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| Old electronics shops in Melbourne: what's there today (video) |
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| VK3DRB:
--- Quote from: Kerlin on December 27, 2020, 03:41:55 am ---I would definable say that most TV repair shops were reputable and all customers were stingy, they thought everything should cost $2, and listened too much to the rubbish that was propagated by the media. Don't the public have a big reputation for always doing that anyway? I never worked full time in TV repair as I could get better paid jobs, it was just an interest. I did however complete four years of TV and video repair courses at RMIT and met many technicians who attended the courses. I also worked part time, after work, in in the workshops of three TV repair shops as well as at home. I have a BOCP and TVOPs, worked as a Senior Technician at Channel 7 and and have trained in installed and repaired digital TV stations. When I hire technicians anyone who applies that is qualified in and has done TV repair gets the job. The very best of repair technicians for sure. Fixing all kinds of items with often no circuit, RF, SMPS, digital anything you name they can fix it and have it ready in a fraction of a day. --- End quote --- I agree that the best technical people are often those who were TV repairmen - prior to the 2000's perhaps where everything was component level debug. I did some technical training in TV's and video recorders at RMIT too because I wanted to increase my skills in practical electronics and to make money on the side fixing TV's and VCRs. The RMIT course was excellent and I learnt heaps. I also have an engineering degree. Like you I found there was little money in fixing TVs and VCRs for tight arsed ignorant consumers. However I made a packet buying heaps of faulty colour TVs at a low cost outright, fixing them and selling them for a big profit. In fact, I was making more money per week in my spare time doing this, than as a full time IBM engineer. But I gave the TV business away partly because it was to difficult to have two jobs and I did not want to give the IBM career the axe. Besides, under Hawke/Keating socialism, the taxation was punitive to those who wanted to earn good money... I was in the 50% income tax bracket. I did though help a mate start an electronics repair shop in the 90's. Every Thursday night I would debug the difficult ones and I was paid in pizza and beer (non-taxable at the time). It was good technical experience and a lot of fun. You might remember Rod Humphris, Ken Gent. Mr Molnar and Des Bird. I knew a technician from Channel 7 who went on to run a TV service shop in South Melbourne, but I think he did it full time, so it was probably not you. IMO, the best design engineers are those who have been experienced technicians. They understand debug, accessibility, serviceability and failure modes. All too often I see equipment designed by mechanical engineers and/or electronics engineers or/or embedded programmers where the last thing on their mind is the debug technician, because they do not understand or appreciate the issues involved in maintenance because they have never done it before. Having electronics manufacturing experience is also a big plus for DFM and DFT. |
| Kerlin:
Yep I am a student of Rod Humphris and others. I even go back to Rex Wales, was a piece of the furniture there for over 20 years and yet another 20 years at Nth Syd college. There was also a group of others that ran engineering courses but none them had practical experience and were no where near as motivating as those guys above. I didnt see any future in TV repair except for the great practical experience and did similar to you. I had a daytime job in Government telecoms that paid better and we had a very easy life. But later when I moved into own business realised that I had wasted 20 years there. I worked in designing embedded software and hardware for telecommunications devices in Asia for years. I eventually realized the software ability came from TV repair, as you need to follow a documentable logical process (similar to software) to fix such a complex discrete device and be able to back track through the process to find an error (debugging). Like many in Melbourne this all and much more came out of those old disposals shops. I am on 2 meters and HF maybe catch you there some time? I think you can do PMs on this board. Also rod is active at HRSA so am going along there to run into him. |
| intabits:
While looking for something else, I stumbled across some ads for McGraths, Homecrafts, Ham Radio Supplies, Waltham Trading Co., plus others, some of which I don't remember by name, though I must have visited them at some time. |
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