"I can buy a NEW one for that".
Video Services
walls to assist the customer in making up their minds about getting
something repaired or buying a new one. Some shops may think we are nuts for
doing this. Here is the catch....on products displayed in these ads we
circle in RED the products we will NOT repair in this shop (which is about
75% of them). I learned LONG time ago to not get into the "I can buy a new
one for that" game.
Rex
Video Services
Tom MacIntyre
handy
wrote:
Which ones do you circle? Do tell.
Video Services
my belief that SOME products sold have ALWAYS been ment to be "throw-aways".
I am sure there are places that will service them.....I just choose not to.
handy wrote in message <35c9383...@news.redshift.com>...
Kent Atwater
>
> I circle any product I think is not going to be worth fixing because it is
> my belief that SOME products sold have ALWAYS been ment to be "throw-aways".
> I am sure there are places that will service them.....I just choose not to.
This is what I was saying a while back and people got mad when it was
said that some VCRs are not worth repairing because it would be cheaper
to buy a new one. The cheapo VCRs that cost $100 are NOT worth fixing,
and people ARE better off just buying another $100 VCR instead of fixing
the old one. It is a different story with a VCR that costs $500 or
more.
Kent Baldwin
>
>Which ones do you circle? Do tell.
I bet one of them is the Magnavox VR9243
Kent Baldwin
Kent's TV Service
www.icnet.net/users/kentbald
Kent Atwater
>
> On Tue, 04 Aug 1998 16:35:20 GMT, ha...@redshift.com (handy) wrote:
>
> >
> >Which ones do you circle? Do tell.
>
> I bet one of them is the Magnavox VR9243
Anything under $200 for SURE.
Andy Cuffe
>
> On Tue, 04 Aug 1998 16:35:20 GMT, ha...@redshift.com (handy) wrote:
>
> >
> >Which ones do you circle? Do tell.
>
> I bet one of them is the Magnavox VR9243
I find it interesting that the Funai-Magnavox VCRs are more expensive
than Panasonic and Sanyo in some stores. Also, the exact same VCR under
the Symphonic name is about $50 less. You don't always get what you pay
for.
--
Andy Cuffe
balt...@psu.edu
Mike Appenzeller
$200, unless it's a S-VHS machine, or you buy from a furniture store
that sells TVs & VCRs - they'll charge $269 for the same model that's
$169 at Best Buy or Circuit City.
Mike
j...@southwind.net
I guess if you paid $269,it's worth fixing,and not if you paid
$169...:-)
Seriously,the watchword today is "the value added is in the
silicon",and you can't fix silicon.Electronics is a worthwhile career
today,I think,only if you are an engineer.At the technician level,I
doubt it's going to get better in the foreseeable future.I doubt we will
ever see the day where any electronic item found in "the average home"
will be profitably repairable except within its warranty period (if
then).The PC is probably the final frontier and when the flat panel
displays become mass-market and Microsoft gets its way with "the sealed
PC"(as with the original Macintosh) that will be that.
Steve Helling
My shop is running at and beyond capacity. We turn away as much business as
we take in, and we're making more money each year than we did the year
before. All the shops in my area are doing well, and all are busy. I'm not
saying the business is easy, nor are many people likely to get rich at it,
but I've managed to make a comfortable living, and I'm neither a supertech
nor an MBA.
From what I have seen, most customers ARE willing to get a $130 - $150 item
fixed if it doesn't cost more than $60 - $75. That doesn't allow much time
to work on a unit if profit is to be made, but I've fixed many a TV or VCR
in less than an hour, made $50 or better, and the customer was happy because
he/she saved more than half the cost of a new machine. Also, I warranty my
work for 90 days. A customer is more likely to get a repair done if he/she
knows you will stand behind your work.
There are times when I tell customers that something isn't worth fixing and
they would be better off buying a new machine. Customers usually appreciate
this as honesty over profit, which builds trust and good reputation for me
and my shop.
The key to it all is having a good and positive attitude, not a cynical
quitter's attitude.
