Hello, faithful blog readers! We’re bringing back a blog series from a few years ago: ShopJimmy Featured Technician! (Hence my clever title.) We’re going to try to make this a regular thing, so if you want your shop to get the ShopJimmy treatment, let us know!

Location: Carlsbad, New Mexico

Years in business: 2.5 years young

TV brands serviced: Samsung, Toshiba, LG, Sharp, Sony, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Philips, Funai, Orion, Panasonic, Yamaha, Syntechs (Vizio), Sears/KMart, Walmart/Sam’s Club, NEW, Nexicore, NSA, Assurant, Warrantech, Aarons, Service Net, Captovis.

We will work on anything — smartphones, tube radio’s, slot machines, video games.

Words of wisdom (TV repair or business related): The customer is always right even when they’re not, which is almost always!

Favorite TV repair story: After getting a 7 year old DLP set covered under warranty, the customer slathered his race car with our logo and phone number in HUGE letters and numbers!!

A guy pulled me over asking about the lettering on my truck. I said it says “TV repairs.” He asked, “What kind of TVs do you work on?” I said, “The kind that plug into the wall.”

What kind of TV do you have in your living room? Samsung 50″ LCD

Favorite TV show or movie? Star Wars, Futurama, King of the Hill, Breaking Bad, Walking Dead [Chris' note: Our customers have such excellent taste.]

What sets you apart from other TV repair techs? We are honest, reliable, always try to get the repair done right as quickly as possible.

Anything else you want to add? I worked for General Motors at Cadillac for 20 years and Saturn for 6 years. I got a lot of tech training from Caddy, and the customer satisfaction training Saturn provided was second to none in the industry. I try to bring those technical and customer support values learned into my company. Little things like removing your shoes going into a customers house, or just showing up on time as promised, and conducting yourself professionally go a long way in those customers recommending you as a repair center.

“Free 2-day delivery? I’ll dance at your next wedding for that!” – Carroll W.

Due to popular demand, we now sell both DLP lamps with housing and bare (bulb only) lamps for 100′s of DLP TV models! These bare lamps, like their “with housing” counterparts, are OEM-compatible, rated for 6,000 hours, and backed with a one-year warranty. In most cases, the wire harness is not included.

Anyway, many of our DLP bare lamps are on sale this week (5/8/12 – 5/15/12) for only $46! After the sale, we’ll have great bulk pricing options available.

2*

*The maximum number of business days it will take for your ShopJimmy order to arrive at your doorstep for FREE!

That’s right, folks, we’re now shipping every domestic order — regardless of order total, TV parts, or location — free 2-day delivery. It’s all part of our ultimate commitment to be your #1 TV parts supplier and make you happy!

If you’re within two days ground shipping from Minneapolis, MN, we’ll ground ship your order for free. If you’re outside of that area (we’re lookin’ at you, East and West Coasters!), we’ll ship your ShopJimmy order 2-day delivery for free.

Easy enough? Or as Jimmy says, “Cool? Cool.”

This globe we inhabit is unbelievably cool. For instance…

So, you’d imagine — given what we do (hint: recycle a lot of e-waste) — that we get a little upset when we read things like this recent BBC article documenting e-waste in China. Don’t assume, however, that it’s just a regional issue. It’s a international problem. Did you know that we throw away around 350,000 cell phones a day in the US?

Help us thwart the perpetuation of careless e-waste. If you have any old electronics that you’re tempted to toss, use this EPA resource to find a recycling center near you.

Happy Earth Day!

DLP chips are pretty popular these days. Heck, they even help fight cancer! This doesn’t necessarily mean, however, that they are a cure-all for your DLP TV problems. Looking to get some more information on this TV part, I talked to Randy, our resident DLP guru. This is what I found out:

How often do DLP chips go bad?

Surprisingly, it’s pretty rare. It’s much more likely that your color wheel or lamp is going to go before your DLP chip does.

What are the most common causes of DLP malfunction?

In most cases, it’s just dust or general household debris sneaking through the vents in your TV and settling in the most inconvenient areas possible. It’s important to know that DLP chips are made out of hundreds and hundreds of micro-mirrors, making them impossible to individually polish.

How difficult is it to install a new DLP chip?

Initial installation is pretty easy. Basically, you’re just unscrewing a brace and popping the chip out and replacing it with the new one and screwing it down. The tough part comes with the calibration. You need to center the IC, which is… tricky. Remember, you are dealing with a mirror, so as you move the “formatter” (a flat board with what looks like a processor socket where the chip sits) up, the picture will go down. The best thing you can do is mark the positions of the formatter with a magic marker before you actually touch anything. That will save you a lot of hassle.

