What's New
This is where we'll announce the most recent additions to our
website. If you've visited us before and want to know what's
changed, take a look here first.
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Posted May 8, 2008
Injoy is now open for business with all items in stock and ready for
delivery....one exception, the Cooling Fan will be available in a month or two.
After a bad reaction with the chemo treatments, I have stopped the treatments
and am recovering nicely. I want to thank all of my customers for their
kind words, prayers and patience during this trying time.
Posted March 31, 2008
Injoy will not be accepting any new orders during the months of April and
May, 2008. Due to the chemo therapy, I am incredibly weak and unable to
work. I have eight more weeks of treatments, after which I hope to be able
to return to work. Orders received in March will be shipped in April
provided the product is in stock.
Posted February 13, 2008
First...we want to thank all of the wonderful people who have sent cards and
e-mails wishing Jim and I their best wishes and prayers...they have been very
much appreciated. Jim is recuperating at home after his knee
replacement surgery. We both hope that he will be well enough to return to
limited work at the Injoy shop during the first of March.
I hired a gal (Rose Ann) as an independent contractor, that I worked with
for 20 years in a different manufacturing environment, and we started working in
the shop in the third week of January. She is figuratively and literally
my left arm...and a wonderful addition to Injoy. Rose Ann has been doing a
better job at building the components for the equipment than I used to do with
two arms. I am adjusting very well, but there are just some things
that I cannot do with one arm. About 50% of my time is now spent teaching
instead of doing and I am "injoying" the change. What's the
saying..."those that can, do...those that can't, teach.
I have hesitated making an announcement that Injoy is ready to ship orders
until I felt comfortable that we could serve our customers on a timely basis.
I was not able to manufacture very much during the period October 2007 to
January 2008, so our stock of some items are practically none existent. It
will be the middle of March 08 before we have adequate stock of all items.
We can and have been shipping orders in about 2 or 3 days after receipt...it
will be awhile before we can return to the 24 hour turn around of the past.
Please feel free to place your orders and we will do the best we can to get you
the equipment.
Posted December 16, 2007....The Cancer is Back
Due to health reasons, Injoy will be operating on a very limited basis from
now until the end of February, 2008. You can e-mail your questions and
orders during this period, but it is unclear how quickly we will be able to ship
orders during these months. I will respond to your e-mail as soon as I
can....so please be patient.
The sarcoma cancer has returned to my arm....but the good news is that it
has not returned to my lungs. On December 28th my doctor at Mass General
Hospital in Boston will amputate my left arm at the shoulder....I should return
home in 5 to 7 days. I will start chemo treatments on January 23 and my
new partner, Jim Healy, on that same day will enter the hospital to have one of his knees
replaced. All prayers gratefully accepted.
Posted November 01, 2007....Cancer Update
I have just returned home after an unexpected hospital stay for the month of
October. Before I had time to alert my customers, I had to enter Mass.
General Hospital for lung surgery on October 1st. After returning home from
Boston, I suffered a mild stroke and have been at the local hospital recovering
and receiving rehab. I think everything is going to be OK in the future, but
who knows.
I have a new partner, Jim Healy, who is making it possible for me to
continue the business but he has limited knowledge without me being around to
guide him. He joined me two months ago and one of the months I was in the
hospital. Jim is a very capable guy so please be patient with us for the
next month or so and things will return to normal. Jim and I look forward
to the day when we can post some news about new and improved products and not a
health update.
Posted August 26, 2007:
After a three week delay for radiation therapy, the surgery on my arm was
performed on the 21st of August. The results were much better than
expected and the amputation of the arm was not required. I will have some
additional loss of function in the shoulder area but will have pretty much the
same use of the hand as before this surgery. I am very happy with the
results and want to thank all of the wonderful people who have sent me cards and
e-mails...it has meant a great deal to me.
Now back to work! The doctor does not want me to use the arm at
all for two weeks and then limited use for two more weeks to allow the work he
has performed on the arm to heal before I start a rehab process. You can
start e-mailing orders now and my wife, Trina, and my new partner, Jim Healy,
will start shipping orders on September 4th. I will be posting a bio about
Jim in the near future, but the Healy's and the Bianchi's have been close
friends for 30 plus years and I am very happy that he has agreed to join me in
the business.
