How many of you fix your own TVs?

[tallyho8]

The first new TVs I bought about 50 years ago would work for maybe 6 months before they broke and we would take all the tubes out and bring them to the drugstore to test them on their tube tester. Replacing a tube would usually fix the TV for a couple of months till it broke again.

Today, TVs rarely break without outside occurrences causing the damage. My first try at fixing a flat screen TV was last year when a lightning storm made it go off. Removing the back I saw a blown glass fuse which I replaced and all was good again. That beat buying a new TV/DVR player for my camper.

My less than 6 month old Smart TV was damaged last week when lightning struck a pole by my house. Fearing the worst, I removed the back to see how complicated it was and was amazed when it was practically empty inside except for a small circuit board. Since it looked like there was nothing in there to go bad except for the circuit board I checked out prices for a new one on eBay. Only $25 for the new circuit board with no tax and free shipping. It was easier to install than a tail light bulb on my car.

It worked fine after that and I was surprised that they made TVs where any idiot could repair them and yet at a low cost. Years ago I found out that the opposite was true with window air conditioners where even a single switch panel can cost more than the A/C is worth.

 

[stuckmotor]

Shhhhhhh... If the manufacturers find out they're easy to fix they might throw a monkey wrench into the circuitry.

Seriously, you described the TV's of fifty years ago just about the way I remember them. My father-in-law used to bring a bunch of tubes to the department store where his daughter and I worked, test them in the record department and fix his TV. The record department also sold tubes.
If I ever get my hands on a broken electronic TV, I might at least, take a look inside. Thanks for the tip.

 

[MossRoad]

First, you fix a dog and repair a TV. :laughing: I have an associate degree in TV and radio repair and that's one of the first things they taught us in school.

I've purchased 5 TVs since we got married back in 1985, and still have 4 of them. We've only had one fail. It was a CRT that the horizontal driver went bad. I went to the local library and got a SAMS schematic for it, found the part, ordered it and replaced it. Many years later, it went bad again, and the part was no longer made. So I replaced it with a plasma TV. That now finally has permanent screen burn-in from all the news tickers at the bottom of the screen, network logos, and the face wrinkle ironing cameras that the news networks use on their anchors has left a faded spot dead head height right in the middle of the screen. Most people don't notice it, but I do. Will be replacing it with a new TV sometime this year. Have to do some research.

So here's a link to SAMS, still in business, if anyone needs to ever purchase a schematic for their TV.

https://www.samswebsite.com/

 

[dlctcg]

That's awesome diagnostics... & I'm glad it was an inexpensive fix... rare these days.... Just curious was that the only device effected by the lighting strike???

 

[MossRoad]

I have repaired several hundred computer monitors, both CRT and LCD. CRT's had lots of problems with the flyback transformers. LCDs had lots of back lights burn out. Those are fairly easy to change.

I've also dabbled in cell phone screen replacement. I have a set of handy tools that can get me into any of them. However, the parts are so small that I really have a hard time grasping the parts to put them back in. White work surface with bright lighting and magnifying glass is a must. Also, lock the cats in another room... they love to help and bat parts around. :laughing:

 

[k0ua]

Well, I am not a "typical" TV consumer, as I worked for many years as a TV/electronics technician. Of course it was a long time ago, but I still repair electronics in my possession of all kinds. Fortunately none of my flat screens have ever crapped out. The 47 inch in the front room, we have had for many many years. If it puked, I might just get that 65 inch I have been kinda wanting.

Thankfully the old heavy gigantic hard to move around TV's are gone. The last CRT set we had was a 36 inch and it weighed a ton. Had to get 2 young men to take it out of the cabinet we had it in and cart it away. I set it in years before that with another guy, but we were all much younger then. The 47 incher was easy for just me to install. I think it is wonderful that TV's don't weight anything nowadays, are clearer than ever, and besides that they are cheap. At least cheap from what we used to pay for them. I remember paying $800 for TV's in the 80's. And they weighed a ton.

 

[k0ua]

I have repaired several hundred computer monitors, both CRT and LCD. CRT's had lots of problems with the flyback transformers. LCDs had lots of back lights burn out. Those are fairly easy to change.

