Repairing PCWs as a paying hobby
Index
I spent many years repairing all models of PCW until I moved into smaller accomodation, but simply don't have any working space now. I still retain a PCW8512 fitted with switchable 3.5" drives as well as the 3" drives and use it for experimenting with PCW software.
Provided you can get spare parts, of which more later, repairing PCWs is not a difficult undertaking due to their modular construction and can be very rewarding. Even today many people rely on their PCW, not feeling capable of learning the intricacies of a PC or simply because the PCW does all they need. Others like me, although having a PC, still keep a PCW for word processing and hobby reasons.
When starting a PCW repair business it is a good plan to specialise in only one or two models to start with. I suggest the PCW8256/8512 and the PCW9512 unless you have a different model which you know better. The models I suggest are most common. As experience increases, or when asked, other models can be added. Repairing PCWs, or any "classic" computer is a different proposition from repairing modern PCs. A row of, say PCW8512s on a bench will look the same and will have, maybe with minor variations, the same innards and this goes for all the other models including the PcW16. On the other hand a row of Pentium300s can not only look different, one from another, but have a wide variety of components installed.
PCW repairs need few tools and if you do any minor home or car repairs you will probably have most of them already.
You may seldom need to use the soldering iron but it's good to have one handy.
PC spares and software depreciates over a relatively short space of time, whereas PCW spares and software are likely to retain or increase their value over time. However, this isn't true of complete machines which can be difficult to dispose of. Not many people will pay large sums of money for a PCW today unless they are already a PCW user or enthusiast. This may change as PCWs get scarcer. A good way to get PCW spares is to look out at jumble sales, car boots, local auctions (not computer auctions) and even the municipal tip, where machines or part machines can be obtained very cheaply. If you advertise locally and keep your eyes and ears open there may well be people prepared to give you their old, maybe non-working PCW instead of taking it to the tip. Non-working machines can be harvested for spares. If you have the space it's best to keep the monitors, printers and keyboards as units, only cannibalising them as required. If you don't you'll have to make boxes to keep fragile parts safe. I found it best when I obtained a machine to check it out, get it working if possible then affix a sticky label giving relevant details of condition, place and date of origin.
This is OK for obtaining larger spares such as drives, cpu and power boards, cathode ray tubes, cases, etc., but spares which commonly wear out or damage such as drive belts and armatures (hammers) for the daisywheel printer can be bought new. These can be bought cheaply from John King (see the link to his website) or Ian Studley. If you're stuck for a particular spare there are several other sources mentioned on my website or elsewhere on the internet.
PCW spares from CPC of Preston.
Up to a year ago I ran a credit card account with CPC ( Combined Precision Components plc.) who bought all of Amstrad's PCW stock when Amstrad stopped supporting the PCW range, and they supplied an enormous catalogue with weekly updates and special offer free of charge. I found CPC's mail order service excellent; an order placed before about 3pm one day would usually be delivered the next day. Orders over £30 in value were delivered post free. Of course I don't know if these conditions still apply; check on their website for details. From them I used to buy :-
Unfortunately, in my opinion, most of the larger components for the PCW such as keyboards, printers etc. were far too expensive to be viable but you may not agree. At the moment their online catalogue on the CPC website is not available, but I hope that it will reappear soon.
How I ran my repairs operation
You will find your own way to operate; I can only tell you mine. As far as possible I tried to work at home on my workbench and normally expected customers to bring their machines to me. I tried not to work with customers present but preferred them to return for their machine. In some cases, when dealing with a disabled customer, I would either do the repair at the customer's home if it was something simple or take the machine back to my workbench. In this case I charged for my car mileage but made no call-out charge. If a customer had to come an appreciable distance I would try to persuade them to accept a reconditioned replacement machine in exchange. If they didn't want to do this I would ask them to go shopping or something for an hour or so whilst I repaired their machine.
Repairs to customer's machines on this basis simply comprised diagnosing the fault and replacing the faulty component as a complete unit; ie a drive, CPU or power board etc. and rarely took more than an hour. If detailed work needed doing, such as replacing memory chips this would be done separately, the board checked and put into store. In particular, faults in power boards are difficult to diagnose and repair and since power boards are easy to find as they seldom fail, about the most I have done is to check them and replace a fuse. Unless you are an electronics whizz-kid you'd do well to leave them alone as they can give a nasty shock.
As well as repairing complete machines, for about ten years I used to supply spares, complete with installation instructions and can't remember any customer who was unable to complete the repair successfully, which says something for the quality of my installation instructions and spares. These same repair instructions are available for copying or printing out in the Repairs section of my website. Feel free to use them as you like; I no longer claim the copyright.
I used a working machine as a testbench. For example if I wanted to test a component I would plug it into the test machine in place of the original component then run a series of tests as follows. I used PCW Checkup, which I believe can still be supplied by SD Microsystems. This tests drives, memory, display, printer, keyboard, even a hard drive if you have one.
