[BULK] - Re: [TowerTalk] ARR Preamp Failures

[Jim Brown]

On Mon, 4 Oct 2004 09:16:26 -0700, Steve Katz wrote:

> But I sure wouldn't rely on an RF-activated T-R
>switching scheme, at any power level.  Use "hard keying," with sequencing to
>be sure the preamp is bypassed before the exciter can generate any power.
>ARR used to sell a 4-port (or maybe more than 4?) sequencer as an
>accessory...maybe they still do.  Ask Jay!  -WB2WIK/6

Thanks, Steve. 

If that is true (and I don't doubt you), why would ARR not say that on their data sheet  
and/or instruction sheet (and why would they include a sensing circuit in the amp that 
doesn't work?)? I'm a believer in "if it isn't on the data sheet, it doesn't count" and "if 
it's listed as a feature in the sales lit, it damn well ought to work, real good."  

Who is Jay and how do I reach him?  Does he work for ARR?  I've written to ARR 
three times and included the letter with the preamp when I returned it for service and 
the ONLY response I've gotten from them was a cryptic note on the last repair 
invoice (no charge) telling me that 10 mW was the max input level spec. Why 
wouldn't they tell me not to use auto sensing?  Why would they include an auto 
sensing circuit if it doesn't work reliably (i.e., resulsts in destructive failures)? 

The bottom line is that I'm pissed off by this mentality of "you ought to know that our 
stuff doesn't work the way it's advertised."  I'm an EE and systems designer, and I try 
to make a habit of reading the doc that mfrs provide. If I don't, shame on me. If they 
don't provide it, shame on them. This preamp was sitting in my shack when it failed 
four times. I would be ten thousand dollars more pissed off if it had been on a tower. 

Jim Brown K9YC