Right to repair
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Station 42
Age: 66
Posts: 909
Around 2006, Fender released their G-DEC 15w practice guitar amplifier to much publicity trumpeting. It had a great range of digital backing tracks that you could play along to as well as being able to change the key, tempo, accompaniment volume, effects and amp marques. The majority of this was done by turning the data wheel (a 16 position, 4 bit rotary encoder). Fast-forward 18 months or so, the selections started skipping. Then I found out that it was a common fault (so much for Fender product testing). If the failure occurred within the 12-month guarantee, Fender simply replaced the amplifier and the defective unit went into the skip because it apparently wasn't cost-effective to repair. Then, what few replacement encoders that were held by stockists soon ran out as DIYers fixed the amps themselves. I found a solution on Youtube showing how to strip the amp and clean the encoder but it was only a temporary fix as the tracks get worn beyond salvation.
I've now got two G-DEC 15s that are just wasting space on my spares shelf and one running G-DEC 30 that's eventually going to quit in the same way.
The price of the encoder when it was available was less than ten dollars...
I've now got two G-DEC 15s that are just wasting space on my spares shelf and one running G-DEC 30 that's eventually going to quit in the same way.
The price of the encoder when it was available was less than ten dollars...
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 19,234
Originally Posted by ShyTorque
I was tasked to fly a Puma back to UK from RAFG for an exercise, along with groundcrew and a load of kit, so the aircraft was in 12 seat fit. I was then asked to take something along for an Army officer who was posted back there. We were led to expect a package of some sort. However, on the morning of departure a four tonne truck arrived on dispersal, laden to the roof with household goods and furniture! It looked like most of the contents of a married quarter. Needless to say none of it was loaded and the driver was sent back to where he had come from. 
Needless to say they did it in a few hours and the guy was explaining he’d have to use the car at home as a runaround for a couple of days to adjust the mileage lol, I remember he had a 3litre bottle of Asbach brandy in the metal wall rack in the back and customs let him off with it as it was a rare trip abroad for the guy.
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Everett, WA
Age: 65
Posts: 3,196
Originally Posted by arketip
Do you believe that the rates you pay go all in the mechanics pocket? Or some of it is to pay infrastructure, rent, equipment and so on? Just like the money the pax pay don't all go to the pilots?
Skilled labor charges have skyrocketed due to the skilled laborers being in short supply. We've convinced the younger generations that they are a failure unless they get a four year college degree - even if that degree is worthless in the real world and that expensive education basically only qualifies one to flip burgers. Many of these young people would be far better off going to a trade school or apprenticeship for a couple years - and it would be better for society as a whole.
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Surrey
Age: 63
Posts: 176
My dishwasher(s) are replaced frequently,and are known as rubber gloves.I used to buy Sainsbury's own brand,which came in a sealed plastic bag.Then maybe 5 years ago,they changed the packaging,which dispensed with the plastic bag,(no doubt good for the environment,)and instead there was a cardboard label folded over the top of the gloves,and secured by two staples,thus ensuring four pre-installed leaks about 1/4 to 1/3 down the 'sleeve' of the gloves.Naturally I found another supplier,whose product did not have this enhanced ventilation.
Last edited by ex82watcher; 19th Mar 2021 at 22:22. Reason: spelling
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Asia
Posts: 1,181
Skilled labor charges have skyrocketed due to the skilled laborers being in short supply. We've convinced the younger generations that they are a failure unless they get a four year college degree - even if that degree is worthless in the real world and that expensive education basically only qualifies one to flip burgers. Many of these young people would be far better off going to a trade school or apprenticeship for a couple years - and it would be better for society as a whole.
Alternatively go to trade school and qualify as a welder, plumber, electrician etc and have jobs lined up as soon as you graduate, with starting pay well above average and the option to start your own business.
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Balikpapan, INDONESIA
Age: 68
Posts: 666
Originally Posted by tdracer
Rule of thumb for labor charges is the mechanic (or plumber, electrician, etc.) gets half, the rest goes to overhead, taxes, profit, etc.
Skilled labor charges have skyrocketed due to the skilled laborers being in short supply. We've convinced the younger generations that they are a failure unless they get a four year college degree - even if that degree is worthless in the real world and that expensive education basically only qualifies one to flip burgers. Many of these young people would be far better off going to a trade school or apprenticeship for a couple years - and it would be better for society as a whole.