Steve
A & S Electronic Repair
j...@southwind.net wrote in message <35C8FD...@southwind.net>...
Tom MacIntyre
>What planet do you live on?
>
>My shop is running at and beyond capacity. We turn away as much business as
>we take in, and we're making more money each year than we did the year
>before. All the shops in my area are doing well, and all are busy. I'm not
>saying the business is easy, nor are many people likely to get rich at it,
>but I've managed to make a comfortable living, and I'm neither a supertech
>nor an MBA.
I'm happy for you...that isn't the way it is in Sydney, NS, Canada.
We're economically depressed here, and it is reflected in the
business.
>The key to it all is having a good and positive attitude, not a cynical
>quitter's attitude.
Right, but the attitude alone won't bring in the customers, nor will
competence, when there isn't money to be spent. Unemployment here is
at 20+%.
j...@southwind.net
He's missing the point,which is not that one couldn't eke out a living
that way with enough work,but whether that was the first,best use of
one's time and effort.Consumer techs who are actually good-with five and
ten years' experience in some cases-are taking $12-15 an hour production
tech jobs in plants all over the place.No one is going the other way and
in fact the few factory techs I know who did basement consumer work for
pin money are quitting.
OTOH I know a _rework operator_ and her husband,an A&P aircraft
mechanic,who set up in their basement to do pagers and they are doing a
pretty fair volume despite neither one having more than very basic
electronic skills per se (although she can solder a whole lot better
than you can).She was able to get a critical piece of equipment on the
Johnny Cash plan and received some tutoring from the shop
guys,but,still.
What pieces of "consumer" equipment being sold _today_ do you think
will generate your profits five years hence? The big-screen teevees are
on the HDTV chopping block and high end audio usually goes back to the
factory,at least around here.
j...@southwind.net
>
> Right, but the attitude alone won't bring in the customers, nor will
> competence, when there isn't money to be spent. Unemployment here is
> at 20+%.
Either manufacture a product there,using locally available labor (which
should be cheaper...but probably isn't) which you can "export",or
"export" yourself.
Steve Helling
>will generate your profits five years hence?
The same ones that are generating my profit today - big screen tv (proj &
direct view), and warranty work on other categories.
The big-screen teevees are
>on the HDTV chopping block and high end audio usually goes back to the
>factory,at least around here.
Southeast Alabama is certainly not one of the more affluent areas of the
U.S., but a surprising number of 46" & 52" TVs get sold around here. They
are very fashionable in single & double wide trailers. I haven't seen much
evidence that fear of HDTV-driven obsolescence is causing people to quit
buying new product, whether it be high or low end.
For one thing, the manufacturers, individually and collectively (through
EIA/CEMA), are working hard to keep current technology selling until the gap
to HDTV has been bridged. I mean, you don't think they will just sit around
for a few years selling little or nothing until 2006 arrives, do you? HDTV
certainly isn't selling in any significant quantities anywhere that I'm
aware of. Also, I tend to think there will be plenty of NTSC sources around
well after 2006. Particularly in this area, new home entertainment
technologies don't emerge all that fast. I have yet to see even one DVD.
All of which is to say, I'm not all that worried about demand for my
services (and therefore, my profits) evaporating any time soon. You know,
I've been hearing the same fears about consumer electronic techs becoming
obsolete, unable to eek out a living for almost 20 years now. Wasn't true
then, isn't true now.
I don't dispute that there are places where a tech probably couldn't make a
living doing CE repair no matter how good or hard he worked. In many ways,
I was very fortunate to be in a locale that needed and could support my
shop. But, I'm starting to ramble. . .
JEFF BRUCKER
You wrote: "You know, I've been hearing the same fears about consumer
electronic techs becoming
obsolete, unable to eek out a living for almost 20 years now. Wasn't true
then, isn't true now."
I partially agree. But I have noticed that there are very few young guys in
the factory seminars. Everyone just about is over 40. The reason is that
very few young guys just out of school can produce enough completed repairs
to justify even a minimum wage.