My DLP TV is acting kind of wonky. How do I know if it’s the DLP chip?

Good question! The most common symptom is “stars” or “snow.” Another common problem is a completely white screen or a completely black screen. This usually indicates something falling into the electro-mechanical servos that move the chip, causing it to be stuck in the “on” or “off” position. Should you see a greenish, general hue, it’s usually the formatter itself. Other common problems are swollen caps on the power supply or a dead bulb. Color issues and stripes, no matter what, are never caused by a bad DLP chip. They are like Charlie Chaplin. They only do black and white.

Now, I don’t want to make this sound like I am bad-mouthing DLP sets. They might be a bit older tech-wise, but this is a proven technology that has been around since the 1980′s. And the picture produced by a properly maintained unit is top notch. If you are interested in taking a look at our DLP chip inventory, you can check them out here.

Minnesota Business Magazine just named us one of their “100 Best Companies to Work For” in 2012!

According to the publication, “The 100 Best Companies to Work For competition salutes Minnesota organizations that are setting the standard for leadership, benefits, best work environment, innovative training programs and employee happiness.”

We already knew that ShopJimmy was a cool and collaborative place to work, but this honor makes it official! If you’re looking to work with us, we invite you to check-out our Careers page.

We’re not big on patting ourselves on the back, but it never hurts when our hard work is recognized and appreciated. Here’s some recent feedback from our awesome customers:

“It was a great experience. Order processing was very efficient. The right part at the best price, and you were the only online retailer that had the part I needed. The care in packaging is greatly appreciated. A five year old tv that was headed for the junk heap now works like new.” – Chris B.

“I just wanted to say how much I like your site! While trying to locate a part for my son’s tv (still haven’t found it) I discovered ShopJimmy.com. I work in the electronics/connection center dept of a major chain. When I walked into the job I didn’t even have a cell phone, and had absolutely no clue what 1080p meant. After 5 years and the major electronics revolution we have seen, I find myself constantly trying to learn and keep up. Your website has been wonderful, especially in the realm of tvs! I have learned so much….I read and take notes and you have helped me to understand so many things…and I feel more comfortable talking to customers now about resolutions and LCD, LED, Plasma and much more! Thank you, and keep up the wonderful work!” – Shelley

“We’d be out of business if it weren’t for you guys. You’re good to us.” – Abe

“Received P/S last night and installed it and everything went great. I never usually write comments, but your service was great, you kept me informed thru out the whole process, a reasonable price, and a good product. Just wanted to say thanks, good service is hard to find these days. Again thanks.” – Ken U.

Hello, Just wanted to let you folks know that we appreciate how nice EVERYONE, that we have dealt with at your organization is. Thanks.” – Charles P.

“I just want to thank Chris and everyone else at ShopJimmy for taking such good care of their clients. You go above what everyone else does in this industry and probably don’t hear thanks enough. Well, THANKS and keep up the good work!!” – Debbie H.

“Free two day shipping all month?! I love you. I’m so happy right now.” – Alfred B.

“Received the shipment and everything is perfect. Thank you so much for taking care of me now and before. You have a permanent customer. Until next time……” – Ted V.

“Thank you for being so wonderful there. I know you guys have to deal with a lot of a$$#0&^s sometimes and I just don’t understand it because you guys are so great. You make everything so easy. I don’t deal with anyone else unless I absolutely have to.” – Kelly E.

“I have found the light at the end of the tunnel and you are the light ShopJimmy. I’m so glad that I found a company that is able to go beyond all the BS and red tape.” – Linda

“I’ve ordered from shopjimmy, privately, in the past – and now for the company I work for. Great tv parts company!!” – Jehan M.

“Thank you. I appreciate the service this company gives. Always fast and friendly! Recommend ShopJimmy to anyone needing electronics.” – Christopher H.

Name: Caleb

Position at ShopJimmy: Graphic Designer

One sentence job description: I make the website look pretty.

Favorite LCD breakage story: Not sure that I have one. That’s usually not the kind of info that ends up in the inbox. :)

TV model in your living room: 42” Vizio. That’s about as specific as I can get.

Family: My lovely wife, three brothers and a sister all younger than me, and my parents.

Hobbies: A little music, a little art, football, reading, writing on occasion, some cooking, harassing my siblings, writing long winded and improbable responses to simple questions that Ryan gives me…

Favorite restaurant: This little Chinese place called New China in my home town of Bemidji, MN. Best pineapple chicken ever.

