[Yaesu] Kenwood TS-940 CAUTION!

[waltah at earthlink.net]

Ray, W2EC wrote:
> If you are into the latest bells and whistles and willing to sacrifce 
> the ability to repair your gear after 10 or so years have passed, the 
> new generations of SS gear are fantastic. But for longevity, look to the
> old gear.

There are some obvious and a maybe not obvious reasons for this. 

In the 'obvious' department are:

1.  A long expected life for the old equipment, coming from the fact 
that labor (to build and repair) was then cheap, parts, expensive.   
Since replacement was expected to be expensive it was designed 
to be repaired and kept in service indefinitely.

The new equipment reverses every term of the equation.   

2.  A very basic set of tools required for repair.   Ten hand tools and 
a VTVM will get you about 98% of problems.   Try that with any 
serious modern electronics -- you can't even get the covers off with 
those ten tools.

In the less obvious department:

3.  Television.   Because the piece parts of the old gear were 95% 
shared with TVs which were also designed to be repaired, vast 
quantities of parts were produced for repair stock.  None of us on 
this list will outlast the supply of 6JS6Cs ... the prices won't even 
be unreasonable in constant dollars.

The trend has been going on for centuries but has only become 
really noticable in a fraction of a man's lifetime in the last few 
decades.  It's not clear where the ending of any permanence of 
'stuff' will leave us.  There's no reason to think that a century hence 
we won't have StarTrek replicators; put in a nickle and take out a 
steak dinner, put in a quarter and take out a Yaesu FT-124,101 -- 
that day's current model, with a preprogrammed life of a week.   
There might be a flashing display from ICOM though, saying that 
they'll introduce a new model (the second that day) at 3 PM.  

Or -- the technology may mature to the point that change is purely 
cosmetic.

In my time the FT-101F will do for ease of use and 12 volt service; 
for real enjoyment either something homebrewed with vaccum 
tubes or an even older set.

Walt Hutchens
KJ4KV