[NJARC] Repair Clinic

[David Sica]

John,

I've got the Ruccolo filter set to "low"; all bloviating is received in
full :-) If I don't yell at you, it probably means I agree with you!

I get a lot of calls and email inquiries about repairs through the
website. I suspect that Phil, Marv and Rich probably get far more since
they are listed as primary contact persons for the club in most
publicity. This is probably a good time for us all to get on the same
page as to how we advertise and promote this club program. 

I have always promoted our restoration clinics to people as "evaluation"
sessions, being very careful not to create the impression that we are
promising "free repair service".

My reply typically goes something like this: "The club offers a free
evaluation of your radio at our clinics. Some repairs are so simple that
there's a possibility you might actually leave with a working radio. But
at the very least, you'll know what you're up against if you choose to
repair the set or seek out someone to do the work for you."

I've always stressed that the evaluation by a knowledgeable club member
was free, but that the cost of any repair parts used (typically tubes or
capacitors) would be charged.

I also always invite them to come to a meeting and consider joining the
club. I stress that many repairs are very simple. I suggest that if they
have any interest in the subject at all, they might be surprised to find
out how easy they can pick up the basics and that knowing even only the
very basics is probably enough to handle 80% of all repair situations. I
also provide them with a list of commercial repair services in case they
choose to go that route. 

I'm not sure how I feel about the club charging for more complicated
repairs. On the one hand, it might be a way for folks such as yourself to
have additional opportunities to "play in that sandbox" and at the same
time generate funds for the club. I also confess that I hadn't considered
the academic value -- the challenge -- of having a wide variety of
different types of sets and problems coming in the door as some have
mentioned. If we decide to do this, ten bucks seems like a pittance in
this age of eight dollar sandwiches and four dollar coffees! So that
makes it either a "bonehead obvious" good deal for the set owner, or an
unrealistically low figure for the club to be asking. Depends on how we
want to view this service. I'm also not sure its a good idea to compete
with the few folks trying to make a little income providing this scarce
and difficult to find service. If we choose to provide this type of
commercial service, perhaps we shouldn't be undercutting market prices so
radically, it's hard enough as it is.

--Dave



On Wed, 5 Apr 2006 10:43:41 -0700 (PDT) john ruccolo <jr6v6gt at yahoo.com>
writes:
> Visit our web site - See http://www.njarc.org
> _______________________________________________
> Jim,
> 
> I agree with you -- I wish people would take this
> topic a bit more seriously. I *thought* I made some
> good suggestions in my email. Alas, most of you
> apprently have your John Ruccolo Filter turned on. 
> 
> Below is the Reader's Digest version for the ADD
> sufferers out there: ;-)
> 
> -- Evaluations and appraisals of customer sets should
> always be FREE. If the repair is really simple, that
> can be free too, at the discretion of the "tech."
> 
> -- HOWEVER, if we have to do any REAL repair work, we
> should ask for a donation of $10, to be split between
> NJARC and Sarnoff (or InfoAge, if the clinic is
> there). Why? Two reasons: 1) we deserve it, and 2)
> this will hopefully discourage at least a few selfish
> opportunists.
> 
> Feedback is welcome. No kvetching....
> 
> Later,
> 
> JR
> 
> 
> --- antqradio at juno.com wrote:
> 
> > Visit our web site - See http://www.njarc.org
> > _______________________________________________
> > Have I missed something here?  Whining and
> > complaining?  Who?
> > I thought this was problem solving by consensus, aka
> > democracy.
> > 
> > What is Yiddish for "Your not helping here"?
> > 
> > Regards,
> > Jim
> >  
> > On Tue, 4 Apr 2006 23:10:44 EDT Mbeeferman at cs.com
> > writes:
> > > Visit our web site - See http://www.njarc.org
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Just got off the phone with Michael Wex, author of
> > the recent 
> > > bestseller 
> > > "Born to Kvetch."  I sent him a copy of all the
> > e-mails related to 
> > > the repair 
> > > clinic.  He's offering the club $5,000 to include
> > them in an 
> > > Appendix in his third 
> > > edition.  Should we take it? 
> > _______________________________________________
> > NJARC mailing list
> > NJARC at mailman.qth.net
> > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/njarc
> > 
> 
> 
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