When testing drives I wouldn't always fit the drive fully but would support it by the side of the machine. I used to keep machines, a PCW8512, a PCW 9512 and a PCW9512+ as test machines. These machines were partly dismantled with cables for the drives leading outside the machines for quick testing of drives. Whether a drive worked or not I would always fit it with a new drive belt before testing. Daisywheel printers were likewise routinely fitted with a new armature, the part that fails most often.
I believe that rigorous testing is essential when offering a repair service. If I sent goods by post I used to mark them in some indelible way. I valued my reputation. Goods need to be very carefully packed to withstand the rigours of carriage, and I used to make suitable boxes for drives, circuit boards etc. and line them with foam rubber cut from blocks bought cheaply from a market stall. The boxes were made from grocery boxes obtained from a supermarket, with the inside out to present a plain surface. Bubblewrap was also harvested from the fruit section of the same store. Every little helps!.
In the documents in the Repairs section I have outlined how to work over a soft cloth etc. but here I want to tell you my philosophy when investigating any mechanism I've never seen before. Before starting I make sure that I have paper and pencil so that I can make notes or sketches as I proceed. Then I examine the device carefully to try to find out how it comes apart. If there are external screws these are the obvious things to try first but with plastic parts designers always attempt to hide connecting clips to present a clean exterior. Experience can be gained over time as to typical methods of clipping parts together. If examination fails to reveal anything a sharp-bladed knife crefully inserted into a joint may give a clue as to how the casing opens, but I don't use much force. One second of impatience can cause much waste of time in effecting repairs.
Having opened up the casing I again examine the mechanism to attempt to find where the fault lies. I always try to keep dismantling to the minimum and a little thought can save a lot of work. Before dismantling anything I make notes and drawings to assist in reassembly. It's very tempting to think that I can remember how things go together but it's amazing how what looks like a simple mechanism can develop into a Chinese puzzle. In any case the notes can be written up later and filed for future reference. This is how I developed the instructions for repairs on this website; when I subsequently need to repeat a repair I always refer constantly to my instruction sheet. It saves a lot of time.
If I buy something new I never attempt to take it apart unless it goes wrong and the guarantee has expired but whenever I have got hold of an old PCW or other piece of kit, I can never resist finding out what makes it tick, and after playing with it for a while to find out what it can do I take it apart to have a look inside. In these cases I use a technique which I call "advance and retreat". I will take the device apart until I start to feel uneasy then I will put it together again and make sure it works. Then I take it back to the point at which the dismantling ceased but go a bit further. In this way I reinforce my understanding of how the device comes apart and also maybe gain some insight into how it works and different ways of tackling repairs. This is how I found out how to dismantle amd reassemble the PCW16 and was able to write out the account on this website. Eventually I was able to remove each part separately and examine it out of the case.
When I first started repairing PCWs I admit that I made mistakes, but over time I got my act together and take pride in the fact that I helped so many people, made many friends and enjoyed the work.
I used Post Office letter mail to despatch spares up to 1kg, and sometimes up to as much as 2kg. and found the service very good. I never took out insurance on this service but always filled in a free proof of posting form and got it stamped as a receipt. When a proof of posting form is used the letter or parcel has to be passed across the counter for posting which gives greater security. Paying postage entitles one to some insurance if things go astray or are damaged.
For larger parcels I used ParcelForce, but here the story is very different. I have had a lot of problems with this service and from John King's website, I understand that he has too. Nevertheless they are convenient as packages can be left at any post office. I recommend always taking out insurance with this service and making sure that the packing is several times stronger than it need be. I have had to make several claims on ParcelForce for goods lost or damaged. The problem with this is that it is difficult to put the correct price on PCW items. On paper their value may be small, but if your customer doesn't get his goods and you don't have replacements you can soon be out of pocket on time and packing.
Getting compensation from ParcelForce is difficult and they have a number of dirty tricks which they use regularly. One needs to be very direct when dealing with ParcelForce and one ploy is to make it clear that you hold the person dealing with your claim personally responsible for settling your claim in reasonable time and procrastination will lead to a strong letter to the highest authority. Therefore some PCW suppliers don't like to send goods by ParcelForce and use other carriers.
Pricing is always a difficult problem which only you can determine. You have to decide how much your time is worth. Don't start with prices that are too low. It is easier to lower than raise prices. Start from the premise that you want to give a first-class not a cut price service and consider giving some sort of guarantee. An idea of current prices can be obtained by visiting websites which specialise in PCW spares and services such as John King's, Pinboard Computers, SD Microsystems, Locoscript Software and the many others on the PCW Today website. I think that John's prices are far too low, but that's his business. On the other hand the prices charged by some commercial repairers makes me blink. Does anybody pay these prices?
Generally payment for goods sent by post was by cheque. When I received the cheque I would send out the spare ASAP often the same day, as I knew that my customer's machine was down. In many years of trading I never had a dud cheque. However I advise you not to send out goods before you receive the cheque. With the best of intentions people's memory seems to desert them once the vital spare has arrived. Still, I always got the money in the end. The vast majority of people are honest.
If you think you'd like to try your hand at repairing PCWs, selling PCW spares and software, or offering other services, take plenty of time to assess your market. If you decide to have a go, I'll gladly put your details on my website.
Ron King
Email.... Ron@king27.freeserve.co.uk