GeekOnTheWing
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 15, 2021
- Messages
- 355
- Reaction score
- 293
- Location
- Rural New York State
- Website
- flypart107.aero
I don't disagree with you on the potential for disaster, but an 83 year old Piper Cub represents a totally different era in business and manufacturing. My 96 year old grandmother has a 65 year old washing machine that she still repairs herself, and I have a 1968 Diesel Mercedes that I can usually fix with parts from the hardware store; think the same could be said about a 2020 Honda or a new washing machine from home depot? In this era of "Planned Obsolescence" even the simplest things contain PCB boards.
The circuitry isn't what usually fails. Arms, propellers, gimbals, and cameras are damaged in accidents; controllers are damaged when they are dropped; and of course, batteries fail when they can no longer hold a charge.
In the specific case of batteries, they're being used by electronics manufacturers of all kinds as a tool of intentional, planned obsolescence. There are only a handful of battery chemistry types, and there's no good reason why manufacturers can't standardize around a handful of form factors that can be used in similar applications. Then the cells -- the only parts of the device that we know for a fact are going to wear out -- could be easily replaced into the existing battery holders.
But they don't do that. Even within manufacturers' own lines, they intentionally use non-standard shapes and sizes of electrically-identical cells; and then embed them in holders that are designed to be difficult to open up without destroying them. They may even glue the batteries into the device or embed logic in them just to make sure that nobody can economically replace them.
That's bad enough in the case of a something like a phone or a media player. But it's potential manslaughter in the case of an aircraft.
I'm a libertarian and not fond of legislation. But I support "right-to-repair" laws that would require that batteries be standardized and replaceable; and that all parts to a device either be made available by the manufacturer, or their technical specifications published to allow for aftermarket replacements if the manufacturer decides to stop providing them.