Not quite.  The neutral and the ground should be bonded together at the breaker box, and usually are by the simple method of directly mounting both the neutral busbar and the ground busbar directly to the metal breaker enclosure.  The meter socket does not have a 'ground' connection point, it has a 'neutral' connection point since the neutral is one three cables connecting the breaker box to the meter in a typical three wire 240 volt household system with the other two cables being the two opposite 'hot' phases of the system.  That neutral connection is the connection that is 'grounded', for all intents and purposes.

You may think that this is the store's fault--and you would be wrong.  Consignment items--and this probably was one--are sold in the condition that they come to the store in.  It isn't the store responsibility to check everything and make sure it's all there, it's the seller's--the consigner's.  You should be looking to complain to the previous owner. not the store who acted as a middleman to the sale.  That's like complaining to--and expecting--E-bay itself to supply the proper parts if you buy something through their auction site and there are pieces missing.  Of course, that's just MY opinion, but FWIW, I believe that it's the proper one.

Did you mean "meets the needs..."

How about 'how to get people more interested in ham radio.'  I agree that save is too strong a term.

That's the question.  If someone comes up on the machine, regs don't necessitate their identifying until the end of their transmission or for ten minutes, whichever comes first.  Usually, a person puts out a call with their callsign, but it isn't required--and sometimes isn't done.

So what is the solution?  Stopping the QSO if no identification is made?  Just not answering anyone calling without a callsign?  Remember, it isn't required to use one at the start of the conversation.  It looks like it's a grey area, and as soon as a licensed operator realizes he is talking to someone who may not be licensed he should stop the QSO.

Opinions?

Sorry, but this is one place--fire department field use--that I firmly believe that cut rate, cheap equipment DOES NOT BELONG.  No matter what, firefighting is a strenuous, risk filled occupation that demands only the best equipment available.  It isn't only life safety--it is the prevention of ANY sort of damage that may happen to anything--or anyone.  Sub par equipment is a hazard, and the UV-5R just isn't hardened to the extent of the commercial equipment normally used.  None of the ham equipment available is either.  One failure may mean someone's life hanging in the balance.  DO YOU REALLY WANT THAT ON YOUR CONSCIENCE?

Depending on how old and corroded it is, it may not even be worth your trouble.  If there was any--ANY--sign of corrosion on the tower legs, I would pass it up.  What Clint posted is good advice, and you would be wise to heed it.

'VUL,  I'm just going to say this.  You either don't tell the whole story or you don't fully explain yourself, then you still insist on backpedaling and making your own assumptions as to what others mean.  For example, I never said 'VUL and 'CJS WERE tactical calls.

Stop already--and reread YOUR posts.  I'm not the one who changes horses in mid stream and tries to say he never said what he said.

Get your act together, straighten out YOUR facts and then post--because all you're doing right now is making a fool of yourself.  BTW, when you do you can argue with someone else because I won't answer you at all from here on.  73.

I was at a hamfest once and noticed that someone had an Icom V8000 out for sale.  The price was really high for used gear, though.  I asked him about it and he told me that he used it for a couple of days, didn't like it--and the store wouldn't take it back. 

When I told him I was interested, he turned around and pulled out the box with ALL of the packing materials, supplied parts still in their sealed bags, and paperwork--AND with the BOS dated a little over two weeks previously!  He cheerfully hooked it up and showed me it was working like new, then said he didn't put the box and other stuff out because he figured that anyone who was serious would ask--and he didn't feel like dealing with 'tire kickers' (his words) that saw the packaging and wanted to try to talk him down.

Well, he didn't have to worry about them because I bought it then and there--but there were a couple of people who stopped to look once they saw the original box out!  Guess he knew what he was doing.   

BTW, Thank you!  Hey, I'm a ham, and we're all a little crazy, aren't we?   

In the notices from the past few days, I thought I saw that he WAS fined because he continued to ignore the problem.  I just checked again, and you were right, he hasn't been--yet.  The FCC has warned him that it WILL fine him if it isn't corrected because the problem has existed for a couple of years now.  Oh well...I goofed!  73!

I agree completely with the last two responders.  Good job, guys!  It's nice to see that there are still some hams out there with a head on their shoulders and no thoughts of how they can get themselves noticed and applauded.  73!

"Good riddance?"  XP was and is one of the most stable windows platforms out there.  I know of companies who are buying new machines that are STILL getting Win XP professional installed on them.  Yes, I agree that its dated and that as it gets older there are less and less software offerings that will run on them, but tell that to the people who still run Win 98 because there are certain programs that will NOT run on the newer systems due to speed and size differences!

Planned obsolescence is all well and good--but would YOU want to be treated that way when you get older?  Yes, it does happen to humans too!

I had the same thought and mounted a 1/4 wave 2 meter antenna to the side of a mast using aluminum angle channels I bought at Home Depot.  I got a couple of four foot sections, cut one so I had a one foot piece and made up a bracket using the one foot piece at a runner to attach to the mast.  The four foot section I mounted out at right angles from the top of the runner and the three foot section was mounted as a support for the four footer from the bottom of the runner and tied into the four footer a little more than half way out.

I used stainless steel 1/4 inch screws, lockwashers and nuts to hold the thing together and stainless steel screw type hose clamps to mount it to the mast.  Yes, you've got to do a little cutting and measuring, but when together and mounted, it serves well as a standoff for a light antenna.  It's lasted me for many years and now serves as a scanner antenna mount off the side of my 2 meter antenna mast.  Total cost would probably be less than $20 now (it was less than $10 when I first made it)--that plus a couple of hours time.  Hope this helps you.  73!

Added--This would serve well for a light antenna only, I wouldn't try to use anything heavy with it.

'FIB, I don't believe that you really know what anger is.  At least you're not able to tell the difference between anger and a civil conversation, which is what this was--unless you're a salesman!  Hihi.  BTW, who says I'm bitter?  Seems like only one--you.

I'll stand by what I said concerning most salesmen.  'Blanket' accusations?  Gee, I thought I was pretty specific.  S - A - L - E - S - M - E - N !

BTW, If one person says that he wants one price for the goods and the other still is trying to negotiate, just what do you call it if not an argument?  

"I will take XX dollars."

"Well, would you consider..."

"No, I won't go lower."

"How about..."

Sounds like an argument to me!