I started in CE repair in 1970. Of course, the hotshots like myself could
make a good living soon out of the starting gate. I started at $5 commission
for a B&W, $10 for a color, and was up to speed after a couple of weeks of
hell. Back then, even a non-hotshot guy with slightly above average skills
could eventually make it in CE. He may be slow, but he could eventually
complete enough repairs to justify his wage or commission while he was
improving.
If I hired a typical young tech graduate today, I would have to cherry-pick
jobs for him that he could make money on, which would then leave me with the
less profitable tougher jobs. No-can-do.
So, yes, experienced techs can adjust and make a living, but as we say in
our shop, we're dinosaurs.
Jeff Brucker
SKI333
I agree with some of what you say,but not all. I to started in ce many
years ago(1966) and got my cet certificate in 1973. I think the main
reason you don't see very many young techs is twofold,first computers
have gobbled up some of the best and brightest and second,ce repair
generally doesn't pay very well unless you have your business or work
for a large company like Sears,just not all that attractive anymore.
j...@southwind.net
>
> I appreciate your responses, and you are both right about the decreasing
> number of young folks getting into this line of work. I see a lot of older
> shop owners retiring and closing their shops, and no one is taking their
> place. I guess I'm counting on that trend to increase demand for those of
> us who continue in CE repair. Also makes for some good deals on manuals,
> parts & test equipment when shops sell out.
>
> I agree with everything you said, but I still feel confident in the future
> of my repair business for at least the next 10 - 15 years.
>
> Steve
> A & s Electronic Repair
This is true of any declining business-the last ones out can do really
well in certain niches-but this confirms with precision my main
point,which is that it is a legacy business with no attraction for those
not already in it and one whose practitioners will be reduced through
attrition.
I'm going to find the need for the remaining consumer people to learn
new skills-and specifically, doing their own surface mount solder
rework-amusing.Should bring down the cost of SMT tooling...
j...@southwind.net
>
> Steve Helling wrote:
> >
> > I appreciate your responses, and you are both right about the decreasing
> > number of young folks getting into this line of work. I see a lot of older
> > shop owners retiring and closing their shops, and no one is taking their
> > place. I guess I'm counting on that trend to increase demand for those of
> > us who continue in CE repair. Also makes for some good deals on manuals,
> > parts & test equipment when shops sell out.
> >
> > I agree with everything you said, but I still feel confident in the future
> > of my repair business for at least the next 10 - 15 years.
> >
> > Steve
> > A & s Electronic Repair
> >
> A new car is very expensive because many hour of high-paid labour in your
> own country is necessary to produce a new car.
>
> Electronic consumer equipment is mainly produced by machines and human
> labour in countries where the wages are low.
>
> Repair of consumer equipment takes place in your own country where the
> wages are high ...
>
> So you see the problem of repairing consumer equipment !!!
>
> To reduce this problem, it is required that for consumer equipment good
> service manuals and good equipment, spare parts and tools are available
> to reduce the cost of repair by reducing the required hours of labour.
It's a good point.The auto industry has been protected,sort of, from
real,hardcore dog-eat-dog competition by the safety and emissions
certification requirements (which cost more than to certificate a light
aircraft) and also by the political pull of the UAW and allied union
workers.(The real reason Detroit will never "bust the union".)
Consumo electronics has no such protection,and we see the results-good
or bad-on the Wal-Mart shelf.You cannot buy a well made VCR or TV
today.Almost every computer product made today is uneconomic to repair
beyond the board level.The only thing anyone seems to want to fix are
big screen TVs,so important to yuppies and trailer trash alike,and
camcorders.OTOH you can buy a VCR and TV for three hundred bucks and
they will give,usually,two or three years service before becoming
landfill.
Service manuals are hard to get and/or expensive and test equipment is
not cheap either.
Steve Helling
wvogel
Compare repair of electronic consumer equipment with car repairs.
A new car is very expensive because many hour of high-paid labour in your
own country is necessary to produce a new car.
Electronic consumer equipment is mainly produced by machines and human
labour in countries where the wages are low.
Repair of consumer equipment takes place in your own country where the
wages are high ...
So you see the problem of repairing consumer equipment !!!
