WQ5J SALES

Share information regarding your recently completed deals with other ham operators. ONLY BUYERS AND SELLERS directly involved with the transaction can post in this forum. If you have a report of a scam by someone pretending to be a ham, please post in the Scammer Reports forum instead.
Forum rules
As of Dec 9, 2013: ONLY BUYERS AND SELLERS directly involved with a transaction can post here. Do not post replies in any topic if you are not the buyer or seller in the transaction being discussed! If you believe you can help the buyer or seller, please use the Private Message system to communicate with them. NOTE: if you have been scammed by someone pretending to be a ham, please post in the Scammer Reports forum instead. See viewtopic.php?f=2&t=136 for additional rules.
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W5AAT
Posts: 51
Joined: Sat Jan 13, 2007 6:46 pm
Location: MADISON,MS

WQ5J SALES

Post by W5AAT »

A+++ Tom shipped a xcvr to me recently that he had described to a "T" regarding physical condition and functionality.Very easy to deal with and HONEST! Highly recommended!
Skip
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Dec 21, 2006 5:04 am
Location: Lamesa, Tx

Post by Skip »

I met Tom/WQ5J a few weeks agon while in Arlington,Tx.
Although the radio I was interested in had been sold, I was
able to look at some others.

Talk about cleannnnnnnnn, I was impressed
with the quality that Tom obviously strives to buy or
trade for resale . His feedback from buyers or traders
says it all.

Nice to meet you Tom, Happy New Year!!
KM5TC
k1mcn
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 3:23 pm

Would not buy from Tom Wq5j again

Post by k1mcn »

I usually don’t like to leave poor feedback especially for someone who appears to have such glowing feedback but I feel compelled to after answered the following ad by Tom wq5j; Have a very nice Heathkit SB-201 – 15 through 80 meters 500 watts, copy of manual $375 plus shipping.
When I contacted Tom to ask about shipping he told me in include $20.00 making the total $395 with the shipping. Not to bad a price for a working 500 watt amp.
I sent him a pay pal payment and waited I contacted him after a week and he had not sent the amp telling me that he had been taking care of his grandchildren because his daughter had been in a car accident. I told him that it wasn’t a problem ship it when he could. After about another week and a half it arrived. It looked in good condition but when I tried it out I was barely able to get 450 watts and it was arcing badly. It also smelled like it had not been run in a long time.
I decided to open it up and take a look inside. It looked good nothing loose but I did find that the band switch had a burned 15 meter contact, the tuning cap had burned plates and the switch for the meter had the grid contact broken and shorted. Upon further investigation I found that the grid bias resistor was burned out and there was no negative bias getting to the tubes. And finally the tubes were shot because of the arcing.
I contacted Tom by e-mail and did not receive an answer I did send one last e-mail that he did answer. I asked if he would be willing to send me $100 for new tubes and I would do the necessary repairs and we would call it square. He wanted me to send the amp back. We compromised and he was supposed to send me a good used set of tubes. They never showed up.
I did the repairs and have put new tubes into the amp now it’s is useable and puts out 700 watts on SSB and does not arc. I ended up spending $90 for a new set of tubes and then another $100 or so in parts including the band switch.
I suppose that Tom thought that I was trying to stick it to him but I wasn’t all I really wanted was to be treated fairly. I do not feel that he was fair and I would not buy anything from him again.

Matt
K1MCN
W5AAT
Posts: 51
Joined: Sat Jan 13, 2007 6:46 pm
Location: MADISON,MS

WQ5J SALES

Post by W5AAT »

There must be some kind of mistake here. Tom was extremely accurate and informative on my purchase and even described a miniscule blemish on the top cover prior to payment / shipment. (It would take a flashlight and correct viewing angle to discern.) I would have sent the amplifier back to him as requested. Look at it from his side. The damage appears to have been a result of misuse/abuse.(No kidding!) As far as I know, every item is physically inspected and electrically tested before the ad is placed. I would think that this would be especially true in the case of an amplifier. I don't know what happened here, but I will continue to buy from Tom with utmost confidence.
He's no Radio-Mart, that's for sure! (no slap at you, Matt. It just seems so out of character for this to have happened) 73, Todd
k1mcn
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 3:23 pm

wq5j sales

Post by k1mcn »

