Snake Radio Customs calls out Mike's Radio Repair LOL

[KD2GOE]

When the DigiMax Lite become available again i am getting one for my Washington..
any one know how much they are?

 

[silver devil]

Ha haha!!!!

 

[Limeybastard]

My question did go answered. Will this thread also include other scammers or not? Or is Snake Oil the only scammer in north america?

Edit was supposed to say "unanswered".

 

[loosecannon]

Tim, it might be the crimp dude. You said that you had a professional crimp tool, but have you tried re-squeezing the crimp using a different crimp tool?
This may or may not be your problem, but you have not tried it as far as the correspondence between you and Mac shows. From the sound of the emails you make it seem as if you trust your professional crimping tool and yet have probably used it on each one of these installs when you changed out all the parts. You are so quick to judge the supplier of the kits you build but you quickly forget that these people are supplying kids to people they assume have a certain level of electronics skill. This is like deja vu of 10 years ago with the Mod group.

 

[CB Kidd]

My question did go answered. Will this thread also include other scammers or not? Or is Snake Oil the only scammer in north america?

I can't speak to that.
The problem with it is that the thread is titled "snake radio customs calls out mikes radio repair" so that's where the topic pretty much has been.

We can have a whole other discussion about Jokerman Electronics and his questionable practices, which is actually on par with Timmy. The guy may be a dunce but he at least isn't washing radios out with city water. He is just a screwdriver. Turn stuff and hope for the best.

Timmy just has a far larger scam operation going but the community has taken that scam down several pegs just in the last week. More of his customers are contacting me and turning into former customers once they learn that they have been victims of a butcher job.

I want to out more scammers and butchers but people have to submit them to me.
Then I take notes and run those by some engineer friends on the subjects I am not sure of. Then they watch it and point out the bullshit.

The scammers are getting smart. The smart ones don't do half hour videos of what they are doing or run live streams. They will do "tune up reports" that last 1 to 2 minutes but don't show anything. Those are the guys that need to be targeted because where there is smoke there is fire. And there is a lot of smoke rising from "Bells" and "Trucks".

So what I have been trying to do is find someone that would look over a radio that I would send to a butcher shop and have it butchered deliberately.
I would need to send it to that person where they would put it thru a battery of tests and record the current working condition.
Then we send it to the butcher.
When I get it back I need to put it back in that same persons' hands and run the tests again, and record the results.

But one radio does not establish a pattern. It's not like Timmy where I have about 400 videos over 4 years. Another reason his math doesn't work on his supposed workload...

I have a VERY short list and neither one of the two that I think are reputable will do it.
One told me to "get stuffed you stupid muppet" and the other ignored me.
So that project is stalled for the moment. The problem is people with technical expertise and familiarity with CB radios.

 

[LeapFrog]

And there is a lot of smoke rising from "Bells" and "Trucks".

I'm just going to say it: A lot of CB enthusiasts do not understand the more complicated aspects of radio, they just want to be heard, and see the meter swang with illicit watts.

This has been the norm (Late 70's- present?) till now, Bells and TruckCb sales
Do tune up reports, because they give the customer what they (really) want, most all customers don't care if the negative peaks "pinch-off" as long as they can set the dead key to 2 watts and see hellfire swing, most people will be happy and thrilled, do you know the percent that would be displeased because the waveform is clipping or distorted from obvious high-level overmodulation?? (5% maybe 10%)

These "make it swing" shops are giving most people what they want, even if they don't know what that means, they don't care about being heard on ch. 27 & ch.29 while "getting out good" and shooting DX on 28, the bare radio over-modding isn't a huge issue, add a "juice box" behind the rig and you get adjacent channel bleed. (I've never owned a Screwdriver radio or Brian radio though)

That's not to say Screwdriver is incapable, he is capable; he is doing the service most of his customers (truly) want.
Have I seen him "Audiooo" a little softer while showing the scope, yeah; I've seen him get louder while showing the watt meter, big deal, the people want "swang-thangs", the ones that do not are in another category of operator.

Final thoughts: If the CB shop in question cannot perform an alignment following the factory service manual, be it lack of proper equipment, or lack of understanding; likewise if they cannot read schematics, they get a thumbs down from me. (I'm pretty damn sure Screwdriver @ Bells can read schematics)

 

[W2EKG]

Timmy is a compromised male, he's begging his own customers for testimonials, and they are starting to get annoyed.

 

[LeapFrog]

Timmy is a compromised male, he's begging his own customers for testimonials, and they are starting to get annoyed.

I've heard this said here before: Someone could set the points in your ignition by ear and make the car run, but wouldn't you like to see it done with proper tools and actual measurements?

Sorry Timmy, (not sorry) you could have been a hobbyist or enthusiast working on friends radios, and I wouldn't care how you did it, but after I've seen almost 4,000 subscribers, and realized you probably fleeced a lot of them with unnecessary parts changing, shame on you.
(Changing out good finals just so you can bill for it)

I've got no sympathy for someone who cannot diagnose a failure, and then makes BS excuses or reasons why it's not his fault, and ultimately this incompetence costs the customer more money; he is no position to call out anyone, let alone a real technician like Mike.

So what I have been trying to do is find someone that would look over a radio that I would send to a butcher shop and have it butchered deliberately.
I would need to send it to that person where they would put it thru a battery of tests and record the current working condition.
Then we send it to the butcher.
When I get it back I need to put it back in that same persons' hands and run the tests again, and record the results.

Get a newer export, have it "Truckerized" (hint hint); should be nice show, then again the name "Truckerized" carries with it a connotation of hackery....

 

[Limeybastard]

I've heard this said here before: Someone could set the points in your ignition by ear and make the car run, but wouldn't you like to see it done with proper tools and actual measurements?

