Glider radios from Europe etc

On Thursday, September 3, 2020 at 5:30:06 AM UTC-4, Jim White wrote:
At 08:30 03 September 2020, krasw wrote:
On Wednesday, 2 September 2020 at 19:20:53 UTC+3, Dan Marotta wrote:
I'll bet a lot of clubs in the US would be happy to pay the shipping=20
costs for all that "garbage"...
On 9/2/2020 5:27 AM, krasw wrote:=20
On Sunday, 30 August 2020 at 16:29:32 UTC+3,
wrote:=
=20
I have installed many used units with no long term issues seen.=20
Me too. No problems with the six I have installed.=20
We have a big pile of them, all garbage.
--=20
Dan, 5J


What's stopping them, if they need faulty 4201s? I can send the pile
right
=
away.

The problem with 4201 is faulty component that lowers the voltage of the
ra=
dio by several volts and prevents any tranceiving (and soon receiving).
Thi=
s is known fault and there is no easy fix for it, or at least cheaper fix
t=
han replacing faulty unit with hopefully working one. Avionics mechanic
wil=
l not even shake your hand for a price of used 4201. There are cases
where
=
exchanged 4201s developed the exact same problem. If someone is happy
buyin=
g and installing old 4201s, then go for it. But the fact is that they are
n=
ot as reliable as they should be.

Even new radios can be had for 1000 euros, and in this hobby that's
pretty
=
much nothing. Unless you run a club that has a fleet resembling something
o=
ut of equator Africa.

I installed a 4201 in my 27 in 2003 and replaced it in 2018. 15 years
without a fault in the electronics. I did however freeze the LCD one winter
which needed to be replaced by the factory.
Sold it to USA for a few dollars. Haven't heard that it failed.

How cold does it need to get to damage the LCD? My glider is stored in an unheated hangar in the winter here in Vermont, sometimes goes down to -20C or worse, but so far no damage to the 4201 LCD.