I don't have a dog in the fight but I have to tell you guys this
unbelievable story. I wrote it for our club's newsletter. I hope the formatting
doesn't get discombobulated too badly.
Words To Shop By:
Going Above and Beyond the Call of Business…
Some tales are so strange, they just couldn't be made up, like the one I'm
about to tell you:
Some of you may remember that I bought ERD-Bob’s Pixel mag-loop receiving
antenna not too long ago. Within a few days I had it installed and
operational.
Apparently my expectations were too high. I thought the loop would hear
things I couldn't hear before and be able to eliminate all kinds of man-made
electrical noise. You know, work miracles.
When it didn't, I posed questions to the guys who had posted reviews on
eHam about the antenna. The guys came back with some good suggestions but none
of them turned up anything. It was looking like “this is as good as it’s
gonna get.” A call to Pixel netted nothing except to find out they were no
longer carrying the product.
Then I received an email from Mr. Mark Ludwick at DX Engineering. He had
seen my post on eHam. He explained that DXE now all owns all the rights to
the antenna. Mark offered to fully test the antenna and make any repairs
needed, FOR FREE !!!! All I had to do was ship him the antenna.
I thanked him for such a generous offer but told him the antenna was
purchased used and was now two years old. In fact, it wasn't even purchased
from
DX Engineering.
Mark said "I stand by my offer!"
Well, who was I to stand in the way of a deal like that? And it just so
happened that Linda and I would be in the Akron area within a few days, so I
told Mark I'd just drop it off.
It gets even better...
When we arrived at the store, they told me that instead of testing the
antenna, they were just going to give me a brand, spankin' new one. Remember,
this was an out-of-warranty item, bought from a different company, and I
wasn't the original buyer. Have you ever heard of such a thing? I'm sure
those guys will hate me for telling this story because everyone is going to
want that same deal.
By the way, this wasn't my first amazing experience with those guys. Some
years ago I bought a mobile mount from them. It was a big two-inch ball
mount, perfect for my Hustler HF antenna. When I installed it, I was dismayed
to find how cheaply it was made. “This will never hold up”, I said to
myself. And it didn't.
I called the manufacturer and told them it was junk and that I wanted my
money back. “Oh, we can't do that, but we'll be glad to send you a new
replacement.”
“Why in the world would I want the same piece of junk?” I asked. I told
them “No thanks”, and hung up. On a whim, I called DXE and they took it
back, no questions asked. I was amazed.
Here’s a better one: I bought four 811A’s from them a while back. I put
them in my amp and ran them hard in a weekend contest. They did fine, for
that one weekend! The following Monday they started arcing internally. The
plates had warped. To make things worse, I broke one of them removing it from
the amp.
I remembered my good experience with the mobile mount and called DXE to
plead for mercy. They said to just send ‘em back for a full refund. My reply
was that I could only return three because I had broken one. The guy said it
was no big deal and they took that one back too!!!!
By the way, the new loop behaved just like the used one. It really was “as
good as it gets.”
And finally, if I hear of anyone buying anything from anyone other than DX
Engineering, you will get a visit from my pals Guido and Knuckles.
Like DXE, they will make you an offer you can't refuse.
Joe, K8MP
In a message dated 9/22/2016 1:56:22 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
wn3vaw@verizon.net writes:
Thanks Steve.
Without going into the gritty details (to, paraphrasing Dragnet, protect
the guilty)... quite a few years ago, I heard a tale of woe regarding a TT
amplifier on a DX related reflector. As the story seemed incredible, and
unlike the TT service I knew of, I contacted Scott W4PA (obviously this
happened long before he bought Vibroplex). Suffice to say that the other side
of
the story was quite a bit different, and it all boiled down to someone
wanting something he wasn't entitled to, on someone else's dime.
I even found an individual who was willing to look at the amp and see what
he could do, at no charge save for parts. But that wasn't good enough for
the ham in question. And then I got a few less than friendly emails from
the perpetrator, implying I hadn't done enough.
Here I thought, prior to this incident, that I'd see the heights, or
depths, that someone's chutzpah could go to. I was wrong.
73, ron w3wn
On 09/22/16, steve jobes via TenTec wrote:
Well said Ron, I agree!
73,
Steve W1DXH
-----Original Message-----
From: Ron Notarius W3WN <wn3vaw@verizon.net>
To: tentec <tentec@contesting.com>; k9yc <k9yc@arrl.net>
Sent: Wed, Sep 21, 2016 1:40 pm
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Post to the Amps Reflector from Dishtronix
Ralph,
The reality is that there are people in this world today who expect or
demand things that they are not entitled to.
One of those things being warranty support for items out of warranty, or
'free' repairs from someone who is not legally liable to provide them. ( I
could tell you more than a few stories from the time between IT jobs that I
worked at several big box hardware stores, but I'd be digressing )
That these are a small percentage of the population (and by extension, a
small percentage of the Amateur Radio licensees) does not make them any less
annoying. To put it bluntly.
Sadly, yes, there are people upset with Mike over things that he had
nothing to do with. Including but not limited to warranty or even non-warranty
repair issues for items bought under previous owners of Ten Tec and/or
Alpha. They don't care the minutiae of what he bought (or didn't buy) or when.
To them, he is Ten Tec and/or Alpha, therefore, it's his problem.
Yes, some people have a lot of chutzpah.