Skilled labor charges have skyrocketed due to the skilled laborers being in short supply. We've convinced the younger generations that they are a failure unless they get a four year college degree - even if that degree is worthless in the real world and that expensive education basically only qualifies one to flip burgers. Many of these young people would be far better off going to a trade school or apprenticeship for a couple years - and it would be better for society as a whole.
Never mind that the end result is a generation of young adults with BA's in "Jazz Studies" or "Hand Smocking" who will travel through life with a chip on their shoulder because their qualifications are not nearly as eagerly sought after as they had been encouraged to believe.
N4790P
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Asia
Age: 70
Posts: 2,098
I unfortunately own a Samsung 65 inch all singing and dancing bloody expensive TV less than 5 years old.
Nothing wrong with the TV but the One Connect box that links this TV to the outside world is stuffed. Samsung can't fix it or replace it.
Last Samsung product I will buy and hope others take note.
Nothing wrong with the TV but the One Connect box that links this TV to the outside world is stuffed. Samsung can't fix it or replace it.
Last Samsung product I will buy and hope others take note.
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 1,622
I assume you have cleaned all the electrical interconnections - try the WD40 contact cleaner spray - and have done a hard reset, (mains off and unplugged from the mains socket for a few hours), etc?. Then see if there is a software update available and do an internal reset which will be in the menus somewhere.
We have a small 39" Samsung TV and PVR, and they are both excellent. Really good picture, (once I turned the contrast and colour right down), good sound, (once I tweaked the audio graphic EQ), and functionality. It auto selects between 4:3 and 16:9, so we don't get distorted fat or thin people on the screen ! We particularly like the EPG and the fact that while looking at the EPG, you continue to see and hear the current selection. So we can be deciding what to watch next without missing anything.
Regarding components, it is very rarely the actual electronics that go wrong - mostly it is duff interconnections between boards and switches or sensors. Valves and electro mechanicals can also jam and stick.
As an example: Just recently, our built-in fridge freezer that we inherited with the house stopped working - my ice lollies were melting !
I was dreading having to take the kitchen cabinet all to pieces to get the unit out. But the block containing the light and thermostat control inside the fridge unscrewed. So I undid and cleaned with contact spray all the inter-connectors inside the block that I could, reassembled it and it all works again perfectly.
You MUST KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING when working on mains equipment however. I have worked with electrics and electronics all my life.
It is possible to buy many components for white goods. There are a few companies who will supply things, as long as you can find the part number, either of the component, or the E number of the machine itself.
.
We have a small 39" Samsung TV and PVR, and they are both excellent. Really good picture, (once I turned the contrast and colour right down), good sound, (once I tweaked the audio graphic EQ), and functionality. It auto selects between 4:3 and 16:9, so we don't get distorted fat or thin people on the screen ! We particularly like the EPG and the fact that while looking at the EPG, you continue to see and hear the current selection. So we can be deciding what to watch next without missing anything.
Regarding components, it is very rarely the actual electronics that go wrong - mostly it is duff interconnections between boards and switches or sensors. Valves and electro mechanicals can also jam and stick.
As an example: Just recently, our built-in fridge freezer that we inherited with the house stopped working - my ice lollies were melting !
I was dreading having to take the kitchen cabinet all to pieces to get the unit out. But the block containing the light and thermostat control inside the fridge unscrewed. So I undid and cleaned with contact spray all the inter-connectors inside the block that I could, reassembled it and it all works again perfectly.
You MUST KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING when working on mains equipment however. I have worked with electrics and electronics all my life.
It is possible to buy many components for white goods. There are a few companies who will supply things, as long as you can find the part number, either of the component, or the E number of the machine itself.
.
Last edited by Uplinker; 20th Mar 2021 at 09:35.
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Asia
Posts: 1,181
Buy the simplest appliances you can find if you want them to last, I bought a Maytag washing machine 20 years ago which is still going strong. It has basic clockwork controls and switches rather than electronics, nothing fancy but it just works.
N4790P
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Asia
Age: 70
Posts: 2,098
Uplinker
Samsung have confirmed the fault. Seems the component on the One Connect is obsolete. There was a hardware upgrade solution but that's now out of production (due obsolescence) too.
Nothing on EBay etc either
Samsung have confirmed the fault. Seems the component on the One Connect is obsolete. There was a hardware upgrade solution but that's now out of production (due obsolescence) too.
