Interview with Professional

Electronic Repairers from Florida

USA

Brought to you by Jestine Yong

http://www.TestingElectronicComponents.com
Feel free to pass this short report interview to your repair
friends and colleagues.

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 Part I

Jestine Yong - How long have you been in the Electronic Repair line and at
what age you own your first repair shop?

Steve - 18 years. I owned my first repair shop at the age of 18. I actually got
interested in electronics at a very young age though. I was fascinated at how
all those “pretty-colored” parts could do such wondrous things. I was hooked
at first glace.

Jestine Yong - Where are your company located and what is the name of
your company?

Steve - I currently manage a new repair shop that just opened in Lakeland,
Florida (USA) called "Mid-Florida Electronics, LLC". This shop is an
expansion of the business I've worked for the past 8 years. I've always run the
electronic repair department and we have grown to the point where we
needed our own storefront and repair space. And that's where we are now. It
may be a "new business" but it's far from new, only a new name and location.

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Jestine Yong - What is your education background?

Steve - High school diploma is the extent of my formal studies. I took basic
electronics courses in my last three years of high school. However, I actively
work to keep up with technology and to learn more about the things I already
deal with. So, the real answer is that my usable education is ongoing to this
day. That’s the one thing we all share as repairmen.

Jestine Yong - Does the courses help you in Electronic repair?

Steve - In some ways, yes. The thing with the basic electronics classes I took
is that it taught me some basics but it didn’t teach me anything about how to
apply that knowledge to actual working situations. I already knew most of
what was taught in the courses because I’d been studying and tinkering on
my own for years already. If I wanted to design circuits it would be a different
story. But as it was, I still had to obtain my practical knowledge in the field,
from other technicians, books and on my own.

Jestine Yong - Have you conduct any electronic repair courses before? And
what is the name of the courses?

Steve - I have taught some electronics and repair techniques to others but
never in a formal class setting.

Jestine Yong - Do you have a website?

Steve - Not at the moment. Currently I’m an administrator for the website
www.tvrepairtips.org. If you wish to join you are always welcome to do so. Our
membership is restricted, however, to people currently working in the
television (and monitor) repair business. We have a forum and a repair tips

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database. A lot of our members (such as myself) work on many types of
equipment, not only televisions.

Jestine Yong - Which electronic repair website you frequently visited and
why do you like it?

Steve - Tvrepairtips, of course. But I am also a member of Spyderman’s

forums for TV repair techs and I regularly read the material on and sent out by
you and some of your related sites. I feel it’s important to be open and to learn
from other repair technicians. I love to be exposed to new ideas and methods.
What better way to improve your skills?

Jestine Yong - What are the Electronic Equipment that you can repair?

Steve - I repair practically every type of consumer electronics. Some of the

products I work on include: TVs, home stereos, computer monitors,
microwave ovens, video game consoles, professional audio equipment, DVD
players and more.

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Jestine Yong - Which type of Electronic Equipment you consider yourself
expert in?

Steve - Probably Playstation 2 game consoles. After that, maybe microwave

ovens and home stereo equipment.

Jestine Yong - How much time do you spend on equipment before you give
up? Why do you give up?

Steve - Well, Mr. Yong, that’s a hard question to a precise answer to. It really
depends on the value of the equipment. You’ve got to consider how much you
can charge for the repair to know how much time you can realistically
dedicate to any given job. For example, I don’t mind spending 4 hours when I
now the payoff may be worth it. But if I’m working on a low priced item, such
as a VCR, I just can’t justify spending more than about 45 minutes to an hour
because I know that I can only get $20-25 to do the repair. So it’s really a
matter of value.

That being said, I still find myself spending too much time on something every
so often. Then again, some repairs are very quick and simple so it tends to
balance out on average. But I try to get a general idea of what’s wrong as
quickly as possible. Then I’ll give the customer an estimate that will cover the
amount of time and parts I foresee the job taking. Parts cost and availability is
a big factor when deciding how much time to spend on something. If I find bad
output ICs in a stereo receiver, I’ll check a few preamp and power supply
parts then go ahead a quote a price. You don’t always need to find every bad
part to give an estimate, only the major parts and any others that is likely to
have failed. This can save valuable time. Especially when you feel the price of
the parts might exceed the value of the equipment and make the customer
decline the repair.

Jestine Yong - What kind of test equipment do you use in electronic

troubleshooting?

Steve - My most used pieces of test equipment are: Digital multi-meter

(DMM), oscilloscope and capacitor ESR meter, but I own a large assortment
of test equipment. I feel it's important for a technician to have and be able to
use many types of test equipment. Without the proper tools, even the most
knowledgeable repairman will be stumped far too often.