I know that to some it might been seen as me being the one wrong here and maybe I should have sent the amp back. But I decided that I could repair it. Tom probably would have parted it out or just stuck someone else with it. I am a Heathkit, Drake and Collins collector and I do repiars for others who can't do their own. so I decided to just ask for Tom to send me some money to cover a new pair of tubes. no luck he offered to have me send it back I didn't really trust that he would give me a refund because this amp had no signs of even being tried. I can tell when you get that musty odor when a tube unit is fired up afer a long time sitting.
I have had a coupld of E-mails from others who have been apperntly rooked by Tom as well.
No the damage wasn't due to abuse or misuse. I have several amps from a Amreitron AL-1500, Drake L4B, Heathkit SB-221and a Collins 30L1 all but the Ameritron I have bought knowing that bthey needed work and have repaired them all. so I know how to tune and use a amplifier. so that wasn't the problem.
As I said I don't like to lave bad feedback. but after all this I think that Tom deserves the feedback I gave him. he had promised to send me a set of used tubes to put in the amp but no they didn't arrive. so all and all I would say if you had a good or several good purchases you are lucky but please don't tell me that I am wrong.
Matt
K1MCN/ AFA1KM
W4PIG
Posts: 610
Joined: Sat May 17, 2003 2:54 pm

Post by W4PIG »

tom is one of the best traders on the net work.73s de w4pig
K5BBA
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2005 9:37 am

Tom Stack, WQ5J

Post by K5BBA »

I think the gentleman that had to complain about his deal with Tom should have looked in the mirror and bitched at the one he saw in it. I have never
heard of Tom doing anyone any injustice when it comes to selling ham gear.
K7HC
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2006 3:38 pm
Location: Selah, WA
Contact:

W5QJ - OK!

Post by K7HC »

I have a few dealings with Tom, and EVERY ONE has been first class! Of course, all products were in great shape and exactly as advertised. My opinion is that he is the best, or among the best, that you will find here on QTH.
Clay - K7HC
K3PZ
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2003 3:59 pm
Location: Stuart, FL
Contact:

TOP THREE TRADERS

Post by K3PZ »

In my opinion, the top three traders on QTH.COM are Adam Farber, Tom Stack, and Murray Neece. I would not hesitate to buy from any one of these gentleman and trust their word that the equipment is exactly what they say that it is. They are the best of the best.
Paul Zora
K3PZ
k1mcn
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 3:23 pm

wq5j feedback

Post by k1mcn »

Well I am glad to see that some of you out there have had good dealings with Tom. I realy wish I could say that as well. I don't understand why he didn't give me a square deal but the fact is that he didn't.
The amp was untested and that is a fact. if he had tested it he would have seen the arcing problem. and all of the other problems if he opened the case up. there was enough dust on the inside of the amp to tell that it hadn't been opened up in years.and the smell when it was first powered up by me also told me that it hadn't been run in a long while.
If he had said that it was untested I would have expected some problems. but he said in his ad that it put out 500 watts and was in good shape. I took him at his word.
I won't again. the fact is that it had several problems and after fixing them all I have a useable amp.
So you all can buy from him I will not.
Defend Tom all you want but it will not change my mind or my negitve feedback.

Matt

K1MCN
K4ICL
Posts: 663
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2003 1:07 pm
Location: Greenville, SC
Contact:

Huh?

Post by K4ICL »

I am having a hard time believing that a well known ham with an earned reputation for honesty and square deals as a result of hundreds of deals over the past five years would knowingly cheat someone over some cheap used amplifier. [Yes, $375 worth of amplifier is a cheap amplifier!]

Not to put too fine a point on it, the originator of the thread told of how good he felt about the deal he got from a fellow ham and almost immediately another ham jumps in and tells the world of the perceived dishonest treatment he received from the same ham. Now that is just plain rude! A person with such a powerful need to complain about a deal should do it ON HIS OWN THREAD.

If the dialogue on the thread is accurate it appears the seller met ALL of his obligation to the buyer when he offered to take back the cheap amp and refund the man's money. The buyer failed to take the seller up on his sure-fire solution to the problem so the buyer, by his own actions, owns all of the problems and, it seems, has NO CAUSE TO COMPLAIN.

Nuff said...

