From: schuster@panix.com (Michael Schuster)
Subject: SONY SW55 horror story
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 23:00:54 GMT
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix & Internet, NYC

This Spring I bought a Sony ICF-SW55 based on the positive review in the
1992 WRTH and Tom Sundstrom's enthusiastic reports on its performance.
On day one, the BFO was found to be intermittent, cutting in and out
with pressure on the lower left side of the front panel near the page
feed button.

A netter in the Netherlands says he had the same problem and that it
was never fixed but eventually exchanged by his dealer. I began to
open the radio and while removing the screws the problem disappeared.
Fine ... if it recurs I'll bring it in.

The other flurry of early reports on the '55 concerned the fact that
it was "warbly" in SSB mode. The BFO frequency seens to change pitch,
getting pulled downwards on modulation peaks of strong signals.
Others confirmed this, but then a whole flurry of reports appeared
from folks who said there was no longer such a problem. Larry Magne
found no such problem with his review unit, even after my report to him.

Danny Goodman reported the same BFO problem on CompuServe's HAMNET.
He brought it into Sony in San Diego, where a service person told this
veteran of decades of communication listening that "it's supposed to
be this way". The service person then sheepishly admitted this was
the first SW-55 he'd ever seen.

Danny insisted on satisfaction and Sony replaced his radio with a new
one ... which had the same problem. In disgust, he sold the unit to
a less discriminating shortwave listener.

I waited several months with mine, out of uncertainty and fear.
Last month, figuring now that enough time had elapsed since the model's
introduction for the known malfunctions to reach "service advisory" stage, I
brought my SW-55 into the Sony office in Union, NJ.
    
My complaint was "see description attached to radio" in which I described the
BFO shift and the initial problem with intermittent BFO operation (which hadn't
recurred since day 1, but which =might= if the case were opened!).
    
I asked to be called to pick up the radio when done, so I could examine it in
front of a human before accepting it back. Imagine my surprise when a UPS
package came yesterday from Sony in Westwood, Mass. The box contained my SW-55
and someone else's 8mm video cassette marked "Norman's 60th party".
     
Ignoring the cassette, I unpacked the SW-55. I delivered it to Sony in "as new"
condition. Now the LCD display cover had fine scratches all over it, the tops
of a couple of the buttons were scratched, and the gap between the LCD crystal
and the display itself was filled with dust and fingerprints. Ugh.
     
The radio functions exactly as before. I =knew= this would happen. This is
exactly why I waited so long. Anyway, I called Sony who wanted to arrange for a
pick-up; and would say nothing else until the radio was in their hands again.
     
Nothing doing, I said; I'm dealing with a HUMAN. I told them I'd bring it back
to Union. They told me to list "radio shipped instead of being held for pickup"
as a COMPLAINT along with the BFO problem and the manhandling.
    
So there we are. Danny Goodman says to give it another go and when the radio is
to be returned to me just scream like hell that I want a new one. He says they
generally try to please; witness that they gave him a new radio in replacement
for one which, according to them, was in perfect operating condition.

Any suggestions from the peanut gallery are welcome. Frankly, I think I
should have sold the radio before it was converted from "as new" to
"manhandled and used" and bought a Lowe HF-150.


-- 
_______________________________Mike Schuster________________________________
NY Pub. Access UNIX/Internet: schuster@panix.com | 70346.1745@CompuServe.COM
The Portal (R) System: schuster@cup.portal.com   | MCI Mail,GEnie: MSCHUSTER