Serial numbers ?

[Phil Allison]

Hi,


see this pic of pair of Alesis M1 Active speakers.

http://cdn1.gbase.com/usercontent/gear/2978392/p2_ug4xiemwh_so.jpg


Note that what appears to be a bar code & serial number is the same on both boxes.

How common is this very annoying Chinese practice ?

Repairers *need* to distinguish one example of a product from another and will record serial numbers along with documentation of their work in order to do so.


Now that "everything is made in China" do we need to create our own and apply them internally to the item ?


.... Phil

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Mon, 15 Sep 2014 19:20:24 -0700 (PDT), Phil Allison
<pallison49@gmail.com> wrote:

http://cdn1.gbase.com/usercontent/gear/2978392/p2_ug4xiemwh_so.jpg
Note that what appears to be a bar code & serial number is the same on both boxes.

I wonder if all the speakers of the same model have the same serial
number? I once bought a pile of counterfeit ethernet cards, all with
the same MAC address. The speakers in the photo look real, but if
Alesis claims that duplicate serial number is not their standard
practice, I would be suspicious of the speakers.

Might as well check. This is the only image of the back of an Alesis
M1 Active 620 speaker that I could find with Google image search.
<http://sales.brick7.co.za/media/za/798701_798800/798720_359a6a0dcb51c0ba.jpg>
<http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/crud/Alesis-M1-Active-620.jpg>
I can't really read the entire serial number, but the few digits that
are readable (09077) are NOT the same as yours. However, they seem to
be identical serial numbers on both speakers, which confirms the
practice by Alesis. Maybe they do some kind of matching that requires
the speakers be tested and shipped in pairs?

>How common is this very annoying Chinese practice ?

I don't know. My problems don't arrive in pairs and I don't fix
amplified speakers.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

 

Thank you for the opportunity to rant. Big time.

These motherfuckrs, two of my better jobs, probably because I was the only one with fucking bran, just did not get the fucking hint. and that is why I owuld never work commission for them. Oh shity baby, on comjish I fucking railedem. Over $30 an hour in the 1980s.

But I told them and told them and told them, put at least the last four digits of the serial number on the ticket, reciept, invoice. Whatever the fuck you chose to call it. Write down four fucking numbers to protect yourself from fraud. If m and my buddy have identical pieces of equipment and I bring mine in adn you fix it, if you don't write down the serial nuber I cna bring his in and you have to fix it for free.

Unprove that. You are talking about a dispute that hurts your business. I say prevent it.

Whatever.

It's amazing some p[eople even remeber to breathe.

 

Waht the fuck does "bass density" mean ? Wel probably nothing but what does it do I wonder. Just for the hell of it.

But the serial number problem, those ar both stand alone units I assume. If they somehow rquird each other to run your, well you would have called yourself some names or something.

All I can say is this, if you service one of them, MARK THE OTHER ONE. got the logic of that ? If oyu mark the one you serviced, they could mak a similar mark on the other one. But if you mark the one you did not service, they cannot unmark it.

And definitely tell them unless you want to gt up video evidence. In fact just do it and take a video of it.

If you check, the laws in most civilized countries do not prohibit the marking of a "serviced" unit by a servicer. For reference purposes of course. Of course. This is reference purposes.

And on the paperwork you put A. That is the one you fixed. The other one is B, the one you marked.

In some of these hack shops I worked on things had no serial numbers. I was trying to tell them to at least use the last four digits ust for identification purposes. They never listened, and they got burnt a couple of times. Fukum. Especially now.

But I am happier freelance anyway. The basement turns into a shop I guess. At least I will move in an upward direction.

Whatever.

(this is not personallly to you or anyone)

 

[Cydrome Leader]

Phil Allison <pallison49@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi,


see this pic of pair of Alesis M1 Active speakers.

http://cdn1.gbase.com/usercontent/gear/2978392/p2_ug4xiemwh_so.jpg


Note that what appears to be a bar code & serial number is the same on both boxes.

How common is this very annoying Chinese practice ?

FWIW, the (21) is actually an indentifier for the number being a serial,
so you are correct.

But being Chinese, I'd bet there are thousands with the same serial
number. Hell, maybe they're even fake. MK Sound was stupid and tried
having stuff made in China to save money, and were then shocked when the
fakes were outselling the legit ones, which were still chinese, and who
the fuck wants that? It turns out nobody. Typical greedy asshole MBA
logic.

 

[Phil Allison]

jurb...@gmail.com wrote:

Waht the fuck does "bass density" mean ?

