My SAT-II battery took ill the other day. I took out our backup SAT, and ?%# its battery was also non-chargeable. I tune aurally, but the SAT sure speeds things up. I emailed Sandersons, and asked for the voltage and capacity of the battery so I could put one in one of the instruments while I sent in the other. Rather than telling me, Paul suggested I send one in. I wrote again, and repeated I wanted to send both in (for further alignment and service), but would like to get one going right away, then send them in one after the other. He replied, "Have you ever tried to tune a piano after a customer tuned it using vise-grips?" and again refused to tell me the battery specs. Sorry, but I don't equate soldering a couple of battery leads with tuning a piano with vice grips. If they consider the battery to be a super-secret classified proprietary Black Box, perhaps I am using the wrong repair service. [Sorry Sir, your flashlight has Unmarked Batteries, and will have to go back to the factory in China] Has anyone used the services of Richard Weinberger for SAT repair? Also, I seem to remember others replacing their batteries. Can someone tell me the voltage/ capacity? The one that's in there now is a 4.8v/ 600 mAh, but someone else replaced it, so it's not a "factory" battery. While we're on the subject, sort of, I have NO objection to people doing their own piano repairs, like I used to on my car before IT became a Black Box. Five possible outcomes, all good: 1) They screw it up, I bail them out, they love me forever. 2) They do it ok, find out how hard it is, are happy to pay me $$$$ AND love me forever for helping them. 3) They do it well or badly, but save me working on a piano I didn't want to work on anyway, I win. 4) They do it pretty well, which means they are a clever person, with whom I will probably have a stimulating conversation about pianos, and most likely other interesting things. Some of my favorite clients, for whom I set aside extra time, are these. 5) They do it well and don't need me to bail them out now, I sold them a part at a good markup, they love me forever and will call me faithfully when they DO need further service. Bob Davis
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