Posted 08/01/07.....Cancer Update
Apparently
the rumor mill is alive and well. I have received several inquiries asking
if I am no longer manufacturing lure coursing equipment. I will
continue to manufacture equipment even if my doctor in Boston
amputates my left arm. I have a good friend that is close to retirement
and he is very interested in joining me at Injoy. More about this
later.
I was scheduled to have surgery on the arm on July 31st but
when I arrived in Boston on July 30th the decision was made to have 2 weeks of
radiation therapy in Boston prior to the surgery, now scheduled for August 21st.
It is still a coin toss as to whether the arm will be amputated or not....the
surgeon will make the decision when he is removing the tumor.
If you want to place an order for equipment, I will have e-mail
availability in Boston and will be home on the weekends if you want to place an
order by telephone. I will be home and able to ship orders on August 16th
and 17th....after these two days, it will probably be the first of September
before I can ship any orders.
I want to thank all of the wonderful people who have sent me
good wishes and who are praying for me....the support means a great deal to me.
Posted July 20, 2007:
The sarcoma cancer has returned in my left arm for the third time in 2 years.
I have a tentative date of July 31st for surgery at Mass General Hospital in
Boston at which time my doctor will amputate the arm at the shoulder. Two
years ago, I was interested in saving the arm....for obvious reasons....and now
the doctor advises me that in the interest of saving my life the arm should be
removed. With cancer there are no guarantees, but this is the best shot at
a good long term outcome.
Right now, I do not know when we will be able to resume shipping coursing
equipment. I would think that my wife, Trina, could start shipping most
things....except lure machines....around the middle of August. I have been
simulating my normal daily routine using only my right arm....we're having
funnnnn now! As soon as I figure out how to tie my shoes with one arm, I
will probably figure out how I am going to build the various pieces of coursing
equipment in the product line. I will obviously need help....anyone want
to move to Vermont and learn how to build coursing equipment?
All prayers gratefully accepted....stay tuned for more news as it unfolds.
Posted 04/29/07....Some Good
News...and some Bad News
First, the bad news is that Injoy is running out of the Ford
long shaft (FLS) motors used in the STD Lure Machine and I cannot locate any
more "good quality" FLS motors to be used in a lure machine. There are FLS
motors available but the quality is such that I do not believe that they will
give very good service or life when used in a lure machine. I am sure that
you may be able to purchase a FLS motor locally at an auto parts store but I
cannot find a supplier for the quantities needed for my commercial
requirements. Also, you may not get a good motor that will give good life
in a lure machine, either...right now, with what is on the market, it seems to
be a role of the dice.
The good news is that I am having two models of a high quality
motor with a long shaft riding on ball bearings manufactured for Injoy.
The bad news is that they are made in the USA and are expensive when compared to
the FLS motors. For more info on these motors click
here. You can also read more about the
testing of these motors....a work in progress.
Additional good news is that I am in the process of building
lure stands out of a new material. Injoy will now be selling just the lure
stand separately, the lure stand with all electrics and as a complete lure
machine. The lure stands will be drilled with the hole pattern for both
the FLS motor and the new TB motors so that you can purchase what you need to
build your own lure machine. Expected availability is 4 to 6 weeks.
Posted 04/25/07....A New and Better
Solenoid
Starting in the Fall of 2006, I started receiving reports that
the solenoids I have been using in the Injoy STD Lure Machines for the last 10
years were prematurely failing....smoking, freezing up, and just plain not
working. When the reports started increasing in frequency, I decided to
learn more about what types of solenoids were available and I learned lots.
You can read about the new solenoid here.
I want to thank the customers that contacted me and reported the solenoid
problems they were experiencing. I can usually correct a problem if I know
that one exists and my intention has always been to sell quality products.
Stay tuned....in a month or two, I will be announcing some BIG
changes in the Injoy product line.
