🚀 go-pugleaf

> You have choices. You can choose not to use the overpriced parts if
> you decide to - in most cases at least. Just takes more thinking. You
> can repair items with used parts, or differen brand ones. You can
> choose to mod the items to get them going again, etc.

I have made an observation.  If a part is difficult for a third party to
manufacture such as an LCD panel or a ink jet printer print head for
example the manufacturer will charge a very high price.  Simple parts
which are easily copied tend to be cheap.  I will only carry out a
repair using second hand parts if I am happy with long term
reliability.  I am trying to ensure the repair industry does not get a
bad name.  Have you also noticed that a particular product will have a
common fault?  You will end up with a pile of XYZ device all with the
same fault. 
     
> Any repair has to be safe, working, legal, and reliable. And either
> tidy or not visible outside the box. Beyond that... its upto you. Its
> perfectly possible to be a repair business that does this sort of
> thing as standard. You can be very envirnonmentally reposnsible in
> tronics, it just takes more bwain use than thoughtless part plugins.

I agree.  I have found a device I use which bypasses dud flyback pots
which cause focus drift.  Fits in quite nicely inside a monitor.

> People tend to regard such modding and part swapping as inferior,
> simply cos it is also what bodge merchants do (incompetently), so you
> will need to consider how to keep your business reputation good. That
> isn't hard really. Honesty, decent repairs, and a reputation for being
> able to fix what no-one else can, will go a very long way. It
> establishes a solid customer base. Just keep telling them you can fix
> what the others can't.

Modding and bodgying does take time.  I have tertiary qualification
which allows me to make informed decisions on how to reliably modify a
device.  I spend some of my time putting all the right bits in a device
which they left out in the factory to save costs.  I work on stuff that
is cheap to replace.  Have to fix it quickly AND efficiently to be
competitive with new stuff.  I do some modifying if possible.  Some govt
legislation does not allow for modification from orig design especially
power supplies.

> Or you can take the loser path and run away, give up.

Nope.  I don't plan on doing that.  I enjoy fixing things and I have a
concern for the environment.  These factors combine quite nicely!  I
repair stuff.  This extends their lifetime.  This is better for the
environment.  I like that!  I can carry on repairing stuff until
technology makes it obsolete.

I see that you are in the UK.  Can you tell me about elect equip
disposal regulations over there?  I want to have Extended Producer
Responsibility enacted here in NZ.  NZ is not clean and green like some
people think.

Alan Liefting