To reduce this problem, it is required that for consumer equipment good
service manuals and good equipment, spare parts and tools are available
to reduce the cost of repair by reducing the required hours of labour.
Wim Vogel, electronic engineer, The Netherlands.
Vince (AA9TL)
uneconomical to fix, make the parts virtually unavailable, and if they are
available they make service manuals hideously expensive. What am I missing?
Why wont they at least give us a chance?
j...@southwind.net wrote in message <35D2C3...@southwind.net>...
Video Services
business for 4 1/2 years. He does not take in the CHEAP
STUFF............ever. He shows a respectable profit. He is hardly ever
stressed. He has a "life". He is happy about himself, his business and his
future. He runs a 1 man shop, his wife does the books and he is using one of
the MOST expensive shop software programs out there. He backs his work with
a good warranty. One thing he said will stick forever. "Cheap products=cheap
customers, and all the cheapness, fraud and crap that comes with it".
He is right.
Rex
Video Services
bop...@prysm.net
Frank Fendley
H> uneconomical to fix, make the parts virtually unavailable, and if they are
H> available they make service manuals hideously expensive. What am I missing?
H> Why wont they at least give us a chance?
Because the manufacturers would rather sell another unit. They make little
money when you repair a unit and put it back into service for a few more
years. Even if you purchase an overpriced replacement part from them,
the cost of processing that small order for them is quite expensive (that's
why they price the parts so high!) If you purchase an aftermarket
part, they make nothing. Years ago, people cared about quality, and
if something broke prematurely, they'd say, "I'll never buy that brand
again!". Now, in today's fast-paced world, they don't even have
time to stop and see what brand their VCR even is. (Doesn't really
matter, since Funai makes all of them ;-)
Manufacturers make much more money by assembling VCRs at rock-bottom labor
rates in Malaysia or Indonesia and shipping them by the boat-load to mass
retailers like Wal-Mart or Circuit City. They are getting out of the
parts business pretty quickly. Witness Mitsubishi for an example.
Frank
--------------------------------
Frank Fendley
Studio Sound Electronics
- VCR Parts Supplier -
studio...@datacom.iglou.com
http://www.iglou.com/studiosound
--------------------------------
Video Services
Frank Fendley wrote in message <4a9_980...@datacom.iglou.com>...
, "I'll never buy that brand again"
Frank Fendley
Studio Sound Electronics
- VCR Parts Supplier -
studio...@datacom.iglou.com
http://www.iglou.com/studiosound
What happen was the public "ran out of companies that "I will never but that
brand agin" B.S.
Rather than buy quality products, work up a sweat to pay for REGULAR
maintinance and work up a sweat to pay for a repair every 3-5 years SOME of
the public buy crap and throw it away when it breaks and buy more crap.
ICCL. It is their choice.
Rex
Video Services
Tom MacIntyre
I'll reiterate a point I made a few days ago, somewhere or
other...this CAN depend upon where you live. Where I live, the
unemployment is high, and the brand name class system isn't as
pronounced...you work on what's here, or you don't work. This week we
repaired a water detector probe/cable assembly for a well-drilling
company...not our regular stuff, but they looked for us to do the
work, and we did it...if you get too selective, you die..".too
selective" is relative to your market, of course, and if we wait here
for the type of diverse and well-to-do clientele that exists in other
places, we'll be SOOL. Monday morning, I have a Citizen C-105B chassis
waiting for me...no glamour, but it'll put some money in the pot.
Tom
>
>
>Rex
>Video Services
>bop...@prysm.net
>
>
>
>
>
Kent Baldwin
On Fri, 14 Aug 1998 14:03:56 -0500, "Video Services"
<bop...@prysm.net> wrote:
> "Cheap products=cheap customers, and all the cheapness, fraud and crap that comes with it".
>
>He is right.
>
>
>Rex
>Video Services
>bop...@prysm.net
JEFF BRUCKER
The manufacturers are doing what they are supposed to do, make a profit.
