Oh crap

A few weeks ago I came across this box of relays and fobs I bought during the pandemic when supply chain issues were making it difficult to get the fobs we use.

I almost threw them away.

After all, those days were behind us. Right?

Apparently I should know better than to tempt the supply chain gods.

Yesterday I got an email from our supplier saying the fobs we currently use are scheduled for obsolescence. I checked the manufacturer’s website and sure enough, they’re listed as “pending.”

No replacement listed. No newer model mentioned. Just pending.

My heart rate and blood pressure went up about as fast as their prices have.

I immediately ordered more inventory. And yes, the price had gone up again. At that point, what are you going to do?

So now we have a decision to make.

Do we start playing the availability game again and keep buying these fobs while we can?

Or do we get ahead of it and start working with the team that builds our circuit boards to move to a different fob and receiver chip?

I’m leaning pretty hard toward Door #2.

And that box in the picture?

It suddenly went from “junk I should throw away” to “I’m glad I kept that.”