I waited over a week and no word from K3OX about receiving my Money Orders or shipping the A4. I sent an email saying I was worried the payment had been lost. He replied that He had received the M.O.'s but that he had not shipped because He had 'Bronchitus' but would try to ship that day. Three days later, still nothing!! I sent a polite email saying I was sure He didn't feel like shipping the radio so please just send my payment back. I told him I was anxious about shipping a vintage RX like that anyway and had found one close enough I could pick up(Mark W5KCW). The next day I got an email that He had shipped the RX anyway??????? This was 2WEEKS after I sent payment!!
The A4 FINALLY arrived on October 2nd. When I saw the box K3OX had shipped it in I really got concerned. It was a box purchased at Staples and was very flimsy. I would never ship ANY electronic equipment in such a box! Plus, there was NO packing what so ever on top of the inside box. My fears were justified. When I unpacked the RX and hooked it up it was on 20M where K3OX had left it. NOTHING, it was completely dead. I tried other bands and it seemed to be at least working on other bands. I made some checks of tubes to see if the rough ride had maybe damaged a tube. Then hooked my main rig to a dummy load and the A4 to an antenna and could hear my signal very weak. I rotated the bandswitch and the RX came alive. I sent an email to K3OX describing all this and how I liked the sound of the old A4s. The email had been gone only minutes when the RX slowly faded and then died again. I was really getting upset now. I sent a follow up email telling K3OX the RX had a intermittent problem, and that after paying 'big bucks' for the RX I was going to have to repair it. I got a return email telling me how easy it would be to fix such a simple thing!! He said He was going on a 2 week vacation and would get back with me then. ('He was probably spending the money I had sent for the RX', I thought'.)
I spent those 2 weeks going over the RX from top to bottom. I cleaned the bandswitch,& tried adjusting the xtal osc slug. 20Meters would periodically come alive but in a few minutes fade out. In the process I discovered other problems. The 29Mhz segment of 10M didn't work AT ALL. The audio had an oscillation when increased above 6, The AVC had a popping, there were 5 tubes that were BAD, The 4:1 tuning knob seemed to be broken, but I didn't have the Bristol wrench to check.I then again sent an email requesting to return the Rx since He felt it would be so easy for him to repair. I told him I didn't feel the Rx fit the ad description. Needless to say K3OX would have none of that!! Truth be: I would be afraid to trust him enough to send the RX while He still had the money. K3OX says I just have Buyers Remorse and am trying to make a case out of nothing.
Bottom line, don't look for me on 20M on the SKS, using my vintage station.
73, Joe k0ivk