"Radiosrfun" wrote in message
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"Ivan" wrote in message
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"Radiosrfun" wrote in message
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"Ivan" wrote in message
. ..

"Radiosrfun" wrote in message
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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.



When I was in Elementary School - they showed us "Film Clips" of
"Recycling Plants" - to do paper, glass, cans, etc.... Said a few
existed in the world but more to come - it was the way of the future -
to recycle and save our environment. Yet - here we are - producing
JUNK - and filling the landfills with it all - and as for "Recycling" -
it is NOT used in all areas for the "Intended" items and certainly not
for electronics. Yeah, I agree - sooner or later - we're going to have
some real problems.

One of the bigger towns near me "started" to do Recycling, but like all
"phases" - it passed. People are using the allocated color coded bins -
for other things now - much like those milk crates you buy in a store.
"Our" community has never offered recycling.



I don't know if it's the same where you are, but in one of the side
effects now beginning to manifest itself here in the UK is the
increasingly growing numbers of ancient churches having the lead
stripped off their roofs and even railways and electricity substations
are also being targeted and literally put out of action because of copper
cable and fittings being stolen. Apparently there is now such a famine of
raw materials in China that scrap metal is becoming a very big and
lucrative business.



L.



Some areas a few miles from me have had copper stolen from homes
(plumbing, etc) being built, siding stolen off the homes being built "and"
lived in. Theives went to places where stockpiles were kept - too some of
it. Some were even stealing the bronze flower vases off of Cemetary
markers. Was it for "China" - I don't know - but doubt it. Probably more
like "drugs". Some idiot tried his luck here ripping out plumbing from a
home of a "vacationer" - and let the water run - doing about $10,000 worth
of damage. He was busted in a week. Our cops caught him as he was making
last minute reservations to go to Florida. That was his first and last
stint - here in town.

L.
My 85 year old mother had lead flashing stolen off her house during the day
whilst she was in, a few weeks ago. The 1000 year old Saxon church in my
village also had a large quantity of lead stolen from one of the roofs which
form a more modern part of it. Apparently, road signs are also being stolen
all over the country, and are now being replaced with glass fibre composite
ones, which actually have a sticker on the back which says "NO SCRAP VALUE".
Sad what the world is coming to ...

Arfa