david@infopro.UUCP (David Fiedler) (08/29/85)
Brad Parker was asking whether the mail order discount houses were as reliable
as Sporty's. I just had to pass along my experience, especially since
another netter, Phil Cohen, saved me at least $50 the same way. Phil
recommended San-Val Aircraft Parts in Van Nuys, CA, and coincidentally a
day later I got the legendary Trade-a-Plane newspaper in the mail.
(as a side note, I had heard of Trade-A-Plane many times but never knew
where to get it, and it just showed up at the right time. A 6-month trial
subscription costs $10 from Trade-A-Plane, Crossville, TN 38555 (615)
484-5137. It has zillions of classified plane ads SORTED BY TYPE in
addition to many ads of discount parts and accessories houses. Wonderful!)
P.S. you can submit ads to Trade-A-Plane by MODEM!!!!
Anyway, Trade-A-Plane had the San-Val ad right up front, and after
comparing everyone's prices, service, terms, and vibes, I ordered a pair
of David Clark H10-40s last Thursday. Well, today is Wednesday in New
Jersey, and they showed up in perfect condition. San-Val charges NO
shipping, even if you pay by credit card. They happen to also have some
package deals if you buy two sets of headsets and an intercom, also. I
paid $160 for the headset, $7 for the liquid ear seals, and $16 for a
Telex push-to-talk switch (special price with headset). The Telex switch
is clearly made less well than the Clark equipment but seems quite sturdy.
The liquid seals make an incredible difference, especially with glasses,
and thanks to everyone who recommended them (and the DC40s too, they are
great quality stuff) to me. I love this net!!
Unless anyone has experience that would indicate it's a bad idea, I plan
to order an RST intercom soon. This unit seems to have all the features of
all the other intercoms put together, and is also cheaper. Comments, anyone?
San-Val's number is (800) 423-3281, or (818) 786-8274.
--
Dave Fiedler
{harpo,astrovax,whuxcc,clyde}!infopro!dave People Phone: (201) 989-0570
USMail: InfoPro Systems, 3108 Route 10, Denville, NJ 07834
Flight Instructor: "What would you do if I jumped out right now?"
Student: "Close the door and retrim?"wolenty@inuxj.UUCP (R Wolenty) (08/30/85)
I too had a very favorable experience with San-Val. I ordered DC 10-40's, liquid ear seals, and a push-to-talk - two days later all arrived safe and sound. Ron Wolenty AT&T Information Systems
bob@ulose.UUCP ( Bob Bismuth ) (09/02/85)
> Telex push-to-talk switch (special price with headset). The Telex switch > is clearly made less well than the Clark equipment but seems quite sturdy. > > Unless anyone has experience that would indicate it's a bad idea, I plan > to order an RST intercom soon. This unit seems to have all the features of > all the other intercoms put together, and is also cheaper. Comments, anyone? > Regarding the Telex switch, in my experience they are better made than the Dave Clark switch. Twice I've had the soldering connections fails in my Dave Clark switch - both times when I needed to contact some sort of ATC. I also use an RST intercom which took me about 3 hours to assemble. Overall I am very pleased with it - it has all the features you could want, including both tape play back and tape record (useful for instrument practise when you need to analyse some misunderstood ATC instruction later). The directions with the kit are very complete, but like all software engineers, I never read the manual first! There were about four problems with their directions, but having looked over the circuit and pc board, I was able to correct them before starting. They were not even problems, just inefficient ways of doing things. The hardest part of building was making the patch lead which connects the unit to the headphones, 12/24 v power supply (if you have one handy), tape unit (if needed - works well on long cross countries), etc. Since my usual craft does not have an electrical system, being able to run the intercom from a 9 v battery for 50 hours was very attractive. I also would advise against building it with the panel mount. This is time consuming for little gain - I use velcro to hold it in place and can then move it to any craft I wish to fly without too much fuss. Regarding the Telex switch, if you have a PT-200 the RST intercom will NOT work properly. It will with the PT-300. This is because it requires that the high side of the mike audio line be broken when not depressed. The PT-200 does not do that. -- bob (decvax!ulose!bob)
ralph@inuxc.UUCP (Ralph Keyser) (09/07/85)
> > Regarding the Telex switch, in my experience they are better made than the > Dave Clark switch. Twice I've had the soldering connections fails in my > Dave Clark switch... Hmmm. I'd have to report just the opposite from my experience. I've had numerous problems with my Telex PTT switch (broken connections and broken wires), but never a problem with the trusty David Clark. Regardless of the actual failure rate, the David Clark equipment does display a higher level of perceived quality (higher quality plugs, jacks, and cords). May all your en-route winds be tailwinds - Ralph Keyser AT&T