Licensing Computer Techs As TV Repairmen

An anonymous reader writes "According to a story in yesterday's New Orleans paper, the Louisiana Radio and Television Technicians Board has sent letters to computer techs demanding fees to license them as radio and TV repairmen. Apparently, as computers drive more home theater applications, the board is trying to classify them as 'playback and recording device equipment,' which the law gives the board power to regulate. It looks more like a money grab, though, since no test is required, just $55 and an affidavit." It seems to me the better question is not whether computers can be defined in many circumstances as playback and recording equipment (hard to get around), but whether this kind of forced classification makes sense in the first place. Disingenuous quote of the day: "We're not trying to swing our arm around a whole bunch of people to get new revenue."

Comments

Louisiana = Alabama

[Zaranne]

This is same sort of stupid stuff that Alabama pulls. They charge a licensing fee to sell calculators in the state. This is from a law made in the 1800's when cash registers were introduced. I think politicians thought "if it takes money, we should get some of it." They threw "them thar' cal-u-lating machines" in since they can be used to calculate money.

Re:Looks like a money grab to me

[LostCluster]

They all have a purpose...

Driving -- for the safety of the road. Those drivers who prove themselves unsafe are removed.
Marriage -- the license isn't as much a permission as a document proving it happened on the public record.
Fishing/hunting -- to count limit the number of people who do so. If requests outnumber the number of animals that are meant to be taken, they won't approve them all and/or stop issuing.

Re:isn't that against the law?

[Esion Modnar]

So how can a local government body issue people a license to repair lawbreaking equipment?

Same way they can demand you pay a tax on all the marijuana you (not you personally) sell. You can actually buy marijuana tax stamps, which you are required to place on all bags of the stuff.

Weird. "Put these stamps on all the bags of the stuff we'll send you to jail for if we catch you."

This is great.!!!!!!!!!

[YankeeInExile]

I have always heard rumors of Marijuana Tax Stamps and the like, so I did a little googling. Here's a random sample from Kansas:

Drug dealers, as defined above, are required by law to purchase tax stamps from the Department of Revenue's Business Tax Bureau (K.S.A. 79-5204). In order to protect against any possible violation of the self-incrimination constitutional protection, a dealer is not required to give his/her name or address when purchasing stamps and the Business Tax Bureau is prohibited from sharing any information relating to the purchase of drug tax stamps with law enforcement or anyone else

There is other text http://www.ksrevenue.org/faqs-abcdrugtax.htm for your amusement.

Re:I can't fix most TVs

[randyest]

Not having been anywhere the odious "source" of the grandparent poster's claim (thankfully,) I can only provide a cite to the contrary

CRT's (Cathode Ray Tubes) direct a beam of electrons at a thin layer of phosphor which coats the screen on your monitor. When the electrons strike the phosphor, shadow mask and other screen components, x-rays are produced. The amount and energy of the x-rays depends on the accelerating voltage. The relatively low voltages in CRT's (compared to commercial x-ray machines) means that relatively low quantities of low energy x-rays are produced and modern monitors are so well shielded, that there is no concern of being irradiated over time. Though it is possible for a damaged monitor to emit x-ray radiation, it is unlikely that harmful amounts will be released, and most x-rays would be directed towards the back or sides of the monitor. Any damage to the front of the CRT severe enough to increase x-ray emission would cause the CRT to implode.

Ya know, if you're smart enough to ignore this sort of stuff (or vain enough to try to correct them,) /. can be hilarious for the amazing level of confidence maintained by some while posting the most outrageous, usually unsupported, and sometimes unsupportable nonsense ever uttered.

Re:I can't fix most TVs

[Macgrrl]

When I used to work as an Apple Tech, is was rated to repair monitors (CRTs) and did.

Power fluctuations could cause the analog baords or the power supply boards on the CRT assembly to fail - usually if a capacitor overloaded. The Performa/PM 5200 model in particular was prone to these problems. In addition to replacing the faulty components, you would then have to 'configure' the display, aligning the image, keystone, etc...

Given most newer style digital displays allow you to play with the alignment controls through a control panel on the front of the device, you spend less time with the back off - but it wasn't always that way.

Re:I can't fix most TVs

[Lord Kano]

would you care to elaborate on what type of "improper" wiring will cause a CRT to emit X-rays

Just because YOU never heard of it, doesn't mean that it's not true.

Have a look at this.

When the electrons strike the phosphor, shadow mask and other screen components, x-rays are produced. The amount and energy of the x-rays depends on the accelerating voltage. The relatively low voltages in CRT's (compared to commercial x-ray machines) means that relatively low quantities of low energy x-rays are produced and modern monitors are so well shielded, that there is no concern of being irradiated over time.

This only applies when things are operating to spec, if some inept repairman steps up the accelerating voltage you will be exposed to X-Rays.

LK

Re:I can't fix most TVs

[Skuld-Chan]

If you increase a tv tube's anode past its specification (like 35,000 volts, when it requires 25,000 volts) it will emit xray's.