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Post by boghaunter1 on Jun 23, 2020 13:59:36 GMT -8
The HORROR story continues.... After replying to Koehn's scandalous, totally unsubstantiated, accusations of being a THIEF I went to town today & lo & behold waiting at the P.O. was the return replacement collecting light package (mailed with T.N. on 08 June 2020). I was a little suspicious as the package looked slightly flattened & the postmistress told me it had been opened by Customs & examined & I had to pay an additional $45.29 CAD import charges to get it...TOTAL SPENT to date after 110 days... $376.34 CAD for one 120V, 40Watt,24" collecting light & 2 tubes! I rushed home, took photos of the package, before opening it, & then carefully opened it. Inside was another intact (Phew, I initially thought!) new collecting light & tubes.... finally! UNBELIEVEABLY when I picked the items out of the box I gently shook the ballast (solid state no moving parts) & heard a distinct rattling inside the sealed weatherproof plastic enclosure... what now I thought! I plugged the ballast into the light tube with the supplied 4 prong connector & nothing.... absolutely nothing... it has been plugged in now for 2+ hours & still nothing. At least with the 1st light the bottom end of the tube where the main power cord enters glowed a dull orange, but refused to fully light. This 2nd light nothing! .... what incredible bad luck/hex on this tortuous transaction.
I immediately emailed Koehn... he will probably flip out again & call me out yet again on this forum... I told him I was packaging up both faulty lights in one box & sending them back after he pays me for return shipping. So there you have it... 110 days of B.S, not ONE, but NOW 2 faulty lights & I am out currently $376.34 CAD. Wouldn't any sane person be P@SSED right off at this point? This is an absolutely unbelievable situation. I still want a working light that my custom made light trap was built for... & am still (maybe I'm a fool!) expect complete "satisfaction" as Koehn said he strives for with all his transactions… we shall truly see...
John K.
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Post by boghaunter1 on Jun 23, 2020 10:37:03 GMT -8
Leroy,
Every story has 2 sides. Here is mine. By the way calling... me a THIEF with ZERO proof of & trying to ruin my reputation online is premature & a disgrace to your Godfearing self. First of all I have never screwed anyone over with online purchases. As an example I have purchased almost 2,000 items through Ebay sellers throughout the world with 100% satisfaction to the Sellers. As well there are a number of collectors on this site that I have had exchanges with & who know me & I have never screwed anyone! I have never had such a runaround experience with any seller in my life. I just counted up the emails between us... an incredible 18 EMAILS & 4 phone calls in the last 110 days! I was told 3 times, by phone, that the order was in the mail.... again never with a tracking number, which is the only way a buyer can verify that the item was shipped. The only tracking number I FINALLY EVER received (despite repeated requests) is the one emailed to me on 08 June '20 & that was for a new replacement light... which last time I checked, last week, was still in transit.
My order with you starting back on 06 March '20 has carried on now for 110 days to date & I still don't have a working collecting light. I currently have in my possession ONE ONLY faulty light (won't light up & no spare tube) worth $237.75 USD = $331.05 CAD by Paypal, that I have said repeatedly, in emails back to you, that I will ship back upon receipt of another new working light. The current faulty light that I have was shipped 18 May '20 (no tracking number of course)... I received it on 06 June '20. This simple order has escalated into a horrendous case of misunderstandings/miscommunications & is a case of continuous runarounds from Mr. K.; in one of his own emails he said he never had the needed parts for building the lights prior to 14 May '20 yet I was told (right after Easter by ph.)… it was sitting in the back of his truck (for a month & he had forgot about it!). Another time I was told, by phone, me he had already shipped it (again NO TRACKING NUMBER) & after another request he said it just happened to be sitting on his bench in the shop which he would ship next day.... again no tracking number… nothing.
