Ebay madness

From: Russ Blakeman <rhblake_at_bigfoot.com>
Date: Sun Aug 5 14:17:17 2001

Absolutely in agreement there - even though you may not always have the time
to fix these machines right away, many of the older ones require component
level repair to keep them going. I can easily locate a board for my 9595
server and chuck the bad one but if my Osborne goes belly-up it's time to
dig out the scope, soldering iron, etc and replace the affected part(s).

Radio, including CB and amateur, also require this knowledge unless you're
loaded (either monetarily or mentally) and can dump a fried transciever and
buy a new(er) one. I kind of like the challenge in locating and then
haggling out a replacement tube for my older linear amp...builds character
and I have been able to reciprocate the favor (in computer parts) for the
ones I get the tubes from in mant cases.

That's why it's a HOBBY - it's what yu want to do and you do it because you
want to learn. Anyone know a person that has a model building hobby that
doesn't know how to (or want to) use glue? Not likely I'm sure. Even museums
that display mechanical or electrical items will try to restore an item to
working condition, and fake it if the item isn't worth it. The Museum of
Science & Industry in Chicago had a radio/TV exhibit years ago and they had
a 75% total of working equipment and 20% others that had been modified to
seem that they were working (ie speaker input and lights from a source under
the table that held the radio). The others were in prime condition
physically and were there for the visual appeal, and were non-working.

-> -----Original Message-----
-> From: owner-classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org
-> [mailto:owner-classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org]On Behalf Of Tony Duell
-> Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2001 12:54 PM
-> To: classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org
-> Subject: Re: Ebay madness
->
->
-> > I'm not above a bit of soldering to repair a system either.
-> But then I'm
-> > not going to make it my lifelong ambition to buy/acquire dead
-> machines with
-> > a view to repairing them. Life's too short, and besides, I'm a
-> klutz with a
-> > soldering iron...
->
-> This is an atitude that I can't seem to agree with... To me, part of the
-> computer collecting hobby is repairs/restorations. It wouldn't
-> be so much
-> fun if you didn't have to get inside the machines and fix them.
->
-> And how can life be too short for a hobby? A hobby, surely, is what you
-> do because you enjoy it ;-)
->
-> -tony
->
Received on Sun Aug 05 2001 - 14:17:17 BST