Makro Gold Racer Goes Down Again

Slag, real sorry to hear about all your Makro frustrations. I am hoping you just got your hands on a bad unit. If this new unit doesn't work, I am sure you,ll be moving on. I used to speck hunt myself, and am saving up for GB2 to get back into it. While NASA Tom prefers the 6x10 coil,I personally found the 4x6 coil went deeper on smaller targets, which is consistent with Fishers testing results. Just a thought if you ever trade to the GB2.

rustic charm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Slag Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Dilek at Makro has already responded. She says
> she
> > will mail out a new one on Monday. Good call
> > Goodmore.
> >
> > You may be right too Hombre. No doubt you know
> a
> > lot about fools
>
> Now tell me Slag (if you please don't mind) - Do
> you have to send the old one in first to be
> assessed & then replaced?
>
> NO - wow - what a wonderful customer service they
> have in place - Usually you have to send the old
> unit back to the manufacturer (a pain if you are
> overseas) before they will repair or replace -
> However Makro/Nokta has improved on this
> extensively as NOT to cause delays to their
> customers - Yet another brilliant idea by
> manufacturers who put their customers first -
>
> Lets see a US manufacturer match that.

The problem is it broke twice and now in transit again,,can't use a machine that's broke or on the road..
I'd be pissed.

------------"Cz's still bad to the bone".------------
Living on a big ass Astroid.
The woman that got my rib,I want it back.

"First Texas has exactly ONE detector which ever has been made in China - the Bounty Hunter jr. Even that machine is also produced in the factory in El Paso. The boxes of BH jr's clearly show the country that detector was produced in."

Well according to First Texas its TWO detectors that they admit to getting made in China but why stop there?

As for the box, I actually agree with you - maybe they were made in the USA

Still, two of FT most popular biggest selling detectors getting made offshore certainly does not help US manufacturing jobs now does it?

"Stealing American jobs, stealing US companies' intellectual property - is something I'm 100% against"

As it so happens there have been variations of the BH Jnr coming out of China - Can you let us know from a legal standpoint on whether it is against the law for the Chinese to copy what they have been given? - Given the fact that it is being copied, why would you continue to use Chinese manufacturers who apparently steal intellectual property without any recourse what so ever?

Hi Carl -

Thank you for your kind invitation & I would love nothing more than to take you up on your kind invitation (in fact a dream come true)

I know it may look like I am putting the boot into FT however that could not be any further from the truth - I not only love their gear but the guys that design and put these whiz sticks together are my hero's as I bit this metal detecting addiction hard lol -

I would also like to acknowledge a member I do respect but appear to lock horns with from time to time Mr Rick Kempf - Nothing personal sir & I admire you and your standpoint - I am sure we will agree to disagree on a few things but hold the utmost respect for you sir -

Thank you again Carl - I am based in New Zealand but can assure you I will proudly take up on that invitation at a later date

Cheers Vincent






Geotech Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> rustic charm Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > "American made these days are as flimsy as
> Chinese
> > made - You only have to look at FT products to
> see
> > this"
> >
> > Finally, as you are also aware that FT does
> indeed
> > get some of their items made in China - How do
> you
> > feel with them stealing American jobs and
> > allocating them offshore?
>
> Hi RC,
>
> If you have specific quality complaints about FT
> products I'd like to hear them. We are fiercely
> quality-driven and customer feedback drives our
> process improvements.
>
> Keep in mind that when FT acquired BH, Tek, and
> Fisher, all three were literally basket cases that
> didn't have the right to still exist. A lot of
> those old legacy products were revamped and
> continue to be produced simply because the market
> still wants them; some of them aren't as
> "solid-feeling" as we might like, like the old
> muffler-on-a-stick designs. But pick up a newer BH
> Pro model and compare to the older version; or try
> a new Fisher F, they're really solid. We're
> putting a lot of effort into better quality, and
> it shows.
>
> With the lone exception of the BH Jr, all
> detectors are built in the El Paso factory. Yes,
> electronic components are sourced globally, we
> don't have a choice on that. I can't buy
> American-made IC's, they don't exist. When I left
> Analog Devices 11 years ago, off-shoring of IC
> production was pretty much completed. The El Paso
> factory is an impressive sight, especially for
> this business. I've worked for FTP and White's,
> and toured the Garrett and Tesoro factories, so
> I've seen all the big US detector factories. All I
> can say is, come see for yourself. I'll personally
> give you a tour and you might leave with a
> different perspective.
>
> - Carl

Hey Vincent!

Nicely said!

Always wanted to visit NZ, but except for a drastic gyrocompass malfunction on a KC-135 during the "Southeast Asia War Games" a long time ago which - thankfully briefly - had us heading your way instead of for Guam, I never had the chance.

No hard feelings, but I worked in intellectual property lisencing for a few years and protection of design and invention rights is something that I careabout.

Cheers.

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/06/2016 02:39AM by lytle78.

lytle78 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dean,
>
> i'm fine with your post.
>
> I wish the Turks well, i have worked with many of
> them in Saudi Arabia in the old days (78-90)
>
> Makro/Nokta is doing good work.
>
> My problem is with a couple of folks on this forum
> who seem to have some axe to grind with First
> Texas.
>
> One in particular has championed the virtues of an
> illegal pirate copy of a First Texas design and
> then criticized the quality of the originals.
>
> Stealing American jobs, stealing US companies'
> intellectual property - is something I'm 100%
> against
>
> Nokta/Makro is not, as far as I know doing this -
> so they are OK with me.


