BAD PRODUCTS  lists  some reports on some stuff
for which I have paid good money.



My RAYTHEON  autopiolet ST1000

Has to be repaired very often.  It is a yuppie toy for 
Saturday afternoon sailors.  Not for serious cruising.
It is a complex electronic instrument amd it always leaks
 and fails.  Can you believe that it has a joint in the 
middle of the casing  relying on a small piece of rubber to seal.
If they built a complete top case that fitted completely
down over the base.  Then it could never leak no matter what.
The screws that hold it together are self tapping into plastic.
The first time you tighten them up they strip the thread
and forever after you have a problem.
Can you believe that they do not use marine wire. 
The connecting electric lead is simple copper wire.
When the salt spray is flying it quickly turns green
and distingerates.  Proper marine tinned wire costs
only a few cents extra.  They probably do not get
salt spray in their labs.
If I use it in large rolling swells then it works excessivly
kills my batteries and eventually fucks itself to death.
It is supposed to have a chip that learns repetitive movements
and then ignore them.  That is fairyland.
If I take my eye off it for ten minutes to do anything else
except watch the stupid thing and the boat luffs or conditions
change then it pushes or pulls against its own stops
and soon burns out.  Fucking stupid bit of junk. !!

....Today I am in Singapopre and as usual whenever I
stop I have a forced visit to the Raytheon workshop.
There is a very small bearing at the end of the push rod
that has failed. They asked me for US$200 to fix it.
It is still working so I said NO. These people are pirates !
Also the screen has died.
.....


            xxxxxxxx



Over the last ten years I have averaged two years out
of my GPSs.  The first one was a Raytheon and cost me
over $1,500.  The instructions called for the antenna
to be mounted high and clear on the boat.  However 
the connecting wires were not ultra violet light proof.
I am sure it worked for years in their lab but in real
sunlight it fell to pieces within a year.  The electronics failed
continuously and I threw it away in the second year.




                xxxxxxxxx



Them I thought I would simply use a cheaper MAGELLAN
hand held.  Once again it rained.  I popped it into
the pocket of my raincoat when I was working on deck
and that was the end of it.  I posted it back to the CEO of
 Magellan with instructions for him to stick it up his ass.



              xxxxxxxxxx



I have now had a GARMIN for a few years 
and it is still working well.  However I keep it
on the chart table where it is very protected.
I can recommend Garmin in dry areas.

              xxxxxxxxxx



This year I installed a new NAVMAN depth sounder.
It had to be installed outside in the cockpit
because that is where I am when I need to know the depths.
I paid an extra $1 for a plastic bucket which I Keep
upside down over it
Within six months it had visible signs of water inside,
The on/off button soon failed as did the backlighting.
It actually does still tell the depth but it is simply
another piece of junk on my boat.

sORRY NOW IT HAS FAILED COMPLETELY. I am in Malaysia
and the stupid support person at NAVMAN will not send
a replacement until he receives mine back in Australia.
I do not call that support,  I call that deliberate
non support.  If you want a no-good product and a 
no-good support person then NAVMAN is the place to go.
Anyway I put it in the mail to Australia and will carry
on with my lead weight on a string.  It is difficult to
use but it does not fail. 

I WILL NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER BUY A NAVMAN PRODUCT AGAIN !
I STRONGLY RECOMMEND AGAINST ANYBODY EVER BUYING NAVMAN  !



              xxxxxxxxxx



Two years ago I installed an AIR MARINE WIND GENERATOR
and I can say it does give good electrical power.
However it is supposed to have a function that automatically
switches it off when the batteries are full and only
restarts when the batteries are lower. This function
has NEVER worked.  Then I paid extra to buy the MARINE
version. In the first year the paint started to come off
and the case is corroding. I have to paint it.
Also it is very noisy.  I do not recommend this product.


              xxxxxxxx




ON THE POSITIVE SIDE I DO RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING STUFF ;

WHALE MANUAL PUMPS.  Never buy the cheap imitations
RULE BILGE PUMPS.    Last for years without problems
BARIENT SHEET WINCHES.   Excellent
MERCURY OUTBOARD ENGINE.   Excellent
DANFOSS / TRAILBLAZER FRIDGE/ FREEZER.   Excellent
PROFURL.            Very reliable
SOLAREX PANELS.     Excellent
ISUZU DIESEL.       Very reliable
HORIZON  SAILS      Good
BOSCH ALTERNATOR    Good
JABSCO PUMP         Good
RONSTON FITTINGS    Excellent
FLEMING WIND STEERING   Very Good
MUSTO / GORTEX      Not worth the price
JOTUN PAINTS        Good




         Signed   Alan Phillips

    wallabycreek@yahoo.com