GEN: Copy of a letter of complaint about OVERHEADS and LAMPS.

[Jeffrey Hastings <hastings@hps.k12.mi.us>]

Dear Colleagues:

The following is an e-mail I sent to our regional media center (REMC in
Michigan) director referencing the recent outrage about the poor
performance of today's overhead projectors that has recently been voiced
in this forum and requesting her help in prompting action from
manufacturers and distributors of overheads and projection lamps.

I encourage anyone frustrated with their overheads and/or constantly
blowing projection lamps to similarly engage the help of those
responsible for awarding large purchasing bids on these products.

Thanks again for all of your help.  LM_NET has poved itself invaluable.
___________________________________________________________

Dear Ms. Lyte,

My name is Jeff Hastings. I am a Library Media Specialist at Highlander
Way Middle School in Howell.

During the 1990's I have become increasingly concerned and frustrated
with the lack of dependability of newer models of overhead projectors
and the projection lamps used in them.  I once sat on your advisory
council and heard some informal grumblings about this matter and had
previously served on a BOCES advisory committee in New York and partook
some discussion on the issue in that capacity as well. For five years, I
was employed as a district technician and fixed and maintained its
overheads as a part of my job.

The situation has not gotten better.  I, for example, have shunned the
3M overheads offered on your bid list for years now, having found them
incredibly unreliable in the past.  I, for example, watched batches of
ENX, ENX-5, and DYS lamps blow incessantly in this school year. I have
found that problems tend towards, but are certainly not limited to,
these overhead and lamp makes and models. Instead the problem is
widespread among overhead designs which use low valtage lamps and/or
current reducing devices like bridge rectifiers, not present in older
designs.

Frustrated-- I opened a discussion of the issue on LM_NET, a listserve
for library media specialists.  I was not surprised to hear from media
specialists all over the country sharing my frustrations.  Some felt the
matter was scandalous enough to merit serious investigation.  All agreed
that it is our responsibility as end users to communicate our concerns
back to the manufacturers and distributors of these ill engineered
products that our tapping our finances and patience.  You are part of
that chain of communication for me.

On the advice of Pat Padala, I am forwarding some electronic
correspondence on the issue and will also send a mixed packet of similar
correspondence in print to your attention.  I am hoping that you will
help to make manufacturers and distributors aware of our concerns.
Moreover, I am hoping that, in future purchasing bid negotiations, you
might somehow hold awardees in these areas unconditionally responsible
to provide a satisfactory product and, perhaps, take steps to monitor
the satisfaction of those who use overheads and lamps purchased through
REMC 16.

My ultimate goal would be to have the manufacturers in question receive
a loud and clear message that their products are not performing well in
the real life conditions in which educators use them, and to force them
to reengineer their products towards the simpler, more durable designs
prevalent in the past.

I would appreciate any help you can lend toward this end.

Jeffrey Hastings
Highlander Way Middle School
Howell, Michigan

hastings@hps.k12.mi.us
HTTP://hps.k12.mi.us


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