Before I retired the second time I was managing a small group of components
engineers. Several of my guys worked full time on parts obsolescence issues.
"Lifetime buys" sound like a good idea until you run up against the procurement
and QC people. Try managing inventory of pricey Mil-spec parts for 10 or more
years, maintaining QC traceability. Not easy and when you finally need them
you'll find they were thrown away after the last reorganization. (I never liked
the word reorganized, as it suggests that you were previously organized,
something that I never found to be the case.)
BTW, several sources will still sell you a MC68000.
Wes N7WS
On 3/7/2020 6:02 PM, Fred Jensen wrote:
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
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