Re: Repurposing TVs

In message <10hn322$1bvet$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me, Don Y snipped-for-privacy@foo.invalid writes

I'm using an old 24 inch Technika non smart TV as a computer monitor as we speak. It's at my holiday location, so I just leave it here with a mouse and a keyboard and bring along the box . It does the job

I'm always on the lookout at the local re-cycling for a bigger one ( but not too big) .

Brian

Maybe you're advertising 'free for pick-up' in the wrong places.

Never had that problem with TVs or microwave ovens with a free listing on Kijiji, but my location is central in a major metropolitan area with educational and imigrant populations.

This despite low cost availability from Goodwill, Sally Anne Thrift Stores or Value Village outlets. These are also good places to drop off unwanted, but working, consumer products.

RL

You don't 'have' to fix anything.

If someone resells it, what's it to you?

If it's not in land fill, the issue is solved.

RL

Why don't you sell them for *your* profit instead? Instead of offering them for free, offer them for some sum that covers your effort. That might be a low figure if you got the broken device for free, or depend on what parts and labour it needed.

If nobody buys, either you're doing something wrong (eg listing them in the wrong place), or the 'flippers' are adding some value to achieve a price more than you could (eg selling in a locations where there are more buyers). It may be that they are expending some effort to make sales where you can't, in which cane that's their value-add.

Or it could be that you aren't adding enough value to make it worth your while. In which case you have to put a value on how much you're willing to expend to keep the item from landfill (or being recycled).

Theo

Don, how do you happen to come across so many repairable TVs and other consumer electronics?

Prevented how?

Dump it into someone elses' trash can!

Some stores here, like BestBuy, accept used electronics.

We have our major dump hub on Tunnel Road that takes household trash, including electronics and paint and such.

John Larkin Highland Tech Glen Canyon Design Center Lunatic Fringe Electronics

isn't the old joke that you put something out on the street with a sign that says free it'll be there forever, if you put price tag on it no matter ho low, it'll be stolen in no time

And lighter.

I recently repaired a computer monitor. Opened it up, saw a bunch of swollen caps, replaced them with equivalent but higher temperature rated ones, closed it up, and of course felt very proud of myself.

It worked for six months, then something else went bad, so I junked it. Pride cometh before the fall.

Electronics is so cheap now there's not much incentive to fix it. Pretty reliable too.

There used to be TV repair shops. That's where I got started in electronics.

John Larkin Highland Tech Glen Canyon Design Center Lunatic Fringe Electronics

At least in the West, people are (relatively speaking) cash-rich and time-poor. If people are paid a decent amount, they can just click Buy Now on a website and get a new item delivered to their door for zero effort and a relatively modest amount of money. If they aren't well paid, they may be working so many hours that they don't have time to go foraging for used items - or they could be sick or some other reason that also makes that difficult.

That's why a big part of getting rid of these things is convenience: the item may be free, but there's a hassle-cost. For many people the hassle-cost isn't worth it.

Old IT gear is often power hungry and will eat up any savings in electricity cost. Better to buy new and save electricity for years than save a bit on an old one but commit yourself to a bigger monthly bill.

Big companies also aren't interested in used gear, especially buying from non-established stores (you need to be vetted to become an approved supplier, accept purchase orders and terms of payment are 60 days).

Given the current price of memory, there could be a bit of a relapse where running old servers with lots of DDR3 suddenly makes sense again, because the prices of DDR4 and DDR5 have gone crazy.

I would not be surprised if there are enterprising companies doing that. Could well imagine hospitals outfitted with hand-me-down kit, with local support staff to repair it.

Lack of software and security updates are troublesome for smartphones.

If you have a local homeless support organisation that could be a route - for folks who now have somewhere to live off the street, but it needs furnishing for no money. It would probably need some kind of electrical safety testing first. (it is not appreciated if you electrocute the client, even if the item was free)

It sounds like you need to go into business with some such people - you source the merchandise, they do the sales, you get a cut. The handling of 'returns' is just a cost of doing business.

The thing about e-waste is it's cheaper to make a new one that it is to dispose of the old one. That's why companies have to pay to dispose of electricals, and how this junk ends up at your door. The question is does it have enough residual value to make it worthwhile becoming non-junk? Otherwise you're just helping companies skip their obligations.

There's a reason why this stuff is here: supply > demand. You can work on the supply but you also need to generate the demand.

Theo

Don, roughly what is your failed TV diagnosis troubleshooting flowchart?

Do your repairs stick, or like in my experience, the fix only lasts a short while before something else breaks?

Don Y of the Bailey. Delightful!

That was my next question. In your experience in having seen many TVs at the rubbish tip, are there certain brands to avoid? Are there brands you rarely see with failures?