K4ICL
VA3EE/ VE3GNX
Posts: 52
Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2006 11:30 am
Location: Windsor ON Canada

WQ5J Sales

Post by VA3EE/ VE3GNX »

Seems to be some conflicting stories. :? I'm kind of wondering why Tom WQ5J is not responding to any of the statements being made? Maybe Tom can tell us the rest of the story.
Don VE3GNX
W1QJ
Posts: 81
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 12:32 pm
Location: Connecticut
Contact:

Post by W1QJ »

I am not certain of the particulars of this deal on the Sb-200 amp. It would be my assupmtion that If Tom sold such an amp, he would have tested it out to see how it worked. I do not know of him selling equipment that is not working. When you got it and tried it out, you report sparking and arcing and say you found a bad bandswitch contact. I assume you mentioned this to Tom at this point . My belief is that Tom requested that you send the amp back for a refund since you were not happy with it. I could not think of an easiser way out of buying something you wwre not happy with then to return it for a full refund. However, you took it upon yourself to alter the offer by saying to him to send you some money back and a new set of tubes. It seems like Tom did not agree with YOUR terms and insisted on having the amp sent back for a refund. Since no one can verify your compalints about the amplifier and would your "fix" be appropriate, is questionable. When a seller sells something in good faith (as I believe Tom always does) offering to take back something from someone that is dissatisfied is the best policy, and the buyer should do so. I bought a radio from Tom not too long ago, it was a HF/6m radio. I foolishly thought when I bought it, that it put out 100 watts on 6 meters. Turns out after I get it, it is only 50 Watts on 6 meters. I wanted a full 1000 watts and the radio was useless to me. I contacted Tom and I told him my foolish plight of the 50 watts. He said send the radio back for a refund.
Subsquently I bought a FT-920 from him and the rig is 100% great. He is the best to deal with. That is my 2cents. Lou W1QJ
bsequently
k1mcn
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 3:23 pm

wq5j sales

Post by k1mcn »

I would like to make one point here. I sent a e-mail to Tom with all of the problems I had found. and I waited for three to foure days for a reply. after getting no answer from Tom. I figured I OWNED the amp and that I was not going to hear from him.
At that point I ordered parts to fix the amp I had caps, tubes and a new bandswitch on the way. after a full week of not hearing from Tom I sent him a e-mail saying that I was going to post negitive feedback. THEN he responded saying that he had e-mailed me offing to take the amp back.
At that point I had already spent the money for all the parts and the price for the amp. so all I was looking for was to have a little help for a deal that stunk.
If Tom wants to tell his side of it that is fine.
I posted this to let people know that at least this one time Tom didn't come through. I do not need a separtate thread this IS the correct thread to post feedback pretaining to Tom's sales.
I have bought a lot of ham radio stuff and not had a deal like this before. especiall from someone with such good feedback.
Do as you like and say what you like. these ARE the facts.

Matt
K1MCN
N8ERM
Posts: 261
Joined: Sun Dec 25, 2005 12:43 am

My dealings with WQ5J, Tom Stack

Post by N8ERM »

I like lots of others had fantastic deals with Tom. It has been my experience that he will go the extra mile when dealing with the ham community. One of the pieces of gear I bought from Tom was damaged in shipment. I emailed Tom and two days later he emailed me to send the tuner back. I received my check back two days later. Bottom line is buying and selling ham gear is for most of us to get what we want to complete our shack. Some of us are never satisfied with what we have, that would be me. Others in the middle of our deals have something in our personal life that must be attended to. I guess what I am trying to convey in this post is most of the people on this site are fair traders/sellers/ and buyers. I few are not. I will continue to deal with Tom and many others on this site as they are true examples of what I perceive as honest hams. To start purchasing parts for repairing a piece of gear that does not work correctly without waiting for the seller to approve is wrong. As I said previously people have family issues, health problems, go out of town for funerals, etc. Patients is not my virtue but in order to be fair this must practiced.
Please remember to play nice, this is only a hobby. Terry N8ERM
k1mcn
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 3:23 pm

wq5j sales retraction

Post by k1mcn »

I was contacted by Tom this weekend and he refunded me money for the tubes to replace the bad ones in the SB-201 linear I bought from him. he did do what he said he was going to do and I thank him for stepping up to help me with the cost of repair for the amplifier. I would buy from him again.

73's
Matt
K1MCN
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