Posted 04/20/07....Thank You, Thank
You
I would like to thank Pete and Camille Mendicino for nominating
me for the ASFA (American Sighthound Field Association)
Gary Forrester Achievement Award.
It is a great honor for me to receive an award in memory of Gary who I knew and
respected for years. Gary was always the voice of reason at a field trial
and I frequently sought out his advice while in training to be a judge.
Also, congratulation to Les Pekarski. Les and I started in
lure coursing about the same time and we met up at trials frequently in the
80's. I have not seen Les for a number of years, so Les...I love all that
white hair, very distinguished...the good news is that you still have yours. I hope we can
meet up again, soon.
Posted 01/25/07....More New Products
A new motor for the lure machines of the future has arrived. This
12 volt motor is being manufactured exclusively for, and to, Injoy specifications and is designed to
provide a more reliable and durable choice when compared with the Ford starter
motor. The motor has a four hole mounting plate with a six inch long, 5/8 inch
diameter shaft. To provide more torque, it has four field coils (the Ford
Starter has two) and the shaft turns on two ball bearings. This is a high
quality motor manufactured with lure coursing requirements and performance in
mind. The price for this motor is $290.00.
Posted 01/11/07....New Products and
More Coming
With all this time on my hands while I recuperate from my
surgery, I have been busy redesigning some of the existing products and sourcing
new products to add or replace existing stuff. Incidentally, my arm is
doing great and I am back to work in my shop.
The first change to report is a new reversible motor with ball
bearings, front and rear, and a one piece 5/8" diameter shaft that is 6 inches
long. The big news with this motor is that
because I do not need to fabricate an extended shaft, I have been able to
reduce the price for the Reversible Lure Machine from $810.00 to $725.00....yes,
prices can actually go down!
The next item is an addition to the drive wheel choices.
This is an all aluminum take up wheel with 7 inch diameter side plates and a 2
inch center
core which is designed to be used by my good Terrier customers. One of the
complaints with the STD Take Up Wheel is that the line speed is to fast for JRT
straight racing. This wheel will give a line speed that is one half that
of the STD Take Up Wheel which should be perfect for Terrier straight racing.
The price is $120.00.
Stay tuned...there is more new stuff coming soon.
Posted 12/7/06....I am Home and Open
for Business
I had my surgery on 11/22/06 and returned home from Boston on
Saturday 12/2/06. I have been going crazy, just sitting around doing
nothing, so I shipped a couple of small orders today....it took me three times
the time and effort as usual. Soooo, feel free to place your orders but
please be patient....I'll try to ship as soon as I can but it will probably take
more time to ship your order than the usual 24 hour turn around service level.
Thank you, one and all, to the many great people who sent me
their best wishes, prayers and cards....it is truly gratifying to have so many
good friends.
Posted 11/17/06....Injoy Temporarily Closed for
Business
My wife and I are traveling to Boston on 11/19/06 for radiation treatment and
the surgery to remove the sarcoma in my left arm. Therefore, Injoy will not be able to ship
any orders for at least two weeks...maybe longer, but I will post the results of
my surgery when they spring me from Mass General Hospital. I want to thank
all of my customers for their patience during this time....and particularly, I
want to thank all of the good people who have sent their best wishes and prayers
my way.
Posted 10/20/06....Please Read Before
Placing An Order
On 10/12/05 I posted the news about the cancer (Sarcoma) in my
left arm....on 10/12/06, exactly one year later, I met with my doctor in Boston
and was told that the cancer had returned. Last year, you (my customers)
and I had two and a half months to adjust to the Injoy downtime needed for the
surgery and recovery. An exact schedule has not been established yet, but
it looks like I will have surgery sometime in the middle of November.
Soooo...if you are going to need any equipment between now and
the end of December, YOU MIGHT WANT TO ORDER SOON. If the doctor and I
decide to do a similar surgical procedure as last year, it will be a month or so
before I can do very much . If we choose what's behind door #2, the
arm will be amputated at the shoulder...under this scenario, I haven't got a
clue as to how long it will be before I'm back build equipment....if at all.
I'll post the news when there is some.....in the meantime, all prayers
appreciated.