** Refer to the operating manual ....

All I can say is this, if you service one of them, MARK THE OTHER ONE.

** Only the faulty item arrives on my beach, owners keep the other.

( FYI: the pic of a pair together is off Google Images )

I became aware of the issue today, when comparing the number on the one I have with a 3 year old invoice covering the other one for the same fault.

I posted the story here in September, 2011.

See Google Images pic of the problem coil covered in yellow glue.

http://www.bluepeak.co.uk/edd/alesis1.jpg

The coil ( which runs a tad warm) develops shorted turns and the PCB catches fire near it - resulting is dead mosfets, SMPS IC, diodes etc.

Compounding the issue is the fact there is no mains off switch on the unit.


..... Phil

 

Cydrome Leader <presence@mungepanix.com> wrote:

Phil Allison <pallison49@gmail.com> wrote:

http://cdn1.gbase.com/usercontent/gear/2978392/p2_ug4xiemwh_so.jpg
Note that what appears to be a bar code & serial number is the same
on both boxes.

FWIW, the (21) is actually an indentifier for the number being a
serial, so you are correct.

Just curious... is this a Chinese standard, or worldwide, or...? Are
there other prefix numbers that indicate other things, like a model
number?

Thanks!

Matt Roberds

 

[Cydrome Leader]

mroberds@att.net wrote:

Cydrome Leader <presence@mungepanix.com> wrote:
Phil Allison <pallison49@gmail.com> wrote:

http://cdn1.gbase.com/usercontent/gear/2978392/p2_ug4xiemwh_so.jpg
Note that what appears to be a bar code & serial number is the same
on both boxes.

FWIW, the (21) is actually an indentifier for the number being a
serial, so you are correct.

Just curious... is this a Chinese standard, or worldwide, or...? Are
there other prefix numbers that indicate other things, like a model
number?

there are standards, and there are hundreds of "application identifiers"
as they're called. Here's some:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GS1-128

The give-away you're not looking at just random house data is a long
barcode and (xx) in the human readable section.

Supply chain folks love this type of data, which is why components from
major distributors come with 4000 barcodes and 4 bags per pack of 5 LED or
whatever you're ordering. Once you notice this sort of barcode, you'll
start to see it everywhere.

As for codes for a model number, GTIN may be the closest thing, but rarely
is this the actual model number of product. It will be a unique number
which then maps to an actual product.

 

[Cydrome Leader]

Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> wrote:

On Mon, 15 Sep 2014 19:20:24 -0700 (PDT), Phil Allison
pallison49@gmail.com> wrote:

http://cdn1.gbase.com/usercontent/gear/2978392/p2_ug4xiemwh_so.jpg
Note that what appears to be a bar code & serial number is the same on both boxes.

I wonder if all the speakers of the same model have the same serial
number? I once bought a pile of counterfeit ethernet cards, all with
the same MAC address. The speakers in the photo look real, but if

I worked at an cable company that handed out hundreds of routers for cable
modems that all had the same MAC address (problem at the factory). The
amazing part was it sort of worked for weeks or months until somebody
realized there was a problem and then traced it down.

 

On Monday, September 15, 2014 10:20:24 PM UTC-4, Phil Allison wrote:

Hi,


see this pic of pair of Alesis M1 Active speakers.

http://cdn1.gbase.com/usercontent/gear/2978392/p2_ug4xiemwh_so.jpg

Maybe it's not a serial number but a UPC (product ident. code.) They scan and count for inventory at the factory.. or something.

George H.

Note that what appears to be a bar code & serial number is the same on both boxes.

How common is this very annoying Chinese practice ?

Repairers *need* to distinguish one example of a product from another and will record serial numbers along with documentation of their work in order to do so.





Now that "everything is made in China" do we need to create our own and apply them internally to the item ?





... Phil

 

[RobertMacy]

On Mon, 15 Sep 2014 22:58:07 -0700, Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com>
wrote:

On Mon, 15 Sep 2014 19:20:24 -0700 (PDT), Phil Allison
pallison49@gmail.com> wrote:
...snip...
How common is this very annoying Chinese practice ?

I don't know. My problems don't arrive in pairs and I don't fix
...snip...

