[time-nuts] 10811 Alternatives

[Charles Steinmetz]

Bob wrote:

>I've always found that building in performance / reliability is a 
>lot cheaper than testing it in...

And if you are a surplus dealer, letting the customer test it for you 
is a lot cheaper than testing it yourself....

One of the defective MV89s I received ("guaranteed 100% tested and 
working") came in a box the previous customer had used to return it, 
complete with that customer's name and address, the seller's real 
name and address (different from the name and address of the seller 
on file with ebay), and a note from the previous buyer listing the 
faults with the unit.  Nobody could possibly have tested that unit in 
even the most cursory way and deemed it to be "working."

After 6 purchases from 6 different sellers (well, 6 different seller 
IDs -- I suspect 2 or 3 of them might have been the same person), I 
never once received an MV89 that came close to meeting spec.  I did 
open one up after ebay refunded me without requiring me to return it, 
and I was shocked at the crudeness of the construction and the poor 
build quality.  They may all leave the factory meeting spec, but it 
wouldn't surprise me to find that many of them never do.

Best regards,

Charles