[TowerTalk] 1st Call

[Michael Tope]

My friend John recently took delivery of a Tri-Ex
tower (I think its the LM354HD). Although he had
to wait a considerable length of time to get it,
it seems to have been well worth it - it is a very
very impressive looking piece of workmanship (the
galvanizing is pristine). He did not receive a
manual with or rotator plate with the tower as
promised. All this seems to point to a company
with a considerable backlog trying to get their
head back out of the water. Seems to me that Rohn
went thru similar growing pains last year when
they moved their manufacturing facility. In their
case, quality suffered (you should have seen the
twisted piece of metal that they tried to pass off
as an AS25G top section). In the case of Tri-Ex it
looks like delivery is suffering in lieu of quality.
Given my druthers, I would rather wait a little while
for a quality product that I can actually use rather,
than getting on time delivery of poor quality product.

Mike, W4EF...................

----- Original Message -----
From: <dick@pobox.com>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 06, 2000 7:49 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] 1st Call


>
>
> 6 AUG, 2000 - 2150 CDT
>
> I can only speak of my experience, so far, with First Call Communications.
>
> I have ordered and received, through Joel, an Orion 2800 rotor, and with
> his assistance, a pair of Force12 antennas - a Mag 2/2 and a C3-E/D.
> They are components of a complete replacement antenna system that was
> destroyed on March 27th when the remote-controlled electric winch on my
> Tri-Ex DX-86 parted the lift cable (inspected three weeks prior to
> failure).  The tower was 11 years old.
>
> I also ordered a replacement DX-86 from First Call on April 10th, paying
> 50 percent down, with a delivery date of late May.  As of this date, I
> still have not received my tower.  But this is only indirectly the
> fault of First Call.  Joel has sold a hundred plus towers since becoming
> the Tri-Ex distributor this year and Tri-Ex production can not keep up.
>
> The fault really lies with Tr-Ex's inability to rapidly respond to sales
> of its products.  First Call's "advertisement" on this reflector was to
> inform everyone that there are production delays and that Tri-Ex is
working
> to double their production rate.  But they also have a shortage of skilled
> welders and only recently overcame a parts shortage.
>
> Yes, I am very unhappy with the multiple shipping delays of my tower.
> My latest (the 5th promised date) is that it will be shipped on August
> 22nd.  But there is not a lot I can do about it.
>
> I think it is unreasonable to shoot the messenger.  Joel is just as
> frustrated as his customers.  His profit is locked up in delivered
> merchandise, not ordered merchandise.
>
> - Dick Isely, W9GIG
>
>
> --
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>


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