Sorry Timmy, (not sorry) you could have been a hobbyist or enthusiast working on friends radios, and I wouldn't care how you did it, but after I've seen almost 4,000 subscribers, and realized you probably fleeced a lot of them with unnecessary parts changes, shame on you. (Changing out good finals just to bill for it)
I've got no sympathy for someone who cannot diagnose a failure, and then makes BS excuses or reasons why it's not his fault, and ultimately this incompetence costs the customer more money; he is NO POSITION to call out ANYONE, let alone a REAL TECHNICIAN like Mike.


Get a newer export, have it "Truckerized" (hint hint); should be nice show, then again the name "Truckerized" carries with it a connotation of hackery....

That "truckerized" you are referring to is it the fella with lots of YouTube performance reports on many 2970N4 radios doing over 500W or more?

Made me cringe, as I dont even believe that radio is stable for 400W lol

 

[LeapFrog]

That "truckerized" you are referring to is it the fella with lots of YouTube performance reports on many 2970N4 radios doing over 500W or more?

Made me cringe, as I dont even believe that radio is stable for 400W lol

I believe so, some radios have been seen with black epoxy covering the butchery.
Brain Smith, stop using epoxy it makes future repair or service a PITA, there I called him out on it by name..

I don't make thousands or hundreds by showing watt meter readings filled with harmonic trash, so I can say these things.
I'M OVER AND OUT, PEACE!

 

[silver devil]

Don't forget man, man, man, man, man, after every other word.......

 

[LeapFrog]

Don't forget man, man, man, man, man, after every other word.......

Or "Alright, Alright, Alright, Alright" like the joker is trying to convince me, and that somehow he speaks from a position of authority..

 

[W2EKG]

I donot claim to be a great solderer, my eyesight deteriorating is not what it used to be, a young Latina with a mil-spec cert could do a better job. But Timmy's work is rough!

 

[Robb]

I'm just going to say it: A lot of CB enthusiasts do not understand the more complicated aspects of radio, they just want to be heard, and see the meter swang with illicit watts.

This has been the norm (Late 70's- present?) till now, Bells and TruckCb sales
Do tune up reports, because they give the customer what they (really) want, most all customers don't care if the negative peaks "pinch-off" as long as they can set the dead key to 2 watts and see hellfire swing, most people will be happy and thrilled, do you know the percent that would be displeased because the waveform is clipping or distorted from obvious high-level overmodulation?? (5% maybe 10%)

These "make it swing" shops are giving most people what they want, even if they don't know what that means, they don't care about being heard on ch. 27 & ch.29 while "getting out good" and shooting DX on 28, the bare radio over-modding isn't a huge issue, add a "juice box" behind the rig and you get adjacent channel bleed. (I've never owned a Screwdriver radio or Brian radio though)

That's not to say Screwdriver is incapable, he is capable; he is doing the service most of his customers (truly) want.
Have I seen him "Audiooo" a little softer while showing the scope, yeah; I've seen him get louder while showing the watt meter, big deal, the people want "swang-thangs", the ones that do not are in another category of operator.

Final thoughts: If the CB shop in question cannot perform an alignment following the factory service manual, be it lack of proper equipment, or lack of understanding; likewise if they cannot read schematics, they get a thumbs down from me. (I'm pretty darn sure Screwdriver can read schematics)

I think a moment of pause for your cause might be in order here. While I agree with you that scammers abound everywhere - and not just CB radio - that the format should be based upon complaints and not just attack all who work on radios. Let's consider a few points here.

I'm pretty darn sure 'screwdrivers' CANNOT read schematics. If they could; then they are moving away for being a screwdriver at a rapid rate. Screwdrivers only know which pots or coils can be turned to max. That is how that has already been defined.

Now any business will have some complaints at one time or another, and simply because a customer didn't see eye to eye with their contracted work doesn't necessarily make them wrong, bad, or crooked. How many of Tim's customers were even aware that they had paid for more work than they needed or asked for? Were they a tech themselves and knew the answer?

If you were a tech yourself you could say with certainty. Some of commenters here are techs and are appalled with Tim's work; they have the reason that made this whole thread have value - knowing why they wouldn't do what Tim has done.

You alluded to Bells - for one example. I'm no tech either, as I am a hobbyist. But that hasn't kept me from troubleshooting and fixing radios. Not for money; which makes it different in some major respects. Are you a tech that can say that Bells guy is a BS artist? Some of your comments on the videos weren't exactly on the mark either. So does this disqualify you? Probably. I can tell you that Bells repair guy knows how to troubleshoot and charge accordingly.

I'm for being fair. If Tim is for being fair; then he has to reach that mark yet IMO. His own videos and mouth have been his own indictments. If you are planning to do this in the future; then fairness and not rank comedy at his expense will be the winning point and the real difference to be made.

 

[LeapFrog]

You misread what I said, I'm pretty damn sure Screwdriver @ BELLS CB can read schematics (made an edit for clarity).

Some presentations are performed in such a manner that, (not to mislead) but to show the radio in the best light, example watt meter vs. 'scope, one could yell while looking at the watt meter, and whisper while looking at the scope (not wanting to show much distortion).
Is that such a bad bad thing? You, yourself have mentioned cleaning up the signal using mic gain.

I don't accuse Bells CB of doing this, only that I have seen a SLIGHT difference in the "AUDIOOO" while filming the 'scope, I'm sticking to what I said, most CB'ers want swing.. Even if it is not "spectrally pure".

Bells CB is not a BS artist, he is a reputable tech giving people what they truly want.
Most people are perfectly happy with "lowering the mic gain", now if the radio is tuned factory they could be screaming into the mic (w/ gain all the way up) and never be happy, that is why people pay money for a "tune-up".

A simple re-cap means more to me than a $1000, SRC resto-mod.