Of course.  We're so used to almost perfectly working electronic components 
that rarely, if ever, fail.  In the days of discrete components, things 
failed all the time, usually stuff like capacitors (which, incidentally, are 
still the weakest link in any electronic device), or resistors which had 
this nasty habit of changing value.  And don't forget good old tubes, which 
had to be replaced on a regular basis.  Listen to some of the guys on AM, 
and you'll know all about component failure.

Steve

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Gammon" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2013 15:16
Subject: Re: New Vgs-1 chip installed and working


> Hi Steve, right you are, but it's pretty disconcerting when it happens. 
> 73,
> Jim WA6EKS
>
>
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Steve Dresser
> Sent: Friday, January 04, 2013 12:05 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: New Vgs-1 chip installed and working
>
> Jim,
>
> Maybe some stray voltage hit the chip and destroyed it, or maybe it was 
> just
> defective and failed for some other unexplained reason.  We're not used to
> seeing component failure much these days, but it certainly can still 
> happen,
> as you discovered.
>
> Steve
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jim Gammon" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, January 04, 2013 14:54
> Subject: Re: New Vgs-1 chip installed and working
>
>
>> Hi Darren, I called Kenwood this morning and got ahold of Leo who
>> does amateur tech support.  He had no idea why the original chip
>> quit after working fine for over two years, and wasn't interested
>> in checking out the old chip to see what might have happened to
>> it.  I'm just relieved that the chip fixed the problem and that I
>> didn't have to send the rig in for a check up.  At $75 per hour,
>> that could get very eenxpensive in a hurry.  Jim WA6EKS
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: KK4AHX Darren Duff <[log in to unmask]
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Date sent: Fri, 4 Jan 2013 13:30:44 -0500
>> Subject: Re: New Vgs-1 chip installed and working
>>
>> Hi.
>>
>> Great to hear you got your rig up and talking again.  I would
>> like to know
>> what the folks over at kenwood tell you.  I am really enjoying my
>> tmv71a as
>> well.
>>
>>
>>
>> 73.
>> Darren Duff.
>> amateur radio station KK4AHX.
>>
>> Vice President,
>> Cherokee Amateur Radio Society.
>> http://www.cherokeehams.com
>>
>> Cherokee County ARES.
>> http://www.cherokee-ares.org
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: For blind ham radio operators
>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>> On Behalf Of Jim Gammon
>> Sent: Friday, January 04, 2013 12:38 PM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: New Vgs-1 chip installed and working
>>
>> Hi list, just wanted to give you a foblow up about the Vgs-1
>> chip.  I got a
>> new one from HRO yesterday, installed it and the rig started
>> talking again.
>> Now I think I will take the old chip, dip it some salsa and eat
>> it.  No, on
>> second thought if I did that, I may stop talking just like it
>> did! Sorry to
>> Bob who I sent a similar message to last night thinking it would
>> go to the
>> list.  I plan to call Kenwood and ask them there thoughts about
>> why a chip
>> would just quit after working fine for more than two years.  Jim
>> WA6EKS
>>
>