To his credit, Mike appears to have a good handle on the issue. (My
response to that person would have been shorter, blunter, and probably more
than
a touch profane.)
I think the companies are in good hands right now. And I'm looking forward
to the (re)introduction of new gear, hopefully in the very near future
(and I hope it is October as has been previously indicated, but better that it
be done right than done too soon)
73, ron w3wn
On 09/21/16, Ralph Arnold wrote:
Hi Jim this is KD8BTQ-Ralph I have been a TenTec fan for years being a red
neck Electronics Tech retired USN anyway I too do not approve of jumping on
Mike like that. I see Mike Dishop as a good guy trying to fill some really
big shoes. I'm an old school ET Navy trained to component level repair.
To repair that amp that you didn't make with defective 3rd world parts is a
bit much to ask for and then complain when you come through and fix it.
Some people have more nerve that common horse sense. Oh well I've already
said to much But I just had to say something 73 KD8BTQ
On Tue, Sep 20, 2016 at 3:46 PM, Jim Brown <k9yc@audiosystemsgroup.com>
wrote:
> Members of this reflector will almost certainly appreciate this post to
> the Amps reflector from Dishtronix, the company that bought RKR. The
third
> paragraph is particularly interesting. The complaint is about service on
an
> Alpha 9500.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
>
> = = = = = =
>
> Hello Jim,
>
> In reading this it appears rather negative to me, which I don't quite
> understand. Regardless of the 95 days, you do realize that was RKR who
you
> had the problem with? I have more people working there than RKR had!
>
> The long and the short of it was this - you called me with your problem
> and in less than a calander week you got your amp back. I didn't sell you
> the amp, and I am not liable for any of RF Concepts or RKR warranty work
by
> the terms of the sale, yet I gave you two free hours of work - AFTER you
> were so mean on the telephone to Carol that you made her cry!
>
> You are right - the new Alpha is not the Alpha you knew. The Alpha you
> knew was bought by a corporate raider who didn't pay his suppliers and
> alienated the entire supply chain for Alpha and Ten Tec, who built every
> possible unit he could build and sold for a cut rate price, reducing
prices
> constantly until everything was gone, liquidated every piece of equipment
> he could, and then moved on to do something else leaving everyone holding
> the bag.
>
> The new management is putting capitol into the business, paying
suppliers,
> paying employees and attempting to regenerate the brand. We bought the
> business with the express intention of finishing the tuner. When the
tuner
> is finished it will be even better that it would have been because I
> personally am supervising the engineering and I'm not known for
> compromising or ever saying "That is good enough", because good is not
good
> enough when you intend to be great.
>
> I'm not responsible for what others did. I'm responsible for what I do.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Arthur Movius [mailto:ajmovius@gmail.com]
> Sent: Saturday, September 17, 2016 11:24 AM
> To:amps@contesting.com; Dave Movius<dave.movius@gmail.com>; Alpha
Service<
> alphaamps1@gmail.com>; Steven M. Dishop<Steven.Dishop@Dishtronix.com>
> Subject: Re: [Amps] FW: alpha 9500
>
> Hello Steve,
>
> For what it may be worth, here's a brief summary of my recent experience.
> Your inquiry is timely.
>
> Yesterday, Sept. 16, 2016 I received an email from Alpha RF Systems, LLC
> that my 9500 delivered to Longmont, CO on June 10 for warranty repair (RA
> 11050) of a failed band pot, plus any upgrades, was completed. I called
> owner Mike Dishop of Dishtronix Tuesday Sept. 13, explained that my amp
had
> been at Alpha for 95 days, and had a nice 20 minute conversation with
him.
> He said that he has been involved with Alpha a short time and that he
would
> follow up.
>
> The bill shows 2 hours warranty time and 3 hours non-warranty time at
> $120.00 / hour for a total bill of $512.50 including $105.00 shipping
cost
> via Fed Ex Home Delivery back to MT. The bill also shows a $35.00 charge
> for a Hall Effect sensor to replace the failed band pot--the reason for
the
> warranty repair.
>
> Other work: re-calibration of band positions, installation of a fuse
> in the cathode 40v circuit, update of all firmware (5 microprocessors),
> tested amp on all bands, checked tuning and output. The amp and tube
> condition were reported as good.
>
> Conclusion: at the present time Alpha is "under resourced" regarding
> repairs. I had asked whether billed work gets priority over warranty work
> and was told by Carol who answers calls that repairs are done in the
order
> received. Glenn Pladsen their one full time tech says he has only part
> time help.
>
> There are others who repair Alpha reputed to be competent, so you have
> other options to investigate besides the manufacturer.
>
> Bottom line, which I will think about--no hasty decision--is that I will
> pack up the transformer and sell this amp when it returns without opening
> the factory carton. Good service after the sale is important and strongly
> affects purchase decisions, and here, no criticism of Alpha employees
> intended, Alpha disappoints--this is not the Alpha I knew when the amp
was
> purchased in 2013. Also, my order for the Dream Tuner placed Feb. 2013
> might soon be cancelled. There is reason to doubt whether this good idea
> will ever make it to market. As mentioned to Mike Dishop, the Alpha brand
> will suffer damage if he does not take corrective action soon. Reviews of
> the Prometheus solid state HF amp give Dishtronix high praise for a good
> product and good service after the sale.
>
> GL Steve es 73,
>
> _______________________________________________
> TenTec mailing list
> TenTec@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>
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