Their purpose is not to "give us a chance". If it is more profitable to not
offer parts or support, to make manual prices ridiculous, to make stuff that
is uneconomical to repair, etc .... that is what they will do. The problem
is that consumers don't demand better, because the economics of planned
obsolescence is not apparent. So consumers will continue to buy crap because
it makes perfect sense to do so, given their perception of the situation.
The solution is to make consumers more knowledgeable, a la "Consumer
Reports". The repair industry could publish lists of the crap models that
are uneconomical to repair. Hopefully then, enough consumers would take that
into account in their purchase decisions to affect the manufacturers design
decisions.
Jeff Brucker
Vince (AA9TL) wrote in message <6r1too$8o0$1...@camel0.mindspring.com>...
>That's one thing I could never figure.....they build it to break, make it
>uneconomical to fix, make the parts virtually unavailable, and if they are
>available they make service manuals hideously expensive. What am I missing?
JEFF BRUCKER
I agree with your analysis 100%. Supply follows demand, and if consumers
don't demand economically repairable items, they just won't be manufactured.
The only info consumers now have is price and features, so it is only
expected that that is what they will base their purchase decisions on. They
have no other info available. Our industry, if it is to survive, needs to
come up with a system of ratings of manufacturers and models based on how
economical to repair. The repair industry could publish the results, a la
"Consumer Reports". I just started a new thread about this idea.
Jeff
Andy Cuffe
The lack of any reference to build quality in consumer reports is a
major flaw. They should also mention who actually made it so people
would know the $160 Magnavox is the same as the $99 Symphonic. The few
magazines that do rate build quality always say good, very good, or
excellent. They don't have the guts to say when something is junk.
--
Andy Cuffe
balt...@psu.edu
Usedgames
uneconomical to fix, make the parts virtually unavailable, and if they are
available they make service manuals hideously expensive. What am I missing?
Why wont they at least give us a chance?
The manufacturers are doing what they are supposed to do, make a profit.
Their purpose is not to "give us a chance". If it is more profitable to not
offer parts or support, to make manual prices ridiculous, to make stuff that
is uneconomical to repair, etc .... that is what they will do. The problem
is that consumers don't demand better, because the economics of planned
obsolescence is not apparent. So consumers will continue to buy crap because
it makes perfect sense to do so, given their perception of the situation.
The solution is to make consumers more knowledgeable, a la "Consumer
Reports". The repair industry could publish lists of the crap models that
are uneconomical to repair. Hopefully then, enough consumers would take that
into account in their purchase decisions to affect the manufacturers design
decisions.
I hear that from Customers all the time, but they don't give a damn go to
walmart buy a new one. btw: Walmart tv ads suck.
j...@southwind.net
More and more the watchword is "the value added is in the
silicon",and,no tech in the world can fix the silicon.The chip count is
going down and the lead count is going up,and virtually every consumer
product built has ASIC's-or limited production life chips-integral to
its design.And even if they're available,can YOU change PLCC parts? Can
you do surface mount at all? If not,you will be finding a new career...
In the case of products with mechanisms,like videocasette machines and
disk and tape drives,they could (you would think) make the mechanics
rugged and repairable.But the differential cost is such that in the case
of a consumer product,they won't.Radio stations prefer to buy consumer
CD players and junk them every six months instead of buying a Denon or
Audiometrics CD-cart machine which will last fifteen years (with bearing
replacement every other year).Will YOU do a bearing install,clean,and
align on one of these for the price of a consumer CD player? If so,how
many local radio stations are you doing them for? Send them a
card,hell,take out an ad in Radio World and you will have a lot of
business.
Probably you won't,because you couldn't make money doing it.I probably
couldn't.That's the point.
j...@southwind.net
>
> On Tue, 18 Aug 1998 23:31:48 -0500, "Usedgames"
> <used...@telepath.com> wrote:
>
> >That's one thing I could never figure.....they build it to break, make it
> >uneconomical to fix, make the parts virtually unavailable, and if they are
> >available they make service manuals hideously expensive. What am I missing?
> >Why wont they at least give us a chance?
> >
> >
> >The manufacturers are doing what they are supposed to do, make a profit.