Back in 70's when HP held monthly meetings of the 'Electric Car' group,
there was a guy giving a presentation on making his electric care and
describing his experience at getting a 'custom' motor from China. At that
time all the electrical enthusiasts were grabbing the starter motors out
of the discarded WWII bombers. Seems the motor had great specs for running
a car. This guy sent the specs to China and had a Manufacturer make one
for him, copying the 'design of those starter motors, with improvements.
He showed his first shipment motor and its serial number. He noted that
here in the US, EVERYBODY obfuscates the fact that something is one of the
first of Production so invent very long, meaningless string of numbers,
like 11001001 to be the first unit and so on. But this Chinese unit
clearly showed 002, and the guy made the comment he didn't know where 001
was, perhaps failed, perhaps kept. But he he was as surprised as everyone
there that they clearly showed how non-mature the product was with a
serial number of 002.

He also showed pictures of his visit to the Manufacturer. There was a huge
warehouse type room of very expensive winding machines, huge, costly
machines, but the overall space was so dark with only tiny little lights
showing, looked like starbrights across this cavernous space. He explained
that they had all this expensive capital equipment, but ONLY the work
spaces for threading the machines were lighted, ...whith what looked like
singer sewing machine light bulbs! He also lamented it was often too dark
to even get a useable photo.

 

Cydrome Leader <presence@mungepanix.com> wrote:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GS1-128

Thanks!

Supply chain folks love this type of data, which is why components
from major distributors come with 4000 barcodes and 4 bags per pack
of 5 LED or whatever you're ordering.

If you're ordering small quantities of surface-mount parts, it's
probably not hard for the barcodes and bag to weigh more than the parts.
If the barcodes were printed on an inkjet printer, they're probably
worth more than the parts, too!

Once you notice this sort of barcode, you'll start to see it
everywhere.

Thinking about it now, I've seen the (xx)yyyy... codes before, I just
didn't know what they meant.

Matt Roberds

 

[Trevor Wilson]

On 16/09/2014 12:20 PM, Phil Allison wrote:

Hi,


see this pic of pair of Alesis M1 Active speakers.

http://cdn1.gbase.com/usercontent/gear/2978392/p2_ug4xiemwh_so.jpg


Note that what appears to be a bar code & serial number is the same
on both boxes.

How common is this very annoying Chinese practice ?

Repairers *need* to distinguish one example of a product from another
and will record serial numbers along with documentation of their work
in order to do so.


Now that "everything is made in China" do we need to create our own
and apply them internally to the item ?

**I usually place an ID sticker inside the product after service, with
my own reference number and date serviced. I never thought much about it
until a smartarse brought an amp in for service, claiming that my prior
repair was faulty. No internal ID sticker, but the serial number matched
one in my database. I decided to call him out. The arsehole had swapped
the serial numbers over on two identical amps. It's only time I've ever
seen it happen, but at least the system saved me.



--
Trevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au

 

[John-Del]

On Wednesday, September 17, 2014 7:22:20 AM UTC-4, Arfa Daily wrote:

I too have my own repair number system, and a label gets stuck on the unit

with the date and repair number on it. Details of the repair are recorded by

me against the allocated number. The stickers are custom printed for me and

have glue that does not release easily and cleanly.

I used to use custom labels, but nowadays I just a fine tip Sharpie and put in my own reference # as well as an encoded date.

 

"I too have my own repair number system, and a label gets stuck on the unit
with the date and repair number on it."

Y'know, those could be done by the folks who print custom bumper stickers.

Commercial mirror adhesive hasd a spray to spray on the windshield before you apply the glue. This stuff applied aforehand, on metal or plastic is likely to make it unremovable period.

Of course, do you have the right to do that ? If I pay for a premium repair, don't I have the right to have a repair that is undetectable ? If I cannot stick my sticker on the fornt, what gives me the right to stick it on the back ?

I agree with you, that we need to mark these units because I have seen people try to pull this shit. But where do you draw the line ?

 

[Phil Allison]

Trevor Wilson wrote:

**I usually place an ID sticker inside the product after service, with

my own reference number and date serviced. I never thought much about it

until a smartarse brought an amp in for service, claiming that my prior

repair was faulty. No internal ID sticker, but the serial number matched

one in my database. I decided to call him out. The arsehole had swapped

the serial numbers over on two identical amps. It's only time I've ever

seen it happen, but at least the system saved me.

** Any fuckwit manufacturer who sells items packed as pairs with the SAME serial numbers attached - has just saved all such arseholes the trouble of doing a tedious label swapping job.

In fact, they have made it so easy it will happen by simple mistake.



.... Phil

 

[Arfa Daily]

"Trevor Wilson" <trevor@SPAMBLOCKrageaudio.com.au> wrote in message
news:c7rsuhFlfcsU1@mid.individual.net...

