Right to repair article in WSJ

[Jeff Liebermann]

"We Need the Right to Repair Our Gadgets"
<http://www.wsj.com/articles/we-need-the-right-to-repair-our-gadgets-1441737868>
"People can fight back against planned obsolescence by fixing the tech
we already own, but the consumer electronics industry isn’t making it
easy."

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

 

[Ken Layton]

On Thursday, September 10, 2015 at 8:48:41 AM UTC-7, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

"We Need the Right to Repair Our Gadgets"
http://www.wsj.com/articles/we-need-the-right-to-repair-our-gadgets-1441737868
"People can fight back against planned obsolescence by fixing the tech
we already own, but the consumer electronics industry isn't making it
easy."

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

The old Sams "Photo Fact" repair manuals were sure helpful to me back in the tube electronics days. They were always so detailed.

Some of the main problems with electronics today are:

1. The removal of lead from many components causes them to fail faster.

2. The switch to "lead-free" solder has caused more equipment failures due to tin whiskers.

3. Surface mount components prevent most average people from repairing their own equipment.

4. Manufacturers deliberately NOT issuing schematics or service/parts manuals.

I have helped many people in the video arcade game & pinball machine collecting hobby by writing several monitor repair guides (for CRT monitors) and I wrote most of the pinwiki section on repairing the home model pinball machines.

I also have answered questions on fixya.com

 

[Baron]

Jeff Liebermann prodded the keyboard with:

"We Need the Right to Repair Our Gadgets"

http://www.wsj.com/articles/we-need-the-right-to-repair-our-gadgets-1441737868
"People can fight back against planned obsolescence by fixing the
tech we already own, but the consumer electronics industry isn’t
making it easy."

The electronics industry isn't the only one that is doing this. The
Singer sewing machine company was doing exactly the same thing in the
late 1800 early 1900. So is the motor industry, aided by
legislation ! Though I can appreciate some of the safety aspects.
There is hardly any manufacturer that isn't into this in some way or
other.

--
Best Regards:
Baron.

 

Actually they're lucky I don't have alot of ambition. Also don't really have the connections either but the way I see it, to get the government(s) to force better quality electronics as well as support for repairs it would probably be best to take the environmental approach.

Unless it's Rand Paul, I think we can expect a democrat administration, or Sanders who is pretty close. Such an administration along with close enough to control of congress, could possibly foment some sort of legislation. I do believe California had some law to do with parts for electronic equipment. So many years if it cost over a hundred bucks or something like that. I am not going to ask what happened to that law, I already know, lobbyists took care of that law.

Really, the impact of this junk with no parts is not just hurting the repair industry, it is emptying our banks and filling our landfills. Hell, the repair industry is dead. The last TV repair I did was on my Mother's Toshibe 32" CRT. The tube is still strong so it is not going to be replaced unless it becomes unrepairable. Last one was Sony 36XBR400 that needed one of the MCZ driver ICs. Ran that until the tube died and actually traded off the chassis to where I used to work because the other guy FUBARed up the two sided board.

Personally, I do not feed the gadgetry industry because I simply don't need much. I got a cheap twenty buck phone, my laptop is getting really old, think I bought it in 2008. It runs fine. My "server" runs XP. Neither one of these are getting a software upgrade except maybe to Linux. And stereo equipment ? I am getting to the point with "older is better" that I might switch to tubes. not really though, I don't consider "tube sound" any better. the last tube amps I had seemed like they tried to sound solid state. They reproduced turntable rumble really nice... I never expected that.

Thing with the economy is that the money is going to the wrong people. The US does not produce anything mass market except wheat. Meantime we import a hell of alot of food. We mainly export wheat, try living on heat. Hell, we can't even get a decent deal on sugar because of the shit they pulled in South and Central America.

