[Elecraft] K rig's longevity?

[N2EY at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/30/07 6:17:24 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
forums at david-woolley.me.uk writes:


> N2EY at aol.com wrote:
> 
> > Will it be possible to keep a K2 working 35 years? I don't see why not, 
> given 
> > that almost all the parts are readily available, the documentation is wide 
> 
> > open and free, and expert assist is available from several sources. Plus 
> when 
> 
> Most of the documentation is closed, as, as you point out yourself, the 
> radio does a lot in software, and the software source isn't released; 
> not even the AuxBus protocol is documented. 

It's documented, just not publicly. That could always change.

 It's also the case that 
> 
> component substitution, including piggy backed surface mount parts, have 
> had to be made already.
> 
> The impact of the closed software is that, even if you can get the PIC 
> chips, you won't be able to program them.  Also, where the firmware has 
> restrictions for legal reasons, and these go away (e.g. the Thai 
> government permits use of additional amateur radio frequencies, or, on 
> my reading of the UK licence, and assuming the situation has arisen and 
> 
> Elecraft have actually complied, if a UK Novice gets a Full licence and 
> is therefore allowed to operate equipment that is not restricted, by 
> design, to authorised frequencies, the user may have trouble getting an 
> upgrade).
> 
> ncidentally, making the software public domain is not a good idea, as 
> it will be ineffective in the UK, and most other countries, with the, 
> probable, exception of the USAb, and doesn't allow one to restrict 
> implied warranties.  It's better to use a liberal and perpetual licence.
> 

WHich could happen in the future.

> The other issue is that Elecraft is a small company and we have 
> discovered, this week, that one of their founders is turning 50 and 
> another key technician learned algebra in the late 1950s, it seems to me 
> that a lot of the key personnel are reaching the point where they think 
> about retirement.

Heck, I'm 53, and I was thinking about retirement 20+ years ago!

  As well as losing the product knowledge, founders of 
> 
> startup companies in that position often want to turn the value of the 
> company into cash to fund their pensions.  To me, the K3 could well be 
> there in order to make the company sellable.  My experience of 
> innovative startups, where the founders sell out, is poor.  I've had to 
> leave my old ISP, because of the consequences of that.
> 

Of course that could happen.

But support of older products is an issue with *any* company nowadays. How 
many ham-rig manufacturers today give full support to rigs they made 20, 25, 30, 
35 years ago? 

> From what I know of the hardware, I would be most worried about the K2 
> headphone jack, as it is not particularly generic and a known weak 
> point. 


 I'm also somewhat concerned about the relays.  They are almost 
> 
> impossible for an individual to source and they have a limited life, and 
> the KAT2, in particular, hits them hard.
> 

I didn't know they had a limited life - how many operations? What is the 
failure mode?

---

It should be remembered that in most cases, the way old rigs are kept alive 
is a
combination of:

- replacing old parts with new equivalents (orange drop caps replacing old 
wax-and-paper caps), 

- custom-making new parts to replace the old (usually done to mechanical 
pieces)

- finding old caches of parts (this is how I fixed a GE Fanuc Workmaster unit 
to program Series Six PLCs a few months ago)

- cannibalism of parts-rigs to keep good ones working. 

73 de Jim, N2EY



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