I've also dabbled in cell phone screen replacement. I have a set of handy tools that can get me into any of them. However, the parts are so small that I really have a hard time grasping the parts to put them back in. White work surface with bright lighting and magnifying glass is a must. Also, lock the cats in another room... they love to help and bat parts around. :laughing:

Moss, I took up SMD (Surface Mount Devices) replacement in amateur radio gear in the last few years. Boy is that a challenge. Better get out your lighting and magnifying equipment out and learn some new soldering techniques. So much different than thru hole components and So very very very small. A grain of rice looks huge next to some of these parts.

 

[MossRoad]

Moss, I took up SMD (Surface Mount Devices) replacement in amateur radio gear in the last few years. Boy is that a challenge. Better get out your lighting and magnifying equipment out and learn some new soldering techniques. So much different than thru hole components and So very very very small. A grain of rice looks huge next to some of these parts.

I can hardly stand it. Soooo small! :laughing:

I do not own a soldering iron capable of doing such small work, and haven't done it since I left my last job in 2017, where I had a very nice workbench and capable tools for 30 years.

Right about the time I was finishing TV/radio school solid state was going mainstream. TV's went down to a just a power supply, a tuner board and a picture board and the transformer for the tube. Component level troubleshooting was on it's way out and "board swappers" was the new norm. From a labor level, it's much cheaper to replace a board than to troubleshoot the components on that board when it comes to TVs.

 

[stuckmotor]

First, you fix a dog and repair a TV. :laughing: I have an associate degree in TV and radio repair and that's one of the first things they taught us in school.
https://www.samswebsite.com/

Moss,
If you're talking about the dog I washed, I usually try to do things myself however, I draw the line at fixing dogs. I can't remember who paid the vet for spaying her but it was well worth whatever it cost. Lucy took up at my son's ex mother-in-law's house and he took her off her hands. Four of the last six animals that have resided here have come as a result of my son's human love interest. Maybe I should have him fixed before this place turns into a zoo.

 

[oosik]

Well......I think my answer has to be-------- I live in a location where we seldom get lightning strikes. Over the 39 years we have had a few but nothing has ever been really damaged. A few pine trees, for sure, but that's the extent of it. ( as he knocks on wood )

 

[Tomtint]

I had a Sharp 60" smart tv develop a 1/8" green line that ran vertically on the left side of the screen. ..google searching showed it to be a fairly common problem. And the fix was more than the TV was worth. This unit was rarely used...maybe only 10 hrs or so in a year but still out of warranty. I posted my aggravation about it on some Internet forum....and to my absolute amazement...got a little Mail about 15 minutes later from Sharp..saying they would have someone call me to find a solution.....I didn't believe it. ....then about 15-30 minutes later I get a call from Sharp...and they apologize for the problem...offer to replace the set for something like $350-500 ..with a bigger and updated unit....free shipping and instillation.......I was shocked ....how the **** did they even get my cell phone # in the first place from a internet post....crazy.

 

[KennyG]

The integrated circuits and technology in the new TVs (and other appliances) are pretty daunting, but I've found that most of the failures are in the simple components and we now have this wonderful tool, the Internet. As an example, I have a Samsung 55 inch flat screen that is about 12 years old. Last year, when you turned it on, it would immediately turn back off. It took many attempts to get it to stay on. An internet search showed they had a problem for a while with the main power capacitors. I bought 4 capacitors on the internet for less than $10, took it apart and replaced the originals and now it works fine again.

I've done several repairs to dishwashers and washing machines recently and it was always mechanical components or electrical connections. As much as we fear the complex controls, they seem to be very reliable.

 

[grsthegreat]

Well, some are. My GE front load washer is making bearing noises in spin cycle. I went online to order new bearings only to find out that the genius engineers at GE found a cheaper way to manufacture a washer with a 1 piece drum. No replaceable bearing. They want $500 for the drum part...on a 700 washer. I’m going to buy a different brand, but before I do I’m going to make sure they have replaceable $16.00 bearings.

