"Radiosrfun" wrote in message
...



Like most everything else - Quality Control has gone to hell - too. Its
all about the "buck" - never mind how you get it.
Years ago - I sent in a piece of test equipment to the manufacturere - to
be repaired and calibrated. I paid like $15 to ship and $75 for repairs.
They "supposedly" fixed it and shipped it back. I had it a week and it did
the same damned thing. So much for that. I wasn't about to shell out
another $15 to ship it again. I called the company to complain and they
told me how to fix it myself - to which I asked - then what did I pay you
for? I finally acquired a schematic and repaired and aligned it myself.

These companies are becoming a real trip to deal with. They want top
dollar for their stuff, make it cheap and expect top dollar to repair it.
The consumer gets screwed. Lately it is more so the case - than not.

I agree, and the way the whole world is now geared to buy and throw away IMO
almost borders on the obscene.

A classic example, about 4 years ago my wife bought me quite an expensive
electric razor. A year ago it stopped working and from memory the last one I
looked at (a very long time ago!) consisted of an extremely simple kind of
(virtually foolproof) vibrating AC powered motor which drove the cutting
head to and fro.

However on dismantling this one I was surprised to find a small electric
motor and a SOPS (self oscillating power supply) and I found out pretty
quickly that the problem was due to an open circuit quarter watt 2.2 meg
resistor, total cost to replace about two pence and suffice to say that the
razor has been functioning perfectly ever since.

Now I understand perfectly well about labour costs, which would probably
have ruled taking it to a service depot and having it repaired, but at same
time I couldn't help wondering how many electrical items are dumped into
landfills every single day, just for the sake of a couple of pennies worth
of components.. probably millions on a worldwide basis, which to me begs the
question, just how much longer can our profligate lifestyles be sustained?


L.