Posted 06/12/06 Price Increases
I just received a new shipments of the 3110 starter
motors....and surprise...the price has increased by 20%. This is due to
the increase in copper and zinc prices. This will also effect the price of
the battery cables, battery connectors, and solenoids...these prices will
probably increase in the future. I have increased some of the prices for
these items as of this date. I would like to tell you that the prices will
decrease when the cost of copper goes down, but after a supplier increases
prices, they are seldom reduced.
Posted 05/06/06 The Continuing Saga of
the Missing Italian Bicep
For those good people who have been sending good wishes and
prayers my way...thank you and it's working. A week ago I had my first, in
a three year series, of three month follow-up exams at Mass General Hospital.
They do a CT scan of my lungs (the most likely place for the sarcoma to spread)
and play with my arm. And the results are...the lungs were clean and the
surgeon was very pleased with the condition of the arm. The arm is
great...I can do about 90% of what I could do before the surgery...I am
truly amazed and thankful. Next report in August.
Posted 01/06/06 Cheetahs,
Cheetahs, Cheetahs
I am so happy to have something new to announce other than my
health condition. I have added a bunch of pictures to the website of
Cheetahs running the lure. Check it out at the
Cheetah Center.
Posted 12/24/05 Update on Tom's
Health Condition
I am HAPPY to announce that I had the required surgery on my
left bicep on December 21st and returned home yesterday (12/23/05)...boy, they
don't fool around at Mass General Hospital in Boston. I cannot say enough
nice things about the treatment that I received from the doctors and staff at
that hospital...it's a first class operation.
It appears, that after a two or three week healing period, that
I will have pretty good use of my arm. I plan on starting to ship orders
on Tuesday, 12/27/05...actually, my wife Trina will start doing the packing and
shipping for the next few weeks. Order soon, I'm going to need the money
to pay all of my medical bills...I'm kidding, I'm kidding!!! Also, my good friend,
Peter Mendicino, will be arriving from PA in mid January to help with shipping
and manufacturing the equipment. He spent a couple of weeks with us in
Vermont before Thanksgiving and was a big help making stuff to add to the
inventory....thanks Peter! And, thanks to all the wonderful people who
sent my way their best wishes and prayers.
Posted 10/31/05 Update on Tom's
Health Condition
First, I want to thank everyone that sent their best wishes and
prayers my way. I am doing great. I just started my second week of
radiation treatments. When I arrived home after my first treatment, my
wife asked what it was like. I told her that being fussed over by 6 sweet
young things wasn't all that bad!
Now back to business...I should be able to make and ship
equipment through November and the first week of December. After that, I
will be in Boston for surgery for a week or so and then my wife, Trina, will be
shipping orders through my recovery period.
Posted 10/12/05....Please Read Before
Placing An Order
I have been diagnosed with a rare cancer (Sarcoma) in my left
bicep. I will be starting radiation treatments on 10/17/05 for five days a
week for a period of five weeks. Around 12/12/05, I will be traveling to
Mass General Hospital in Boston, MA where the tumor and my left bicep will be
surgically removed...now doesn't that sound like fun. So what does this
all mean to my customers...I don't really know, but this is the most likely
scenario.
I am presently busy building equipment to add to the inventory
while I still have two good arms. We should be able to ship all of your
requirements during October and the first part of November.
My advice would be to order early. My wife,
Trina, should be able to ship most orders in late November and early December in
a timely manner. The middle two weeks in December we will be in Boston, MA
and not shipping any equipment...after that, I just don't know what our ability
will be to ship equipment on a timely basis. I will try to keep you
updated on this webpage as conditions unfold.
Please be patient with Trina as she is not as familiar as I am
with the equipment...she will do her best to meet your requirements on a timely
basis. If there are going to be delays, we will notify you at the
time of placing the order. All prayers are greatly appreciated.....Tom
Bianchi
Posted 08/24/05
The newly designed Racing Pulley
has arrived. Check it out for your oval track setup.
Posted 05/23/05
The post for May 1, 2005 (see below) has been
reversed...Injoy will be open for business for the entire month of June.
