How Does One Go About Becoming A "Qualified" Technician

[£¢$¥]

I think that I know the answer to this question, but after fixing another
television set in the impromptu work area in a spare bedroom this weekend, I
got to thinking: "How do electronics repair technicians get their
experience?" Then I asked myself, "Is there such thing as a qualified
technician, and if so, how do they go about getting qualified?"

I think the answer to the first question is that younger or less-experienced
technicians are mentored by a more experience technician. Please correct me
if this is wrong.

I don't know the answer to the second question. Does one attend training at
Thompson Consumer Electronics University or take overpriced courses at ITT
to learn how to fix consumer electronics?

Personally, I find that many of the free forums in the internet help me
greatly, plus I have a book entitled "Repairing Consumer Electronics Without
A Schematic" that has a lot of good hints.

Thanks for any insights you have!!

Bob F.

 

[Art]

Ambiguous question, the post should request a tech for Consumer Electronics,
Computer Repair, Etc. ITT is a very good starting position for the young
person wanting to become an Electrical Engineer specializing in Computer
Based Applications, Repairs, Etc. Many high scoring ITT students are granted
very nice employment locations while still finishing their studies.<

Generally most technicians grandfathered into the trade, training under

either a parent, uncle, etc who was probably a radioman in the military and
continued his trade in the consumer field when leaving the service.<

Years ago many of the manufacturers, RCA, Zenith, Magnavox, Motorola, Etc

had seasonal training seminars at their locations through the US.
Technicians would go to these seminars and be gives a certificate of
completion in training on these specific products. That soon ended as the
manufacturers first started looking more at the profit margin than at
consumer satisfaction. Another thing that quashed that procedure is the fact
that there are no American {US} manufacturers of Consumer Electronic
Devices.<

CET, Certified Electronic Technicians are those folk that have taken a

rather comprehensive theory and practical test prescribed by that particular
forum.<

Computer Technicians also have a large gambit of certifications available

from either the manufacturers of the devices or the producers of the
software applications. Microsoft has their niches, as does Cirtix, etc.
Depending on specifically what the person wants to be "qualified' in doing.<

Currently to become an electronic technician one will need to go to a

reputable school to learn the basics about safety, theory, and
troubleshooting procedures. then probably go through at least 2 to 4 years
in on the job training, being mentored, as you put it, by folk that have
gone down the road before. Some of us have been doing this for a couple of
decades, myself since '62. Bit snowy on the top but the gears still grind in
sequence. Newer technology requires one to learn not only the theory and
processes of the radio, televisions, and vcrs but also the computer
compassing the mpus, eproms, data, and clock transfer, etc. The old line of
thumping on the tubes and changing the one that sparked does not hold true
any more!! <

Personally my advice is to go to a good school, ITT is one highly

recommended. Spend the time there learning the material and it's
applications. The extra activities are ok but not the pre-operative. Then
go for the best paying positionoffered within your specific line of
interest.

 

[£¢$¥]

Great answer! Its too bad that the manufacturers don't care anymore. I've
been working as an EE with embedded systems for the last 14 years and only
recently have become interested in fixing all of the broken consumer
electronics that me and my family have been collecting during that period.
My consensus is that the cost of training to become a technician has
effectively been pushed onto the aspiring technician. A year's tuition at
ITT is around $18K here in San Antonio,Texas. That's a lot of broken
televisions to repair.

I found that in studying engineering, the main emphasis was on theory. In
one of my electronics courses, we spent two or three classes going over the
"diode equation", then we had a test on it. But none of my professors
discussed how to identify, for example, the working voltage of a zener from
the obscure manufacturer's markings. The only practical knowledge, the type
used to troubleshoot non-working circuits, was barely taught in a few
laboratory exercises.

It appears to me that practical electronic troubleshooting knowledge is now
primarily to be found in various forums on the Internet. The good aspect of
this is that its freely available. The bad aspect is that we get what we
pay for, and the knowledge is spotty and recommended fixes for various
problems is rarely followed up by feedback.

Excelsior!

 

[Art]

Exactly: much of the expense can only be recouped by grabbing the high
paying positions when they come available. After taking a look at the
courses offered by ITT and many local colleges it appears that almost all of
them are pre-requisites for an extensive E/E degree hopefully with
endorsements. $48k for a 3 year associates in E/E needs to have a definitive
commitment to go on from there with one's studies and be capable of assuming
that amount of fiscal layout. The consumer electronics service is quickly
becoming an orphan, under fed and definately under compensated. BTW I find
that theory is not all that bad but seeing the stuff in actual applications
is much more rewarding. Theory comes in when we attempt to understand why it
failed when the consumer subjected it to excessive humidity, thermal
pressure, or physical stess. <

 

[Bob Monaghan]

probably one of the better options has been taking up amateur radio as
part of the Electronics Engineering training program. I got perfect grades
in my M.S. in telecom, largely due to a background in amateur radio and
microcomputers. You can do a lot of building and experimenting with many
forms of electronics, and run into exactly the kind of people and mentors
you are looking for in the process ;-)

I also have the CET (journeyman in computer electronics); there are some
study guides, but I have gotten rather more out of a series of hands-on
courses from heathkit (surplused by our local shop when they went under
many years ago) in a variety of topics. The older guides to getting Second
Class Radiotelephone and First Class radiotelephone also had some useful
theory plus how to test ideas, most of the later guides were Q&A, less
useful IMHO. [I have the FCC General R/T and Second Telegraph Licenses]

You can also build up a lot of stuff from the right books, see for example
http://people.smu.edu/arc/booktopics.html (many of those are on-loan from
my library to our local campus radio club). Nuts and Volts (I have the
august 2004 issue on Hugo Gernsback in front of me) is one of the few
electronics construction mags left ;-( The british Electronics and
Wireless World has a lot of advanced hobbyist projects, mostly test gear.

