On May 7, 2016 at 15:57, Ernie Gilman said...
Is anybody in the odd position of having an extra AIM DirecTV satellite meter charger on hand? Its output is 14 some-odd volts at 4.5 amps, truly an unusual item.
The manufacturer sells these for $30.95 plus tax, plus EIGHTEEN DOLLARS shipping and handling. When I commented that $18 sounds like a lot for a one pound package, the lady I was speaking with commented that it was going to go all the way to California from all the way in Indianapolis.
This reminds me of the saxophones you can get from China on ebay for $200, plus $600 shipping!
I've got a variac, some diodes and some capacitors, so I'll probably top up my AIM meter with a home-brew for now. Meanwhile, a complete cleaning of the work area will probably turn up the supply....
Assuming you're part of a business entity, buy it, add it to the list of itemized deductions for this year and get on with your life. Saving $18 by doing it yourself will not work unless you know where all of the parts are and it only takes a few minutes.
Also, 'shipping' isn't just the shipping cost, it includes their cost for an employee to get one, put it in a box, attempt to add packing, tape it shut and generate a shipping label. That's called 'handling' and it's not free.