It is very hard to communicate with L.K. by phone/email as he gets everything so screwed up (misunderstandings/forgetfulness/lies) that I am left shaking my in head utter disbelief. If he had no parts prior to 14 May '20 how did he ship me my light 3 different times prior to that date?... of course with not a single tracking number/proof to confirm it/they was/were actually shipped. Leroy knew when I placed my order with him on 06 March '20 that he couldn't fulfill the order until he received the parts from China. He should have let me know back in March that was the case & I would have to wait a long time... which due to additional delays due to Covid 19 & subsequent delays in mail delivery I could accept. Instead I get a continuous runaround/lies... I do not have in my possession 3 collecting lights.... that is completely absurd! I, to this date, have a single faulty collecting light sitting on my deep freeze, repackaged & waiting to be shipped back as soon as I receive the replacement light. I am still awaiting the replacement light shipped by L.K. 08 June. I think some of these phantom shipments L.K. claims he sent (with ZERO proof by way of tracking numbers except for the 08 June '20 shipment) may still be stuck in backlogs in the mail services. If I receive any additional collecting lights, which I am not owed, they will be gladly shipped back to Mr. Koehn... I have been more than patient for 110 days, 18 emails, 4 ph. calls, & have spent $331.05 CAN & have nothing to show to this date, but a SINGLE faulty collecting light. I would suggest to Mr. L.K. that he can have show some patience on his end & simply wait. As to not responding to recent emails, etc.... no kidding... why should I?...after all the wasted time, frustration, anxiety & now trying to ruin my reputation online... I am completely fed up with the this braggert "master baiter/collector/world renouned seller"... his own worlds online.
I should point out I purpose built, in March/April, a custom light trap to house the missing, working, collecting light ordered from Leptraps & I need that light... I do not want a refund... I want a working light. Even after going through all this B.S. I can still vouch for L.K.'s collecting lights as I have an identical one ordered & in perfect service from 4 yrs. ago. There was also a mistake made with that simple order, but it was quickly rectified.
John K.
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Post by boghaunter1 on Jan 31, 2020 8:46:21 GMT -8
Hi Leroy, Marshall's book is highly recommended... not a field guide though... an excellent, encyclopedic, most recent reference on N. Am. Diptera. See my reviews at: insectnet.proboards.com/thread/8037/new-beetle-book-stephen-marshall . Marshall's books are very reasonably priced for such huge volumes & are readily available online. John K.
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Post by boghaunter1 on Jul 28, 2019 11:42:10 GMT -8
Update here in NE SK, Canada,
Very poor year up here overall for butterflies. Have only observed/collected 50 spp. in my immediate area to this date 28th July (usually 60-65 spp. normal yrs.). Even dragonflies are way down... all probably related to the very dry start to the season... lots of rain now though... almost every second day!
Hundreds of new, freshly emerged 2nd gen. Painted Ladies showing up everywhere on Thistles, Alfalfa & Red Clover. The most common sp. of butterfly in my immediate is the tiny, orange, European Skipper (Thymelicus lineola) whose larvae feed on Timothy grass which grows voluntarily in abundance in all the roadside ditches. The European Skipper was introduced accidentally near London, Ontario, Canada around 1910 and has since spread throughout eastern N. Am.& Canada. I 1st collected this sp. in SE Sask. about 20+ yrs. ago. Around 7-8 yrs. ago I collected 2 specimens a few miles from my farm yd. They have increased by the thousands in the intervening yrs. & especially so in the past 3 yrs. & are now found throughout my area... even many miles into bush logging roads where Timothy quickly establishes itself. This sp. is unique in overwintering in the egg form... the tiny eggs are the same size as Timothy seeds & this is how they are thought to have been introduced to N .Am... in contaminated seed from Europe. Thankfully very little cultivated fields of Timothy are grown for hay/seed in my area & larval feeding damage is not an issue... perhaps though further south in Canada & in the states?
John K.
