Back in the day, if your computer or an appliance broke down, you could pop open the case, unscrew the faulty part, and order a replacement from the manufacturer for a few dollars.

But increasingly, companies are more secretive about their proprietary tech. They keep their parts and schematics hidden, and when your iPhone or tractor breaks down, you’re forced to pay exorbitant repair costs, or worse — throw it away and buy the latest model.

It’s bad for the consumer, and it’s bad for the environment. But it’s big business for tech companies and manufacturers.

But for years, advocates of the Right to Repair movement have been sharing knowledge about the devices we use every day, and creating a wealth of online content to help people fix their own stuff for free or cheap.

Alli and Jen talk with Steve Porter, a lifelong “fixer” who has built a professional repair business and a thriving YouTube channel where he teaches his 700,000 subscribers how to repair video game consoles, phones, and retro tech. Porter shares the inspiration for TronicsFix, how he makes money buying broken tech, and his involvement in the Right to Repair movement, which is pushing to change repair laws to protect consumers.

Subscribe to TronicsFix on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Tronicsfix/

Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1P

Join us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1p

Email us: [email protected]

Talk to Alli and Jen:

https://twitter.com/alligold

https://twitter.com/joonbugger

Call the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548  

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices