Electronics Stores STX

Not much selection on stx, you got mikes, kmart, gallows bay appliance store. And prices are much higher then mainland. Most important thing to remember before you lay down a couple of grand (for a 36" and up) is the island is very hard on tvs. The closer you live to the beach the worse it will be. Who's going to fix our tv if it breaks? Alot of people buy cheapie tv because of this. If you buy something that expensive you will need to protect it by keeping it in a a/c room. So your looking at $100 to $200 a month to do that. Just a thought.

Great Betty. Excellent advice. Thanks very much.

You can also check Radio Shack, Cost U Less and Office Max. They all have 30" and smaller LCD and plasma TVs. Cost U Less also has some larger flat screen TVs.

If you want to ship a large flat screen TV from the states it will cost you about $300 from Florida including freight, taxes and duties.

Jim

Another option if you want a big screen TV is to buy it in Puerto Rico and ship it across to the island on Water Spirit. That costs much less than shipping all the way from Florida and there is less time for something to go wrong en route. You can buy furniture, hot tubs, pool tables, building supplies, etc. in San Juan and ship them across this way.

Can you please elaborate on "water spirit"?

Is this a ferry boat or something?

Any info will help, I will be buying lots of stuff in PR for my remodel.

THANKS

Water Spirit is a cargo boat that does runs between San Juan and Christiansted. It is owned by Flemmings Transport company, so you can get info and prices by calling their office on St. Croix. The boat docks by where the fast ferry comes in by Gallows Bay. They have customs officials right there to handle any excise tax, etc. so you don't have to run all over the island to get your belongings cleared for pick-up and you can usually get them the same day the boat comes into harbor.

Betty,

Is there a need for an electronics repair person on STX? This is what my husband does here in the states. Mostly TV"S and DVD's etc. Currently he works out of our house, but we are interested in finding out if he could do the same thing there. We are investigating a move..... Let me know..
Candy

Glentronics just closed and as far as I know that was the last repair place but i could be wrong.

Thanks for the info Betty. Maybe my husband could do that as a side job. We will let you know when were ready to move. Candy

if your husband can repair the kind of damage that salt air corrosion causes in all sorts of electronics, then he can become a very rich man on STX!! Televisions and DVD players and computers and appliances of all sorts are frequent victims to the salt air and humidity. Of course, there are also WAPA power surges that kill other electronics.

What is the average lifespan of a computer in that environment? Do most people keep such equipment in a room which is air conditioned? thanks

Hi Puffer... we have been here for a year and a half and have lived directly on the water in both places we have lived. So far our old dinosaur of a computer is doing fine, although without air conditioning, we don't expect it to last forever. So, I can't tell you how long it will last, but I can tell you that all of our electronic equipment is still working after a year and a half... and all of of stuff was old to begin with.

One thing that isn't doing so well is my scroll saw. It has a metal top, I keep it inside, but it is getting a film all over that I can't get off. Same with Tabra's cymbals for her drum kit.

My computer is going on 3+ years and I have lived close to the beach but my top of the line sony gave out after 2 years and that was painful. Now i buy cheapies.

We don't have A/C and live about 1 mile frim the water but our 4 year old Dell laptop is doing fine.

Perhaps someone can help me with the math. I ordered my last big screen on the mainland though an online retailer and saved about 30% or $600 compared to Best Buy, Costco, etc. factoring in sales tax, shipping etc. It thought it was worth the wait and effort.

If I order a 42" plasma, it would cost me about $1000 for Sony, Samsung, etc. shipped to Florida (the logical shipping point. What should I expect to pay for one of the retailers mentioned in this thread? Other than shipping from Florida, can anyone confirm whether there is a duty? Is it worth the effort?

I am a proponent of buying over the internet (ebay, audiogon, Videogon, etc.).

I just finished building a Home Theater for my place, and I did pretty well Got all of the equipment and interconnects and cables form the 'net, and I got my main and center speakers at Boolchand's, but rear and sub from internet. I added it all up and the MSRP for all the stuff is about $10,500, whereas I only paid about $5,150 for everything, including the $1,299 Sylvania 37" LCD for $799 at K-mart!

Crutchfield might also be of some help..I just got a 10" powered sub for my rear channels and it normally retails for $199, and I got it for $169, + $20 delivery...

Marty, I'm assuming high end equipment like that isn't availble on the islands. When can I come over enjoy your home theater? 🙂

There's an electronic's guy next to Salud in Princesse Plaza. He refurbs older TVs and sells them. You can find cheap DVD players, VCRs and TV there! Pero, yo espero que tu puedes hablar espanol!!!

Hasta
Noah

This may not be in the same category as the kind of equipment sugarlander and Marty are talking about, but K-Mart has a 37" LCD Sylvania on sale now for $799. Why would you want to bother with shipping? You can usually find sales, and if not, wait a while, it will be on sale later.
Also, Electronics Unlimited on STT offers a great service. I haven't bought from them, but have friends who have. They take the back off the TV and "reinforce" the components to protect against the salt air. (This is a little over my head, and I may not be using the right words.). Then, they include an extended warranty. I'm not sure you can get $799 TV's from them, though. I think they are a little more high end.

When I lived on STX our condo was just off the water and always a breeze coming thru the windows and galley. Our laptop was near a window but we would put a towel over it when we were not using it and I think that helped alot. I was told, by Rick (owned Off The Wall at one time) to keep the computer on all the time and it would cause less corrosion...he also suggested to do that with tv and radio and amplifier. I never thought that keeping on every appliance was a smart idea and certainly it could not have been cheaper in the long run than replacing them. I never left anything on except the amplifier. Also, he was not the most reputable person to take advice from, IMHO.

Juanita - that's actually a very good price assuming its the HD version. The cheapest I see it on the web is $768. Definitely not worth messing with on line ordering at that price. When I bought a Samsung DLP a year ago, I saved over $500 compared to Best Buy or Circuit City. The shipping was offset by the sales tax. I think the Sylvania will fit the bill and my wife works next to K-Mart at Sunnyside.