Posted 05/01/05
Please be advised, Injoy will be closed for business from 6/15/05 to
6/30/05. Unfortunately, I will be in the wilds of Maine and unable to
respond to telephone and e-mail messages...please leave your messages, though,
and I will get back to you as soon as I return. The last day for shipments
will be Tuesday, June 14, 2005.
Posted 04/01/05
This is to alert my loyal customers that, effective May 1,
2005, I will be increasing prices in the 5% to 7% range for various products.
The items affected will be all of the pulley models and the wiring packages for
the sailplane winches. I have been absorbing the various increases in
prices from my suppliers for the past two years without raising Injoy's prices.
The increases experienced in steel and plastic materials have been quite
substantial in the last couple of months.
Here is my worst recent price shock...I purchase 50 lb. boxes
of the 8" nails, used to stake the pulleys to the ground...200 lbs. at a time.
Before last month, I paid $54.00 per box...last month I paid $124.00 for the
same 50 lb. box. Somehow, the phrase "price increase" just doesn't
adequately describe that kind of price change.
Posted 03/14/05
My how the time flies when you're having a good time. I'm
only a couple months late in getting the new products on the site...but they are
here now. To see the new Racing Pulley, go to the
Pulleys page and to see the Solenoid "Odometer," go to the
Accessories page.
Posted 01/17/05
Two new products will show up on the website in the next week
or two. The first item is a low profile racing pulley to be used with a
drag (take up) system. The pulley is just under 1-1/2 inches tall...that's
the total height from the ground to the top of the pulley. This pulley
cannot be used for continuous loop coursing but is perfect for oval track
racing. The selling price will be $20.00.
The second item is for the individual that believes in
preventative maintenance. I like to think of it as an odometer for the
solenoid and motor on your lure machine or winch. It is in fact, a
mechanical counter that is connected to the solenoid and it counts the number of
times that the solenoid is activated...each time you hit the button, it flips
over one number. I can just imagine the "so whats" coming from the people
reading this...so I'll explain the reason that this is important.
The Injoy solenoids are rated at 60,000 actuations (expected
life), soooo, when you get to around a 50,000 count, you can change the solenoid
and avoid a breakdown or locked solenoid at your field trial. This is
called preventive maintenance orrrr, you can go for the "solenoid actuation
world record" and wait for the solenoid to fail before replacing...it's your
choice. Another condition that can happen, with a solenoid near the end of
its useful life, is that the motor will start heating up prematurely because of
the resistance caused by the worn electrical contacts in the solenoid. Also, the brushes in the Ford
starter motor last around +/- 120,000 solenoid actuations. The selling
price for the counter is $19.00.
Posted 10/13/04
Due to popular demand (and my unbridled greed), I have
decided to resume international shipments. When you're wrong, you're
wrong...and I was wrong to stop the shipment of coursing equipment to all of my
good existing international customers and those new individuals who just want to run their
dogs but happen to reside in a foreign land. The real reason I stopped shipping to other countries (though I
did not recognize it at the time) was that I was too lazy to learn how to
execute the required paperwork. So, last Friday I spent the day getting smart and educated
on how to execute all the neat (and silly) paperwork necessary to export
lure coursing equipment. It never ceases to amaze me how easy it is to do
something when you have the knowledge. For more details
on international shipping.
Posted 06/30/04
Vacation was great and we're back in business until July 22,
2004 when I will leave to attend the AMA Sailplane National competition in
Muncie, Indiana. I am really looking forward to meeting many of my new
customers and gaining enough knowledge to purchase my first glider and start
flying myself. I will resume shipping orders on August 2, 2004 and, I
expect to be home for the rest of 2004.
Posted 06/07/04
I have discontinued all international shipments (Canada being
the exception). For the last six to twelve months, I have struggled with
trying to meet all of the various requirements for the countries where I ship
equipment. I have been doing international shipping for 25 years and up
until now, it's been pretty simply to accomplish. It is a little unclear
to me why, this year, a special Notarized Certificate of Origin is required to
ship 5 spools of string to Italy...like that transaction is going to displace
thousands of Italian textile workers....give me a break! Ladies and
gentlemen, it's just too hot and sweaty to meet all of these silly requirements.
