Making a topic to log stories like this:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/jgqng3/meet-the-17-year-old-fighting-for-your-right-to-repair
Sam Mencimer started a business repairing busted phones when he was 12. Now he’s fighting for the right-to-repair while applying to college.
This is a great story, thanks for sharing Stuart!
Sharing this piece that came out in Grist, a really solid overview of the French repairability index
Janet: At least it is a start but to repair we need access to repair manuals giving circuit / wiring diagrams and part numbers / types. I wonder if that can happen?
In days past circuit diagrams were often provided with new equipment and sometimes a diagram would be inside. Oh I wish!! Much of my time repairing is taken up figuring circuits and even when I locate a faulty component it can take some time to decypher and locate a replacement or appropriate substitute.
Just repaired a friends Roberts stream 83i radio. It had a broken aerial. Roberts is a company that does provide a sensible amount of spares, maybe a bit pricy at £11.70 but it saved an excellent radio heading for the bin.
Full marks to Roberts for these efforts - they have a good online spares shop:
https://www.robertsradiotechnical.co.uk/extpartsrequest.aspx
We want more companies like this.
+1 for Roberts, didn’t realise. Just checked out the model of DAB Radio that I got my mum for Christmas, and it’s £14.35 for replacement aerial and battery cover, delivered. So that’s good to know. Do you think this is why the queen endorses them? 
Even the BBC news
Green Alliance (and we) made submissions to the Commons Environmental Audit Committee on lowering VAT for repairs. Their endorsement is getting good press coverage!
It’s not a “silver bullet” but could be an important pro-repair step.
Liked the article but I’m not sure cleaning solar panels as in the picture is smart idea 
