Yes, the 253 memory chip times out after around 100k operations....
Symptoms - the atu develops amnesia no matter what you do by way of
resetting the roller coaster. In my case I had been using the thing
to remember lots of band settings, using most of the 4 antenna
switch positions, over a long period (several years). Eventually it
ground to a halt and sat there looking useless. In fact it was
useless... I suspected the CPU, but TenTec are smarter than I am -
they told me about the memory chip.
This tiny eight pin gizmo is socketed (fortunately !) behind the
front panel, next to the CPU and is darned difficult to access without
breaking something. In my manual its an X2404P but its really a
Xicor X24C04P. TenTec mailed me a replacement, but I have since
located a source in UK at www.rswww.com. RS is a very big outfit
indeed. They do not deal directly with casual customers like hams, but
their local depot here can be persuaded .... the chips cost around $5
each. (E-mail me only if absolutely desperate for one !)
Interesting point: there is another Xicor chip with exactly the same
pin-out and general spec, but TWICE the capacity. Maybe it would last
twice as long ?? --- John G3JAG -- Long time Omni-V user
----------------------------------
E-Mail: patents@dx0man.prestel.co.uk
To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: 11-Jan-99
Time: 12:21:43
John Crux
Consultant in product forgery - Asia and
Africa
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