On 16/09/2014 12:20 PM, Phil Allison wrote:


Hi,


see this pic of pair of Alesis M1 Active speakers.

http://cdn1.gbase.com/usercontent/gear/2978392/p2_ug4xiemwh_so.jpg


Note that what appears to be a bar code & serial number is the same
on both boxes.

How common is this very annoying Chinese practice ?

Repairers *need* to distinguish one example of a product from another
and will record serial numbers along with documentation of their work
in order to do so.


Now that "everything is made in China" do we need to create our own
and apply them internally to the item ?


**I usually place an ID sticker inside the product after service, with my
own reference number and date serviced. I never thought much about it
until a smartarse brought an amp in for service, claiming that my prior
repair was faulty. No internal ID sticker, but the serial number matched
one in my database. I decided to call him out. The arsehole had swapped
the serial numbers over on two identical amps. It's only time I've ever
seen it happen, but at least the system saved me.



--
Trevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au

I too have my own repair number system, and a label gets stuck on the unit
with the date and repair number on it. Details of the repair are recorded by
me against the allocated number. The stickers are custom printed for me and
have glue that does not release easily and cleanly. That would make it very
hard for anyone to swap my label onto another unit. When the owner collects
the item from the shop that took it in, the owner is warned not to remove
the sticker, as it serves as his proof of warranty in the event of any kind
of bounce. No sticker ? No warranty. Date more than 3 months on from the
date on the sticker ? No warranty.

It's a very unambiguous system that is quick and easy for any person behind
the counter in any of the shops that I do work for, and saves them having to
check paperwork and look things up on the computer. If they want to record a
serial number on their booking-in paperwork, that's fine, but it doesn't
ultimately affect me or my system, which has served me well for 35 years.

Arfa
>

 

>"In fact, they have made it so easy it will happen by simple mistake. "

In fact likely. Aren't speakers sometimees equipped with internal amps for portability ? If the owner moves them around alot even he wouldn't know. And since they are the same age it is possible the other one is going to fail soon because of a common failure mode.

Just manufacturers showing their love for the sevice industry again.

 

[Trevor Wilson]

On 17/09/2014 10:25 PM, Phil Allison wrote:

Trevor Wilson wrote:


**I usually place an ID sticker inside the product after service, with

my own reference number and date serviced. I never thought much about it

until a smartarse brought an amp in for service, claiming that my prior

repair was faulty. No internal ID sticker, but the serial number matched

one in my database. I decided to call him out. The arsehole had swapped

the serial numbers over on two identical amps. It's only time I've ever

seen it happen, but at least the system saved me.


** Any fuckwit manufacturer who sells items packed as pairs with the SAME serial numbers attached - has just saved all such arseholes the trouble of doing a tedious label swapping job.

In fact, they have made it so easy it will happen by simple mistake.

**Agreed. It is daft.


--
Trevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au

 

[Arfa Daily]

"Trevor Wilson" <trevor@SPAMBLOCKrageaudio.com.au> wrote in message
news:c7uc2nFaklrU1@mid.individual.net...

On 17/09/2014 10:25 PM, Phil Allison wrote:
Trevor Wilson wrote:


**I usually place an ID sticker inside the product after service, with

my own reference number and date serviced. I never thought much about it

until a smartarse brought an amp in for service, claiming that my prior

repair was faulty. No internal ID sticker, but the serial number matched

one in my database. I decided to call him out. The arsehole had swapped

the serial numbers over on two identical amps. It's only time I've ever

seen it happen, but at least the system saved me.


** Any fuckwit manufacturer who sells items packed as pairs with the
SAME serial numbers attached - has just saved all such arseholes the
trouble of doing a tedious label swapping job.

In fact, they have made it so easy it will happen by simple mistake.


**Agreed. It is daft.

As a slight aside to this, and following on from the possibility of the
Chinese cloning the Alesis product, does anyone know if Yammy badge any
products that are not their own, or allow badging of any of their own
products by a third party ? I always thought that they were very independent
in this regard, and if a product said Yamaha on it, then it had been
designed and made by them. Likewise, any product that didn't say Yamaha on
it, wasn't one of theirs.

Today, I had the removable amplifier box from a "Superlux Corporation model
SP108" portable PA system cross my bench for repair. I had never seen this
name before, but the actual item, both cosmetically and internally, was a
ringer for the Yammy Stagepas 300. I actually compared it to a 'real'
Stagepas 300 that had been written off some time back, and everything looked
pretty much identical. One or two minor differences in a few components,
mainly magnetics, but otherwise no obvious differences. Except, curiously,
the actual component reference numbers ...

Arfa

--
Trevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au