The real problem, IMHO, is that as technology progresses (seemingly faster
and faster every year) older technology falls by the wayside.
No matter what technology a particular radio is based on, sooner or later
that technology becomes technologically obsolete, and afterwards parts
become harder and harder to come by.
Just look at the once omnipresent thermionic valve. Remember when all those
rigs were designed with TV sweep tubes in the finals (instead of, say,
6146's) because the tubes were cheap and plentiful? Now they cost a small
fortune and get harder to find every year. To say nothing of transmitter
and amplifier tubes that now cost more than the radios they are meant to go
in -- again, if you can even find the source.
And I certainly don't have to remind Argosy owners on this list of the need
to take care of their finals. Has anyone come up with a suitable substitute
for those transistors? (A real pity too, as I really liked that rig in it's
day)
Anyone try to price or buy a Z-80 or 8080 or 8088/8086 recently? Yes, yes,
I know, you can find them -- but not like you used to. I can remember (back
about the time Curt K3EY passed his General! <g>) when you could walk into a
computer shop and buy them in bulk for relatively few shekels. Now they
would look at you like Robbie the Robot walking in and asking for an 8" hard
sectored floppy disk.
So... if you own an Orion, and are worried about the CPU, I'd think it would
behoove you to NOW buy a spare Dragonball or two and stockpile it with the
just-in-case spare parts (one for your use, one for future trading). And
I'd probably call up RF Parts and stockpile some finals and such too.
Because it might be 5 years, or 10, or 25, but sooner or later, something
will happen (hello, Murphy!) and you'll need that part and not be able to
get it.
So it goes with all technology.
And yes, I wish it weren't so. I love the simplicity of the Corsair (& II)
and Argosy (525 & 525D) and Argonaut 505/509/515 series radios, and so on.
Would that it was economical to bring one of these back as a mass-produced
rig -- and would that there'd be enough of a demand to make it worthwhile.
But that ain't gonna happen, dag nab it...
73, ron wn3vaw
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