Hi, Everyone!!

For all those wondering about their orders for February and March, please be assured that your shipment will be arriving at our facility at the end of March. During that time, my techs and I will be "marathoning" it, so-to-speak, during the first weeks of April, as we know you have been more than patient. You've been more patient, than I, and I really appreciate the positive attitudes and uplifting that all the folks who have called, e-mailed, or snail-mailed order-status inquiries, have given me. No greater gift, could I ever receive, and I am grateful to all of you.

The positive and negative reactions to product have been more helpful than most of you realize, and I hope to hear more. Our main concern is SAFETY, so PLEASE read the instructions to light these outdoors. These products can be a little scary, and we want you to not only feel comfortable with the products, but to LEARN the product's mechanisms, parts, etc. We are working on having a demonstration video copied, for your convenience. In this video, "Eddie" shows you how to not only operate the lantern, but also how to disassemble it, the parts breakdown, and how to put it all back together. We feel this might come in handy for the learning process, as well as a useful means of study, before we do have serious problems with power and whatever, no matter if it's Y2K related, or just some really nasty weather.

We are working on getting a better means of pumping up the system, as well, so please keep watching our site. I will try to alert everyone on the forum, and send as many cards, letters, or whatever I can, as soon as I receive these products.

Also....For those who are being advised that there is a "better leather washer", please do not be fooled. All the washers being imported into the country are the same. Unless a distributor is making his own "new & better leather washer". I do not want you to be overcharged or deceived into thinking that these items are being imported into the country by the manufacturer.

I developed this company on the principals of good faith, good values, good product, and good pricings. I will not deter from those practices, nor will I let anyone, who has purchased these products to be cheated, in any way. Also....For everyone's information, concerning the "Hipolito" stoves. Aida, Petromax, Hipolito, and Geniol are all the same. Check out the history on these products, and you will learn that they were all designed and developed by the same manufacturers, and are still being manufactured in the same countries, as they were orginally made. There is no lack of quality;however, if you bought one from me that is "Hipolito", and you don't feel comfortable with the fact that it does not say "Petromax", then return it to me. I will replace it with the "Petromax" stove, as soon as they arrive to my facility. I have an order coming in, again, for those, and will be happy to exchange them. No problem.

See? This is how my company works. If I am unable to respond to your e-mails, please be patient. We are working hard to get the products coming in on a regular basis, inspecting the products, and working to assist you in any way possible.

Thank you all again, for your patience, as well as your comments. If you haven't been able to get in touch with me, or I have not responded to an inquiry, PLEASE.....KEEP TRYING!!! I am not ignoring anyone, I just may not have received your inquiry, or not had a chance to respond.

Keep smiling, and God bless.

Diana....BriteLyt diana@petromax.com www.petromax.com 727-856-9245

-- Diana Clifton (diana@petromax.com), March 23, 1999

Answers

Diana

I'm happy with both the lantern and the stove but can you provide a means to replace the pump with a tire air valve? Something that would allow pumping them up with a bicycle pump or even from a previously inflated tire or other high pressure air supply.

Thanks.

Me.

-- Floyd Baker (fbaker@wzrd.com), March 24, 1999.

Hi Diana! I received my lanterns and the stove. I can't figure out what those two metal things(look kinda like tongue depressors) that have two little short wires out of them at the narrow end - are used for?? The instructions are not the best....how do you "prewarm" the burner? Thanks for your help!

-- jeanne (jeanne@hurry.now), March 24, 1999.

Diana,

Thanks for locating my wayward stove. It arrived yesterday. I warned you, I'd post my evaluation report - here it is.

Using the stove was (for me) a little like going to Orlando - visiting Disney World and then going to Sea World. Sea World is neat (really liked it), but after Disney, it was kind of a let down. My recommendation to anyone getting a stove and lantern - try your stove first, be impressed. Then do the lantern and get your socks knock off....

Stove arrived and I assembled per enclosed instructions - sort of. The one exception is that I used the 'field assembly wrench' that was included rather that getting a real wrench. As I subsequently found out, it is harder to get a tight seal with that stamped metal thingy than a real wrench.

Since flame adjustment know would not turn so I called before trying to fire it up. The advise that that's normal and that the preheat cycle would free it up was right on target. By the second round of Denatured burning it the preheat pan, the valve worked fine.

I pumped it up and lit it. Compare to the lantern...the ignition was non descript (I fueled each with crystal clear K1 kerosene).

Pumped to operating pressure per recommended stroke counts, set to high flame and placed a 4 qt sauce pan with 2 qts of cold well water in it on the burnet. Boil started around 17 minutes, full rolling boil about 18.5 minutes. (Since I hadn't tightened the burner sufficiently, I did get some leakage at the connection of burner to fuel tank... Teach me to follow instructions...)

Flame control seemed good and I have to say its a keeper. Thanks.

Folks who want to use indoors say on a scratchable counter top or other surface to may want to go to the hardware store and get some endcaps designed for closet organizer shelves to place on the bottom of the legs. Even thought they seem real smooth, I don't want to risk scratching things. Endcaps will help protect surfaces.

jh

-- john hebert (jt_hebert@hotmail.com), March 26, 1999.