Go-to Pandora/Spotify station: I like a little bit of everything (except country). I don’t really have a go-to station.

Beverage of choice: Diet Coke

In-flight reading material: I usually just grab whatever I’m currently reading from home. Something sci-fi is always a plus.

Sports team(s) you root for: Vikings, Twins

Three things you’d bring to a deserted island: Probably a big gun (Everyone knows that deserted islands always have either monsters, hybrid beasts or dinosaurs on them. Why do you think the island is deserted? Man eating bear-sharks, that’s why.), some way to get off the island, and maybe my wife if she promises not to complain about the man eating bear-sharks.

On a web dating service, you’d describe yourself as: Rogue genetics professor with his own deserted island who loves exotic pets. Girls love a smart, slightly dangerous guy who has a soft side for animals..

You can find me on…

All orders, regardless of order total or location, will ship FREE 2-day in April.

Just to be clear: This is NOT an April Fool’s joke. We like kidding around, but this is no joking matter.

If you glance at the map below, we’ll ship your order to you FREE Ground if you’re close to us. That means you, customer in “flyover country.” Depending on your location, your order could get to you in a day. You will still have the option to expedite the order if necessary. If you’re a little further away from us, we’ll ship your order to you FREE 2-day delivery. You’ll also have the option to expedite your order.

West Coast Customers — Your orders will arrive on your doorstep in two days for FREE.

East Coast Customers — Ditto.

Customers in the South — You get the idea. :)

Again, this shipping special applies to ANY order from anywhere in the US! If you have more questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

Check out our hot-off-the-press Careers page! It’s plastered with awesome opportunities, from entry-level positions to managers and more!

If you live in Minnesota and are looking to work for the coolest company ever (okay, maybe not the coolest, but we’re probably in the top five), find the job opening that amplifies your skills/experience and start the journey toward your new career today!

If you don’t live in Minnesota, move here — it’s a great place to live.

Let’s face it: We’re all suckers for corporate propaganda, no matter how impossibly brilliant we are. Heck, when Jimmy told me his new shoes gave him telekinesis, I totally bought it, especially after he started his truck just by looking at it. It didn’t even occur to me that he might have a remote starter on his key chain, until everyone started pointing and laughing at me.

But I believed him, because he’s the guy in charge, he must have better information than me, and what possible reason would he have to lie to me? (Aside from humiliating me. On purpose.)

That’s kind of what I thought about our Digitenna digital antennas. I’ve seen them in action and been impressed by their picture quality, but I’d already been indoctrinated by all those cable and satellite companies that say, “Nay! Cable is king! Let thy primitive over the air broadcast signals go the way of the Velcro shoe and variant comic book covers!” (I’m paraphrasing, of course.)

But then I read something that kind of blew me away. Did you know that cable companies often bit-starve transmissions in order to decrease bandwidth? This adversely affects picture quality, giving even HDTV shows a bit of a grainy look and leading to some pixelation and ghosting.

I know! Great Scott!

On air broadcasts don’t have to worry about bandwidth and so, when compared side-by-side with cable, often produce a picture quality superior to its wired brethren. Believe it or not, this media medium also has the content to back it up! Right here in the Minneapolis area we have (if you count virtual and DTV channels) 25 different channels! And…

IT’S FREE!!!

By complete coincidence, we happen to have a few digital antennas available. They’re definitely worth checking out!

Jimmy’s two kids — Grady and Millie — doing their best leprechaun impression around the warehouse yesterday. Their cool hats were created by our resident knitter extraordinaire, Kristy. You can see more of (and purchase!) her awesome work on her Etsy page.

Early yesterday morning, we temporarily shuttered our ShopJimmy Stores program. It was an extremely tough decision, as we created the program to help technicians find the right TV parts and grow their businesses.

Our reasons for this move are many: its web development needed work, our management of Stores wasn’t sound, and in some cases, the program didn’t mirror our goals to provide high quality TV parts and great customer service.

Most importantly, we turned off Stores because it was hurting everyone’s experience on ShopJimmy. The program, from a technical perspective, slowed down our website tremendously.

Once we repair and realign all of the above, we’ll certainly launch ShopJimmy Stores again. We know how important it is to a lot of our best customers, and its premise of offering a platform for tech-to-tech sales of TV parts still excites us.

There were rumors swirling yesterday about the health of ShopJimmy. We are doing just fine and working harder everyday to provide you with the best selection of TV parts and friendliest customer service in the industry. As always, thanks for your understanding and continued business.