It's All Right 2.0

I’m a big fan of technology, and I love it when things work well just like they are supposed to! (The GPS unit we took on our roadtrip is a great example). But its aggravating when technology malfunctions. Here’s two similar stories;

1. We bought a new Whirlpool range and oven unit for our kitchen remodel last summer. Although the stovetop burners are controlled by conventional mechanical dials, the oven is controlled by an electronic panel, and it stopped working about 6 months ago. We had to arrange appointments for diagnosis and repair, and a new panel had to be ordered, and we were without the use of an oven for 2 or 3 weeks. Upon our recent return from vacation, to our dismay, its acting up again, and we cannot get the oven to turn on. The good news is that our purchase date was August 7 2005, and we called them yesterday, August 6, 2006, to request service under our 1 year warranty. The bad news, is we’ll be without an oven for a few weeks.

2. Last christmas, I treated myself to a $350 fishfinding sonar unit for my boat, with integrated temperature and water speed gauge. It was a big job to mount it on the boat and run all the wiring and seal it up, and it worked well for a while. Then the electronic display started acting haywire, and I called the company, got an RMA number (return materials authorization) and shipped it off to the factory in Tulsa OK. They replaced it with a new unit, but it took 3-4 weeks to get the new unit back. Now the new unit is acting up. Its not obviously an electronic problem, it just tends to shut down intermittently and will not turn back on. I strongly suspected a problem with my wiring and installation, but I got a pinout diagram off the internet, and took an electrical meter along on my most recent fishing trip. Sure enough, after a few hours on the water it shut down. I checked with the electrical meter, and the power supply was strong and constant. So today I called the factory and got another RMA to send this one in for repair or replacement. sheesh.