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Post by boghaunter1 on Jul 28, 2019 11:10:20 GMT -8
Hello "Cat" Collectors,
Very slow start for "Cats" up here in central, NE Saskatchewan, Canada. The 1st Catocala of the season finally showed up in an M.V. trap on 27th July - a single fresh male C. unijuga. Another lone specimen of the same sp. showed up again today in another B.L. trap. Wow... really unbelievable how many Catocala spp. & how early they appear in the states!
John K.
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Post by boghaunter1 on Jun 11, 2019 18:09:36 GMT -8
Hello fellow Collectors,
A quick update from central, NE Sask., Canada. Conditions have improved, although it still remains very dry having received only 3/10" (7-8mm) of rain since snow melted early-mid April. To date I have observed/collected only 30 spp. of butterflies... Half a dozen winter hibernators, 3 migrants, & the rest spring emergents. Very low numbers of butterflies in general. Huge swings in temperatures... The last 4 days, daytime temps. were barely 14C (57F) with night temps. 2-4C (37-39F). We also had a few days when temp. reached 31C (88F)!
Lilacs are in full bloom & are swarming with dozens of migrant Painted Ladies (V. cardui) & Red Admirals (V. atalanta). The Painted Ladies started showing up in small numbers in the last week of May & have steadily increased in numbers to date. The Red Admirals only started showing up last Friday the 7th of June & are still increasing in numbers. Another interesting migrant that also showed up briefly on the 7th was a single, beautiful female Monarch (D. plexippus) nectaring on the Lilacs. The Monarch is a rare sighting this far north & this particular specimen (observed it only.. did not collect) is the 1st one I have observed here in more than 5 years. I'm interested in hearing reports of migrant spp. (especially the Monarch) in your area of the U.S. & Canada.
John K.
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Post by boghaunter1 on May 12, 2019 15:32:47 GMT -8
Finally!... weather has warmed up... it was sunny with a strong,warm SW wind; today was the warmest day so far this spring maxing out at a whopping 22.5C (72F)! Observed my 1st spring emergent butterflies today, 12 May 2019... around a half dozen male Cabbage Whites (Pieris rapae), 3-4 male Mustard Whites (P. o. oleracea) & finally a lone male Spring Azure (Calastrina ladon lucia). All were very hungry & were avidly nectaring on a few pitiful, tiny Dandelions blooming on the protected south side of my house. Very late cold start up this point... grass is barely greening up... not a single leaf on any tree or shrub. Set out more light traps, but nights have been freezing almost every night so far in May.
John K.
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Post by boghaunter1 on May 4, 2019 12:52:28 GMT -8
Hi Paul K,
Crappy spring continues here in NE Sask. as well... since last entry of April 19 it has been only single digit highs daytime & freezing every night. Saw only one additional winter hibernator butterfly sp... a female Satyr Comma (for a whopping total of 4 spp. hibernators only... no true spring emergent spp. yet!). First 4 days of May have seen snow every day (melts by evening & snows again every evening/over night!) Temp. right now at 2:50 pm is only +0.7 C (34 F) threatening yet more rain/snow/ice pellets/slush with constant heavy cloud cover. Absolutely awful mixed up weather.... went to a local greenhouse this morning to see some flowers to lift my spirits! No green grass.... not even a beautiful dandelion close to blooming....
John K.
