Take the TV, and tell the owner you know "someone" who's good with electronics who might be able to fix it. Fix it yourself and tell him your "buddy" did it, so you won't get the rep as the repair guy. How's that sound?
Originally posted by: Modelworks
Here is the situation. I live in an apartment that has a lot of elderly people living here. I'm probably the youngest at 39. The guy next door it 75+ and just got home from the hospital after being in for 2 weeks. Some of the residents know I worked with electronics in the past , I helped most of them through the DTV transistion with antennas, etc. So one of them knocks on my door yesterday and ask me to check my neighbors tv. I go and it is an old 19" tv. It is dead, outlet good, checked all the normal stuff. I tell him it is best to get a new tv, this one was made in 1990. He sighs, he doesn't have the money and it will be another month or more before he can afford one, he thanks me anyway, and I leave.
It has been nagging me since yesterday. The man lives alone, no family visits, and without his tv basically just sits looking out his back patio window. I worked for GE/RCA from 1996-2000 as an electrical engineer and worked on designs of many of the sets of the time so I can with about 99% certainty fix his. The issue though is that the old people around here talk, and they talk a lot. I'm afraid to fix his set because if I do I could be bombarded with repair request, people bringing me every little thing that breaks. I'm tender hearted and would probably say yes to people to fix something even if I didn't really want to.
I already have to do about 2-3 visits to homes a week for DTV related stuff. It isn't that I don't want to help , but I also don't want to be the goto guy for everything.
So what would you do, fix the guys tv, or pass on it ?
Originally posted by: darkxshade
Originally posted by: JS80
Originally posted by: darkxshade
Originally posted by: JS80"Hi neighbor, my buddy was throwing this out, and I told him I know someone might be able to use it. It's not much but it's bigger than that 19" you had. Do you want it?" I wouldn't expect OP to "show off" and be like "look I'm a baller I bought you a tv just cuz i can."
Next question?
Won't stop the guy from telling others and soon enough, people will be asking him what else he's throwing away.
I guess what he could do is just put the TV on his doorstep, knock on the door and hide, then deny he was the one who bought it for him if asked.
Yea that's a stretch, and I had a feeling you would come back with it. But you already had the answer I had ready (leave anonymously on doorstep)
I'm not trying to deny the old man a free TV but I've dealt with my share of old people and in some cases, the best solution is to remain completely anonymous if you're going to be generous but want to be left alone.
Originally posted by: Mr Smiley
Originally posted by: darkxshade
I'm not trying to deny the old man a free TV but I've dealt with my share of old people and in some cases, the best solution is to remain completely anonymous if you're going to be generous but want to be left alone.
My experience with old people is completely reversed. I find that they are too stubborn and proud to accept anything from the younger generation.
Originally posted by: JS80
"Hi neighbor, my buddy was throwing this out, and I told him I know someone might be able to use it. It's not much but it's bigger than that 19" you had.
"Hi neighbor, my buddy was throwing this out, and I told him I know someone might be able to use it. It's not much but it's bigger than that 19" you had. Do you want it?"
Originally posted by: JaYp146
Get him a nice/cheap TV via Craigslist for $20.
Originally posted by: Baked
How are you an EE and live in an apt complex with poor old people? It doesn't make any sense. You should've told everybody in the apt complex you're a janitor so they can all fuck off and leave you alone. When you tell people you know to how fix shit, they'll latch onto you forever.
Originally posted by: Modelworks
Thanks for all the responses. It really did help me to decide. I checked craigs list, but its a rural area and not many prospects close by. So I decided to fix it.
I went over and brought the tv home, told him I couldn't promise anything but would take a look. The set was a really old design, back when they used B+ for everything and the entire board is hot. To those not in the know, B+ supplies in tv are when they convert the AC to straight DC then use the flyback transformer, sort of like a switching power supply used in a pc power supply, not used in later models because it is dangerous to work on, most of the board is at 165VDC+. The flyback transformers solder joints were cracked, so I re-soldered and his tv is now working. There is some slight burn in on the tv because the screen was turned up on the flyback, no idea why, just was. Still it has a good picture for a 20 year old tv.
He was happier than I have seen someone in a long time. He told me we would just keep it between us, but I kind of expect it to get out. Hopefully it won't be too bad with people wanting stuff fixed. I got called over to another apartment when I was coming back to mine from his, lady had a dvd player she couldn't connect to the tv, and so it begins .
Originally posted by: Modelworks
Thanks for all the responses. It really did help me to decide. I checked craigs list, but its a rural area and not many prospects close by. So I decided to fix it.
I went over and brought the tv home, told him I couldn't promise anything but would take a look. The set was a really old design, back when they used B+ for everything and the entire board is hot. To those not in the know, B+ supplies in tv are when they convert the AC to straight DC then use the flyback transformer, sort of like a switching power supply used in a pc power supply, not used in later models because it is dangerous to work on, most of the board is at 165VDC+. The flyback transformers solder joints were cracked, so I re-soldered and his tv is now working. There is some slight burn in on the tv because the screen was turned up on the flyback, no idea why, just was. Still it has a good picture for a 20 year old tv.
He was happier than I have seen someone in a long time. He told me we would just keep it between us, but I kind of expect it to get out. Hopefully it won't be too bad with people wanting stuff fixed. I got called over to another apartment when I was coming back to mine from his, lady had a dvd player she couldn't connect to the tv, and so it begins .
Originally posted by: darkxshade
Originally posted by: Mr Smiley
Originally posted by: darkxshade
I'm not trying to deny the old man a free TV but I've dealt with my share of old people and in some cases, the best solution is to remain completely anonymous if you're going to be generous but want to be left alone.
My experience with old people is completely reversed. I find that they are too stubborn and proud to accept anything from the younger generation.
I guess that's one difference between Asian and white elders? I know if you tell old asian folk that they're giving out free ____ @ ____, they will swarm there in droves.