Frequently Asked Questions

GENERAL QUESTIONS

SALES QUESTIONS

SERVICE QUESTIONS

GENERAL QUESTIONS

Where are you located?

We are located North County San Diego California, in the beach town of Oceanside.

How can I contact you?

You can reach us via the following:
Main Phone: (760) 639-1700
Toll Free: (888) 683-2872
Fax: (760) 639-1799

Or you can email us: sales@ntecusa.com or service@ntecusa.com

Are you hiring?

We are not actively recruiting new members for our team, however we are accepting applications for a few positions. Look on our company info page for more details.

What are your business hours?

We are open 8am to 5pm PST, from Monday through Friday. We are closed only on major holidays.

SALES QUESTIONS

Do you offer technical assistance on items I rent / lease?

We offer technical support for all of our units that we send out on rental. Everything from equipment setup questions to making proper measurements. Please do not hesitate to call with any questions or concerns regarding our rental items at 888-683-2872. M-F 7-5 PST

How do I decide whether I should buy, rent, or lease equipment?

National test Equipment has Application Engineers available in order to evaluate each customer's specific needs. We take many factors into consideration such as: specific customer needs, application guidelines, and budget considerations before we process your quotes.

Why should I purchase used electronic test equipment?

Purchasing used electronic testing equipment is a far more economical way to acquire assets at a fraction of the actual manufacturer's retail price. We provide calibration and certification that meets manufacturers' specifications and provide 6-12 month warranties on almost every item we sell. Our inventory consists of hundreds of different manufacturers that enable us to encompass the entire market of test equipment instead of isolating our customers towards manufacturer specific lines.

What payment options do I have?

We offer a variety of payment options for your convenience. For prepayment we accept credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, and America Express), company checks, and wire transfers. We also offer Net 30 terms on approved credit and COD.

SERVICE QUESTIONS

What is traceability?

Most countries hold reference standards (i.e. that nations reference for the volt; the amp, the second, etc.), normally maintained by a national standards body. National standards bodies around the world cooperate to set fundamental reference standards.

An instrument calibration is said to be traceable when the original reference sources for its calibration can be traced back to the National Reference Standards. For practical reasons this will normally be via a chain of calibrations, creating an unbroken hierarchy from the National Reference Standard through a laboratory. Primary Standard to its Working Standards (those test equipments used for commercial calibrations).

ANSI/NCSL Z540-1-1994 defines traceability as "The property of a result of a measurement whereby it can be related to appropriate standards, generally national or international standards, through an unbroken chain of comparisons".

If a measurement instrument calibration is not traceable to recognized national standards, measurements made with it may not be considered valid ... and Quality Systems, such as ISO 9000 demand that you must "identify all inspection, measuring and test equipment that can affect product quality, and calibrate them at prescribed intervals, or prior to use, against certified equipment having a known valid relationship to internationally or nationally recognized standards"

What can I expect when I send my equipment in for service?

Whether you send your item in for repair, calibration or both, we treat each unit with individual care and concern. Our process involves an eight step quality service cycle that immediately begins when your unit is delivered to our warehouse and continues until it reaches the customer.

How do you provide such fast turnaround times?

National Test Equipment handles both repair and calibrations in-house, eliminating costly time delays. This keeps costs down and helps get your equipment back into your hands as soon as possible.

How long will it take to fix my equipment?

Equipment repair time is based on a variety of factors; workload, parts availability, and repair complexity. Generally speaking our service turn around times average 6-10 business days for calibration and 11-14 days for repair. It is important to keep in mind that turnaround time is inclusive of the time it takes to get your unit evaluated and the time it takes to repair it from when it was approved.

Service can be expedited for a small fee. This will put your equipment in next in line service and speed up turnaround time dramatically.

Where/How do I ship my equipment for repair?

All equipment should be sent to our primary address at:
National Test Equipment
1935 Plaza Real
Oceanside, CA 92056

When sending in equipment for service it is crucial to include a packing slip with your company information, an RMA number (which you can get by creating on the site or calling us at 888-683-2872), and a description of the service you need performed.

When shipping your unit we recommend you package your unit well (see our Safe Shipping Guidelines) and ship with a reputable carrier such as UPS, FedEx, DHL, or Airborne Express. Also, it's a good point to note that when shipping your equipment for any reason, it's always a good idea to insure it for the full replacement value of the unit.

What type of equipment do you repair?

We repair and calibrate almost all manners of electronic test and measurement equipment, including; Microwave, RF Sources, Oscilloscopes, Power Sensors, Attenuators, Communications Test Sets, and much much more. The chances are, if you see it on our site, we support it. We also support many models that are no longer supported by their manufacturers such as; HP 8566B, HP 8340B, HP 436A, HP 8753C, Tektronix TDS 640, Tektronix 2465A, and many more.

If you are unsure about whether or not we will support your equipment, just give us a call at 888-683-2872 or email us at service@ntecusa.com.

I can't seem to find my model of equipment on your web site, does this mean you don't support it?

Our web site is a constantly growing database of all electronic test & measurement equipment known to man. If you don't see your model in here it just means, we haven't sold or serviced one of those, yet. In such an event, call us at 888-683-2872 or email us at service@ntecusa.com and ask about your specific piece of equipment.

Do I have to ship my equipment to you, or can I drop it off?

Absolutely. All we ask is that you call us ahead of time to let us know that you are coming so we can set up an RMA for you if you don't already have one. Our main phone line is 888-683-2872.

What does your flat rate repair cover?

Our flat rate repair cost covers 1 major unit failure, any alignments needed, and a performance verification. We will typically also cover a couple minor problems with the flat rate repair cost as well.

Do repairs come with a standard service warranty?

Repairs come with a standard 90 day warranty from the date of return shipment. The warranty covers parts and labor charges for repairs performed at our facility.