[TenTec] repairs

[Ken Brown]

> Are there any radios that are user serviceable other than the 
> antiques? If I am in the middle of nowhere and my radio quits
> then what?

A question I have been pondering lately too.

Many of the "can't live without" features that newer rigs have can only 
be had using large scale integration. Which generally means static 
sensitive devices, or devices too expensive to have a complete stock of, 
or too difficult to change out, if you could figure out which one needs 
changing. If it breaks it often makes more sense to just buy a new rig 
and not waste money/effort trying to fix the broken rig that is only a 
few years old. Of course that is not an option if you are in the middle 
of nowhere, and you want to get on the air before the next supply drop 
comes.

Yet many of those features we really CAN live without. I'm not arguing 
that you could be seriously competitive in a multiband contest without a 
bunch of neat features. For simply enjoying a QSO, or having basic 
communications in a disaster, I can't think of anything that cannot be 
accomplished with tubes or discrete semiconductors. Maybe a good idea to 
have at least one really basic, yet high quality rig on hand, even if 
you also have rigs with the "can't live without" features.

I don't suppose there is a big enough market to support Ten-Tec or 
anyone else coming out with this kind of basic rig (other than in QRP 
versions). Would be neat though.

DE N6KB