> Steve, I think you have some unreasonable expectations. FM will sell you
> cables with connectors
> installed and stand in back of their work. Or they will sell you cable and
> connectors so you can
> install them yourself, and you take responsibility for your own work.
> While a manufacturer might (as
> Fluidmotion frequently does) be generous and replace something you mess
> up, they certainly have no
> responsibility to do so. If they do so, it's an customer accomodation, not
> an obligation.
>
> //Hi Jerry: Perhaps you're right, I just happen to disagree. I haven't
> owned a SteppIR as yet, that doesn't mean I won't in the future. They
> seem to be excellent antennas, and although I know *six* hams who have had
> problems that required the factory replace various items, evidently their
> customer service is very good, and nobody's complaining. My comment was
> not discussing any unreasonable expectations, though. You can't get UL
> recognition (for example) if you manufacture an item that has unfused
> operator interface lines capable of carrying current, even at low voltage.
> It's a violation of EN60950 as well as IEC61010. When low-current
> resettable surface mount fuses cost $0.40/each in small quantities, and
> the item in question sells for several hundred dollars, I would expect
> they be used in the circuit, to prevent equipment failures requiring more
> costly and annoying service...even if that service is "free" and offered
> with a smile. The fuses are simpler, and proper design will allow for
> product safety recognition (e.g., UL, CSA, TUV, VDE et al) whereas without
> them, the recognition isn't available. -WB2WIK/6
>
>
>
> 73, Jerry K3BZ
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Steve Katz" <stevek@jmr.com>
> To: "'Jerry Keller'" <k3bz@arrl.net>
> Sent: Monday, November 08, 2004 7:02 PM
> Subject: RE: [BULK] - Re: [TowerTalk] New antenna system
>
>
> >
> >
> >> Would you blame ICOM or YAESU if you modified your transceiver and
> >> something shorted out?
> >>
> >> 73, Jerry K3BZ
> >>
> >>
> >> //That would depend on what happened. Adding a connector to a cable
> isn't
> >> exactly a "modification," it's an expected user experience. When
> >> designing consumer electronics goods, it's SOP to fuse anything the
> user
> >> can get his hands on, to prevent equipment damage during normal
> operation.
> >> I wouldn't expect to blow up my rotor control box if I shorted its
> control
> >> cable, any more than I'd expect to blow up my PC if I shorted its
> keyboard
> >> cable (or RS232 cable, or parallel port cable, or USB cable...). An
> >> external wiring short-circuit is an expected occurrance, whether the
> user
> >> adds a connector or not...it can happen if a squirrel chews through the
> >> control cable, and I wouldn't blame the squirrel. That was my take on
> the
> >> "failure due to installing connectors" story. -WB2WIK/6
> >>
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Steve Katz" <stevek@jmr.com>
> >> To: "'David Robbins K1TTT'" <k1ttt@arrl.net>; "reflector -tower"
> >> <towertalk@contesting.com>
> >> Sent: Monday, November 08, 2004 3:14 PM
> >> Subject: RE: [BULK] - Re: [TowerTalk] New antenna system
> >>
> >>
> >> > Hi David,
> >> >
> >> > Very relevant question, there.
> >> >
> >> > My answer, thus far, would be "pretty much everybody" has had
> failures
> >> with
> >> > the SteppIR products. At least, everyone I've spoken with who has
> one.
> >> > Again, I've heard nothing but glowing compliments regarding service,
> but
> >> of
> >> > course I'd much rather not have the failures.
> >> >
> >> > Possibly some of the controller failures I've heard about are
> lightning
> >> > related; however here in L.A., lightning is a very rare phenomenon
> >> indeed
> >> > and it's common to go 6-12 months at a time without a single
> lightning
> >> event
> >> > anywhere in the area. And the two failures I referenced occurred
> when
> >> no
> >> > lightning had occurred in a very long time.
> >> >
> >> > WA6DKN had to return his controller not once, but twice. He's on #3
> at
> >> this
> >> > time.
> >> >
> >> > WB2WIK/6
> >> >
> >> > "Nobody needs more than 640k!" -Bill Gates, 1982
> >> >
> >> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> >> From: David Robbins K1TTT [SMTP:k1ttt@arrl.net]
> >> >> Sent: Monday, November 08, 2004 12:27 PM
> >> >> To: reflector -tower
> >> >> Subject: [BULK] - Re: [TowerTalk] New antenna system
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> A sample of 2 does not a valid set of statistics make, unless that
> is
> >> >> the whole universe. How many others do you know who did not have
> them
> >> >> fail?
> >> >>
> >> >> As for the early failures... The phenomena of 'infant mortality' in
> >> >> electronics is well known and documented. In any reasonably complex
> >> >> electronic device more failures happen in the first few months than
> >> just
> >> >> about the whole rest of the expected life of the device. In many
> cases
> >> >> there is also a sudden rise in failures after some long period due
> to
> >> >> predictable ageing of some components... this leads to the infamous
> >> >> 'bathtub' curve for electronics failure rates. High in the
> beginning,
> >> >> low for a long time in the middle, and rising relatively sharply
> near
> >> >> the end.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> David Robbins K1TTT
> >> >> e-mail: mailto:k1ttt@arrl.net
> >> >> web: http://www.k1ttt.net
> >> >> AR-Cluster node: 145.69MHz or telnet://dxc.k1ttt.net
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> _______________________________________________
> >> >>
> >> >> See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers",
> "Wireless
> >> >> Weather Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041
> with
> >> >> any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
> >> >>
> >> >> _______________________________________________
> >> >> TowerTalk mailing list
> >> >> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> >> >> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> >> > _______________________________________________
> >> >
> >> > See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers",
> "Wireless
> >> Weather Stations", and
> >> > lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions and
> ask
> >> for Sherman, W2FLA.
> >> >
> >> > _______________________________________________
> >> > TowerTalk mailing list
> >> > TowerTalk@contesting.com
> >> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> >> >
> >>
> >
>
_______________________________________________
See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather
Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions
and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
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