How do you find your way here without having a problem with equipment first?

I'm not generally a smart aleck, but it seemed to me to be a good way to get some light attention to my first post. I prefer to avoid the boring thread titles when I post. I figure it's easier to find instead of searching through all the "HELP, MY TV BROKE!" threads.

I WILL be posting one of those threads, that's why I'm here. I'm no tech, I'm not even a novice. Electronics and I just usually don't get along ( ask my Sony receiver with the busted speaker balance circuit board ). I only had a light interest in soldering and electronics in high school. I am, in fact, an electronics hack. There, I said it. :dumbcrazy:

That said however, I'm never against learning or trying. I know my limits, but I want to undertstand the "why's" and "how's" instead of blindly going to a repairman and saying "fix it, it broken!"

I wish I had more interest in electronics repair instead of automotive repair ( my real hobby ). My grandfather owned and operated a small TV repair shop out in a tiny town in western MN until he was 88. He fell off the second rung of a ladder after installing an antennae for a nice lady in town and that was the end of it for him. He's 93 now and sharp as a tack. Love my grandpa! I however, never got any hands on from him in all the days I spent in his shop. I wish I had. Gotta be a decent side business for some of you guys picking up broken electronics off craigslist and reselling them for a small profit ( that is, if you have the gumption to do it after a day of staring at tiny solder points ).

I need a "guy" in electronics in my area. I can't seem to find him, though I'm sure he's out there somewhere ready to take my money and make me happy again.:wave:

See, I got this great deal on a rear projection TV ( haven't heard that line on this site EVER!, I'm sure of it! ) and after 3 months, I got it back and it's broken again. After calming down from seeing red, I decided to do some research and find out if this old TV is worth the trouble. I've already spent 350 getting the original problem fixed, and I think I probably paid more than I should have for the repair. I want to call the guy back and tell him what the new problem is, but have you ever drug an old Rear Projection screen out of a basement? Yikes!

So, I'm here on a fact gathering mission and I'm hoping/assuming I'll find them here. I may even stick around for a while and offer condolences to other TV owners that are fit to be tied over their TV viewing woes.:explode:

Cheers! Mike