[MRCA] Seventies Technology

[Peter Gottlieb]

Ah yeah, the "Cerebral Communicator," with a tax paid by everyone to The Phone 
Company ("The President's Analyst").

Peter


On 5/23/2014 3:26 PM, Al Klase wrote:
> Jeep and the Group,
>
> I've noticed similar lines of demarcation in military radios. We can keeps the 
> tube radios, BC-348's, command sets, Angry Nine's, etc. running for another 
> hundred years.
>
> The early hybrid and all-solid-state stuff, PRC-25, VRC-12, PRC-74 is 
> serviceable. They use pretty much generic components. However, they get 
> complicated. One needs proper skills, documentation and test equipment.
>
> The next generation, e.g., PRC-104, are largely serviceable only by swapping 
> major assemblies. My only-half-kidding comment is that they are just a 
> heartbeat away from being a wheel chock. I don't even care to think about the 
> latter equipment, but isn't it cool having a super computer controlling you 
> mess kit?
>
> Moore's law has led us here, and the only direction is forward, to a universal 
> transponder embedded in you brain.
>
> Al
> Al Klase – N3FRQ
> Jersey City, NJ
> http://www.skywaves.ar88.net/
>
> On 5/23/2014 5:26 PM, D. Platt wrote:
>> I recently gave a talk on the applicability and availability test equipment 
>> for the radio amateur. What I've found is that there exists a practical 
>> demarcation in the type and kinds of test equipment that the ham operator can 
>> reasonably afford to have. One type is the throw-away test sets like DVMs, 
>> inexpensive L/C meters and the like. There is also a wholly different ilk of 
>> equipment that includes 3rd (70's vintage) and 4th gen test equipment as 
>> provided by the likes of TEK and HP, to name a few. This equipment may be 
>> excellent for the ham up to the point when it fails. A good deal of 3rd gen 
>> equipment could arguably be repaired by the ham with reasonable tech 
>> experience, along with the requisite documentation and access to spares (also 
>> see axiom at the end). Repair by a PMEL provider is generally not a real 
>> choice, owing to the very high cost of same. 4th gen equipment is fine, 
>> again, up until it fails. 4th gen equipment generally requires trained PMEL 
>> techs, a lab environment, and full access to factory support. The hamfest 
>> circuit, maybe even Epay, is a great source if one exercises a bit 
>> of///caveat emptor/, along the way. If the price is too good, probably better 
>> check it out.. on site, if you can! That said, the "lab" (sic) here has some 
>> very nice HP, Boonton, and Tek equipment that has done yeoman service for a 
>> while, now If (when) it finally fails, though, I'll be in a real bind. When I 
>> worked for an R&D outfit a number of years ago, we had a saying in our group. 
>> With any equipment you have, always have two, a pair, and a spare. That way, 
>> one always have back-up and spares.... hi!!
>>
>> Y'all use those 6db pads (fuses!)... hear!!
>>
>> Jeep - K3HVG
>>
>>
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>
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