Jestine Yong - What’s your favourite test equipment and why do you like it?

Steve - I love my new 200 MHZ 2 channel digital storage oscilloscope. It

gives me a lot of capabilities that I wouldn’t have otherwise. The more types of
measurements you are able to make, the better off you are. And honestly, the
beautiful color LCD screen makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

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Jestine Yong - What was the last electronic book and magazine you read?

Steve - I read Nuts & Volts and Popular Electronics on a fairly regular
basis. I have a nice sized library of electronics books and magazines that I
refer to every now and then but, lately, I’ve been re-reading the books “Using
the Triggered Sweep Oscilloscope” and “Troubleshooting with the Dual-Trace
Scope”, both by Robert L. Goodman (TAB BOOKS, Inc.).

Jestine Yong - Generally on average how many types of electronic

equipment you can repair in a day?

Steve - I average around 6 units a day. They tend to be an assortment of all

kinds of equipment.

Jestine Yong - Would you kind to share to ERG members what are the
procedures that you use in order to repair no power symptom in a Television?

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Steve - I first perform a complete visual inspection. Are any capacitors oozing,
swollen or blown apart? Are there any bad solder connections in the power
supply, on the flyback transformer, any heat sink-mounted components, etc?
Are any components burnt? Next, I check some major components, such as
the horizontal output transistor, fuses, and main regulator. I look for proper
standby voltages, B+ at the collector of the horizontal output transistor, activity
in the switch mode power supply and see if the microprocessor oscillator is
active. I then use the basic info I’ve gathered to determine where to go next.

However, with all of these new flat panel TVs and monitors out there, you’ve
got to completely re-think the way you approach troubleshooting. But in the
case of a no power condition, I also perform an ESR test on all electrolytic
capacitors in the power supply and test semiconductors for obvious shorts.
Also, it’s useful to look for the +5 VDC standby voltages at the power/standby
switch.

Jestine Yong - Does your company have any contracts (or appointed as an
Authorized Service Centre) with any major brands of equipment?

Steve - We are an authorised warranty service center for a number of brands

of consumer and professional electronics brands, including VocoPro, Mackie,
Crate and Ampeg. But there are more that we aren't able to advertise quite
yet because we're still in the process of transferring the contracts over to the
new business name. We are also actively working on obtaining several more
major name brand warranty contracts.

Speaking of warranty contracts, I strongly advise any shop to pursue

obtaining at least a few. Not only does that get you on the manufacturer’s
referral list and gain you access to parts and inside information but, it gets you
listed on the company’s website, in owners’ manuals, etc., meaning lots of
free advertising and new customers.

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Jestine Yong - How is your repair business nowadays?

Steve - We have been quite busy with both wholesale and retail repairs.

Jestine Yong - Do you encourage electronic repairers to diversify into

repairing more electronic equipment-If yes then why?

Steve - An important key to survival in today's electronics repair business is to

have the courage to try new things. If you restrict yourself to working on only
one type of product then you risk running into a situation where you run out of
work and/or miss out on a lot of great opportunities in the repair industry. Or
you get left behind as trends and technology changes. Don't over-extend
yourself but don't pigeonhole yourself either. The more types of equipment
you can repair, the more likely you are to find something that you really shine
at, can make you money repairing and that will keep you busy when
everything else is slow. After all, we're all in this business to make money.
Fun is fun but the bills still have to be paid.

Jestine Yong - Do you meet regularly with other electronic repairers to

discuss about electronic problems and solutions?

Steve - Only on the Internet and with Don, my other technician. The sad truth
is that most technicians and repair shops view all outsiders as the
enemy. I hate that way of thinking. I can understand not wanting your
competitors to get “too good” but it really only hurts yourself in the long run.

Jestine Yong - Do you do your own R & D to find a better solution in

electronic repair, for example like coming out with your own way of solving a
particular circuit problem?

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Steve - Yes, I often do. Sometimes the answers you need are very hard to
come by or simply not available so doing your own research and figuring out
ways to troubleshoot unusual and unfamiliar systems is a must. It also makes
you a better technician in the end. I’ve even designed and built several pieces
of test equipment to help make my job easier and the time spent was well
worth it. I’ve shared some of my designs and test solutions on
tvrepairtips.org.

Jestine Yong - What are the biggest problems you are facing in the
Electronic repair business nowadays?

