[TowerTalk] X9 or C31XR
John Fleming (WA9ALS)
jfleming@shelbynet.net
Mon, 12 Apr 1999 11:14:24 -0500
I've had some relatively minor problems with Cushcraft in the past dealing
with replacing a trap for the R-7. The first time a few years ago, I felt
like I was talking to some guy working out of his garage. The last time
more recently, it was more professional, but still a little confusing. I
could "order" the part on the Internet, but then I still had to call and
discuss it on the phone!
No more antennas with traps for me! (E.G. Force 12 here I come!)
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email: jfleming@shelbynet.net
WWW: http://www.shelbynet.net/~jfleming/amstart.htm
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On Friday, April 09, 1999 9:26 PM, ted demopoulos [SMTP:kr1g@hotmail.com]
wrote:
>
> I have an X9 - love it.
>
> EXCEPT: The SWR is screwy - varies with rain I think. And the antenna
> is at 100 feet. Bummer
>
> Three yagis bought from Cushcraft - three screwups. Each yagi had
> either missing parts, wrong parts, or broken parts :(
> Read below for problems with dealing with Cushcraft directly.
>
> I DID find some helpful people at Cushcraft, but it still took on
> average 2 weeks to deal with each problem.
>
> Incidently, I drive literally past Cushcraft almost every week - but
> could I stop by and pick up my needed part - no, not allowed :(
>
> My wife is enforcing a NO CUSHCRAFT RULE - she is tired of hearing me
> complain.
>
> Pity, the antennas perform very well,
>
> 73
>
> Ted, KR1G
>
>
> >From: "Jeffrey R Davis" <jrdavis@crnotes.collins.rockwell.com>
> >To: Dick Flanagan <dick@libelle.com>
> >CC: Tower-Talk Reflector <towertalk@contesting.com>, K7LXC@aol.com
> >Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] X9 or C31XR
> >Date: Thu, 8 Apr 1999 14:01:34 -0500
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Dick Flanagan wrote:
> >
> >>[PURELY SUBJECTIVE OBSERVATION ALERT]
> >
> >>The more and more I read about the "new Cushcraft," the more I
> >>appreciate what Force 12 has brought to the amateur antenna
> >>marketplace. Thanks, Tom!
> >
> >>[END PURELY SUBJECTIVE OBSERVATION ALERT]
> >
> >I'd like to confirm Dick's impressions:
> >
> >[IRRITATED FORMER CUSTOMER ALERT]
> >
> >I recently received a Cushcraft 17B2 which had some hidden damage,
> which
> >probably occurred in shipping. Namely, the balun case was crunched.
> My plan
> >was to order a replacement balun from Cushcraft and add it to the
> damage
> >claim to the transport company.
> >
> >JEFF TRIES TO PLACE AN ORDER OVER THE PHONE
> >So I called up Cushcraft and waded through about 7 layers of menus,
> only to
> >be told that I didn't have the option of giving my order to a human
> being
> >person, only to either leave a voice mail or place the order via the
> web
> >site. By the way, the message went further to explain that their
> "goal" was
> >to respond to voice mails within 3 days. Some goal.
> >
> >JEFF TRIES TO PLACE AN ORDER OVER THE WEB
> >So I dutifully went to the web site to try to place the order. I
> don't know
> >whether the problem was my system or theirs, but I kept getting error
> >messages trying to order the balun using the web site. I gave up
> after
> >three tries and decided to call again, but take a different path
> through
> >the menu system.
> >
> >JEFF TRIES TO FIND A HUMAN BEING TO TALK TO
> >What I did was follow the warranty path - after all, it was a brand
> new
> >antenna and had a broken piece when I opened the box. I don't know
> for sure
> >that it was damaged in shipping - maybe it came from the factory that
> way.
> >But my real motive was to speak with a live human being who could
> help me
> >place an order.
> >
> >JEFF THINKS CUSHCRAFT IS A GREAT COMPANY
> >So I get through the 7 menu layers and behold, a human answers the
> phone -
> >a human who wanted to be very helpful. After explaining the
> situation, he
> >offered that they would do a warrantly replacement. I'm thinking
> "what a
> >great company, they really stand for making sure I end up with a good
> >product, even if it wasn't necessarily their fault".
> >
> >JEFF DISCOVERS HE IS NOT CONSIDERED TRUSTWORTHY
> >Unfortunately for my perceptions, the helpful person at the other end
> soon
> >realized that I was talking about the balun, which costs all of $60.
> Now to
> >get warranty replacement, I would have to send the damaged balun in
> first;
> >only then would they ship a replacement. I explained that I had a
> whole
> >tower project schedule I was trying to manage, and didn't want to
> have to
> >the whole project waiting for a two way exchange. I asked if I could
> give
> >them a credit card number for the balun if they didn't trust me and
> credit
> >the card when the damaged balun arrived. The helpful person at the
> other
> >end explained that, unfortunately, this would require an "executive
> >decision" and that he would get back to me.
> >
> >JEFF IS DISILLUSIONED
> >The now sheepish helpful person who called me back had to explain
> that the
> >"executive" he spoke to not only wouldn't accept my credit card, he
> >wouldn't even treat it as a warranty. No big deal, I wasn't expecting
> >warranty in the first place, but so much for my perception of a
> "great
> >company".
> >
> >DISILLUSIONED, UNTRUSTED JEFF FINALLY PLACES AN ORDER WITH A HUMAN
> BEING
> >Fortunately, the helpful person WAS empowered enough to take my
> credit card
> >number for a replacement balun order!
> >
> >Regards,
> >
> >Jeff - N0DY
> >
> >
> >
> >--
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> >
>
>
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