----- Original Message -----
From: <Jimk8mr at aol.com>
To: <mrrc at contesting.com>; <ncc at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 03, 2008 8:55 PM
Subject: [MRRC] Honda Generator Group Buy
>A note from NCCC President K6MM about an interesting group buy by that club
> and friends. Might there be any similar interest here (not that I'm about
> to
> play banker myself...) :
>
>
>
>
> In the spirit of "Sharing The Wealth", I wanted to let you know about a
> large group purchase of Honda generators that our Club has just completed.
>
>
> In early June, many NCCC members discussed the need for a reliable
> inverter
> generator for Field Day, Emergency Preparedness, and general home use.
> After
> some research, we decided upon a 2KW generator -- the Honda EU2000i.
> http://tinyurl.com/4ohn57
>
>
> Perhaps you are familiar with this generator, which has received
> excellent
> reviews from contesters, DXpeditioners, and on eHam.net. Because of
> Honda's
> inverter technology, the EU2000i provides clean "sine wave" power, making
> it
> safe for use with computers and our sometimes-sensitive radio gear. I
> used
> this generator at two different Field Day sites this past June with
> excellent
> results.
>
>
> The EU2000i lists for $1080. After some research online, and many phone
> calls, I found a supplier in Grand Rapids, MI who was willing to work
> with us on
> a lower price if we could get at least 10 units ordered. Their name:
> Coffman Electric Equipment Company -- and their online store is
> Steadypower.com:
> http://www.steadypower.com/catalog/honda_eu2000.php
>
>
> I did an extensive interview with Coffman Electric, which has been in
> business for over 50 years, and was founded in the early 1950s by Perry
> Coffman, an
> electrical engineer and ham radio operator (I'm trying to track down is
> callsign). CE's main business today is fabricating backup industrial
> generators
> for hospitals throughout the State of Michigan. They expanded their
> online
> business with Steadypower.com, and became an authorized American Honda
> Power
> Equipment dealer 6 years ago. According to AH, they are one of AH's best
> dealers in the US with virtually no customer complaints. After a 13-month
> application period, CE also became a GSA approved government contractor.
>
>
> Coffman Electric was the only supplier I contacted who was willing to
> ship
> individually via Fedex Ground to each buyer's shipping address (with a
> tracking number). The other suppliers (including Mayberrys who advertise
> in QST)
> all wanted to ship a large palette to one location and have them
> distributed
> from there. Even more important, CE had both the California model
> (meeting CA
> emission requirements) and the 49-state Non-CA model in stock for us. We
> needed to have access to both models.
>
>
> The price we settled on for a minimum purchase of 10 generators: $880
> per
> generator (includes Fedex Ground shipping). I sent out the request for
> 10
> units. What came back was an amazing 56 orders. Yes, 56. We
> re-negotiated to
> a price of $860 -- which, after a little coaxing from me included a free
> high-quality $20 Honda storage cover. We then collected $860 from each
> member
> (personal checks) - a total of $48,160. I wired the money from our Wells
> Fargo
> account to Cofflman Electric on Thursday, July 10, 2008 (praying that I
> wouldn't have to buy a one-way ticket to Bora Bora). True to their word,
> CE
> starting shipping the next day, and over a two week period, all units
> were
> shipped. As of Thursday, July 31 (exactly 3 weeks from when we wired the
> $$), all
> 57 units were safely in the hands of our Club members. 54 units were
> shipped
> to California and 3 were shipped to WA, NV, and AZ. Average delivery
> time
> from MI to CA: 4 business days. My online tracking chart is here -
> you'll
> recognize many of the callsigns. See the Comments column:
> http://tinyurl.com/4ydd2r
>
>
> So, why am I passing this information on to you? Well, why not share the
> information with you guys? We're all in this great hobby together, and
> if your
> Club members have a need for a reliable 2KW generator, the Honda EU2000i
> may
> be a good solution. If so, feel free to follow up with Coffman Electric.
> My contact, Steve Coffman, has said he is willing to honor the same deal
> for
> you -- even if you just order ten (10) generators: that is, $860 per
> unit
> with free cover and Fedex Shipping. A nice gesture on his part. If you
> need a
> different model generator, talk with Steve, and you may be able to
> working
> out another solution. I'm copying him on this email.
>
>
> Disclaimer: I have no personal interest in Coffman Electric whatsoever.
> No
> relatives there and no hidden agenda. The Club is not benefiting in any
> way
> from this recommendation and neither am I. I'm just sharing our
> successful
> experience with you.
>
>
> If you have any questions, I'm happy to help. Best of luck, and CU in
> the
> next contest!
>
>
> 73,
> John Miller, K6MM
> President, Northern California Contest Club
> www.nccc.cc
> email: k6mm at arrl.net
>
>
> Coffman Electric Contact Information:
>
>
> Steven Coffman
> Coffman Electrical Equipment Co.
> 3300 Jefferson Ave.
> Grand Rapids, MI 49548
> Phone: (616) 452-8708
> Fax: (616) 452-1337
> Toll Free: (800) 852-7699
> E-mail: steve at steadypower.com
>
>
>
>
> **************Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your
> budget?
> Read reviews on AOL Autos.
> (http://autos.aol.com/cars-BMW-128-2008/expert-review?ncid=aolaut00050000000017
>
> )
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