[Elecraft] Where is Elecraft Support ?

[Fred Jensen]

You can always emulate the US Department of Defense if you'd like ... 
it's called a "Lifetime Buy."  When the airplane builder's contract 
finally ends and he no longer is required to stock parts, the engineers 
and logistics folks decide on the further lifetime of the airplane fleet 
and buy enough parts to keep it flying until it will be retired to 
Arizona which might be in 20 more years.

A lot of folk believe that science and engineering are the same thing.  
They're not.  Engineering is science coupled with economics, logistics, 
mathematics, fabrication, maintenance, supply chain management, and a 
host of other trade-off's, sometimes including labor relations and law.  
Bell Labs "invented" the transistor.  Companies like TI, Fairchild 
Semiconductor, Intel, Motorola, and AMD put them in the marketplace and 
they get to stop making them when something better comes along. See if 
you can find a Moto 68000 replacement for your old Mac. [:=)

My K3 is S/N 642, and has been upgraded multiple times.  I think it's 
about 10 years old and I think Elecraft has done a very good job 
compared to what the other guys do.  I'm a little in awe that Elecraft 
has been in business long enough now for the inevitable to be happening.

73,
Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
Sparks NV DM09dn
Washoe County

On 3/7/2020 10:52 AM, Jim Brown wrote:
> On 3/7/2020 10:42 AM, W6IPA . wrote:
>> It seems also that stock is drying up on K3/K3S parts - and I wonder if
>> this is temporary or a sign that the legendary upgradability of K3 or 
>> K3S
>> is over.
>
> Manufacturers live in the real world, and can only buy parts that are 
> manufactured by other companies. When those other companies 
> discontinue a part, alternative sources must be found, and that 
> sometimes isn't easy, or the alternative is not of good quality. Many 
> years ago, a fine US company called Ten Tec, based near Nashville, TN, 
> developed the first solid state power amp based on Motorola output 
> devices. After a year or two, Motorola discontinued them, they were 
> unique parts, and Ten Tec had to discontinue the amp. I believe I 
> remember reading that Elecraft was having this issue with parts for 
> some of their older products.
>
> As to contacting support -- the telephone works great.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC