Warning! I'm gonna whine about what went wrong today in the shop

David · 2005-12-14T01:09:16+00:00

First thing that goes wrong: The battery dies in one of the Shop Fox DC controller remotes. I take out the battery and check it on a battery tester. Can't get the needle to move off zero, but how can that be? The remote just worked a couple of times today, but not consistently. Open up a new package of 9V's and check it to be sure the battery tester is ok--it's fine. So I walk back to the shop to install the new battery in the remote when...damn!...I touched the battery to the connector w/ reverse polarity for a split second. Then I snap the battery into the connector, expecting it to work. Wrong! The indicator LED lights up dimly with no buttons pressed; not a good sign. My worst fears are confirmed when I press "on". Dead as a doornail. Wonderful. Out of warranty. Go on line to find the Shop Fox phone number. give up; call the store and get the 1-800 from them. Call Shop Fox; "no, we don't repair the remotes".Now I know this is going to cost me more time and more money to correct. Because I've had a couple of bad Shop Fox remotes already, I figure why give them more of my money; I'll get an X-10 unit.I call Radio Crap at the nearby mall; the kid on the phone with the worst job at the mall (other than wearing a funky costume and jumping on lemons all day) says he doesn't know if they have what I'm asking for. So I drive to another RC a bit further away. The kid there offers to help me find what I'm looking for and proceeds to give one tidbit of good information on the remotely controlled outlets, and then follows it with obviously erroneous info (I'm reading the package while he's blabbing to me). We decide I'm right; well actually, the package info is king, and it seems as if a key chain remote and an outlet will give me a remotely controlled outlet. Pay the guy; drive home, head back into the shop, read the directions and WHAM! Screwed again! In order to use the remote, you have to press a button for 3 seconds to get it to register with the...

Dec 14, 2005 26 Replies

Rate this thread:

Mark & Juanita 20 years ago

Had to have been a reason other than cost savings for removing that component. Maybe obsolescence or other considerations. Maybe the need to pre-screen the parts may have resulted in some cost savings (i.e, the part itself was really a higher cost than a few tenths of a cent), or the cost of installation, logistics of being able to reduce part count. Even though the prime may have had control of the drawing package, doesn't the procurring agency have right of refusal for design changes?

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Vote

Dave 20 years ago

is it really that big of a deal to turn the dc on by hand

Vote

Brad Bruce 20 years ago

David wrote in news:PIWdnVxCYOYg7QLeRVn- snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

Sounds like they sold you the wrong thing. Typical of RS.

They have what looks like the right thing on their web-site.

formatting link

's grounded and all. No fancy expansion interface, just a remote on/off switch.

Good luck.

Brad

Vote

David 20 years ago

YES! It's bad enough I have to move the 20' hose to each tool 300 times a day. :)

Dave

Vote

David 20 years ago

Thanks Brad. the one spec I can't find listed is the amperage it will handle. Also, the owners manual link doesn't work. When I get a chance I'll see if there's anyone at RC that knows the amperage.

Dave

Vote

Wes Stewart 20 years ago

Defense contractors should be giving charity to the U.S. Government?

Ain't that the truth. I worked on the Phoenix missile

formatting link

the time I hired on with Hughes as an electronics tech and worked on an experimental assembly line building the first 30 production prototype missiles, to the time that I was the Responsible Engineer for the solid-state transmitter. Almost 20 years. Our program manager required that -any- change, even a parts value change, be evaluated at the all-up missile level. This was after subassembly and unit level testing, all performed after temperature stress-screening and included full environmental (temperature, shock and vibration) testing.

Later in my career I was a group head in a components engineering department, where we supported all programs. I can guarantee that the preparation of the component drawings, and change paperwork cost more than -any- component, even some pricey subassemblies ever did.

Furthermore, each military branch had a program office in our facility and their represenatives were always involved in design reviews, if they chose to be.

After retiring from Hughes, I was asked to hire on with Raytheon, after they bought Hughes. In that capacity, I worked on Standard Missile, some varients of which are Navy "self-defense missiles."

formatting link

me, we didn't pull any parts out of them willy-nilly either.

Vote

nospambob 20 years ago

Vote

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required