As for repairing consumer electronics, that isn't the place to really make
$$ these days, due to modular and low cost of most consumer gear (e.g.,
under $50 VCRs and $100 TVs etc.). Most repair businesses need to charge
$75/hr and up for their facilities and labor and overhead etc. - or more!
Most of the folks doing this as a sideline work on one kind of item (e.g.,
repairing computer monitors) to minimize inventory costs and test gear
needed, but it is still expensive to setup (esp. if you have to buy a lot
of SAMS photofacts on different models of equipment for servicing ;-)

If I were going to do some servicing on the side, I would probably look at
something like pro photo strobe repairs, a niche, but with lots of out of
warranty strobes costing over $100, and most repairs relatively simple
such as bad capacitor or battery, the costs for setting up are modest.

Another local fixes a particular brand of popular shortwave tube radios,
with the needed spares, manuals, older (cheap) test gear, and so on. His
rework cost ($150 plus parts) is close to what these radios sell for used,
but he brings them up to full spec. and fixes many design problems with
various updates and mods ;-) Again, the key is niche market, limiting
costs of test gear, parts, and manuals, and enough value added to be worth
the costs to many owners/users.

hth - good luck! bob monaghan

 

[Ken G.]

I dont think becoming a tech for consumer electronics is a good idea .
Things are fast becoming throw away and cheap costing new with the
acception of big tv sets but those are very high tech to work on and
tech suport is horrible in many cases . Plasma tv sets are mostly board
level replacement , camcorders are to small to work on now .
If you like electronics you should go for medical or industreal
equipment where you get payed good for the work . get ready for some
very tough math though .

 

[Lionel]

Kibo informs me that [email protected] (Ken G.) stated that:

I dont think becoming a tech for consumer electronics is a good idea .
Things are fast becoming throw away and cheap costing new with the
acception of big tv sets but those are very high tech to work on and
tech suport is horrible in many cases . Plasma tv sets are mostly board
level replacement , camcorders are to small to work on now .

Yep. That said, there are plenty of manufacturers who employ factory
tech's.

If you like electronics you should go for medical or industreal
equipment where you get payed good for the work . get ready for some
very tough math though .

I racked up quite a few years as a field service tech repairing office
equipment, such as fax machines, computers, copiers, etc. It's a lot
easier than medical gear, & if you work for a good company, it's a
pretty good job.

 

[Dan Fraser]

First you start with a passion for technology, a wilingness to jump into
something new everyday and a desire to not make a lot of money. Took me 20
years to crack the $35K level.

 

[Herbert West]

First you start with a passion for technology, a wilingness to jump into
something new everyday and a desire to not make a lot of money. Took me 20
years to crack the $35K level.

Heh. Took me almost the same time. The big difference came when I
realised my own worth, quit working for "the man," took an accounting
of my skills and experience, and went into business for myself.
Because I'd done so many different things over the decades, I
aggressively took on consult work in the areas that I excelled in and
that which liked best. Since I never signed any restrictive contracts
with previous employers, when I went independent, I stole contracts
out from under them. I could afford to work for less while netting
more because none of the money I earned went to me and my shop - not
to overpriced (mis)management types and flunkey stockholders. And
with no management to hold me back by dictating what my job was
supposed to be, I could concentrate on that which paid most and
interested me more.

Then again... I was experienced and aggressive. I put many more hours
and gallons more sweat in as an independent than I did whilst working
as a wire-jockey for somebody else. But then, I liked what I was
doing and it was worth it to me. YMMV.

I'm A CET, with CompTIA A+, Network+, INet+ certifications and I'm
(almost) entirely self-taught. The only technical training I had was
in the Navy - Basic Electricity and Electronics (4 mo.) and Interior
Communications Electrician "A" (3 months). Again, YMMV. One of the
main reasons I got business was that my clients already knew me and my
work record.

 

[mg]

4 years of study, from the basics to industrial electronics. After a long 4
years I gained my Certificate in Consumer and Industrial Electronics.
Then 40 years of servicing practically everything from X-ray machines,
colour TVs, analogue and digital musical instruments and Computers.
There is money to be made if you work for yourself, however, when you get
sick the money stops.
And of course there are your friends who ghawd luvem want you to fix their
gear for nothing - my fee for them a 750ml of Baileys hehe!
More money to be made in computer networking.
As we know this is the age of throw away electronics, who would bother
trying to fix a crook PC motherboard?

Good luck
Mg