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Post by boghaunter1 on Apr 19, 2019 17:44:12 GMT -8
Actually nice warmer weather up here in NE Saskatchewan the last 2 weeks. Today 19 April, was the warmest day so far this spring... A balmy +18.6 C (66 F). All the snow has melted in open areas... still snow on back country roads & deep banks blown into treelines bisecting fields. I nearly got stuck a few times slogging through water & wet areas in fields with my side-by-side... Kinda fun though... mudding/mucking about! Have only seen 3 spp. of winter hibernator butterflies through to today... 1st a female Compton's Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum j-album) a few days ago; 2nd, a Milbert's Tortoiseshell (N. m. milberti) yesterday & finally 3 Mourning Cloaks (N. antiopa) today. No true spring emergents yet... the earliest "spring" butterfly I have ever collected here was a pretty little male Spring Azure (Calastrina ladon lucia) on 21 April about 15 years ago... flitting about wet mud beside melting snow banks! The 3 earliest spp. of true spring butterflies to appear here are all Pieridae... either of these 3 spp. can be the 1st to appear.... Mustard White - spring fm. with nice black veined ventral hindwings (Pieris o. oleracea), Cabbage White (P. rapae) & the spring fm. of the Checkered White (Pontia o. occidentals). Set out a B.L. trap (with Leroy's 40w Quantum bulb) last night... temp. got down to only +3 C (37.4 F)... still trapped about a dozen specimens (3-4 spp.) of common, early spring/late, last fall, hibernator moths. So happy spring is finally here after one of the coldest winters ever!
Wishing everyone a great collecting season...
John K.
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Post by boghaunter1 on Jan 30, 2019 9:23:58 GMT -8
Hi Mothman27, 30 Jan. 2019, in central NE Sask., Western Canada. Sunny, cold NW wind... -39C (= -40F) early this morning... now at 11:00 am -33.7C (= -29F). Yesterday -39.7C (= -40F) early morning & warming up to -29C (= -20F) in the afternoon. Coldest still air temp. in CANADA early this morning was in Key Lake, northern Sask. at -46.8C (= -53F)! With wind chill temps throughout Sask. -45 to -50C (-49F to -58F)!! Neighbouring province east of us... in southern Manitoba... even lower vicious temps., with wind chills, over -60F!! Huge polar vortex hitting Canada & Midwest U.S.A....just heard on the dish... Chicago was colder than Antarctica & Siberia. Extreme cold to continue to mid Feb. Keep warm... John K.
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Post by boghaunter1 on Jan 21, 2019 11:37:35 GMT -8
Haha... N-O-W... you have a chance to show your "tropical wife" what a Canadian winter is all about! So Sorry!
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Post by boghaunter1 on Jan 21, 2019 10:13:13 GMT -8
A big Thank you Paul for showing your drawers of beautifully curated & identified moth specimens... will certainly help some of us to i.d. some of our own bugs.
John K.
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Post by boghaunter1 on Jan 21, 2019 9:53:37 GMT -8
Temp. here today in central NE Sask., 21 Jan 2019, at 11:30 am, quickly warmed up to only -12 C... freaky weather! Regarding temp. difference Sask. to Australia the other day: +39 C = +102.2 F & -39.5 C = only a few tenths under -40 F... & yes temps are equivalent -40 C = -40 F. Just for interest sake... when temp. drops to -40 C here in Sask.,with strong winds & with resulting wind chills added in = -45 to -50 C (-49 F to -58 F)! Eastern Canada is now getting this winter blast. Watch out in northern border states as well...
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Post by boghaunter1 on Jan 20, 2019 8:11:36 GMT -8
Hey Steve.... matching temperature here this morning... except -39.5 C!... Yeesch! Still a big flock of beautiful Evening Grosbeaks (Coccothraustes vespertinus)at the feeder right outside my kitchen window... tough birds!
John K.
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Post by boghaunter1 on Jan 19, 2019 11:26:34 GMT -8
Hello again,
Weather update as of today 19 Jan. 2019... coldest night of this winter season in central, NE Sask. so far... minimum low temperature was -37.8 C (-35 F) & with windchill -40+ C (= -40 F)! Temp. now as I write this at 1:30 pm is -26 C (-15 F) sunny, light NE wind. Have around 20" snow so far; weird winter with waves of very warm & very cold weather... now a huge arctic cold front descending on much of Canada from Alberta east all the way to the Maritime provinces along the Atlantic. Severe cold warnings in effect across Canada. Gotta keep warm...ahhh... dreaming of warmer climates... oh... you lucky residents/collectors in the tropics!
John K.
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