[Coco] Re: Scopes (Was: CoCo RGB video timing and levels)

[John E. Malmberg]

Rogelio Perea wrote:
> 
> Perhaps is the traditional TV Repair Shop that is "going". You're
> right, the classic CRT TVs are so cheap that it is most cost
> effective to replace them than to repair.

The last TV repair I had was several years ago, and the serviceman 
tipped me off that it was a design defect in the TV, and that there was 
a special program to cover it.  Some ground points on the TV were not 
fastened correctly.

> I think that as far as the TV repairman field goes, it is shifting
> into the flat LCD and Plasma TV units... those require service and
> the trend is only on the rise.

It all depends if the repair parts cost less than replacement of the 
full unit.  With LCDs, there are basically two parts with failures, the 
back light and the LCD.  LCD failures seem to be from user accidents, 
back light failures more common.

I have a couple obsolete laptops that I have repaired because the back 
light failed, but in the same junk pile I found ones with physically 
broken LCD screens with good back lights.

So it depends on what the common failures are for those expensive TVs are.

A year ago, my gas hot water heater failed under warrantee, but the 
warrantee only covered parts.  I had to pay $75 for labor, but the $.75 
thermocouple was free.

Of course by having a professional do the repair, I have a working hot 
water heater which will not poison me with carbon monoxide.  And he knew 
what the problem was and I did not.

> Also, many buyers face a wall when setting up their gear... perhaps 
 > that's one niche that can also be worked on.

I am wondering what the market is for people needing help in setting up 
their own home internal networks, including mult-media editing, setting 
up their custom web pages, etc.

Or are willing to buy books on how to do it.

I see that the local Hummer dealer is expanding, so it does look like 
there are plenty of people with money to burn.

I am also being told that there is a lot of retired aging baby boomers 
with a nostalgia craze to participate in the hobbies of their youth, now 
that they have both the time and the money.

It will be at least 15 years before I can even think of retiring and 
joining them.  And I have two kids to get through college before that.

-John
wb8tyw(at)qsl.net
Personal Opinion Only