Befriend your Local TV Repairman
 

The doorbell rang this afternoon, and again it was Mr. Matthews, my friendly local tv repairman who has been moving from his old location (a tv shop since the 50s) into his basement. I was the last stop before the landfill. In the past he gave me all his knobs (probably a 5 gallon bucket full +) plus several large boxes full of used "pull" tv tubes, some NOS brighteners, some fuses, a crt socket pin crimper, a tube caddy full of NOS Centralab controls & shafts...today he brought me some test equipment (Heathkit vibrator tester, 2 pcs. RCA TV alignment equipment, & a sweep circuit substitutor) all with the manuals, more NOS controls, a bunch of new solid state 6X4 substitutes, RCA bw pict-o-guides 1, 2 & 3...one of my favorites from this pile is a box full of tv extension cables for yokes, convergence boards, crts including 21" color & old bw. Also, some more fuses, a bunch of those w/ears that I've had trouble finding, like in my ctc-5. Again, all of this was going in the trash except I let it be known that I was nuts enough to want it! Sure pays to ask.

He already tossed all his sams auto radio books (pickup load) because he couldn't find a taker. Now he's trying to find a home for his "drug store" tube tester. I've got no room for it, I know he doesn't want to give it away but I'm not sure where to tell him to go.

Here's a secret ... I've always wanted one of those. How much?

Bgadow is right about befriending your local tv guy. The TV man I know here in town usually always has something to give me when I stop by. As far as the old sets he has, he's always let me take anything I want. He also helps me load it up if I don't bring a helper. Anytime he finds an old piece of equipment or part that he thinks I might like, he puts it to the side and saves till my next visit.

He came by my house once to see the work I've done to sets from his shop. He was definately impressed.

Carmine, I've been trying to squeeze a price out of him but really neither one of us knows what is fair. I checked once or twice on ebay but didn't see one. I guess shipping would add up. I haven't looked at it close enough to see how the cabinet comes apart. If you're serious I could put you guys in touch.

We paid $150 for an RCA U-test tubes machine with cabinet underneath from a TV shop to use in our shop this year. My dad bought one for me in 1986 or so from Radio Shack for $75.

Went to pay my local TV man a visit today...
 

and when I got there, it looked like he had been cleaning house. There was a giant pile of sets on the side of the road... had to be at least 50 or more. Most of it was basically junk. There were two roundies, but not worth saving. The CRT's were toast. Many others would have been nice sets had their condition been better. These sets came out of his warehouse across the street... not the attic that I usually dig through.

I was surprised to see the pile. I knew that something had to be wrong if he had worked so hard to pile this stuff up. Come to find out, he has to come up with several grand this month, or the bank forecloses on his house. He cleaned out the warehouse across the street in hopes of selling it so he can give the money to the bank. I think he has till the end of the month. Being that his area of town is no longer in the lime-light like it was 30 years ago, I'm afraid his property is not going to sell and he'll lose his home.

The warehouse also has a 3 bedroom 2 bath apartment above it. I believe his parents lived there many year back when the tv repair business was booming. The place needs lots of work, but, if it turns out he loses his home, he and his wife will at least have the apartment to move into. I know that's not what he wants, but, at least it will work.

I really feel for the guy. He's barely been getting by these past few years with the repair shop. He's doing the best he can to make an honest living, but, fixing TV's just ain't cuttin it anymore. If it turns out that he has to move, I've offered to help him in any way I can.

He's given me so much from his old shop over the past couple of years. Most of it started out as crap, but, I've managed to take some of it and make something good (for instance the CTC15 set I recently restored).

He also saved a loose 21FJP for me that I brought home today. It was a rebuilt pull from a set, and he figured it might be good since he found it on a shelf with a bunch of other CRT's. It's a Channel Master rebuild dated October 1977. Was a little weak on the red gun when I first got it home, but let it cook on 8 volts for an hour and now it test like new. The tube's cataracts were so bad that the safety glass came right off with little effort. Looks like i now have a good 21FBP. I think I will put it in my CTC11.

Sorry if the story brings everyone down, but, I just had to share it with yall. This guy has truly been a big help to me, and, I hate seeing that the dying repair business is about to make him lose his home. Just another example of what cheap sets made in Taiwan is doing to our country.

well, i feel for the guy. But, at least you got a CRT that I dont have. :(

Three shops have gone under in my town in the last 6 months. I got a bunch of stuff from 2 of them. The other he tossed stuff as he went. Did not let stuff sit for long periods of time. Had an Admiral B/W that he gave me. One other shop here the man has a bunch of stuff. 5 roundies that I can see, all missing CRTs. He is not ready to give them up yet. I keep asking about them.


polaraman

Charlie, if you can spare the space you should save those old round color chassis...the flybacks, power transformers, etc can be very valuable when you need a replacement.
The old TV repair people I have known either diversified into stereo, car audio, phono, computer and printer repair which there is still some business for, or must have had a better situation for retirement as I have not known any that are or were in financial distress.
Much of the equipment, tubes, photofacts, and such from several old shops which are no longer operating is now used in ours. We have other sources of income and no debt so can afford to operate our repair shop, as the income from repairs and sales covers the electricity, insurance, and other operating costs.

Sad But true
 

It just shows TV repairman are a dying breed (real ones working on tube equipment). Most of the Private TV shops have been gone on West Coast for 20 Years and TV parts are impossible to find.

:worried:

Same goes for horologists (watch and clock repairmen). The majority of watches, clocks and televisions being manufactured these days is throw-away junk. And the consumer market is driven to buy these items because they think there will be something better to replace it with when that item wears out. (IMO cars have fallen into this area too.) :worried:

<<And the consumer market is driven to buy these items because they think there will be something better to replace it with when that item wears out. (IMO cars have fallen into this area too.) >>

I figure they buy the cheap stuff because - even a $10.00 digital clock will keep precise time so who needs a $500 one? Let's face it, electronic clocks are not typical junk merch i.e. that lasts a year and you throw out like small tvs are now. These clocks run forever if you just keep changing the battery. I think the only way one of my digital clocks will ever quit is if I stomp on it.

Few Businesses are Busy
 

Few TV and clock shps out here still open I've just recently noticed lately--are extremely busy as everyone knows they are only service people around. Hopefully around for long time.

:D

Those were the days.......
 

I share your grief, and sadness. It is sad to see this happenning to this man who has worked so hard all his life. I further grieve at what has become of the service indistry in this country. I worked for a very kind, intelligent genious of a tv repair man when I was a teen-ager. Someone out there may remember him, if they are from the Detroit area. His name is Craig W Knox. He owned a business he called Rainbow Television Service. His shop was on Kelley Rd., in Harper Woods, Michigan. If he couldn't fix it, nobody could! I believe he has passed on to better life now. I pray that every time I get one of my toys working again, that he gives an aproving smile on me. I think highly of Craig. God bless his soul! :thmbsp: :thmbsp: :yes: :yes: :thmbsp: :thmbsp: