Yes, repair is for sure an industry problem ... and it may not even be
better for some other vendors. My gripe is that one of the reasons I
originally bought the K3 was that lasting support was one of the tenets
of Elecraft marketing back then.
Part obsolescence was certainly a reason for some of the discontinued
products, but far from all of them ... and not the KIO3/B. Elecraft
simply decided to move onward as a business decision.
Dave AB7E
On 5/10/2025 9:45 AM, jerry wrote:
On 2025-05-09 21:44, David Gilbert wrote:
Which is why when the KIO3 on my K3 inevitably dies like many others
have, my next rig won't be an Elecraft.
To be fair, repair is an issue throughout the industry. The modern
radios are far more capable than what we had in the 70s, but they
are also harder to repair.
I have a Yaesu FTDX10. It has a problem with CAT control over USB.
I bought it used, so Yaesu's warranty does not apply. Yaesu
does have a "technical supplement" for the radio with complete
schematics.
Not very useful, because that area of the circuitry is under the main
board,
and once you get it apart enough for access, nothing works, and you can't
troubleshoot it.
I called Yaesu: "No, we don't fix stuff like that, we just replace
the motherboard".
"Cost would be about a grand".... about the cost of another used
FTDX10. So I might
sell this one - cheap with full disclosure - and get another one.
I note that California has a "Right to Repair" law. It was signed
by the governor
in late 2023.
"California's Right to Repair Act, SB 244, requires manufacturers to
provide fair access to documentation, parts, and tools for repairing
their products. This includes electronic and appliance products
manufactured after July 1, 2021, and sold or used in California on or
after that date, with a wholesale cost of $50 or more."
- Jerry, KF6VB
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