They'll just start nipping the pins to make it harder to convert.
We need to call out these turds and list vendors that do not steal from your order. It's just plain theft.
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Omega Force S45HP-missing jumper?
- Thread starter Eddie1
- Start date
They'll just start nipping the pins to make it harder to convert.
We need to call out these turds and list vendors that do not steal from your order. It's just plain theft.
Thought I'd post my 2 cents on this. I don't have the S45HP, but I did just get the little brother to it, the 257HP. It has the same jumper board as the S45HP. I ordered mine thru G.I. Joe electronics and told them to ship it to me bone stock from the factory as there's too many hacks out there that will ruin a good radio long before they will make it better.
Anyways I opened the radio and found the same thing....the jumper board had 4 jumpers that were all cut clean down to the board. On the back side of the board, they ran a blob of solder across the CON1 terminals to keep the radio in the 10 meter only mode.
However I'm sure this is really nothing more than a quick unsoldering of the blob and then solder the terminals I want together and resetting the CPU. So if so, then not a huge deal, but I will admit I am a bit pissed off because I actually like the idea of quickly changing the frequency coverage of the radio on the fly, by moving the jumpers around. A solder job is a little more permanent.
I am really curious who did this though and why.
Anyways I opened the radio and found the same thing....the jumper board had 4 jumpers that were all cut clean down to the board. On the back side of the board, they ran a blob of solder across the CON1 terminals to keep the radio in the 10 meter only mode.
However I'm sure this is really nothing more than a quick unsoldering of the blob and then solder the terminals I want together and resetting the CPU. So if so, then not a huge deal, but I will admit I am a bit pissed off because I actually like the idea of quickly changing the frequency coverage of the radio on the fly, by moving the jumpers around. A solder job is a little more permanent.
I am really curious who did this though and why.
I'm not able to post any pics at this time...but yes the little black button is still intact on the board. As are the 3 resistors.
What is missing is the jumper terminals, along with the white insulators that sit on the board and have the studs protrude up thru.
Why do all these shops feel that if we the buyers don't want to pay them to convert our radios that they should hack it anyway? If I order the radio stock doesn't it cost the shop more to pay the tech for his time to open the radio and hack it? I'm a mechanic and if I recommend a tune up and you say no my boss isn't going to pay me to work on your car and waste my time. 
Have you spoke to GI Joe about this yet? If so what did they say? Or perhaps you can call RF Limited and speak to Sam Lewis-he is the technical engineer and see what they are going to do to make this right?
I've not talked to either of them yet. I just discovered this in my radio a little over an hour ago. Although I did read elsewhere supposidly the radios come from the factory like this....??????
I don't want to open my Sparky's Omegaforce S45hp Since I have no need to But Now I feel the need to look at the board. Maby the week end. Keep us posted on how you make out.
Wouldn't this in effect have the seller voiding the factory warranty due to the hack? Doesn't seem like RF Limited would like this at all. I can see why the sellers might be miffed that they are missing out on a "conversion" add on fee, but to mangle a brand new radio is irresponsible.
73,
RT307
73,
RT307
I think we're going to find that this is the way the factory is NOW shipping them to their distributors.
Blame big government.
That is what I am thinking-I will be trying to get to the bottom of this first thing in the morning.
I just can't see the manufacturer mangling their brand new rigs from the factory like that. Maybe they are, but it seems to me more like a reseller is doing it. Sad to see that people would stoop to this. I know that the place I bought from didn't do it to my rig, and the conversion was included with the purchase price. Now you know where I bought it!
If a reseller is hacking them up, I would figure that would hurt them more in the long run. Not only would people stop buying the Magnums from them, but I would figure RF Limited would not sell to the reseller. Thanks to forums like this, the word gets out in a hurry.
73,
RT307
Blame FCC....Be willing to bet the manufacturers are doing this to get around FCC rules on these radios being too easy to re-tune for 11 meter...Thats always been one of the Ham Guys biggest complaints about the Export radios that they were too easy t convert to 11 Meter by just moving a wire or jumper...
Hmmm...like removing or clipping a diode to open an Icom 718 up for full transmit? Doesn't get easier than that.
73,
RT307