Factory Marine
We are sending units back into Iraq without a year off at home. Is this progress?
When I served with the Marine Corps we were through after 12 months. It was carved in stone. There...
Factory Marine
We are sending units back into Iraq without a year off at home. Is this progress?
When I served with the Marine Corps we were through after 12 months. It was carved in stone. There were some problems with the plan( you tend to get more cautious when you are on the short side), but you knew you would not be called back unless you reenlisted. Our troops are being stretched too thin. It is time to pull the plug on this blood for oil war. Forty years later and I still don't know why we were in Vietnam. Vietnam now has factories that make shoes for Nike'. Capitalism wins in areas where bullets can't.
Jessica: Yes, chicks on bikes is progress. Where do I sign?
I am glad that someone on here is actually asking this question. I think that a lot of Americans are too distant to this war to not have to think about the details of things like re-deployments and subsequent tours of duty (up to 4 that I have read)... On the two large residential blocks around me I know absolutely no one who is serving in our military. In my neighborhood (which is in a large metropolitan city in MidWest America) I see no signs of soldiers and/or the struggle or sacrafice of a full-fledged war that we are in... no recruiting offices, no cans in store fronts to assist a veteran, nothing. I rarely even hear neighbors discussing the war... if I did not watch the news I would have no idea that a war is happening.
I don't see this as progress, I see it as delaying the consequences of war at the expense of our soldiers. I think that the president, the Pentagon and the Congress is just sweeping the dirt under the rug... its still there and we will have to address it later. People will not imagine the stress that this takes on a soldier... repeated visits to a hostile environment... most of the people who disregard this are either ignorant or have not served in a war zone. It is so hard to not be cynical today.
I can't believe that this question is NOT asked daily... we have seen domestic violence, substance abuse and suicides with Vietnam vets, we are now seeing a high rate of suicides with veterans of this war. We need to come back to reality and brace ourselves when these veterans come back to our society and we need to start considering how we can make it easier to make them assimilate... repeated tours shows that we are not worrying about the price.
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Three Important Steps To Better Marine Electronics
Get the most out of your communication and navigation equipment by following these three important steps to better marine electronics.
First - Buy quality electronics that are suited to your application. There are some pitfalls to beware of in the selection process. Everyone wants to get feedback from others who have purchased and used the same electronics you’re considering. What better place to get the real truth, right? Not necessarily. Most people have a real difficult time admitting their mistakes. Have you ever noticed how your buddies always seem to brag about whatever it is they bought and trash everything else? He very well may not be the expert he’s claiming to be but merely trying to make himself look smarter by making fantastic claims about the electronics he selected. Unless he has equal experience with multiple brands and models then he has little basis for his claims and accolades.
Do your own research rather than blindly taking recommendations from questionable sources. Want to find what brands and models are most dependable? Find a marine electronics technician who’s been around for a while and doesn’t sell anything himself. He’ll usually point you in the right direction pertaining to dependability and ease of repair. Look around at the electronics used by the guys who make their living on a boat. What’s the most popular radar scanner you see? Which manufacturer has local certified dealers in your area? Make a test call to the manufacturer and see how easy (or difficult) it is to get someone knowledgeable on the phone. Do your homework and chances are you’ll make the right decision.
Second – Make sure your new electronics are properly installed. A poor installation will haunt you forever. Giving this your full attention will pay big dividends down the road. If one’s available in your area, consult with an experienced marine electronics installer. If you’re a do-it-yourselfer or on a tight budget tell the tech you want to do as much of the installation as possible yourself. Most are happy to provide guidance and let you do the “dirty work” for them. If a local tech isn’t available then lean on the supplier you purchased from. Their ability and willingness to assist in the installation process can make all the difference. Since Internet shopping is becoming more popular and you seldom meet the supplier face-to-face, you have to exercise caution there. Finding an “On-Line” vendor who actually takes an interest in service after the sale is almost unheard of these days. However, there is one exception to this rule that I’ll share with you shortly.
Third – Make sure your electronics are properly cared for and maintained. That sounds simple enough. When it breaks just call a technician or ship it off to the factory. Well, that’s one way to look at it. However, you’ll be way ahead of the game if you learn how to prevent, or at least minimize failures. Knowing how to identify and isolate basic symptoms may not only allow you to safely continue that voyage but save a bundle of money. If you were fortunate to have found that local marine technician or dealer then your job is a little easier. Take the time to discuss with them in detail any precautions or steps you should follow to assure your equipment is protected and maintained as well as possible. Know where the power connections are made and have spare fuses available. Locate all the hidden components of your system and perform regular visual inspections of everything. Catch that small moisture problem before it becomes a major issue. Take advantage of any and all resources available to you starting with the operation manuals that came with your new marine electronics. Check out the links to useful articles and information regarding service and maintenance of your marine electronics at the end of this article.
I previously mentioned the importance of obtaining support and assistance from your marine electronics supplier and how dealing with On-Line companies usually means there is zero help available. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a way to have the convenience and cost savings of purchasing On-Line but still have access to the support you need? Would you suspect they didn’t have both oars in the water if I told you of an Internet company that actually encourages shoppers to seek out local dealers before making a purchase? They even provide links to help assist you with the search. What if that same company claimed to provided free access to their technicians for assistance with your technical and installation issues? Skeptical? Who wouldn’t be? My suggestion would be for you to check out www.navshack.com yourself and see what you think. Start by reviewing their “About Us” page and then take a look at their “Technical Articles” and “Marine Tips & Info” sections. Send them an email with a “test question” and see how they respond. Who knows, maybe it actually is true that if you look hard enough you really can find anything on the Internet.
Useful Links-
http://www.navshack.com/Marine-Electronics-Technical-Information-s/102.htm
http://www.navshack.com/Marine-Electronics-Tools-Info-s/103.htm
About the Author
Dave has spent almost 40 years in the marine electronics industry as a technician, manager, and business owner. He earned a 1st Class FCC Radiotelephone License with Ship Radar Endorsement in 1972 and has received numerous accreditations from
manufacturers, and trade associations.
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