Steve - That’s easy: parts and information availability. The way I see it, we
- as repair techs - are in a constant battle against the equipment
manufacturers. We reply on fixing their equipment to make a living. But they
rely on selling new units and hate having guys like us prolonging the life of
equipment already out in customers’ homes. As a direct result, the
manufacturers are usually of little help when it comes to service information
and technical advice. And more and more brands are nearly impossible to
repair because replacement parts are simply not available to us. The problem
is that the customers don’t always understand these things. They assume that
we have access to everything and that every TV (for example) is the same
inside. Nothing is farther from the truth. The truth is that each and every new
make and model means a challenging learning curve for us as technicians.
That’s the way it has always been and always will be.

To make things worse, the engineers are constantly redesigning the circuits to
keep guys like us on our toes. It’s a matter of “keep up or catch up” and both
can be difficult to do.

Jestine Yong - Have you come across any electronic equipment that you
can’t repair? And how do you solve it?

Steve - Absolutely! As much as I’d like to say I can fix anything, the fact is that
no one can do it all. All we can do is try our best and apply the knowledge and
resources we have in new and creative ways. This is another case where the

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value of the equipment comes into play. If I can’t narrow the problem down to
the component level (or if the parts are not available) then I’ll try to quote the
customer for replacement of the entire circuit board. Of course, I try to avoid
that but sometimes it’s the only way.

Another person with a fresh perspective or different troubleshooting strategy

might quickly catch something that I’ve missed or didn’t even consider to be a
possible cause. So I’ll sometimes let another technician have a try at it, either
in our shop or another. We have ties to several other shops in town. In fact,
we repair a LOT of equipment for other repair shops; they are some of our
biggest accounts. So you see, if you learn to make professional relationships
you will find that your competition doesn’t have to be the enemy. They can
actually be your greatest allies.

Jestine Yong - How do you promote your repair business?

Steve - We have a radio commercial campaign going on right now. We also

rely on our signs, word of mouth, our wholesale repair accounts, and referrals
from other businesses we have ties to. We are also listed on a number of
websites for various brands as an authorised service center.

Soon we will be starting a targeted mailing program to churches, bars, night

clubs, hotels, motels and restaurants. If you’re going to repair any kind of
equipment, look for places that use that equipment in large numbers. Then
you have a potential customer base to go after. Think of all the TVs in a
typical Hotel or sports bar.

Jestine Yong - Do you have any tips for anyone who wants or plan to set up
their own Electronic repair shop?

Steve - Make as many contacts as you can; you need sources for parts and
information. Don’t get in over your head with bills. I will take time to be where
you need to be (as far as income goes) so find a storefront that you can
afford. You can always grow larger as needed. Treat your customers the way
you would want to be treated.

Spend the money and get the test equipment you need. And finally, never
stop learning and improving your troubleshooting abilities. No matter how
good you are, you are guaranteed to become outdated if you don’t actively
keep up with technology.

And finally, one of our best moves was to charge a non-refundable bench fee
up front. Don’t underestimate the importance of the bench fee. It’s paid when
the customer leaves the equipment and helps cover the time and some of the
parts required to give a halfway accurate estimate. Then, if they have the unit
fixed we apply the prepaid deposit towards the repair bill.

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For many years most shops in our area gave free estimates. I was one of
those. But you just can’t afford to do that anymore. New equipment is taking
more and more time to research and diagnose and we can’t work for free.
When you spend hours just to obtain critical service information and diagnose
the problem then the customer doesn’t want to pay the price, who loses on
the deal? That’s right, the one who wasted all that time and effort.

Some shops think they are doing the customer a service to give free
estimates. I feel that you actually do yourself a dis-service with that strategy.
Those days are gone. If they won’t pay the bench fee you know they won’t
pay the repair bill. Doctors don’t give free diagnostics and neither do we.

Jestine Yong - What advice would you give to a beginner who wishes to join
this trade?

Steve - Learn to use the test equipment you've got in an efficient manner to
save yourself valuable troubleshooting time. If you can find an easier way to
narrow down the fault more quickly then it's well worth learning to do so. Even
the most basic test equipment can be used in advanced ways if you take the
time to learn how.

But don’t forget to learn the basics, such as electrical theory. And remember
the old saying: “Your most important test equipment is your brain.” Analytical
thinking can often take you right to the problem much faster than testing
random components. Be curious. Be safe.

Jestine Yong - What advice would you give to an experienced or professional

electronic repairer?
Steve - Never stop learning. There are plenty of books and websites - such
as Jestine Yong's network of repair sites and the one I help administrate
(www.tvrepairtips.org) - where you can expand and share your knowledge
with other repair technicians. Today's repair world is not the same as it was 10

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years ago. And the same holds true for the future. That's why it's so important
to keep actively learning. You must work hard to keep up with modern
technology because that’s where the future is at - with or without you.

