Pearl96Max

iTrader: (151)

For as long as I can remember on here and even the older now long gone ECA there was always skepticism of where the TRU Technology products come from. Sometimes I tried to correct, others I left alone as they seemed too far gone. The thread of US made amplifiers just kept tugging at me though (http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/...-made-u-s.html) to the point where frustration became imminent. I then decided it was time to take a trip (quite possibly an overdue one).


With the flu running wild through me and a heavy workload to boot, I spited myself and went forward anyway. Spoke with John, made some plans for a short weekend run and jumped on a plane. Please, for those reading, do Not get a plane with a sinus infection !!

So Friday the 13th ( superstitious ? Nah, but couldnt help to think about it) bright and early I found myself crunched into a plane seat clearly too small for my 'larger' torso. Nonetheless I pushed on to a stopover in Dallas/Ft Worth just to be tossed into another sardine can for my final leg. Arrived at the quaint airport know as Burbank ( Older guys recall 'Laugh In' ? ). From there John grabbed me up and off we went.

First stop was the Anodize shop which is conveniently located next to the polishing shop. Very normal down to earth guys there that were more than willing to see and chat with some outside faces. . The polishing shop works on several things that I would not have imagined from such a small homely place. Such things as military plane yolks, commercial airline seat brackets and LCD monitor bezels for both airline and medical. All anodizing as well as polishing work is done to Level II: Commercial grade spec

Next up was the silkscreen facility. A small, but quite busy operation not far from the previous stops. Here, aside from TRU, they do some other various products and some small companies that you may have of before including, but not limited to Clorox and Caterpillar.

All three of these guys were close to closing hours and Im sure quite eager to go home to their families on a Friday afternoon, but were nice enough to show us around briefly.

Finally back to the shop (TRU's facility) for a bit of a break as I also desperately need some medicating. Then out to dinner with John and Dave (lead tech). After a hearty filling of a hot turkey sandwich we were back in the car to drop Dave off.

After dropping Dave off I checked into my hotel and John asked if I was still up for going out. Initially reluctant, but still replied with a tired "Sure." Great Idea ! Unfortunately felt like crap, but had no clue the once thought of LaCrescenta, CA. as being in the 'boonies' was prime right outside of LA. Now mind you CA guys I have not been to CA since child years and have zero recollection of it anyway. So while not exciting for you seeing it as a daily grind, sick or not it was a blast for me ! We dropped into the Kodak Theater and upstairs and out to Hollywood Blvd we went. Im not the tourist type, but I was just compelled to start snapping shots. I found myself staring down rather than forward to walking reading all the names in the sidewalk, once I looked up I couldnt look back down again, just overwhelmed with life around me.

Finally ack in the car and started a simple sightseeing drive. Absolutely no clue in the world that Beverly Hills, Melrose place, etc were all so close ! Again to guys living out there this is the norm for you, like NYC is for me. Dry coughing and feeling like utter disaster still I pushed on until finally retreating back to the hotel for some much needed rest.

Next morning started fairly early with a light breakfast stop and off to more traveling after a quick run to the shop. We grabbed a bunch of products that was sorted the evening prior ( BLANK PCBs, resistors, capacitors,etc. You get the point) and of to the PCB assembly house we went. This is where we were greeted by Anoi (abbreviated name) and shown around. Not all pictures of this facility were available, nor was all of their current work as it is military protected. I did take as much as permitted though. Fully silicone free environment and was asked prior to entering if we had anything on us. A little bit about Anoi though is as follows:

He has been working in his industry for last 19 years
Certified "J" Standard instructor

Some boards he has worked on are as follows:
Guidance system on the missile defense interceptor missiles
Guidance system on torpedo
Guidance system on Nuclear submarines
F-18 Hornet ejection seat system PCB
HUD (heads up display) system on the new F-22 Raptors
Transceiver units on Predator Drones
Night vision goggles for US Marines
Guidance system on Patriot missiles

Some pics of the Predator drones were taken and included below.
All work is Level II or III: Commercial or Military grade.

After a substantially amount of chatting most of which well beyond my grade of knowledge and came second hand to him we were back in the car hitting the road. A few brief picture opportunities were available for Dodger Stadium (back side) and the LAPD Academy. Yes, I know I am appearing more and more like a tourist already !

We shot down to Huntington Beach and met with a great guy by the name of Tom, owner of Beach Autosound. While we spoke numerous times via phone, we unfortunately never met in person. Grabbed a quick bite from In N Out which is literally right next door to Tom while he helped a client and back over to him we went. Very, very glad we stopped. Meeting up with Tom and his crew was a treat and confirmed all of what I thought of him through our conversations via phone. I would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone in the area.

So in summary, where is TRU Technology products built ? In Los Angeles County, California, good ole US of A. Don't take just my word for it, see the pictures (although out of order) for yourself.

The truth about TRU pictures by 6spdcoupe - Photobucket


After actually being there as both professional and feeling like part of the family personally I feel 110% more passionate about the products and the company behind them then ever before.

NOTE:

Now let me also clarify here. There is absolutely no copying between Abyss and TRU. They were once a merged force and TRU pulled out and went it's own way as I previously mentioned. TRU, over the years, had pushed forward with new products and stayed strong while Abyss has had the same product line for years. Abyss is also an Office, not a manufacturer. TRU while partnered with Abyss shared a buildhouse. Nothing more, or less. Are the Abyss products bad ? No, in fact they are virtually the same (when current) as the Coppers of their time. However Abyss has been at a standstill for years.

AscendantMax

iTrader: (7)

well that was a good morning read before lab work.

glad you enjoyed that trip, although it would have been better if you weren't sick eh? when i have t3h moneyz i'll grab some Tru's off of yous...reading that reminds me of the long convos we had on the phone about that company.

hope you feel better soon!

Pearl96Max

iTrader: (151)

Yes, def would have been better !

The Law

iTrader: (39)

Good read......now only if I had the money, haha!

nismos14

iTrader: (56)

Must of been a helluva trip, hope you're feelin better mang,.

8675309v2

Wish I had the room. I was within one phone call of pulling the triger on a billet 8 before I purchased the duo of audison 5.1k's. One of my team mates uses a billet 6.