From: Mike_Whalen@agwbbs.new-orleans.LA.US (Mike Whalen)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: Can't get 10 year old radio fixed, was Re: Boycott Icom
Date: 14 Apr 92 17:34:46 GMT
Organization: The Amiga GateWay BBS * New Orleans, La.

In a message dated Tue 14 Apr 92 09:24, Whs70@dancer.uucp (24411-Sohl)
wrote:

 WS> While I can't buy a Corvair part from the local GM dealer, there are
 WS> many places that supply such parts today.  If the original poster is
 WS> correct,
 WS> it appears that ICOM didn't even have a place to refer him to that
 WS> continues
 WS> to service these radios.  There's a real problem here and while I'm
 WS> not
 WS> about to run out and sell my ICOM HT, I would like to know that if it
 WS> fails at some time in the future that I can get it repaired.

  A company.. no matter the company.. can't possibly cover all the aspects
or situations. I am sure that if I looked hard enough today, I could find a
company that supplies working models and parts for an Atari 2600 or a
Vectrex Video Game system. Atari is still around but terrible in the PR
department. I would have to go with word of mouth.. cause Atari probably
couldn't tell me anything. GCE... the makers of the Vectrex.. died long
ago.. yet the machines are still out there and some dealers still have
them.. but I can't call GCE and ask them anything. 

 WS> Maybe we should ask the magazines ((QST, CQ, etc.) to add the long
 WS> term
 WS> service policy of each manufacturer as part of their equipment
 WS> reviews
 WS> in the future.  

   Unfortunately.. there IS such a thing as planned obselesence. I agree
that parts for a radio should be something easily available.. but I am
willing to bet that if the person looked hard enough at the small time old
(and in some cases new) dealers, he may find what he's looking for. Someone
has got to have it, but don't boycott ICOM because they don't know. They
would have to spend money, money that would be used on R&D in finding a
company that supplied these parts, money that COULD be used on new radios.
They have to have someone volunteer this information to them. ICOM stopped
making this part. They can't be held liable for something they discontinued
years ago. 

 WS> Additionally, (back to the auto example), it shouldn't be a major
 WS> stock
 WS> supply issue for ICOM and any others to maintain a reasonable supply
 WS> of unique/proprietary components for longer than 10 years.  They just
 WS> don't
 WS> take up the kind of room/space that auto parts do.

   Depends. Even libraries.. those wonderful places that are supposed to
manned by archivists.. throw away or sell old material. Heck.. I just went
to a library sale that was dumping tons of old movie trailers and books.
Why? Granted they don't have the space like ICOM might have.. but things
start to take up space. Let's say 10 years go and no one asks for issue
number 3 of Commodore Magazine. They are going to dump it eventually.

 WS> It is an interesting aside that there are many pre-solid state 
 WS> equipments that can be kept working well, yet we have here a
 WS> situation
 WS> where a ham has a radio that isn't all that old, it is a very
 WS> usable radio for anyone that might have it, yet it can't be fixed
 WS> because
 WS> of the failure of a unique component that the manufacturer can't or
 WS> won't
 WS> provide.  That's NOT very good public relations for ICOM.

  True.. but what about all those people that bought into the PS/2
syndrome? It's hard and does cost a company money, overall, to keep really
old components. I know you say that it's not that old, but 10 years is a
long time.. for any industry! I sympathise with the owner of the broken
radio. I can imagine how frustrating it must be to own a perfectly good
piece of equipment and not be able to use it because of a unique part being
gone..

  I could get just as angry at Commodore for throwing away users of the
128d.

  My suggestions:

   Get on EVERY major computer network you can. There are tons of people
who don't have access to INterNet.. but do on Fido.. WWIV.. PCRelay..etc.
 
   See if you can get people to post on the major computer databases (i.e.
CompuSpend, Prodigy, and various others).

   Advertise of PBBS!

   Write into magazines. 

   Call dealers listed in major HAM magazines.. including ones from other
countries like the U.K.

  Granted I don't know the whole story.. but someone may be able to know
something!!

Mike..

-- Via DLG Pro v0.991

Yet another fine quality message from.. Mike Whalen Brand Message Prod.
If you like it.. you like it.. if not... FNORD!
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Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc