Tony Bingham MIET

02/05/2019

Long time since I posted so I bet everyone thought I had disappeared (Or hoping?). Part arrived for this 20 year old LG 32LG5700 today which restored it to full working order.

13/04/2019

Had a customer phone yesterday who was planning to travel from Nottingham to drop his tv into me for repair. Asking a few questions it became clear I could talk him through the method to unlock and reset the tv himself. Having emailed him step by step instructions I got a reply saying it had worked thanking me and saying.
`Dear Tony,

Many thanks for technical advice by telephone and your Email, concerning the 19" Panasonic LCD. I have carried out what you suggested and everything appears back to normal serviceability.

At the very least Tony, you have saved me having to buy a new TV. I have put a cheque in the post to you as a little thank you; I do appreciate you are running a business which you cannot operate on fresh air!

Thanks sincerely for your on-line advice and prompt reply through to resolution .....`.

Its unexpected thank you`s like this that make my job feel worthwhile.

10/04/2019

For the very first time I lost my patience with a customer over the phone this morning and told him where to go as my patience ran out with him. A foreign gent who would not listen when I explained I didnt do house calls and just work from home. `You come fix my 55" tv me not far away` over and over. He just would not listen so I feel I had no choice.

Definitely nothing to do with his nationality just the fact he was trying to get me to back down and change my working practices.

Anyone who knows me or I have done work for will know this is not the norm for me.

27/03/2019

Not even if I won the lottery but im sure someone out there will buy one.

Check out the new TV below! Video credit: CNET If you can remember a time when people in the neighborhood would share one television set because it was so rare or recall those times one had to fiddle with the antenna because the signal was weak, then your age is obviously showing. But the fact that....

24/03/2019

Interesting article in one of todays papers regarding software updates bricking equipment and who the responsibility falls on.

Unfortunately the article fails to take into account when customers accept to install these updates patience is a virtue as some can take some time to complete. Starting to update and then changing your mind, switching the tv off then on expecting it still to work is fatal and you will still miss that program you wanted t watch.

Please: If you accept to carry out the offered update it is important to let it complete.

15/03/2019

Had around 14 calls today from owners of Finlux, Toshiba, Hitachi, JVC & Digihome all manufactured by Vestel in Turkey with the complaint of switching on and off since yesterday. The problem is due to changes in the Freeview Play platform. This is their official `workaround` statement.

Statement from Vestel

There is currently a temporary issue with the provision of the Freeview Play service platform which may cause your TV to turn off unexpectedly. Please be aware that this is NOT an issue with the Television and is simply a short-term issue with the provision of the Freeview Play Service. Rest assured our dedicated technical teams are working around the clock to resolve this issue in the shortest time possible.

The issue can be rectified in the short term to restore the vast majority of the Television's functions by performing the following steps:

* Step 1: Turn off your wireless router, or disconnect the ethernet cable from your TV (whichever is applicable to how your TV connects to the internet)
* Step 2 - perform a First Time Installation on your TV, as if you were setting it up as new, taking care to decline the terms and conditions of the Freeview Play Service. Access to the first-time installation function is found by selecting the steps below:
* Menu>Settings>Installation>First Time Installation
* Once first-time installation has started, you should immediately turn your WIFI router back on, wait for it to connect to the internet, then resume setting up your TV as prompted.
This will mean that all the functions of the Television including both live and catch up services and all applications will function correctly. The only limitation is with the provision of Freeview Play Services.

You do not need to perform any further diagnostics, contact your support helpline or your retailer at this time. The issue will be resolved as soon as possible, and full service will be resumed.

14/03/2019

How times have changed when it comes to technology. Came across these old photo`s I took in 2003 whilst I was service manager at Lincoln Co-op. Nearly all crt tv`s and video recorders rather than lcd and dvd recorders back then....

03/03/2019

Been a while since I last posted but thought this real blast from the past may be of interest. A Roberts RT1 radio, purchased from Harrods, which was their first transistorised model released way back in 1957. Its now back working again running off my bench supply rather than a PP8 6V battery which now cost around £15 each 62 years on.

19/02/2019

Managed to source and get the parts required to repair this oldish Ferguson badged tv which is now up and running again.

16/02/2019

Yes I am old enough to remember this. :-)

08/02/2019

A couple of this weeks repairs. A Blaupunkt 32" which came in stuck on standby and a Bush LED24 with only a pulsing power light. Both repaired and collected.

26/01/2019

A couple more of this weeks repairs. A Bush 32" with no Freeview reception and a Hitachi 22" which arrived totally dead. Both repaired and already collected by the customers.