Fred and Brenda Feldt were among the few electronic repair businesses left in the Central Valley. They say the struggle to keep up with the speed of technology and the size of TV's and parts forced them to retire early, and finally close up the family fixture in downtown Tulare.
After 59 years of tinkering with televisions in the South Valley Fred Feldt is finally pulling the plug on his business in downtown Tulare.
"I'll miss it, I'll miss the people, but it's time," Feldt said.
Over the weekend he and his wife Brenda cleared out the shop.
"I got rid of everything except this one tube here. It's the Haufman tube," said Feldt.
Feldt kept one part no longer used in repairs.
"When I was 13, I went to a convention with Haufman in Vegas that was an experiencing time," Feldt said.
As a reminder of Morgan Television Service, a business that was once a ubiquitous fixture in most neighborhoods, but have all but disappeared in an era when keeping up with technology can be a daunting task.
"In the old days you'd get out the service manual, trace out the trouble with a meter or scope, find the problem, order the part and then change it. Now the parts are so small, you can't change them; you can't even find them half the time." Feldt said.
Feldt tells Action News he first got started in the industry as a teen, carrying a caddie for the service men. That led to a full time gig as a repairman, and eventually to contracts with department stores like JC Penny, Sears and McMann's.
But what Feldt enjoyed most was the people.
Feldt plans to stay in the area, stopping by occasionally to say hello to the place he called home for so many years.
"I told the chamber of commerce if you see an old man walking around looking in the window don't call the cops, it's me. Laughs," Feldt said.
Feldt tells Action News friend purchased a few parts for around 45 bucks, but the rest of the equipment was either tossed or taken to a recycling center.
A reminder he says that we now live in the disposable age where it costs less to replace a TV than it does to repair it.