Posted 05/30/04
After several days of receiving 1000+ e-mails per day, I have solved my e-mail problem. I added a secure mail
form for my customers to use when contacting Injoy. It works great and I
receive only legitimate communications from my customers. I will respond to your
mail from an e-mail address that you can use for future e-mail activity.
Bye-bye spammers!!!!!!
Posted 05/06/04
Please be advised, Injoy will be closed for business from 6/15/04 to
6/29/04. Unfortunately, I will be in the wilds of Maine and unable to
respond to telephone and e-mail messages...please leave your messages, though,
and I will get back to you as soon as I return. The last day for shipments
will be Monday, June 14, 2004.
Posted 05/01/04
IF YOU E-MAIL INJOY, and you do not receive a reply within 24
hours, please ping me again or give me a call at 802-425-3691. On a
regular day, I receive 300 plus e-mails and on a really good day, I receive 500
to 600 messages. My ISP provides a spam filter and those messages labeled
as "SPAM" are automatically sent to my "deleted" folder. It's a great
service and it is 99.9% accurate...but, recently I have had some customers who
thought that I was out of business because I did not answer their e-mails.
I review the "deleted" folder but many of the messages do not
have anything in the "Subject" line. If you enter a subject message like
"lure coursing equipment" or "I want to order" that usually gets my attention.
Posted 01/30/04
I'm getting lots of hits to my
"Classified Ad" page every day...must be people looking to buy
some used coursing equipment because no one has requested to list any items to
sell. You can list any item related to coursing...blankets, slip leads,
collars...whatever.
Posted 10/15/03
Injoy is no longer able to ship any international orders via the
International Postal Service. There is no way to track a package on a
timely basis and this year, there have been too many complaints and inquiries as
to "where is my order?" I have had packages returned because adequate
invoices were not included with the shipment...which has never happened before
in the 25 years of shipping international packages. I think the whole
international mail system has been slowed due to 9-11 and other terrorist
concerns...more examinations and whatever. This is really unfortunate,
because the alternative of shipping via UPS or FedEx is expensive when compared
with the mail system.
Posted 10/14/03
Finally, something new.....I have added a
"Classified Ad" page to the Injoy website. More and more, I receive
e-mails and phone calls, either looking to buy or wanting to sell some coursing
equipment. So, why not establish a free market place where people can find
each other. The Injoy website has between 200 and 400 visitors each day
who can view your free advertisement. So, what are you waiting for....e-mail
me your ads.
Posted 05/29/03
Please be advised, Injoy will be closed for business from 6/14/03 to
6/29/03. Unfortunately, I will be in the wilds of Maine and unable to
respond to telephone and e-mail messages...please leave your messages, though,
and I will get back to you as soon as I return. The last day for shipments
will be Friday, June 13, 2003.
Posted 02/08/03
Great news...Steve Surfman, an
award winning photographer, has graciously agreed to supply some of his fabulous
action dog photos to my Dogs Having Fun web pages.
Anyone wanting a photographer for their dog event, should seriously consider
engaging Steve's services. Check out the dog index from time to time as I
will be adding new pictures from Steve on a regular basis. Thanks Steve!
Posted 01/30/03
Well, the news is in...I have located a
Ford starter motor that is currently being manufactured
"NEW"...these motors are not a rebuilt motor! For those
of us who have been worrying about the day that our beloved Ford
starter motors would no longer be available, can now sleep well
at night. This is also the reason that I am discontinuing the
Nippon Lure Machine and motor.
In the past, I have not sold the Ford
motor as a replacement because it was difficult to obtain
adequate motors for the complete lure machines. I am now offering
these motors for sale at $110.00 each and will stock them for
immediate shipment. Locating this new supply of motors has also
allowed me to reduce the price for the STD Lure Machine from
$360.00 to a new price of $320.00.
Speaking of price reductions, I have
reduced the price on solenoids and both nylon and polyester
string. Welcome to the world of disinflation....may it continue
forever.
Products