I recently took care and custody of a used XvoStick. It had some small issues that needed to be dealt with and I thought I would share one area of concern. Besides the adjustable 510 plate being welded to the frame by some uh.."Goo" of man-made origin (I do not fault Chel&Company on this, was a previous owner to be sure), the micro USB port did not function. I tore the entire device down to it's component parts. I am choosing not to embarrass Chel and friends with photos on what I found inside. After a complete cleaning, rewiring, connection replacements, and a check of DNA40 pcb, I found there was no fixing the micro USB absent a chip change (which I still may do). Now this, in and of itself, would be no concern to me. Hey, its used and I was told about the issue prior to purchase.
BUT, I also had a ProXvoStick in the mail coming straight from Israel. It arrived today. First thing I notice? Yup, the micro USB was not functional. It also had some cosmetic issues that were small enough to be a non-concern. In addition, the DNA40 digital display cover had also been left free floating inside the base plate and moved side to side allowing all manner of moisture and the above noted "Goo" access to the interior of the device. Easy fix on the cover, it's all good. The micro USB has me concerned though. Two devices, both with absolutely no USB charging capabilities are more than a coinkydink. After having torn one down, I see and appreciate how much they have stuffed into a small space; however, one should not sacrifice functionality for form factor IMHO. While I do not consider myself an expert in all things electronics, I do come from a military background where my MOS was an electronics tech. Having read this thread in it's entirety, I do see a pattern of quality control issues forming. Please, do not take this post wrong, I absolutely love the product. I am bringing these issues to light simply because I want to see them addressed in the future by Chel so he can continue to manufacture these great devices without people like me chiming in. And for those of you bagging on the brass, sheeeeit, I like the Brass better than the SS for looks any day! In fact, I ordered a GZK Kabuki to pair off with the XvoStick
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