For your reference, here is a copy of the ad you are responding to:
Listing Number: 650107
Date Ad was Placed: 02/28/08
Name: Richard Ewing
Phone Number: 541912.7762
Callsign: KO7N
Category: ROTATORS
Heading: FOR SALE: HyGain T2X rotor system
Ad Message:
FOR SALE: Hygain T2X Rotator System
Hy-Gain T-2X rotor and contol box for sale, $330 includes shipping to 48 more to anywhere else, can ship international. Did internal inspection and is in excellent mechanical condx and lubed with the special low temperature grease, good to -30degrees F +/-. Rotor is brand new. Just look at picture.
Dick KO7N 541.912.7762 or 541.935.0548 or leave a message
I called and made the deal with Dick, he was very friendly and said the rotor was "like new" except for a burn on the plastic cover top where he installed a 12v bulb rather than a 24v and disfigured the plastic cover in a small area. He agreed to send via UPS or FED-X the next day after he got my money order.
I sent "DICK" a postal money order the next day. 3 1/2 weeks passed, after numerous emails sent and ignored, messages and voice mails sent and ignored, then finally I get this very cryptic email cut and pasted below.
Mike,
Here is the receipt of sending unit. It went out several DAYS LATER THAN
I MENTIONED AS i HAD A FRIEND SHIP IT FOR ME AND MHE WAS LATE. MY MOM IS
NEAR DEATH.
\SORRY
After that email was sent to me The rotor got here 5 days later Via US mail, the rotor and control box were floating around in a big box filled with packing peanuts, the box bulging at its seams flattened on top and on the sides with packing material coming out at every open gap in the box, loose packing tape gapping open at every seam, it was a miracle the tailtwisters black plastic rotor box and meter face were not cracked and broken being tossed around inside with nothing protecting it from that heavy rotor. It was a good thing its destination was Iowa and not Ohio, the condition of the box was so bad it would have never made it across the Mississippi river without breaking apart and spilling the contents.
When I hooked up a control cable between the rotor and control box it traveled 1/3 the way and quit. I called Dick and left messages on his voice mail and answering machine with my dissatisfaction but was ignored again. More emails were sent and ignored and after a couple more weeks, Dick closed his HOTMAIL account and his Teleport account the emails came back to me user account closed.
I had to face the fact it was going to be up to me to get the rotor fixed or my VHF array would not be turning my antennas in April for the onset of Spring E-skip. After getting a price quote from a well known HAM rotor repair center I knew I had to find a better cheaper way. I did some inquiries on a local repeater and was given the name and number of an old-timer 50 miles away who knew his way around CDE rotors and knew how to repair them.
I drove the rotor over to him and he offered to fix it on the spot while I watched.
Removing the housing was easy as the bolts were loose, not torqued down tight like you would expect, and when he opened it up in front of me I saw a broken ring gear, rusted ball bearings on all 3 races, and flakey dried powder which I was told use to be grease. Water had made it's way with the insides of this rotor. The bearings were replaced and ring gear replaced with a used one. The solenoid that controls the brake had a lot of slop in it, but still seemed to engage the wedge like it was suppose to. This old guy had never had a T2x apart before, but he was fairly sure that they were all about the same on the inside and it should work ok for me.
I spent $125.00 for the repair to the rotor which I was told later was more than fair pricing. I have called DICK KO7N and left messages asking for satisfaction but am ignored to this day.
I have been trading here for several years, this is the first time I have been lied to and cheated in this way by a fellow ham. It is my hope and intent that after informing the ham community about my experience dealing with KO7N Richard Ewing he will not get the chance to do the same to you!
