[TowerTalk] Where to get LMR 400

[Jim Brown]

On 10/30/2020 9:31 AM, Bill via TowerTalk wrote:
> It's specs are exactly the same as original Times

Knock-off products like this are often sold by third-party salemen, who 
are doing nothing more than advertising and moving boxes. Specs are 
generated by those salesmen, not by engineers. Indeed, they may not even 
be moving boxes, but sending orders to an un-named company that ships them.

Companies like Belden, Times, Davis, and DX Eng have real engineers -- 
their specs are based on their knowledge of what they're selling, their QC.

Another huge issue is quality control. How is the product tested? Will 
what I buy today meet published specs? Will it be the same as what I 
bought several years ago? And, as Bill noted, how does it stand up in 
sunlight for ten years?

I had plenty of experience with "brokered" cable being substituted for 
what I'd specified when designing and specifying large sound systems for 
stadiums, churches, and performance spaces. My bid specs had a 
requirement that any subs must have real engineering departments that 
determine and verify specs for the product. When I asked one such cable 
broker to connect me with their chief engineer, I asked about her 
credentials. She told me that she got her EE degree from IBM. As you 
might guess, I didn't allow the substitution. :)

73, Jim K9YC