If you added up the cost of the components of a Pro II, I doubt that would come out anywhere near the selling price either... But then, is the value of the Mona Lisa calculated in terms of a little canvas and some oil paint?
Happy New year to all... -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Gregory Brown Sent: December 31, 2002 6:05 PM To: dx4win@mailman.qth.net Subject: RE: [Dx4win] ICOM 765 ! Lou, I don't have any experience with the interface you are considering, but I did have (apparently) the same problem with my CT-17 and faced the same quandry. My choice was to assume that the MAX232 chip in the CT-17 was fried (the IC is about the most "fragile" component in there) and decided to try replacing it. Using de-soldering braid and a 15 watt iron, it is quite easy to remove the old chip. Since I didn't want to risk heat damage to the new the new chip, I installed a chip socket instead, then simply plugged in the new chip. The CT-17 now works like a charm, and the job was much easier than I thought it would be. The replacement for the MAX232CPE chip cost $2.19, and the 16 pin solder-tail sockets sell for 10 cents each (but you have to by 10!) The real eye opener was when I priced all the components in the CT-17, and the total came out around 10 bucks! But then you wouldn't have that nice ICOM stencil on the box! Replacing the chip isn't like building your own interface, but it sure was easy and satisfying. Got my parts from Jameco Electronics. They do have a web-presence and a very nice catalog. Good luck! Greg KT0K _______________________________________________ Dx4win mailing list Dx4win@mailman.qth.net http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/dx4win
