💡 The Mixer, My Grandfather, and the Looming Crisis of Unfixable Electronics

My weekend project—a powered mixer for a friend—was a powerful, hands-on lesson in the changing nature of electronics and the fight for the Right to Repair.

For a friend, I made an exception to my usual “no bench work” rule. The diagnosis was classic: a blown channel, likely from speakers incorrectly wired in parallel. Instead of a minimal patch job, I opted for a full refurbishment, the way I was taught: new, high-quality Panasonic FC caps and fresh, matched transistors. A labour of love, not profit.

The true difficulty wasn’t the soldering; it was the manufacturer. My simple request for a 25-year-old service manual was flat-out denied. They are for “authorized repair depots only.”

This experience, though successful for my friend, crystallized a serious concern: we are rapidly entering a world of unservicable, unfixable electronics.

The Three Costs of Non-Repairability

The Cost of Time, Parts, and Labor:

I spent far more on parts, time, and labour than the powered mixer is worth on the used market. This is the reality of non-authorized repair—every component decision, every circuit trace, becomes a painstaking reversal of proprietary design. It was a labour of friendship, but it’s an impossible model for a business.

How can an electronics business operate today when manufacturers actively make repairs slow, opaque, and expensive?

The Environmental Cost (E-Waste):

When repair becomes economically or technically impossible, replacement is the only option. This fuels a massive surge in electronic waste (e-waste). That 25-year-old mixer, which is now ready for another decade of service thanks to a few dollars in components, would otherwise have been destined for the landfill. Denying access to manuals is effectively an enforced, premature death sentence for functional equipment.

The Loss of a Craft and a Livelihood:

My grandfather fixed electronics for 60 years. His profession, and the fundamental consumer assumption that “if it’s broken, it can be fixed,” is being systematically dismantled. The miniaturization, the proprietary software locks, and the refusal to share documentation are creating a technical barrier that few independent technicians can overcome.

The Hope in Right to Repair

My frustration is why the global Right to Repair movement is so critical. This isn’t just about saving money; it’s about:

Ownership: When we buy a product, we should own it—and the right to repair it, or have it repaired by whomever we choose.

Sustainability: Extending the lifespan of devices is the most effective form of recycling.

Competition: Allowing independent repair shops to thrive fosters competition, lowers costs, and drives innovation in repairability.

Legislative movements are gaining ground across North America and Europe, pushing manufacturers to release documentation, tools, and parts. It’s a fight to preserve the longevity of our technology and the expertise of those who can fix it.

For now, the mixer is singing again—a testament to what can be done with skill and dedication. But the struggle to keep 25-year-old gear alive is a clear warning sign for the future of new equipment.