* In a message to Steve Brack on 10-15-97, IVY IVERSON said the following:
II>  SB> No, those are the "Science Fair" line of kits stocked in the
II>  SB> stores.  I'm talking about the build-it-yourself kits that
II>  SB> involve circuit boards, soldering, & schematics, producing a
II>  SB> finished product like an FM transmitter, or an AM/FM receiver.
II>  SB> They are available via direct order from any Radio Shack store
II>  SB> for delivery to your door as soon as the next day.
II>  
II> I'm going to have to check into that...
        They're mainly made by a company called Ramsey.
II> Both PL's were correctly set.  (Step-by-step through the manual)... after
II> about another 3 hours of frustration, (not counting a few hours of doing
II> something else), I FINALLY managed to get everything working, though to
II> hit all 3 repeaters solid I had to build an external antenna for it: a
II> co-linear J-pole made from an old set-top TV rabbit ears!  (Modeled after
II> my outdoor 2M one, exactly 1/3 the size of the 2M version).
        Well, I'm glad it finally worked for you.  What, other than
        the need for a better antenna, ended up being the problem?
II>  SB> ... Lastly, try taking it back to Radio Shack.  Ask if
II>  SB> they have a frequency counter, and, if not, ask them to find
II>  SB> out which store(s) in your area stock them.
II>  
II> HAH!  The only freq counter I would expect to find at there would be if
II> the only Ham that works there happened to have one, (probably an MFJ),
II> at home.  Sorry, but the local outlet is NOT of "big city" size.  But
II> then this town has a population of maybe 25,000, so I wouldn't it to be
II> as big as one in Chicago.   :-/
        Frequency counters are regularly stocked items.  In fact, we
        just brought out a new one to replace the one we discontinued
        about six months ago.  If your store doesn't sell enough of
        them to keep them in stock, then they can be ordered & shipped
        directly to you at no extra charge.  Alternatively, you can
        have it sent to our repair center for calibration, as well.
II> The main problem is that the manual must have been written by an engineer
II> that can't write, or by a writer that knew NOTHING about the thing...
II> working from scattered notes from the engineer.  I wound up re-writing
II> the manual so that it can be understood by someone who knows no more than
II> being able to figure out how to turn it on and set the squelch.  In my
II> version of the manual, things are arranged in a logical order - you just
II> go from one step to the next instead of having to go back-and-forth-and-
II> back-again 25 times to program the thing.
II>  
II> When engineers are required to write in English, you will find that
II> Engineers CAN NOT write in English!   :-/
        That's true.  More time, IMO, is spent on writing good
        instructions for AM/FM radios than for ham HTs.  I personally
        had a customer come in with the cordless phone/answerer he had
        purchased from me, unable to understand the instructions when
        it came to setting up the answering machine function.  After
        an hour of him, me, & my manager working on this thing using
        the instructions & our technical support helpline, we ended up
        exchanging the unit for a different, more comprehensible
        model.  None of us, all intelligent, capable men, could figure
        out how to get this thing set up.
II> Hmmm... Must be the best-kept secret in the RadShack orginization!  I
II> just went through the whole book and that number did not appear!
        1-800-THE-SHACK has been Radio Shack's 800 number for years.
        It is in our catalogs, available from the local stores, and
        available from 800-555-1212.
II> Heh heh... that HAS to be the understatement of the month!
        Well, the complicated stuff is complicated (to an extent)
        because it has to be.  Poorly worded manuals don't help any.
        One tool we do offer to help is our faxback system.  By
        calling 800-323-6586, you can receive, by fax, instructions,
        hints, tips, & specification sheets, all free of charge.
        A faxback catalog can be downloaded, or it is available within
        the local store, as well.
        As always, I speak for me, not for Radio Shack.
 -- SPEED 2.00 #2712: Milihelen, n: Beauty required to launch a single ship.
--- GEcho 1.00
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