> >Their purpose is not to "give us a chance". If it is more profitable to not
> >offer parts or support, to make manual prices ridiculous, to make stuff that
> >is uneconomical to repair, etc .... that is what they will do. The problem
> >is that consumers don't demand better, because the economics of planned
> >obsolescence is not apparent. So consumers will continue to buy crap because
> >it makes perfect sense to do so, given their perception of the situation.
> >The solution is to make consumers more knowledgeable, a la "Consumer
> >Reports". The repair industry could publish lists of the crap models that
> >are uneconomical to repair. Hopefully then, enough consumers would take that
> >into account in their purchase decisions to affect the manufacturers design
> >decisions.
> >
> >
> >I hear that from Customers all the time, but they don't give a damn go to
> >walmart buy a new one. btw: Walmart tv ads suck.
> >
> >
> bringing me Walkmans and Boom Boxes all the time, and when I tell them
> that it's going to cost more to fix than it's worth, they usually
> understand. There are still many areas of industrial electronics where
> repair techs are in demand. Pro Audio and Video come to mind, as well
> as say, medical equipment, control systems for manufacturing, etc.
> Where ever you have a client base that's financially or emotionally
> commited to the gear you will be able to make money. Let's take HiFi
> as an example. I'm not talking about the guy who goes out and buys a
> hundred watt reciever from Radio Shack, but rather the guy who just
> spent $2000 bucks on an esoteric water cooled tube amp. He's going to
> pay and pay well to have that unit serviced. Or take a company that
> makes educational videos and just won a contract for 10,000 copies of
> their "learning CAD" tape. They will have no problem paying your bench
> rate to maintain their dubbing machines.
> I have had cases where clients paid me for service on equipment still
> under warranty because they could get a quicker return. Less down
> time. Or cases where a unit was repaired for more than it could be
> sold for because the replacement cost for a new unit would be
> prohibitive.
> Any way, sorry about the lecture, but what I'm trying to say is, think
> of an area where this kind of customer exists, master that particular
> field of gear and specialise in that, and you will do well.
> P.S. I'm still broke.
There you go.Exactly what I'm saying all along.
Of course,on those water cooled tube amps,a stragetic alliance with a
local radiator shop helps...
j...@southwind.net
They will make that choice over and over.It has to do with the time
value of money,a dislike of maintenance and of dealing with repair shops
(do you like taking your car in??),it's more cost effective for them to
buy the disposable one.And convenient.
Can you buy a well made VCR today? I think we have been over this one
before.
David P.Greenberg
Video Services
NEW people in our industry and products.
1. We see very few young people getting into this business. We see a lot
getting out.
A. There are EXTREMELY few shops that give benefits of any kind.
B. The pay system sucks.........
1. Commission is good but too many shops want to pay you when
the product is picked up.
2. Weekly or hourly is NOT based on 30% to 40% of a technicians
production and is unfair.
3. SOME systems that have a combination of the above are good,
but they are hard to find
C. Many very GOOD technicians in consumer electronics are getting out
because the system does not reward production or quality.
2. One of the BIGGEST false observations is that ALL products have
regressed in value and cost.
A. The "HIGH-END" market is growing and at a very fast rate.
B. The "LOW-END" market is what it is. If a shop caters just to that
market, it will fail.
C. The overall cost of consumer electronics will RISE in the future,
even the "LOW-END" stuff.
Rex
Video Services
Andy Cuffe
I'm an electrical engineering student who is very experienced with
consumer electronics repair. I am mostly self-taught, but I am better
than most shops in my area (I have seen some of their work). I have
actually been offered a job at a couple of places in my town, but the
pay is just too low to interest me. I make a lot more by fixing and
selling the "junk" that they can't fix (or that people won't pay to have
fixed). Most people with the skill to be a good tech are designing
VCRs, not fixing them. I'm sure their are a lot of very intelligent
people who repair electronics for a living, but why would I want to
trade a secure job with good pay and benefits for repairing Funai VCRs
at half the salary?
