Date: Sat, 29 Mar 2003 00:56:04 -0600 From: "Ken Bessler" Subject: Rig back from the shop - still broken - **an update** To refresh: I had owned my FT-817 for 3 months when suddenly I had no power on 160-6 meters. I sent the rig back to the store where I bought it (radio shack) and they sent it to Yaesu. 5 weeks later, the rig came back - still broken. I sent the following e-mail to Yaesu service: ************************************************************ "5 weeks ago I turned my FT-817 in to my dealer (B&H sales in Derby KS (316) 788-4225) for warranty repair. The rig has no output from 160m to 6m (2m & 440 work fine). 5 weeks later the rig comes back. I excitedly drive 20 miles to my dealer to pick it up then drive back looking forward to getting back on the air. I hook up the rig to find it still broken! What is up with that? The rig is now back at my dealer and is going to be checked by the local tech to confirm it's state. Then the rig will be (probably) going back to you. Shame on you, Yaesu service! I mean really - it's bad enough for the rig to break but to then add insult to injury by not fixing the rig then shipping it back to me broken. Is this an example of your standards now? I've been a 100% Yaesu user since my first rig (a FT101B) way back in the 70's. This turn of events needs to be investigated and something done to change my tarnished perception of Yaesu. Signed, a disgruntled (and maybe EX) customer." (name, address and phone included) ********************************************************** Tonight, at about 8pm central time, I get a call on my phone. It's the Yaesu service manager! He's apologizing profusely and promising to investigate the matter. He says to return the radio and it will get fixed and double checked asap. To Yaesu's credit, he seemed genuinley concer- ned. I'm impressed. To be continued......... Ken KG0WX ====================================================== Date: Sat, 29 Mar 2003 09:40:45 -0800 From: "Ed G." Subject: Re: Rig back from the shop - still broken - **an update** To Ken, and others, This is just a reminder; as a technician for many years, I have seen many radios come across my bench that did not seem to have a problem. In the hurry of the schedule, these don't get examined very long. (More often than not, in my industry, a claimed problem that doesn't show up on the bench is not really a problem with the radio.) Only after succeeding claims of the same problem do these radios get further examined.... and this sometimes requires daily tests for days on end until the problem shows up. Your FT-817 could be one of these, with a chronic intermittent failure that may take some time to occur for the bench tech. Also, there can be MAGIC in the UPS/FEDEX shipping process. It never ceases to amaze me how a radio with a problem is shipped and ends up working on the other end of the UPS MAGIC. Ed WB6SAT ========================================================== Date: Sat, 29 Mar 2003 18:26:44 -0600 From: "Ken Bessler" Subject: Re: Rig back from the shop - still broken - **Fixed!** The rig was tested on the IFR bench today and to my suprise, it worked perfectly! I even took some of the components of my antenna system with me to test them. I took all patch cables, meters, switches, triplexer,etc. All tested fine. At one point I had the idea that maybe it was only able to put power into a dummy load, not an antenna. So, I hooked up to the shop antenna (an Alpha-Delta DXCC) and tested. No problems! I was then convinced I had either an intermittant radio problem, a bad coax or a problem with my GAP Titan antenna. So, I took my equipment home, fully expecting to see the same problem. I powered up and keyed down on 20 meters....5 watts! So, I've got an intermittant problem somewhere. All I can do is inspect the antenna system and maybe do some maintenance. Then hope that if it IS a intermittant problem with the rig that it breaks permenantly before the warranty elapses. As to Yaesu service, they obviousley did thier job and I hearby apologize for getting upset with them. I hearby eat crow....... Thanks Yaesu - I'll buy from you again (when I have a need - I just bought a VX-7R(b) to go with the FT-817.) :-) 73's de Ken KG0WX =================================================================== =================================================================== =================================================================== =================================================================== =================================================================== =================================================================== =================================================================== =================================================================== =================================================================== =================================================================== =================================================================== =================================================================== =================================================================== =================================================================== =================================================================== =================================================================== =================================================================== =================================================================== =================================================================== =================================================================== ===================================================================