 

[tallyho8]

That's awesome diagnostics... & I'm glad it was an inexpensive fix... rare these days.... Just curious was that the only device effected by the lighting strike???

Yes because I have a cable running from it to my barn about 1/4 mile behind my house for my security cameras. Actually, no, because it burned out my security camera also. The cable is buried about half the distance and run to poles the rest of the way. Something about that run that attracts lightning or power surges as it has happened before.

 

[ultrarunner]

The folks married in the 1950's... they have/had a total of 3 sets... first was a philco hand me down where the entire tube rotated... when Dad bought the first new TV back in 1964... a color Zenith the owner of the TV store wanted the old Philco and Dad gave it to him...

In 1980 we surprised Dad for his birthday with a new Zenith that is still used each and everyday...

The quality goes in before the name goes on...

Got to love the battery free space command remote.

 

[rekees4300]

Nowadays most folks think of TVs as disposable. If it breaks just toss it and buy a new one. Cost would be less than hiring a repairman assuming it's out of warranty.

 

[Molalla1]

The first new TVs I bought about 50 years ago would work for maybe 6 months before they broke and we would take all the tubes out and bring them to the drugstore to test them on their tube tester. Replacing a tube would usually fix the TV for a couple of months till it broke again.

Today, TVs rarely break without outside occurrences causing the damage. My first try at fixing a flat screen TV was last year when a lightning storm made it go off. Removing the back I saw a blown glass fuse which I replaced and all was good again. That beat buying a new TV/DVR player for my camper.

My less than 6 month old Smart TV was damaged last week when lightning struck a pole by my house. Fearing the worst, I removed the back to see how complicated it was and was amazed when it was practically empty inside except for a small circuit board. Since it looked like there was nothing in there to go bad except for the circuit board I checked out prices for a new one on eBay. Only $25 for the new circuit board with no tax and free shipping. It was easier to install than a tail light bulb on my car.

It worked fine after that and I was surprised that they made TVs where any idiot could repair them and yet at a low cost. Years ago I found out that the opposite was true with window air conditioners where even a single switch panel can cost more than the A/C is worth.

View attachment 642779

Good job tallyho . . . but would not a simple surge protector be in order . . .

 

[Fuddy1952]

Since TV repair was my business I retired from six years ago, yes I've repaired a few since 1971.
I feel so blessed getting into and out of business when I did. Starting out everything I worked on used vacuum tubes, so I saw the transition from that to hybrid sets, solid state, crt to crt rear projection, front projection, dlp, lcd, led, oled, plasma, etc.
Back in the crt (cathode ray tube) days the average diyer was limited to drug store tube testers. Most people were afraid of the 20-30kV crt anode high voltage discharge which actually did kill a few people. Through the years the real skilled component level repair techs were not all that common, although 50 years ago there was a TV repair shop on almost every town corner.
With flat screen tv's and YouTube University more people tried self repair. As TV prices plummeted so did board prices. It became unfeasible to component level repair a $30 board.
At one time at the pentacle, mid 1980s, we were factory authorized for about 30 brands. Lots of service calls my wife (my best employee) would go with me, lots of times we wouldn't get home until midnight.
My wife was an assembler then tech for GE in early 70s.

 

[3Ts]

Repair a TV - No, never had one go bad. I gave it away after many many years to get a bigger screen and gave that away and replaced it with a flat screen. I have however, repaired a microwave oven. (Not the tube, but there are fuses and discrete leds and other components that were replaceable.)

If a device quits working, I figure it's fair game to open it up to see if it is repairable. Nothing is lost if it isn't.

 

[tallyho8]

If a device quits working, I figure it's fair game to open it up to see if it is repairable. Nothing is lost if it isn't.

That's exactly how I feel. I never throw a broken item away before I take it apart to see how it ticks. Many times I can't figure it out because I have no training in electronics and sometimes I can use Google to repair it if it is not too expensive. My father was a radio repairman back in the 30s during the depression but I never learned the trade. When he passed on in 1975 he left a garage full of old broken radios, the kinds with the fancy wood cabinets and some earlier table models. If I had known anything about how to fix them I would have some rare antiques right now but I just sold them all in garage sales.