"John"wrote:
Hi, I bought an ATS 909 back in February and am generally pleased with
it except for the fact that the volume pot developed a slight
scratchiness in the lower range which is more noticeable using
headphones (of course) but still there when I change the volume while
listening to it without them.

Squirt some tuner cleaner (or even WD-40) into the volume control pot and
twist it back and forth several times.

Art N2AH

"John" wrote:

Hi, I bought an ATS 909 back in February
and am generally pleased with it except for
the fact that the volume pot developed a slight
scratchiness in the lower range which is more
noticeable using headphones (of course) but
still there when I change the volume while
listening to it without them. (snip)

(snip) I called Universal again and talked to
another fellow who was very nice and helpful.
He took my name and number and said that
he was sorry that this had happened and that
he would get with his boss and call me back.
About 20 minutes later I received the call
from the employee who issued an RMA
number and told me to just box the radio up
and send it back to them and they would
swap it out. I thanked them for their help but
unfortunately when I got the radio back it was
the same unit with the same serial number
that I sent in and the bill of lading included
with it had "Bench tested: charge 00". Am
I being too picky here? It gets annoying
tuning around and hearing that noise all the
time while adjusting the volume. (snip)


You obviously made the mistake of not including all that information when
you sent the radio in. The technician wasn't aware of your conversations
with others, John. The computer probably just said the customer is sending
the unit for replacement. So, without more details from you, the technician
checked out the radio, found nothing wrong (he probably didn't even notice
the scratchiness), and sent it back.

You can obviously send it again with more details (use the same RMA and
include the bill of lading you received, with a full explination of the
exact problem and what was said in your conversations). Or you can simply
visit the local Radio Shack store to pick up a can of contact
cleaner/lubricant. A quick squirt of that into the pots will fix them right
up (which is very likely exactly what the technician will do once he
understands your problem).

Stewart

"John" wrote in message
...
Hi, I bought an ATS 909 back in February and am [SNIP]

I called them and my call was taken by a VERY VERY
rude fellow who cut me off before I even had time to finish telling
him about my problem.

How strange! They've always been so nice and willing to go way out of their
way to help with problems on out of warranty products. I had them send me
a new stand for my 909 a year after I bought it NO CHARGE. Not even
shipping!

Arthur Harris wrote:

Squirt some tuner cleaner (or even WD-40) into the volume control pot and
twist it back and forth several times.

Spraying the pot shaft from the front with the knob removed rarely works
well. You need to get to the back of the pot where the resistance
element is located to properly apply the spray cleaner. This means
opening the radio.


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"John" wrote:

Thanks for the quick reply Stewart. I
did indeed include an almost verbatim
copy of what had happened along with
a description of the problem in the
original box with the radio when I sent it
back...


Well, if that is the case, the technician obviously screwed up. I'd
suggest calling again, calmly explaining that you're sending the radio back
for a replacement, and get a new RMA number. No need to get into great
details (it will only confuse them). Instead, just explain that was agreed
to in the last RMA and the same radio was sent back to you by mistake with
the same problem.

When you send the radio, tape a card on the actual radio's box
specifically stating it is to be replaced due to a scratchy volume control.
Again, don't get into great details. Just be very specific about what you
want and why. Two lines should do it...

Problem/Defect: Scratchy volume control.

Repair Request: Replace radio with another without problem.


I didn't use any contact cleaner on it
because I wasn't sure if the resistance
part of the pot was made of a conductive
plastic like some of them are. I once
used a little bit on on a scratchy pot in
my little TV\Radio combo and it ruined
the switch. (snip)


Unless you sprayed a ton on, I doubt the spray itself ruined the pot. It
may have been going out and the spray with working the pot perhaps brought
things to a head. I've sprayed that stuff into all kinds of things, fixing a
strange array of problems over the years (including a few, non-electrical
problems, it was never designed for). WD-40 can be nasty on some plastics,
so I never use it anymore. The same with some of the
petroleum/hydrocarbon-based ones. Some of the newer contact cleaners
specifically say they're safe on plastics. Actually, in this day of plastic
everywhere, perhaps they should all be so.


I don't know what to do from here... I
bought the radio on recommendations
from a few friends and love it except for
this problem. (snip)


Don't jump to doubting Sangean over this. Things like this happen with
every company, but they are rare. I have a really old Sangean that hasn't
shown anything of the sort, in spite of being dragged around the country and
overseas to Europe twice. Of course, that may be of little comfort to you
with the actual problem. But it will get fixed eventually and you'll be
happy with the radio for many years.


Should I just try to order a new pot from
Sangean and fix it myself voiding the warranty?


Absolutely not. I wouldn't go that far at this point. What you really need
is a clear, precise, plan for getting your radio replaced with one you'll be
happy with. Take a deep breath, go back to the first paragraph, and approach
the situation calmly and deliberately.

Stewart