People are less willing to pay for repiars than ever before and there
are fewer people capable of repairing electronics. A good example of
this is the 46" Zenith projection TV I picked up from next to the
dumpster of a local repair shop. It was onle 8 years old had PIP, dolby
surround,... and in mint condition (it had clearly not been used much).
The ONLY thing wrong with it was that the mica insulator under a
transistor on the convergence SMPS had slipped out of place allowing the
transistor to short to the heat sink (it didn't even damage the
transistor). The back was off, so I know they tried to fix it. How can
anyone justify junking a top of the line PTV for this? The customer was
probably told that it needed a $1200 module or the picture tube was
bad. After that, do you think they will be eager to get their next TV
repaired or do you think they will just replace it?
On the plus side, the Zenith looks great in my house!
--
Andy Cuffe
balt...@psu.edu
SKI333
> consumer electronics repair. I am mostly self-taught, but I am better
> than most shops in my area (I have seen some of their work). I have
> actually been offered a job at a couple of places in my town, but the
> pay is just too low to interest me. I make a lot more by fixing and
> selling the "junk" that they can't fix (or that people won't pay to have
> fixed). Most people with the skill to be a good tech are designing
> VCRs, not fixing them. I'm sure their are a lot of very intelligent
> people who repair electronics for a living, but why would I want to
> trade a secure job with good pay and benefits for repairing Funai VCRs
> at half the salary?
>
>
>
> --
> Andy Cuffe
> balt...@psu.edu
Some of what you say is true,some is fiction,but I understand your
point of view. First and foremost,regardless of what field you are in,
as far as a job goes,always remember,you are either an OWNER or a TEMP.
One only has to look at the corporate downsizing that has been running
rampant in the world today and the tendency of companies to hire
foriegn engineers at a lower wage rate than domestic ones to prove
this. Second,I have been in the ce repair business for 32 years,the
first fifteen I worked for a large company,had excellent benefits and
made about 80% of the going rate for engineers,if I were to factor in
their layoff time and school loans I suspect we were even. In the last
15 years my partner and I earned more than most engineers and still
do,as a matter of fact,when the defense industry collapsed here in
Cal.,we had at least two or three engineers come in our shop looking
for work each week. When vcr's were expensive,we specialized in them
and made a lot of money,we still do them ,but now we specialize in
camcorders and still make a lot of money,I have a friend who does
nothing but big screens,he does very well also. There seems to be
something coming along to take the place of what is no longer
profitable all the time in this business. Radio to tv,bwtv to color,
color to big screen,camera to camcorder,vcr to dvd,you get the
idea,always something to make a buck if your willing to work for it.
Please don't think I have anything against becoming an engineer,I
don't,I applaude your choice and hard work,only I think a young guy can
still make a good living in this field if he chooses.
John Huie
yr) that is quite good, but they are more or less begging for students.
j...@southwind.net
> regressed in value and cost.
>
> A. The "HIGH-END" market is growing and at a very fast rate.
> B. The "LOW-END" market is what it is. If a shop caters just to that
> market, it will fail.
> C. The overall cost of consumer electronics will RISE in the future,
> even the "LOW-END" stuff.
>
> Rex
> Video Services
Are you doing commercial/industrial/ENG/studio video as well or only
consumo?
Also,are you in a market more disposed to high-end merchandise than
average?And,is the entry cost to doing this sort of work high?
I don't know anything about video (except I can't afford commercial
equipment and so have other hobbies).In the high end AUDIO business most
of the stuff tends to go back to the factory,even for trivial problems.
Tom MacIntyre
>2. One of the BIGGEST false observations is that ALL products have
>regressed in value and cost.
>
> A. The "HIGH-END" market is growing and at a very fast rate.
> B. The "LOW-END" market is what it is. If a shop caters just to that
>market, it will fail.
> C. The overall cost of consumer electronics will RISE in the future,
>even the "LOW-END" stuff.
>
>Rex
>Video Services
>
Where I am located, there are a LOT of times where we have to take
what we can get. It'd be nice to have access to a lot of high-end
stuff, though.
Tom