Jestine Yong - Did you make mistakes that others could learn from?

Steve - I’ve made plenty of mistakes. It goes with the territory. One that I’ve
recently learned from is to always show the customer that their flat panel
TV/monitor is working before you allow it to leave the shop. Those things are
easily damaged if they are handled carelessly or if they fall over. If the
customer cracks the screen while moving it they may think you caused the
damage. Or they may try to blame you, knowing it was their own fault.
Showing them the unit operating will prevent you from being blamed and save
you a fortune and lots of headaches. Trust me.

Jestine Yong - What is your future plan for your electronic repair business?

Steve - Our immediate plan is to become more established at our new

location and to finish setting up the new shop the way we want it. Long-term
plans include building our authorised repair status, increasing our parts
inventory, growing our customer base and reaching the point where we need
more technicians.

Jestine Yong - Thanks Steve!

Steve - I’d like to thank you, Mr. Yong, for all that you do for your fellow
electronic repair technicians. Thank you for allowing us this opportunity to be
featured in your article. And finally, thank you so much for your time. Have a
wonderful day.

- Steve French (Manager: Mid-Florida Electronics, LLC. 1527 S. Combee Rd.

Lakeland, Florida. 33801 USA

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 Part II
Interview with Don Farlow-Professional Electronic Repairer
from Florida USA

Jestine Yong - How are you Don?

Don - I am fine. Thank sir very much.

Jestine Yong - How’s life as an electronic repairer?

Don - It is my preference.

Jestine Yong - How long have you been in the Electronic Repair line?

Don - I have 20 years experience as a repair technician.

Jestine Yong - What are the Electronic Equipment that you can repair?

Don - I can repair Home stereos, telephone equipment, video game consoles,
professional audio equipment, computers, wireless communication
equipment, more.

Jestine Yong - Do you learn the repair on your own or from a

Guru/courses/forum/books and etc?

Don - Somewhat all the above.

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Jestine Yong - What is your education background?

Don - High school diploma, two (2) years vocational school, two (2) years
community college.

Jestine Yong - How much time do you spend on equipment before you give
up? Why do you give up?

Don – Sometimes hours, sometimes days. I don't like to give up on personal

matters. In business you have to draw evaluations. But if the customer is
willing and the unit is coming back to life I will put what time it takes to make
the satisfaction on both sides.

Jestine Yong - What’s your favourite test equipment and why do you like it?

Don - Tektronics 210 Oscilloscope and up. I like the unit’s high frequency
reading, hfe capability, internal storage, and computer transfer cable hook-
up.

Jestine Yong - Which electronic repair website you frequently visited and
why do you like it?

Don - I mostly upgrade, work-on, and repair computers and such. I'm not
much of a webber.

Jestine Yong - What was the last electronic book and magazine you read?

Don - Popular electronics

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Jestine Yong - Do you do your own R & D to find a better solution in
electronic repair, for example like coming out with your own way of solving a
particular circuit problem?

Don - Certainly!
Jestine Yong - Generally on average how many types of electronic
equipment you can repair in a day?

Don - Depends on how many phone calls I deal with during the day, how
many walk-in customers, how many pick-ups, and what types of equipment.
Some days 1, some days 3 some days 5.

Jestine Yong - Do you meet regularly with other electronic repairers to

discuss about electronic problems and solutions?

Don - Just Steve and a friend of mine name Gary Morris. I used to work with
him at Protel and GTE.

Jestine Yong - What are the biggest problems you are facing in the
Electronic repair line nowadays?

Don - Parts availability in the game console industry.

Jestine Yong - Have you come across any electronic equipment that you
can’t repair? And how do you plan to solve it?

Don - I don't mess with Television too much mostly because of bulk. Pain in
the butt. But I think Steve plans on changing that.

Jestine Yong - What advice would you give to a beginner who wishes to join
this trade?

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Don - Go to school, pay attention, dive into all of it, and don't be afraid to
work on any of it.

Jestine Yong - What is your future plan for your electronic repair career?

Don - Stick with Steve for 20 or so years.

Jestine Yong - Thanks Don!

Don - Thank you sir, Mr. Yong, for your time and energy. I appreciate the
opportunity to be a part of this. Again, thank you sir.

Note: Like what you read? If so, please help to forward this interview report
to your friends and colleagues.

Thanks and have a nice day!

Jestine Yong

Want to be a successful Electronics Repairer? If yes then

please click on the link below:

http://www.TestingElectronicComponents.com

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