Sears was the greatest thing that ever happened to us around here. Since the late 50s, we've been getting business based on their high prices for service. But I can't blame their techs at all. Their first shop was across the alley from the shop where I worked in the early 60s. The tech had been a salesman for one of our local parts companies ten years before, so we had a friendly relationship and I used to go over and borrow Sears schematics and get tech help on their stuff all the time. One time I needed a schematic on an old Sears transistor radio ( this was in 1963). When he found it for me we were both surprised at the apparent printing date on it. It appeared to have been made in 1949, and it looked old enough to be right. That would have been only about a year after the invention of the transistor. We were never able to really verify it though. I was working for a Zenith dealer in the 50s when Zenith came out with the "pocket" radio, you needed a big shirt pocket though. That was around 1955 or 56 and we had never heard of transistor radio being on the market before that one. Russ Hoyt Hoyt's TV Exeter, NH ----- Original Message ----- From: "Phil Bader" <tjanphyl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <techassist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 9:06 AM Subject: [TechAssist] Re: Rca CTC 111 Brightness Problem? > You know, I have a tech-friend who has worked for Mont. Wards TV service > and Sears on the road doing TV house calls. Mostly newer stuff, much > under store warranty.Some older. > His favorite comment while stopping by my shop was "that's junk- this is > junk- I wouldn't fix that brand...etc" He even told his Sears customers > "I wouldn't fix this or that...(if it wasn't a quick fix)"Well great for > Sears, if the customer just goes to the store and plopps down $$$ for a > new Sears TV. If they indeed had the $$$ to plop. > My theory as a servicer/business owner is this: > If they think enough to load up and carry their TV in for diagnostics, > then they must like it enough for me to TRY bringing it up to GOOD > operating condition. > My usual questions beforehand are: > How old is it? > In all those years, how many failures? > How did it look and work before it failed? > Are you basically happy with this set if working good? (features,size,etc) > Would you like to try saving it? > If the answers are: > Its 10 yrs old...Had only one failure in all that time...It looked and > worked great before it went...We were happy with the set, and yes we > would like to try to save it if possible. > Then I go from there. > But I also look out for their best interests too.You can do both. > > As I told my friend, If we rejected every set coming in the door based > on if I personally liked the brand, model, style or age, I would be > either repairing one set a month, or out of business, and Sears would be > having a field day...Without a thank you to me for shoving the business > to them. I would never think of baiting a customer into fixing a set > that's on the way out,or otherwise not in their best interest,but you > can go the other extreme as well. > Now I agree with you in the case of a set with a so-so CRT, or known > history of some serious flaws,etc. But I don't reject sets due to age > only. And as far as a fly that's NLA... I've had some 3 yr old sets the > mfgr NLA'd parts for. What then? > I've been here almost 30 trs. My friend, well he's repairing appliances > now for a service company.Good for him, but best he not open his own > business...Work for the other guy.maybe he sells new goods. > Phil Bader > > becyn wrote: > > >I agree that they were better made, but all good things will come to an end > >sometime! Just like my beloved '93 Buick roadmaster. It just becomes more > >than it's worth to repair. > > > >The old TV's, even with a new CRT have old caps and HV components to go bad > >in the short run. Then the customer will be looking for a freeby. That's one > >of the reasons why (other than NLA parts) that I shy away from the old stuff > >. > > > >What do you say after charging $350 and 2 months later the FBT fails only to > >be NLA from ANYWHERE? > > > >Jim McVey > >McVey Alltronix > >327 Broadway > >Newburgh Ny 12550 > >ph: 845 561 8383 > >fx: 845 561 9017 > >Consumer electronics & > >computer service. > >Factory authorized for > >over twenty brands. > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: "Phil Bader" <tjanphyl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > >To: <techassist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > >Sent: Monday, April 12, 2004 5:27 PM > >Subject: [TechAssist] Re: Rca CTC 111 Brightness Problem? > > > > > > > > > >>I' had about 4 jobs last week all 10-16 yrs old better grade TVs, all > >>approved. Average bill bet 290-400. > >>Out the door. > >>These work horses are good quality sets, by virtue that they are still > >>around! > >>(try to kick a Walmart el-crappoTV in the rear and keep it breathing 15 > >>yrs!) NOT!. > >>15 MONTHS maybe! > >>;-) > >>Keep it up! > >>Phil > >> > >>becyn wrote: > >> > >> > >> > >>>Wow! do have a restoration contract with a museum? LOL > >>> > >>>Jim McVey > >>>McVey Alltronix > >>>327 Broadway > >>>Newburgh Ny 12550 > >>>ph: 845 561 8383 > >>>fx: 845 561 9017 > >>>Consumer electronics & > >>>computer service. > >>>Factory authorized for > >>>over twenty brands. > >>>----- Original Message ----- > >>>From: "John & Sharon Mikowich" <spacenut@xxxxxxxxxxxx> > >>>To: "Tech Assist" <techassist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > >>>Sent: Monday, April 12, 2004 5:09 PM > >>>Subject: [TechAssist] Rca CTC 111 Brightness Problem? > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>>>Make: RCA > >>>>Chassis: CTC111B > >>>> > >>>>Hi Everyone; > >>>> > >>>> Got this one in the shop that when you turn the contrast & > >>>>brightness to max. you get a white band in the picture that is flashing > >>>>or jumping rapidly. If you turn the brightness or contrast down this > >>>>will go away until you get a scene with a lot of white in & it will > >>>>happen again. I have seen this on these chassis before, but i can't > >>>>remember what causes this, it's been a long while. Check the usual caps, > >>>>v measurements on the outputs can't seen anything out of the ordinary. > >>>>Any help with this would be appreciated ! > >>>> > >>>>Thank You in Advance; > >>>> > >>>>John Mikowich > >>>>East Side Tv. > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>------------------------------------------------------------------------- - > >>> > >>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>--- > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>>>Lost Password: > >>>>http://www.tech-assist.org and select "Login Problems?". > >>>>Email Archives: > >>>>//www.freelists.org/archives/techassist/ > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>-------------------------------------------------------------------------- - > >> > >> > >-- > > > > > >>>Lost Password: > >>>http://www.tech-assist.org and select "Login Problems?". > >>>Email Archives: > >>>//www.freelists.org/archives/techassist/ > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>-- > >> > >>Philip Bader > >>Jan Phyl TV Inc. (estab. 1976) > >>3420 Recker Hwy. Winter Haven, Fl. 33880 > >>Fax (863) 299-8821 > >>email: tjanphyl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > >> > >> > >> > >>-------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >> > >> > >--- > > > > > >>Lost Password: > >>http://www.tech-assist.org and select "Login Problems?". > >>Email Archives: > >>//www.freelists.org/archives/techassist/ > >> > >> > > > > > > > >--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- > >Lost Password: > >http://www.tech-assist.org and select "Login Problems?". > >Email Archives: > >//www.freelists.org/archives/techassist/ > > > > > > > > -- > > Philip Bader > Jan Phyl TV Inc. (estab. 1976) > 3420 Recker Hwy. Winter Haven, Fl. 33880 > Fax (863) 299-8821 > email: tjanphyl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- > Lost Password: > http://www.tech-assist.org and select "Login Problems?". > Email Archives: > //www.freelists.org/archives/techassist/ > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lost Password: http://www.tech-assist.org and select "Login Problems?". Email Archives: //www.freelists.org/archives/techassist/