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Skipper Marine

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Rick and Lisa Marinelli

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Nov 23, 1998, 3:00:00 AM11/23/98
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Is the extra calibration, etc. worth spending up to 50% more for an
item of electronics gear (GPS, VHF)?

Rick Marinelli
rickandlisarem...@erols.com
Soon to be the owner of a '99 Cobalt 226

Harry Krause

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Nov 23, 1998, 3:00:00 AM11/23/98
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"Extra" calibration for a GPS or VHF? Doubtful. What is this company
basing its claims on?

What is worthwhile is having a pro install the equipment and do proper
marine wiring.

--

Harry Krause
- - - - - - - - - - - -
But the ad PROMISED that these "x-ray" glasses worked!

ref

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Nov 23, 1998, 3:00:00 AM11/23/98
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>> Is the extra calibration, etc. worth spending up to 50% more for an
>> item of electronics gear (GPS, VHF)?

It's a total ripoff. So, like, those tens of millions of "uncalibrated"
instruments bought elsewhere don't work, eh? "I don't think so, Tim."

They even that you *mail in* your electronics to them every
year or so to be "recalibrated" at a cost of some $150-$175 per unit.

And they do go cheap. Their "free LORAN antenna" is a little 3-foot
piece of crap.

I've bought thousands of dollars worth of stuff from most of the big
outfits: E&B, Overton's, Shoreway, and yes, Skipper. Skipper didn't
even see fit to keep me on their catalog mailing list after I bought
$2,000 worth of navigation equipment from them.

My de facto mail order source is E&B Discount Marine, although Shoreway
and Overton's have been fine, also.

Ron M.

Curtis Wheeler

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Nov 23, 1998, 3:00:00 AM11/23/98
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Rick and Lisa Marinelli wrote:
>

> Is the extra calibration, etc. worth spending up to 50% more for an
> item of electronics gear (GPS, VHF)?

Calibrating?

What the heck is your dealer going to "calibrate" on your GPS? They go
in and pick the datum or something? Hell - a GPS even sets its own
clock.

What the heck is going to calibrate on your new synthesized VHF
radiotelephone? There is no reason that a new VHF should need ANY
adjustment out of the box.

Waste o' money.

Ron

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Nov 23, 1998, 3:00:00 AM11/23/98
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......I think we're gonna need a bigger boat!

Bud Feuless 14

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Nov 23, 1998, 3:00:00 AM11/23/98
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What's really odd here is that, at least in my catalog, Skipper offers
calibration, in general, as a free "value add" service when you buy from
them. More than anything I thought it was their way of trying to
differentiate themselves from their competitors on something other than
price. As many marine electronics are now nitrogen filled and sealed (and
breaking the seal releases the nitrogen and voids the warranty), I too have
trouble seeing the value in the service in most cases. There may be some
exceptional cases, but the don't come to mind. I still maintain that
swapping transducers can be a tricky business and Skipper are the only folks
who seem to be in the business of calibration, outside small shops, but I
don't know how they could do it without damaging the unit and voiding the
warranty today, unlike the old flashers of yesterday. - Bud

Amulyte

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Nov 24, 1998, 3:00:00 AM11/24/98
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every company Ive talked to that makes equipment says no

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