[PCR-1000] iCOM Servicing

[Bryce Ringwood]

Hi Listers,

I paid a visit to our local servicing agency here in Johannesburg, S
Africa to check my PCR 1000 for suspected deafness in the 600 MHz
region.  Fortunately nothing was wrong with the set. Actually, its
amazing just how sensitive these receivers really are.

The local agency here seem to be very well equipped to deal with repair
and re-alignment of PCR-1000s and told me they have already repaired
quite a few of them.  The problem is that users put a long wire antenna
on their receivers, static builds up on the antenna and that's the end
of one or more front-end components. Another problem concerns the iCOM
discone. Apparently the loading coil attached to the short whip at the
top sometimes suffers corrosion at one or other end. I am told this
makes the UHF sensitivity decline. (This doesn't really make sense to me
- I'm just repeating what I was told.)

The really nice thing is the service charges - it look as if you pay
about the same amount of Rands per hour as people in the States pay in $
per hour, or thereabouts. Since there's about 11 Rands = 1 US $ it might
work out cheaper to mail the sets here for repair! (Except, you probably
don't like letting the Rx out of your sight.)

The local agents here will also provide you with spares for the
receiver, but I'm sure they will cost as much as anywhere else.  They
also re-align every set sent in for repair using the dreaded EX2099.

Just for the record, I have no affiliation with the local agents
whatsoever, but should any of you want to contact them, I will be
pleased to pass on contact details. 

Cheers - Bryce