About Our Services
Procedure for Returns
- You request a returned material authorization (RMA), and receive shipping instructions from Hobi Services.
- You carefully pack and ship your equipment. If applicable, include any cables and accessories.
- After receiving your equipment, we inspect and test it, determine what service is required, and send you a cost estimate.
- We wait for your authorization and purchase order before proceeding.
- After completing the service you authorize, we return it according to your shipping preferences.
Pre-service Calibration
If your instrument needs service (other than calibration) that will change the existing calibration, our estimate will include two calibrations: one before and one after service. The pre-service calibration is optional, and needed only if you want to apply a new calibration to previously collected data.
Battery Replacement
Besides calibration, our most common service is replacement of internal battery packs. Because the battery packs are custom-made, we often need to order the replacement pack from our supplier, which increases service time by 1 to 2 weeks.
Optical Filter Replacements
Optical interference filters, crucial parts in the HydroScat optics, slowly lose transmission with age, which directly affects instrument calibration. This aging proceeds at the same rate whether the instrument is in use or in storage, but the rate is unpredictable and may be very different for different wavelengths. Starting in mid-2014, Hobi Services started using improved filters that have much better stability and longer life. Instruments built before that time can be expected to have severely reduced sensitivity, unless they have been overhauled with the improved filters.