[sdiy] There is no fun analogue chips anymore!

[Gordon JC Pearce]

On 28/06/12 21:51, David G Dixon wrote:

> It's obvious that most electronics today are built around planned
> obsolescence, with the cycle sometimes as short as two years (like cell
> phones).  Could it be that this thinking has also invaded the manufacture of
> the SMD parts themselves?  After all, it all gets thrown away at the same
> time, so why put a component designed to last for 20 years into a device
> that will be binned in two?

These radios are the best part of 15 years old.  It's not surprising 
they're getting cranky after 15 summers of being baked and 15 winters of 
being frozen on the dashboard of a council Transit van.

What do extremes of temperature and constant vibration do to delicate 
electronics?

Anyway, if you want planned obsolescence look at unleaded solder - 
perfectly good equipment is failing after a couple of years because the 
components are falling off the boards.  Not to mention the tin whiskers 
shorting out sections of track in the throttle pots in cars ;-)

-- 
Gordonjcp MM0YEQ