NASA marine - bad customer sevice.

[hubert]

I also have used nasa products for many years and found their backup service second to none.
I have had occasion to speak to Allen Mulley regarding my battery monitor. I found him to be friendly,helpful, very knowledgable and a pleasure to deal with.
I agree with mike jones. Jo-stick should have returned the unit to the retailer where it was purchased. They would be in the best position to advise and help him. To return any product direct to the manufactuers factory is likely to incur costs.
I have heard so many good reports from nasa users and am saddened to see them slagged off on this site.

 

[steverow]

Im very suprised by this.
I have lots of NASA kit and have always been very happy with it.
I have always had good response from their support.
Look at it from their viewpoint for a moment....
Here we have a new product that works at a different baud rate to normal NMEA so therefore throws up all sorts of compatibility problems...
Add to that the problems on the RF side with antenna and connectors...
And the fact that only about 25% of people who install it actually really know what they are doing...
I wouldnt want to be working in NASA's service dept I can tell you.

If there is one area that NASA lets itself down on it's the poor documentation,
which would go a long way to relieving some of the installation and operation problems if it were more substantial...after all it doesnt cost a lot to write and print even a half decent manual.
Unfailingly all my NASA products have fallen well short in this area.

However that said...all have worked and do exactly as specced at an incredible price.
Long may NASA continue.

Steve.

 

[ShipsWoofy]

I also have to say that my dealings with nasa directly have been excellent, though never for faulty returns as such.

I called to buy a pin for my windex and instead bought a new bottom casing assy for a tenna delivered, including the newer M2 nut rather than spring type.

Previous to that I had spoken to a few of the chaps about their fluxgate compass and possible use with my marpa system, including possibly buying a sped up ad hoc unit from the factory as theirs talks as 2Hz rather than the recommended 10Hz.

I have never felt cheated, but I have heard the odd story on here.

One thing that was said to me by a supplier concerning nasa and a few of the reported run-ins, nasa deal pretty much with diy fitters, other more premium priced equipment tends to be fitted by yards and many problems are not as widely publicised. I can see value in that, but it may just be banter too.

I just wish nasa would build the superdooper instrument idea I sent to them a couple of years back, I also wish they would build an upgraded analogue windex that will interface with my other nasa gear ;(

 

[DanTribe]

Sorry to hear of your problems with NASA, but my experience with them has been very positve, at least once you get to speak to an engineer. Admitted they are not very smooth at PR but do make good value basic kit.
I had a lightning strike which knocked out Navtex, echo sounder & log.
Navtex was repaired FOC [fuse]
They offered very cheap replacements for sounder & log and said no point in testing as they were obviously fried.
All done by return of post.

 

[chas]

comparison of service

I know exactly what you mean about NASA. Last winter, I had a NASA navtex aerial and an old Garmin 120 aerial ripped off my pushpit by some lowlife. The wires were left in situ. I emailed both Garmin and NASA asking if I could put a new aerial on the existing wire. Garmin (to whom I had made the point that the GPS 120 was an old set that I just used as backup) responded by return, said how sorry they were about the incident, that I should not just put an aerial on the end of the existing wire - and - they were sending me a replacement aerial in the post (it arrived the next day). I am still awaiting a response from NASA 6 months later!!!!

It does not stop there. I eventually bought a new Navtex aerial. My old one (Navtex Pro) had a switch for the two frequencies. The new one did not but was supposed to be for a Pro. Emailed NASA asking for clarification. Deathly silence. I still have not heard anything.

Guess where I am going to spend my money in the future!

 

[Twister_Ken]

Re: comparison of service

Somewhat miffed with NASA about the biodegradeable nature of its Navtex aerials. Now on my third, and I've leaned enough to keep this one below decks.

 

[crossbones]

Re: comparison of service

These biodegradable antennas look like a good eco friendly idea. Mine has been on a spreader working perfectly for about seven years. There is no sign of it disolving yet. Perhaps I should get it replaced.
In my experience nasa products work well and they provide good technical backup.

 

[charles_reed]

NASA Marine

I have to disagree most strongly with your post.

Sure their equipment is cheap and cheerful, usually if it's going to fail it goes immediately - yes thier components are sometimes tacky - I always replace their fuseholders and thoroughly waterproof their active antennae.

What they do is find gaps in the market, left by other manufacturers, and exploit them superbly.

But what can you expect at the price - they've replaced faulty gear, for me, with no quibble on 2 occasions, never charged me for return postage and they've been free with their telephone advice.
The one time that my Clipper Navtex went down due to software corruption it was back by return of post with a request for re-imbursement of the postage cost.

Their product manuals leave much to be desired, hence the requirement for telephone queries.

I've always (over 30 years) dealt with them direct and whilst communications with them need persistence have had little but passing irritation.

 

[Guest]

Navtex whip

I lost signal last year and was advised by various forumites that I needed the new stub job .... looked at price and decided to have another look at my whip !

So undid grub-screw ... unplugged from set. Found both were in sorry green state ... cleaned them - cleaned back socket on set ... plugged in. Left it on - bingo !

My whip is sitting in corner of main cabin with top of whip up into toe-rail ... bottom box is wedged behind the seat cushion ... works fine.

Stub ?? Not yet ......