HP-1 going in for repair a SECOND time

[daveharpe]

Picked up my HP-1 in late November of last year. After about a week the audio died (bad headphone jack which also disabled the speaker). That repair took a month all said and done and cost me $20 in shipping (insured).

Tonight I get home, power up the unit and there is a bright white line through the center of the display. No clue why. Factory reset doesn't fix it. Unit hasn't left my bedside table in two weeks. Power is surge-suppressed. It just decided to die.

Time for another month in Texas for a repair and another $20 out of pocket for shipping.

Out of five months of ownership I have had three months of use, and my total cost of ownership is now up to around $650 including the extreme upgrade and repair shipping charges. I hope this time they just swap the unit.

Really annoying. Great scanner when it works, but like others I'm really starting to wonder about the QC...

Dave

 

[SCPD]

I learned an expensive lesson buying the Icom 706 when it first came out, better to go with the tried and true rather than the latest and greatest. Too many companies are following the Micro$oft model, rush a new concept to market and let the consumer find the bugs and let them pay to fix them. And before the IC 706, Icom was just the opposite, they'd keep the same models on the market for 5 or 10 years, that's why I chose their product.

 

[daveharpe]

Ugh. Just showed up in the tracking database. Ship date 5/22. Ugh.

I wish they'd just replace it...

 

[voxiso]

First Uniden scanner I ever bought was the HP-1.. Got my money back within a week. And the guy that is on these forums that is from Uniden will not help you.. He will just insult you and tell you that you are stupid..

 

[robertmac]

No problem here

Have had one over a year and only problem has been user error. Reading posts haven't seen any insulting post from the Uniden man. In most cases he helps people walk through their problems.

 

[DaveIN]

First Uniden scanner I ever bought was the HP-1.. Got my money back within a week. And the guy that is on these forums that is from Uniden will not help you.. He will just insult you and tell you that you are stupid...

I've not had the results you've had, and I can understand how a bad experience can make for sour grapes, but everyone that had a question for the Uniden Representative "guy" on this forum has had a professional and informative answer. I've never seen him call anyone "stupid". It may not be the answer the always want to hear, or match their opinion, like why can't I have TrunkTracking for x-system type, or how come it doesn't have feature x, or mode y, but the time he spends answering general questions has a great track record in my book.

Not every radio is for everyone and there are lot's of models to choose from with lot's of different features. You vote with your wallet.

Having to return a radio for a second time for repair is real frustrating and I would also want the best service or a replacement as the OP suggested. Is it in warranty, and was it a refurbished model, or purchased new or in the used market?

 

[daveharpe]

Is it in warranty, and was it a refurbished model, or purchased new or in the used market?

It is a brand new unit purchased from a local Ham dealer in November, so in warranty.

I wasn't really expecting any action (and the few times I've interacted with the "Uniden Guy" on here he's been very helpful). Just venting frustration. Getting into bad weather season out here and I really miss having this scanner.

 

[UPMan]

For such a dramatic post, I really can't say that I can recall having ever interacted with voxiso in any thread on RadioReference, ever. Maybe he's confusing me with some other "Uniden Guy."

Dave: Am always sorry to hear situations such as yours, and certainly understand your frustration.

 

[W9NES]

daveharpe, you should retrurn the hp-1 to the place where you bought the unit and ask for a replacement.You should include the paid bill with the unit. As far as UPMan he is a excellent person and does answer questons.I am a Professional scanner user and have bought a HP-1.I have had a question and UPMan was very nice and posted a HP-1 owners manual for me on line that I did not have with the HP-1 when I bought it.All of us who have Hp-1's are learning on how to use it. It is nice to have UPMan around when we need his help.

 

[fullmoon]

UPMan is a very nice and informative fellow

 

[daveharpe]

@W9NES I did try that approach when it failed the first time. Like most vendors, they have a 30-day return/exchange policy.

 

[AJAT]

And the guy that is on these forums that is from Uniden will not help you.. He will just insult you and tell you that you are stupid..

UPman has helped many and always been professional. Never called anyone stupid.
UPman thanks for all the all you provide.

 

[daveharpe]

So today it shipped. Since it was in for the 2nd time with a problem, I asked for them to exchange it instead of repair it, figuring I have a lemon. They didn't, it's "repaired", now I have a FrankenUnit that has had two major components replaced to date. I have no doubt it will be back to Uniden in another couple of months with another problem...that is if it arrives fixed. My only hope is that the system board dies before the warranty runs out.

Really frustrating. Total cost of ownership is now up to $650, halfway through a one year warranty, I've only been able to use the scanner for about 3.5 months of that, and what I'm left with is a pieced together refurb. Nice. I'd sell it on ebay or Craigslist, but I don't want to dump this mess on anyone.

Uniden - you are not doing well with this customer. Kinda bad when you have someone like me who has bought scanners from Uniden since before the 200XLT and you're ticking them off to the point where they are looking at other options.

 

[DaveIN]

Did Uniden say what the problem was or what was replaced?

 

[daveharpe]

LCD display was replaced. Two out of (guessing) four or five boards in the entire unit have now been replaced in less than six months of operation.