Jim Adney wrote:
. . .
So I still don't think it's too much to ask that the most important
data be printed out separately.
Obviously, I don't tend to think like the military....
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Jim Adney
Madison, WI 53711 USA
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While you've got a legitimate point, you've got to realize the function
of the part number. If you're a technician servicing a piece of military
gear, you replace a 20035942 *ONLY* with a 20035942, not *ANY* other
capacitor, regardless of its value. To order a replacement, you put in a
requisition for a 20035942. Now, it's vital to you that the capacitors
in the stock bin or coming in from the supply system have 20035942
printed on them, but it's not important that the value is. The
technician can find the value in the parts list in the manual and likely
on the schematic. The stark fact is that the military supply system
wasn't created and isn't maintained for the convenience of the ham who's
working on surplus gear.
You'll actually find this is true throughout the industry, with many
ICs, for example, having only the customer's part numbers on them. Go to
a flea market anywhere around here where I live, and you'll find lots of
components with only Tektronix part numbers on them. You'll also find
lots of folks locally who can tell you what they are, at least
generically. I'm sure the same thing is true for HP and Palo Alto,
Motorola and Phoenix, and so forth.
It's not that you don't think like the military -- it's just that when
they developed their stock system they didn't take into consideration
the inconvenience it would cause you, me, and other hobbyists.
Roy Lewallen, W7EL