my career in TV shops, then ended up on the manufacturer's side working with these same shops.
The most successful shops were diverse. One shop I worked for did TVs, stereos, VCR, CD, DVD, videodisc (all), major video games consoles, dashboard video monitors for cars (remember those?), microwave ovens and just about anything under the sun they could get warranty status for.
Sadly, most are obsolete or too inexpensive to repair. Indeed, as a manufacturer, small LCD TVs were too inexpensive to field repair and became depot repair. Large LCD TV and high-end electronics seem to be what's left in field repair. I suppose whatever is too heavy or too fragile to ship is what gets repaired in the field. Still an exception to that is cheap microwave ovens.
Good video clip-the fellow I knew that used to fix TV's now repairs helicopters!No more business in TVs, he was in a small South Dakota town.His TV work just dried up-so he went back to school to learn aviation technology-then landed a job repairing helicopters for the state and private.Pay was better for being a helicopter repair technician than for TV.
dartman
Well-known member
I learned enough about electronics in high school and on my own to start repairing old TVs on my own to make money selling them. I grew up like him wondering how things worked, tearing them apart and putting them back together. I finally had a couple of Beltron picture tube renuvinators, tons of tubes and spare parts and chassis and extra good crt's. I still have a bunch of old tubes and test equipment and some parts and step dad had one of tiny Sony b/w sets like he was working with. I came in just as tubes were still king, and hybrid and solid state sets were being introduced. I still have many antique tube testors including a sencore mu-150 suitcase version and a military 2 piece early 50s Korean war setup that can test almost ANY early tube ever made to when the latest manual I have was printed in the mid 50s.
I had fun and made spare cash and we always had a ok set to watch as a family.
I don't bother anymore as everything is throw away or replace the board rather than trouble shoot components. A working set was worth 50, a really nice set was 150 with a 30 day warranty.
I still fix everything I can, electronics, cars, washers etc, but most folks aren't interested in that anymore and just throw money at a problem or toss it and buy a new one.
I had fun and made spare cash and we always had a ok set to watch as a family.
I don't bother anymore as everything is throw away or replace the board rather than trouble shoot components. A working set was worth 50, a really nice set was 150 with a 30 day warranty.
I still fix everything I can, electronics, cars, washers etc, but most folks aren't interested in that anymore and just throw money at a problem or toss it and buy a new one.
Oh yes,forgot I tried TV fixing with a friend of mine-back when TVs still had tubes and plug-in replaceable circuit boards you could replace like tubes.Gave up on the TV repair endevors when they were made with big circuit boards-all of the parts on one big board and the parts had "house numbers" No RETMA or EIA part numbers.You had to get replacement parts-if they were still available from the set maker.Even if you were able to "fix" the big board-the pix tube was about to go anyway-so---more merciful to chuck the TV and buy a new one.Yes,like some others here still have a box of TV tubes in the attic!I used Hickock tube testers at radio stations.There are two Hickock testers here and a military one.They work GREAT-better than a Sencore piece of junk in a broken plastic case.We use the tube testers at work to match tubes for the low level audio stages in the GE transmitter modulators.If the small low level tubes aren't matched causes distortion or mod stage tube runaway.The weirdness of a direct coupled tube circuit!
