eHam
eHam Forums => Station Building => Topic started by: K4BDA on December 15, 2022, 02:18:59 PM
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When buying a used rig one important question is...
Does the manufacturer still offer support in case the rig need repair or realignment or a software update.
In particular ICOM, Yaesu, and Kenwood.
For instance I just read a review for a Yaesu FT-290 that states that...
The processor section of the rig is no longer available, and Yaesu no longer supports the rig at all.
Absolutely shameful that if one encounters a bad processor that they must just "throw it away
So, when does ICON, Yaesu, and Kenwood stop supporting their products?
The minute they discontinue manufacturing, or what?
And what other things should one be aware of in terms of long term manufacturers support for used rigs?
Thanks for any info.
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Generally, manufacturers discontinue support after the product has been out of production for 10 years.
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Elecraft. And they now offer both support and parts for the K3 line for those who don’t yet know. All others can be lumped into the not so customer friendly grouping.
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Modern electronics become obsolete pretty fast. Even if a manufacturer wants to repair a radio many parts have become unobtanium.
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Simple question, simple answer: Elecraft.
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Elecraft. And they now offer both support and parts for the K3 line for those who don’t yet know. All others can be lumped into the not so customer friendly grouping.
Simple question, simple answer: Elecraft.
Really? Can I right now purchase a complete PA section for a K3? How about an internal antenna tuner? What about something as simple as a VFO knob?
Didn't think so..............
(https://i.ibb.co/WgdGSNz/Capture.jpg) (https://ibb.co/XSdjmf5)
Tom KH0/KC0W
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Really? Can I right now purchase a complete PA section for a K3? How about an internal antenna tuner? What about something as simple as a VFO knob?
Bear in mind the K3 came out in 2007, what Japanese manufacturer supports a radio that old?
Have you spoken with the Japanese factory, or their designers recently?
I just don't understand why American hams don't support American manufacturers.
73 Dave (sitting in front of a K4D and KPA500 as I type this)
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This means that if you can't repair it after the 10 yrs support you can only sell it for parts only or you can buy another one and use the broken one for parts. So the message is, if you really like a radio, after the production line has stopped, just buy a second radio which is the same of yours and swap the cards in case of failure.
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Whenever you buy *anything* used, you have to understand there’s various risks involved. You don’t know how it was used (or abused) that might cause a failure in the short term. Hidden defects that the seller didn’t reveal. Depending on an item’s age and if it is now out of production, availability of parts if it needs repair. Otherwise it becomes a doorstop or paperweight.
You can’t expect a manufacturer to support a discontinued product for an unreasonable amount of time. What’s “unreasonable” varies by product and debatable. Low cost electronics these days are throwaways if out of warranty and repair costs are close to buying a new one.
Only you can determine your ability to absorb financial risk. IMO, if you’re considering the purchase of a fairly expensive (your definition of expensive) older used item that’s been out of production for more than five years, and you’re concerned if the manufacturer will still support it with parts and repair if it craps out, then don’t buy it. Buy something new with a warranty and sleep well at night ;).
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Really? Can I right now purchase a complete PA section for a K3? How about an internal antenna tuner? What about something as simple as a VFO knob?
Bear in mind the K3 came out in 2007
But they were still being manufactured up to 3 or 4 years ago, when they announced its discontinuance and the proposed K4. So, as KC0W shows, K3 parts are limited or unavailable now.
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I was in retail electronics for a long time. K7JQ has it dead on.
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K3 parts are limited or unavailable now.
This was posted by Eric Swartz (Elecraft co-owner) on 2nd Dec 2022 on the Elecraft Reflector:
“ The following boards are now in
process, and should ship close to these dates ranges if there are no new parts issues or surprise manufacturing delays.
P3TXMON 6-8 weeks
K3EXREF 8 weeks
KAT3A: 8 weeks
KDVR3 8 weeks
KPA3A 6-8 weeks
KIO3B 8-9 weeks
KSYN3A 8 weeks
KBPF3A 8 weeks
KXV3B 6-8 weeks”
There are further details of other legacy products, but too lengthy to paste here.
73 Dave
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I was in retail electronics for a long time. K7JQ has it dead on.
My post was backed up by my experience of 40 years in retail, most of it in big-ticket electric/electronic products.
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I had a PA go bad in an Elecraft K3S, long out of warranty.
1. I could remove the module myself
2. Sent it to Elie
3. They sent me a refurb
4. I plugged the refurb in
5. Total cost a little over $125
Now, what other company has that kind of support?
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K3 parts are limited or unavailable now.
This was posted by Eric Swartz (Elecraft co-owner) on 2nd Dec 2022 on the Elecraft Reflector:
“ The following boards are now in
process, and should ship close to these dates ranges if there are no new parts issues or surprise manufacturing delays.
P3TXMON 6-8 weeks
K3EXREF 8 weeks
KAT3A: 8 weeks
KDVR3 8 weeks
KPA3A 6-8 weeks
KIO3B 8-9 weeks
KSYN3A 8 weeks
KBPF3A 8 weeks
KXV3B 6-8 weeks”
There are further details of other legacy products, but too lengthy to paste here.
73 Dave
Still 2 months out for a product that was discontinued only 3-4 years ago. The question is, how much longer after the two months will parts support still be available? I’m not knocking Elecraft, but they are just typical of manufactures’ support of discontinued products in this fast moving and ever changing electronics environment.
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I had a PA go bad in an Elecraft K3S, long out of warranty.
1. I could remove the module myself
2. Sent it to Elie
3. They sent me a refurb
4. I plugged the refurb in
5. Total cost a little over $125
Now, what other company has that kind of support?
Out of *warranty*, yes...great support. But was your K3S also *discontinued/out of production* at the time? If so, for how long? If not, normal procedure for a reputable company. Elecraft's modular construction makes things easier.
All I'm trying to convey to the posting op are some pitfalls of buying used equipment, especially if they're out of production. The lure of a great deal sometimes creates tunnel-vision that a buyer fails to take such things into consideration.
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There may very well be radios that are "worth" fixing after 10 or more birthdays but practically speaking once they hit the point of having failures, parts are secondary - someone has to troubleshoot and fix the thing and that right there puts any piece of equipment in a category of you gotta love it. Maybe a 2007 K3 is awesome enough to spend a few hours with it on the bench to restore it to operation. Most HF rigs aren't. For some folks the fun is in the thrill of the challenge - fixing and restoring things. I used to make a living doing that and frankly I could care less if I ever fix another one. I'd rather be working the radio than working on it. So the notion of "product support" becomes largely pragmatic - most equipment made in the last 30-40 years is just another commodity piece of electronics that has a practical lifespan. If you lovingly restore a 1990's HF rig, after all that the best it will ever be is a 1990's HF rig. OK, but not remarkable. The best you can expect is to run something long enough to exceed it's usefulness or your attention span, after that it's traded off or scrapped and on to something bigger and better. Save the valuable bench time and frustration for the few select pieces that would actually be worth it - distinct performance, intrinsic, or sentimental value.
Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM
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If you stick with equipment still in production, new or used, you won't have to worry about discontinued manufacturer support for quite awhile. Keeping equipment going that has been out of production for more than 10 years is admirable, but expecting factory support for that equipment is unrealistic. And expecting performance of old equipment to be equal to current production equipment is also unrealistic.
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case in point -
https://www.ceoutlook.com/2020/12/04/jvckenwood-disclosure-on-chip-fire/
this article is from December 2020. No manufacturer is able to stock parts proactively because they believe something like this may happen. Stuff happens, and that creates delays.
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My Collins KWM-2A is 60 yrs old. Still running strong, parts still available, however, not from Collins.