I was at a hamfest yesterday and I hung out with two AKers between the raindrops. Had a great time and got some cool gear (EV Aristocrat, Pioneer int amp & tuner combo and a Phase Linear 400!).

Today I missed out on a Sansui AU-717. Some guy who worked at the local St Vincent store snagged it before it got on the floor. The price? A measly $20. I thought he was bringing up front where they sell all the good stuff so I accidentally thought it was still up for grabs. A friend of his was looking it over and put it down so I thought I'd snag it. I was told otherwise and backed off. The buyer said it was broken so I asked what was wrong. All I got was a mumbled grunt. I explained I fix gear and he said his friend did too. So I tried to engage this fellow in some tech talk. More shadowy grunts that would make an angst-ridden teen proud. I told him about the PL400 I had in the car and he grunted something about "I don't want to buy it". I walked away shaking my head.

I felt sorry for this amp. The guy who bought it is a fairly nice guy but they were ooohing and ahhhing over the "wattage" on the back of the amp. Four-hundred fifty watts - I suspect this was the power consumption. I have a bad feeling the "tech" had never worked on anything like this and would screw it up royally. Now I realize the only way to learn how to fix this stuff is to get your hands dirty but clueless techs cause the rest of us untold headaches and heartaches (not to mention the possibility of the amp ending up in the trash)

At that moment, I realized how nice it is to hang out with AKers who automatically trust you and don't treat you like a leper. When I ask if somebody is on AK and they answer yes, its like we were frat brothers. Its a great feeling.

Sometimes it takes a while for people to get a clue...who knows? They may be future members - perhaps a little wiser after getting in over their heads.

In a week or so I'll ask him about how the "repair" is going. Maybe he BSed the manager (who wasn't the one I fixed up the Marantz 2500 for) so she wouldn't price it sky high. The lack of a straight answer when I asked what was wrong is kinda hinkey.

I've repaired gear for other employees so they can vouch for me. As much as I'd hate to see an amp get butchered, I know when its a lost cause. He didn't seem to trust me but that's his mistake.

Every time you get in over your head and figure out a way to bail yourself out puts you in a position to be much more sucessful next time.

- Pete

Every time you get in over your head and figure out a way to bail yourself out puts you in a position to be much more sucessful next time.

That's assuming you're smart enough to stop and ask directions (another plug for AK!) or to learn from your mistakes. Far too many people fail both of the above requirements. Besides, repairing gear for some techs is more a matter of "Will it be something simple like a fuse and some outputs?" After that, its time to break out the hatchet or let it rust in a corner.

The friend/tech seemed like a buddy who told him to watch for any good gear. While employees should get a chance at stuff before it hits the floor, doing it for "friends" is just a short walk from taking the good stuff and ebaying it (which they fired somebody for).

I don't mind missing out on stuff. I had a great weekend and a truckload of projects await. A Sansui 9500 amp and tuner (paid $20) was responsible for my first trip to AK. At the time I had no idea how nice this gear was. A few posts about changing the voltage and replacing the outputs were my first steps back into an old hobby. If it gets somebody else who loves vintage gear involved and contributing that's great!

That's a valid point. First you have to be able to recognize that you are in over your head. Then you need to recognize when you are moving in the right direction and when you are digging your self in deeper rather than digging your self out.

- Pete