[ForSale-Swap] the other side of various ebay radios ...

[Eric Jones]

de N4TGC Eric

I'll say right off I don't mind +ACI-as is+ACI- disclaimers atall.  If the seller has
good pictures, and the desciption reveals they're largely ignorant of
electronics (about 99+ACU- of them are, even if they're Hams), I don't even want
them to plug it in: the old t.e. I buy, esp. oscilloscopes, can be rendered
instant junk by faulty filter caps frying the irreplacable power transformer.  A
good physical description is hopefully not beyond the ability of any seller, tho
a few good pictures are far better.  But the worst problem is not the
irresistable urge sellers have to plug the item in and chance ruining it: it's
their stupid refusal to follow packing instructions+ACE-

I've pretty well given up buying off ebay, as NO item I ever ordered was
properly packed - not one, nada, none.  Some of them not even close.  Part of
the problem is, to do it right, they have to open the rig and pull the tubes and
wrap them separately - this is esp. true of the CRT on older o'scopes, as it's
not well secured.  Even pilot lampholders should be un-snapped and wrapped,
etc.,  but few are qualified to understand any of this.  I went back to haunting
Hamfests, and lug my treasures home cradled safely in my arms (well, trunk ...)

None of the damage I experienced was fatal, but it was so damned unnecessary+ACE-
Once a steel cabinet is dented, it's forever: you can't bump it out without
flaking the paint off.  And if glass or plastic bezels break, it's even worse -
and even some tubes are quite rare/pricey.  I've been lucky, so I stopped while
I was ahead ...
    e