[Milsurplus] Broke electronics

[Brooke Clarke]

Hi Joe:

I don't think military radios are designed to be repaired so much as 
they are designed not to break in the first place.
I used to design microwave components and some of the products our 
company made required using MIL-HDBK-217 which allows figuring out the 
Mean Time Between Failures.  Military equipment typically has very good 
MTBF numbers.

There is also a Time To Repair, but on anything from Vietnam era till 
now, this is based on finding the module to replace, not on component 
level replacement.

I knew a guy who's job at RCA when color television first came out was 
to design the picture tube so it's MTBF was just over one year, i.e. so 
the picture tube would fail just after the warranty ran out.  Modern 
cars are also designed so that the MTBF of all the component parts is at 
the design life of the car, that way they are not making a component 
that will last many years after the car is scrapped, thus lowering the 
cost.  It sure would be good if they published the MTBF numbers.

Prior to the advent of MTBF calculations and computer analysis products 
were designed to be as reliable as was possible.  Good examples of this 
are the Rolls Royce Phantom II automobile and the DC-3 aircraft.  You'll 
find examples of these still running today, not so much that they have 
been restored, but just maintained.

Have Fun,

Brooke Clarke, N6GCE
http://www.PRC68.com

>Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 15:37:08 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Joe Foley <redmenaced at yahoo.com>
>Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Broke electronics
>To: milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
>Message-ID: <20040715223708.99100.qmail at web14004.mail.yahoo.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
>That's why we like Military radios!!
>
>They were BUILT to be repaired!
>
>Joe
>