Portable HAM

[GaryW]

HRO is the only place I know of.

This.

I got my 75 ohm coax from them (also got a TM-V71A too). I have a small suggestion though, avoid Peter. He always says "oh, we're out of stock on that". It's f***ing maddening. They are never out of stock on what I ask for although he claims they are.

I did get a magnetic mount and I am waiting on a N-type adapter with a BNC-F adapter for my mobile.

 

[edin508]

I called yesterday to buy a programming cable for my Kenwood 281. Well I got that as well as an Alinco DJ-G29T Dual band 222/902 MHZ HT that was on sale, discontinued model. I need to stop calling there, it's only been twice so far but has cost me a bunch both times.
And Peter was my salesman.

 

[GaryW]

Case in point, I went up to get a BNC-F to SMA-M adapter. What do I hear? "Oh, we don't have that" and 10 minutes searching finds that they in fact DO have it. I wanted to wire my magmount antenna to my Beofeng, but I was told we don't have..."oh wait, I guess we do."

My forehead would be flat from beating it against the wall. Why are they (Peter) telling me "we don't have that" without even looking? I got stuff from another guy at HRO and he never said "we don't have that."

 

[GaryW]

I called yesterday to buy a programming cable for my Kenwood 281. Well I got that as well as an Alinco DJ-G29T Dual band 222/902 MHZ HT that was on sale, discontinued model. I need to stop calling there, it's only been twice so far but has cost me a bunch both times.
And Peter was my salesman.

Oh God Ed. I feel for you. Go online and try there. I need to learn to say "I'm all set, thank you" when he comes around and go to another sales guy. HRO is great but Peter...MEH. I could do a better job if I was still having trouble adding 2 and 2...

 

[GaryW]

Tri-band?

I just got the TM-V71A which is dual 2m/70cm mobile. I have a Baofeng HT already (rigged into the car already). I am waiting on an N-type adapter and a 12V T-type power adapter. And a programming cable.

 

[GaryW]

Try Herbert "Cal" Calvitto at HRO Salem. Good guy.

 

[timbo]

I worked at HRO for about eight years many moons ago...it's been so long I can't even remember what years I was there ...I think it 1988 through 1996ish...many people have come and gone that worked at HRO NH. Some are now SK's, some moved to other stores and some just got tired of some of the past managers and left. It's a tough job, trying to service all the customers that come in the store as well as phone in customers. That and try and learn all the things this equipment can do and try and answer all the questions customers have. Back when I was there, the internet was still fairly young and there wasn't even Google. Back then it wasn't as easy to get information on various radios so we spent tons of hours explaining all the differences between all the radios. HRO went onto the WWW while I was working there which made getting information easier but not everyone had internet back then or they had dial up and didn't want to spend hours (and $$$) looking up the information they wanted to know, hence there were days I'd spend almost all day on the phone answering questions, only to find out later they bought the radio somewhere else. Eight years was all I could handle.

The only one that is still there when I worked there is Barry, N1DNU. He handles internet sales and every once in a while you'll see him float on and off the floor looking for something that one of his internet customers is looking for. Not a bad guy, if you know him, but if you don't, he comes off as a pretentious bastard. That he works the internet sales is probably a good thing. It puts the interwebs between him and the customer.

I got to know Cal while I was working there when he became one of my regular customers. He is an Air Force retiree and worked for the NH Emergency Management Office for a number of years. Cal knows his stuff and treats his customers well (at least as far as I've seen and experienced). I always hit up Cal when I go there, which isn't too often lately.

Pete is a transplant from a ham radio store that used to be in Derry called Rivendell Electronics. Not sure how many of you guys remember that place. It was owned by Joe Dolliver (I forget his call sign). He got into selling RC planes and stuff and most of his inventory was that when he retired, closed his store in 1998 and moved to Florida. Not sure if he's even around any longer. I don't know Pete that well. He seems to be a nice enough guy but he seems to always look overwhelmed by everything, deer in the headlights look. Probably his personality. He never struck me as having the type of personality that was cut out for sales, especially face to face, in store sales.

The owner of HRO is very proactive on making sure his sales people are on top of things...Bob Ferrero, W6RJ, was the owner when I was there but I think his son Robert Ferrero Jr., W6KR, has pretty much taken over the helm, both good men. If you have a problem with one of the sales people, shoot one of them a short email telling them your experience...Also, if you have a good experience with one of the sales people, let them know that too. It does get back to the sales person. They take this seriously...bad news (as well as good news) travels very quickly, especially when, ironically, you're in the communications business.

Tim KB1MM

 

[Radio]

Brings back memories, I remember talking to Peter at Rivendell when we were both still teenagers and Hosstraders was at Deerfield only once a year.

 

[timbo]

Do you remember when Rivendell was at Joe's house? I think it was in Chester. That's where the Rivendell name came from. His wife thought their house looked like something out of a JRR Tolkien story