So since all this money is leaving the country, let's have it leave a little slower. If we cannot build it, actually, maybe we just do not need it. I know my vintage Pioneer wasn't built here, but that money is long gone. I will eventually put another battery in my 2.4 GHz phone. My pistol was made in 1911.

And cars ? I really do not drive much ad don't have a car. My eyesight is not good but if I got back into the thick I might consider a car. I just wouldn't drive alot, like at night, in the rain and like that. (it also hinders me at work) But if I hit the lottery whatever car I buy might well have ignition points. The problem is those types of cars are targets for theft, bigtime because they're all classics now. It certainly will NOT be running any version of Windows. I guess I would have to buy something new, an anti-theft system. And protecting those old cars is not trivial.

Bottom line, e really need to start fighting back. If the government won't help like they're supposed to, then we cripple the wallet. Everyone get the $20 phone and surf at home on an old ass PC. Drive the same car until it will not drive anymore and then buy used. Slow the economy and make it known WHY.

The problem with that plan is that in this country there is not solidarity. We will never be able to boycott anything and that means the landfills get bigger and the pile of money gets smaller. But fear not, eventually all the money will be gone and what needs to happen will need no planning, there simply won't be any money. Sure, what will be laughingly called the middle class will be about 10 % of the population.

That is not much of a market.

 

[whit3rd]

On Thursday, September 10, 2015 at 8:48:41 AM UTC-7, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

"We Need the Right to Repair Our Gadgets"
http://www.wsj.com/articles/we-need-the-right-to-repair-our-gadgets-1441737868
"People can fight back against planned obsolescence by fixing the tech
we already own, but the consumer electronics industry isn't making it
easy."

The article doesn't mention all the common industry practices that
impede repair possibilities.

When warranties are required by law or customer demand, small items can
be discarded and replacements provided. It saves on shipping, I suppose,
but it's VERY annoying to find a remote control with its lifetime battery
cemented inside (and the manufacturer ceased operation sometime
last decade). Or my Apple mouse that has a bad switch,but
it's plastic-welded together. Repair is 'unnecessary - just replace'. Bah!

When warranties are served by swapping subassemblies, some really ODD
decisions are made as to what options are available. I've seen a case
where a socketed fuse could only be replaced by swapping the power
supply. Other times, subassemblies left out cables or brackets or shields
that couldn't be found as separate parts at all. Some tired engineer,
finishing up the design, goofed the parts list. Or, failed to
specify what the subassembly includes. It never gets corrected.

An 'extended standard warranty' of five years on cars, is a guarantee that only the
dealerships will know the inner workings of that model, when it hits six years
of age. This hurts independent repair operations.

Internal part numbers: a part my refrigerator needed, was easily available
by its component-manufacturer part number, but permanently out-of-stock by the
refrigerator-manufacturer part number. The parts shop has no way of
supplying it except by refrigerator-manufacturer part number, because
they're the AUTHORIZED distributor and can't trust a search on the internet...
This is OK for independent repair operations, it just hurts the affiliates.

Fairy connectors: China passed laws when the number of incompatible cellphone
charging adaptors got too outrageous. Connectors break a LOT.
This mainly causes obsolescence because the manufacturers aren't good at
supplying compatible chargers to their old gizmos. I see the price, and never
want to buy that brand again...

 

[Jon Elson]

whit3rd wrote:

When warranties are served by swapping subassemblies, some really ODD
decisions are made as to what options are available. I've seen a case
where a socketed fuse could only be replaced by swapping the power
supply. Other times, subassemblies left out cables or brackets or
shields

Well, in many cases, a fuse is to prevent fire, AFTER a major component has
failed in a switching supply. Usually, more than one component is popped in
that case, so it is unlikely the average joe would have any luck repairing
it. And, you REALLY don't want to tempt people who might try to put in a
bigger fuse! Why the fuse was socketed, I don't know. But, my experience
with switching supplies is that the fuse REALLY RARELY blows due to surge
fatigue, it is usually after major failure.

Jon