[Elecraft] K3 #4407 - dead

[Gary Dezern]

I'm kind of new to this whole insurance claim thing... The person I spoke to on the phone from the insurance company was pretty insistent that they just wanted "replacement cost."  

I asked the guy about one of the computers that I built myself from parts, and he didn't want to know about all that.  He kept saying "just write down how much it will cost you to replace the whole computer."  In that case, he suggested I put down the computer model as "Gary's Built" or something.  It's possible, I guess, that some insurance companies just assume any electronic devices impacted by a lightning strike are considered a total loss.  It's also possible that what I was told on the phone was wrong and once I get all the paperwork to fill out, the instructions will say something completely different.   Whatever...

I'm not assuming I have to replace the radio, but if thats what my insurance company wants then I'm not going to argue with them.   It'd certainly be much faster to order a brand new radio (even one pre-built) when compared to sending one in for repair with unknown damage resulting from a lightning strike.     

I can add together the cost of all the parts in my kit preassembled, but that number will be invalid in a couple weeks when the prices go up.  I called Elecraft and they don't have or can't give out the new price list, so I just have to give the "current" cost with a note saying that by the time they process the claim, the replacement cost will have gone up.  


Oh well, my wife and children are safe, and there appears to be no damage to my home.  The rest, while sad, doesn't really matter too much.

Take care / 73
Gary / k3wow (RIP k34407)

On Aug 12, 2010, at 8:58 AM, Jim McDonald wrote:

> Don’t assume that you have to replace the radio.  Several boards had to be
> replaced (over $1600) in mine after an April strike, but the modularity of
> the radio made it possible to repair it.