Nothing on EBay etc either
Join Date: May 2001
Location: south of Cirencester, north of Lyneham
Age: 73
Posts: 1,252
It is interesting that the demand Is such that there are a number of small firms producing replacement parts for various steam locomotives for heritage railways....Sadly, not economic for integrated circuits, though! It is definitely easier to find parts to keep a 1936 HRO radio receiver going than some less than ten year old radios.....
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Asia
Posts: 1,181
Back in the 1970s, things were built to last and designed to be repaired. Technological advances weren’t that great and there was little use of electronics.
These days things are designed with a short lifespan in mind and not meant to be fixed. Production runs are short and components changed when a new model is introduced. Electronics are used extensively and technological advances rapid.
Would you like the latest model washing machine with built in condenser dryer, a steam cycle and it will automatically select the correct program for you ? Upgrade in 5 years when it goes wrong and the repair quote is close to the cost of a replacement.
My year 2000 vintage Maytag is still going strong however I need to take the clothes out and put them into a separate dryer and have to manually select the wash program. I can live with this.
These days things are designed with a short lifespan in mind and not meant to be fixed. Production runs are short and components changed when a new model is introduced. Electronics are used extensively and technological advances rapid.
Would you like the latest model washing machine with built in condenser dryer, a steam cycle and it will automatically select the correct program for you ? Upgrade in 5 years when it goes wrong and the repair quote is close to the cost of a replacement.
My year 2000 vintage Maytag is still going strong however I need to take the clothes out and put them into a separate dryer and have to manually select the wash program. I can live with this.
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Surrey
Age: 63
Posts: 176
My AEG washing machine is now 26 years old and replaced the Hotpoint which lasted 14 years.With the rapid rate of technological advance,I hope my next machine will feed the clean laundry out of a slot,already ironed.
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 13,124
Originally Posted by ex82watcher
My AEG washing machine is now 26 years old and replaced the Hotpoint which lasted 14 years.With the rapid rate of technological advance,I hope my next machine will feed the clean laundry out of a slot,already ironed.
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Everett, WA
Age: 65
Posts: 3,196
Originally Posted by ZFT
I unfortunately own a Samsung 65 inch all singing and dancing bloody expensive TV less than 5 years old.
Nothing wrong with the TV but the One Connect box that links this TV to the outside world is stuffed. Samsung can't fix it or replace it.
Nothing wrong with the TV but the One Connect box that links this TV to the outside world is stuffed. Samsung can't fix it or replace it.
. I absolutely loved that TV - I still think plasma color intensity was better than anything I've seen on an LCD. But about 3 years ago it started acting up. At first I could fix it by unplugging then plugging it in again, but it slowly got worse and soon it sometimes wouldn't power up. I contacted the high end electronics store that I'd bought it from - they put me in touch with their service department. I told them the symptoms - and the guy said it was highly unlikely they could get the parts to fix it - Pioneer simply stopped supporting their plasma line.I got a 4k capable LCD TV to replace it - the 4k is nice (although source material is still lacking) but I miss the color intensity of that old plasma set.
I had a Maytag washing machine that I really liked, but it started acting up - occasionally it would simply stop mid-load, and with a tub full of water I couldn't move it to access it to work on it. But if I unplugged it and waited overnight it would come back to life. I eventually traced the problem to a small printed circuit board - I could remove and clean the board and it's contacts, and it would work for a few weeks, but then start acting up again. I was able to find a replacement circuit board on-line, but it cost nearly as much as a new washer (over $300) - with no guarantee that the problem wouldn't come back.
So I broke down and bought a new washing machine - it works OK but I hate it. The new machines are all 'energy and water efficient' and won't let you set the water level manually - worse, for 'safety', the lid locks as soon as it starts - you can't open the lid to add more clothes without doing a full cycle reset (which drains the tub) - PITA!
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Not far from a lot of solar panels.
Posts: 102
tdracer
This is available here in the UK (and presumably elsewhere): https://www.which.co.uk/news/2015/09...-is-on-414785/
This is available here in the UK (and presumably elsewhere): https://www.which.co.uk/news/2015/09...-is-on-414785/
Join Date: Apr 1998
Location: Mesopotamos
Posts: 1,481
Agree about the new computer controlled push button washers being a pain. If it's a stinking 40 degree Celsius day outside with a howling dry wind blowing I still have to wait 30 minutes for my washer to finish it's rinse-spin-dry cycle - waste of time and energy. With my previous rotary controlled washer it was easy to just fast-forward it to the end.