Agree 100%

------------"Cz's still bad to the bone".------------
Living on a big ass Astroid.
The woman that got my rib,I want it back.

lytle78 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just in case anybody doesn't know - Geotech - Carl
> ...
>
> Is ... Carl Moreland, the Chief Engineer at First
> Texas Products. Previous to that, he was head of
> Engineering at Whites.

To clarify, David Johnson is the Chief Engineer at FTP; I'm the designated cat herder.

...and the band played on...

Slag Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dilek at Makro has already responded. She says she
> will mail out a new one on Monday. Good call
> Goodmore.
>
> You may be right too Hombre. No doubt you know a
> lot about fools.

i heard makro stands by their equipment!
they better!..last i head,turkey was somewhere north of the arctic circle.
point is, too far away if they decide to "pull the plug!"..i'm just saying'
"let the buyer beware" comes to mind!

(h.h.!)
j.t.

rustic charm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> goodmore Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I bet they make it right. A new detector is
> > certainly in order. Buy American? What is that?
> > Some old slogan from the 70's.
>
> I would be worried more if it were a US detector I
> was having problems with - Makro & Nokta have
> shown that they look after their customers so I
> have no idea why OP is getting all worked up -
>
> American made these days are as flimsy as Chinese
> made - You only have to look at FT products to see
> this


point "well taken" BUT they got a cockin' good motor!

(h.h.!)
j.t.

rustic charm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Slag Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Dilek at Makro has already responded. She says
> she
> > will mail out a new one on Monday. Good call
> > Goodmore.
> >
> > You may be right too Hombre. No doubt you know
> a
> > lot about fools
>
> Now tell me Slag (if you please don't mind) - Do
> you have to send the old one in first to be
> assessed & then replaced?
>
> NO - wow - what a wonderful customer service they
> have in place - Usually you have to send the old
> unit back to the manufacturer (a pain if you are
> overseas) before they will repair or replace -
> However Makro/Nokta has improved on this
> extensively as NOT to cause delays to their
> customers - Yet another brilliant idea by
> manufacturers who put their customers first -
>
> Lets see a US manufacturer match that.


never see that! it's NOT cost effective!
no guts no glory! what he say!

(h.h.!)
j.t.

Hi Rick

Sorry its taken this long to get back to you regarding this thread - I am NOT trying to cause any more issues regarding this thread but I did want to thank you for your response - (even as late as it is)

I think its more to do with frustration more than anything as I would love nothing more than to see the next generation of metal detectors from those we ultimately respect in making our lives easier - As everyone will agree, you always remember your first love fondly and mine was with Fisher and First Texas - Not only did I fall in love with their products but I can assure you that I would hold the up-most respect for anyone working at FT whether they are Head Engineers or the Tea Lady - What an honor it would be to be surrounded by such talent and the odd legend to boot -

I can understand your loyalty to something I suppose I cannot have - So with that in mind Mr Kempf its about time that I pulled my head in and treated you in the very same manner and will certainly make the effort to not lock horns with you in the future - I understand entirely where you are coming from -

With that in mind please accept my sincere apologies for being quite the wanker towards you over the GF2 and associated posts - We are both right to some degree however I am simply insulting those great engineers trying to defend the obvious -

Also thank you Mr Moreland for setting the record straight and as I have said in a previous post, it would be more than an honor for me to take you up on your kind invitation -

Cheers all and thank you Rick & Carl



lytle78 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hey Vincent!
>
> Nicely said!
>
> Always wanted to visit NZ, but except for a
> drastic gyrocompass malfunction on a KC-135 during
> the "Southeast Asia War Games" a long time ago
> which - thankfully briefly - had us heading your
> way instead of for Guam, I never had the chance.
>
> No hard feelings, but I worked in intellectual
> property lisencing for a few years and protection
> of design and invention rights is something that
> I care about.
>
> Cheers.

[www.earthscan.co.nz]

When looking at any company in the detecting field a person should look at what impact that company has on the hobby. Are they an asset or a liability to the hobby ? Garrett recently has went the route of promoting the hobby as a sport. Someone was on a forum the other day looking for bumper stickers to advertise what products they like. This isn't like " Go Cards " or " Go Cubs " and no one seemed interested in that aspect. It was all about whether it was a good idea to advertise what you may have in your vehicle. You might think no big deal but it shows where we are headed or maybe already at in those regards.

Whites had an impressive video touting their company and seemed to give the impression they were an American Company looking out for the home boys. I realize that all components can not be American made and yet be cost effective to a company. However, their new 40 dollar Taiwan digger takes away from the impression they were portraying. A loyal Whites customer may not care and want to support the company and that is fine. They did host an event where they were publicly trying to get people to participate in staged hunts in public places earlier this year and there was a lot of support and talk about expansion. Not good for the hobby when a company advertises this stuff and encourages people to go to these public areas that may not even have metal detected before.

Detectors are just one area where a person should evaluate a company but a very important one. Looking at a company and thinking what they do for the hobby is also important. Companies will look at the whole situation in the detecting community and base what they do on that. That doesn't mean they will take advantage of the weaknesses that we face with dwindling resources to protect the hobby and the lack of concern. If we don't care about protecting the hobby we shouldn't expect anyone else to.

I hope FT coes out with something new (not just a new box and name) in my lifetime.