On Saturday, November 01, 1997 18:59 PM, Jim
Parsons[SMTP:k5rov@worldnet.att.net] wrote:
I hate to be that way,
>but when you are 70, and on a fixed income, the loss would be devastating,
>if I met the wrong person....and I seem to keep reading horror stories
>about such occurances.
>
Jim,
Many years ago (almost in another lifetime, it seems like), I saw a
classified ad in QST for the sale of a Ten-Tec 544, p/s-spkr/vox, and
remote VFO, less than 10 hours on the air. All for about $800 (it
may have been $750 or $850, I forget).
My then-wife thought I was absolutely nuts to send a certified check
to the guy after only speaking to him once on the phone about the
radio. I simply smiled and said I trusted him to send the radio;
afterall, he's a ham. I don't think she ever understood the concept
or connection.
It all arrived a week after I sent the check--meaning he had shipped
it on my saying I would mail the check! Again, she was amazed.
So, Jim, I think we may only hear about the bad news and not hear
when things 'work' the way they are supposed to. Besides, I am
sure, if you speak with the person before you send the
check/equipment, you can discern whether you feel comfortable
doing so or not.
It turned out, the guy in AL had bought the radio, used it a couple
of days, then the Drake TR7 arrived at a ham friends' house. He
liked the TR7 better than the 544 and bought one before even
selling the 544--I sent him a note later, when I had gotten to
operate a TR7 in a contest, telling him he would have been happier
with the 544!
By the way, my Omni VI+ was in it's first serious contest (ARRL
SS CW) since being upgraded and it performed absolutely superb
throughout.
73,
Dale Martin, KG5U
kg5u@hal-pc.org
http://www.hal-pc.org/~kg5u
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