Unobtainium – What To Do? Where to Call?
Written by Barry Mishkind Posted in Maintenance Shift.
| As technology progresses, some things do get left behind. Trying to find parts for an older car might send you to the dealer, an aftermarket shop, the Internet, or that sad realization that not only is it no longer made, the manufacturer is out of business, and since no one can make money making and stocking the part, it may have moved to the category of “unobtainium.”
Still, with the worldwide access via the Internet, it is amazing how some things can be found – or a replacement for them fitted. This page hopes to not only help identify problem parts, but what options might be available. If you have information to add, please let us know!
There also is a new page of hard to find transmitter parts that might be of help to you.
And, then there is this:
| Unobtanium Candidate | Used in | Options - at last report |
| 4CX300A | Harris 10K | RF Parts had stock – |
| 4-1000A Tubes | Transmitters | RF Parts had stock – $1300 |
| 5-500 Tubes | Transmitters | RF Parts had stock – $800 |
| TIL-308 LED display | SX series transmitters | hard to find |
| SX-Series Oscillator Board | SX series transmitters | Mike Patton Associates |
| ST connectors by 3M | | Home Depot is reported to have
these |
| SSM2015 preamp chip | Broadcast Audio Consoles | hard to find |
| SSM2017 chip | Optimod 8200
Arrakis 1200 | expensive when found, but the SSM2019 is pin compatible;it is reported that the INA217 works in the Arrakis |
| SAD-1024 chip | Optimod 9000 | true
unobtainium |
| 6386 tubes | Sta-Level compressors | hard to find – a pair of 6BA6s said to be compatible |
| Plessey SL560C rf amp chip | Moseley PCL606 STLs | hard to find |
| DigiTalker chip | Gentner VRC-2000 | not likely to find |
| 1-5/8″ EIA connector | RFS/Cablewave solid center coax | hard to find |
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