Why Holding Onto Aging ACUs Is Riskier Than You Think

by | Mar 12, 2025 | ACUs , Satcom

 

If you're still relying on aging Vertex 7200 Antenna Control Units (ACUs), you're playing a risky game. These once-cutting-edge systems have been workhorses for decades, but their time is running out—leaving businesses in a precarious position.

Support ended a long time ago (2018!). Replacement parts are harder to find. Reliability is dropping.

Yet, many organizations are hesitant to upgrade, fearing costly infrastructure changes, extended downtime, and steep learning curves for their teams.

That’s exactly why we created our latest guide, A Practical Upgrade for Aging Antenna Control Systems. It walks you through the unseen dangers of holding onto outdated ACUs and the practical steps you can take to upgrade seamlessly.

The Hidden Risks of Aging ACUs

The Vertex 7200 was a leader in its day, but the industry has moved forward. While it may still work, the risks of maintaining an aging ACU are stacking up:

  • No Manufacturer Support: The 7200 was discontinued in 2018, meaning no updates, no new parts, and no technical support.

  • Increased Failures: Electronics degrade over time. Even well-maintained units are more prone to breakdowns.

  • Compatibility Issues: Legacy ACUs struggle to integrate with modern tracking and remote monitoring technologies.

  • Higher Costs: As failures increase, repair and maintenance expenses escalate—often exceeding the cost of an upgrade.

What You'll Learn in Our Guide

Our guide dives deep into why holding onto outdated ACUs is a risk you can’t afford—and how a drop-in replacement like the RL8200L can eliminate these risks without requiring a full system overhaul.

acu aging systems_digitalInside, you'll discover:

  • Why aging ACUs introduce hidden operational costs and reliability concerns
  • How compatibility challenges impact efficiency and tracking accuracy
  • The true cost of waiting too long to upgrade
  • What makes the RL8200L ACU a seamless, cost-effective alternative
  • How to future-proof your antenna control system with modern features like remote access and predictive tracking

If you're facing the decision to repair or replace your aging ACU, this guide is your roadmap to making the right choice—before unexpected failures force your hand.

Get Your Copy Today

Don't wait until your ACU fails at a critical moment. Download our guide and take control of your antenna system’s future. By making an informed decision today, you can avoid costly downtime, unreliable performance, and last-minute scrambles for a replacement.

Ready to future-proof your operations? Let’s make it happen.

Download our guide!

Blog

See Our Latest Blog Posts

Radeus Labs at SciTech 2026: Supporting Space and Satcom Systems

AIAA SciTech Forum 2026 is shaping up to be an incredible gathering for aerospace research and development engineers, scientists, and technical leaders. The event runs January 12–16 in Orlando, Florida, and is the world’s largest aerospace R&D forum, uniting thousands of professionals from around the globe to explore innovations across aerospace disciplines. 

This year’s theme, “Breaking Barriers Together: Boundless Discovery,” reflects aerospace’s growing complexity and the collaborative effort it takes to advance science, systems, and technologies across domains. Participants can expect a mix of technical sessions, featured talks, awards recognition, and opportunities to engage with peers on the practical challenges shaping the field.


I/ITSEC 2025: The Trends in Simulation Worth Paying Attention To

itsec 2025-radeus team-ck tan leading technolgy

After a year of AI dominated headlines, I/ITSEC 2025 brought the conversation back to infrastructure. This show was about systems, sustainability, and the real engineering work that keeps training and simulation programs running

And for Radeus Labs, this year felt different; busier, more technical, and packed with the right people in the right conversations.

Here’s what stood out.

MTBF: What It Actually Means and How to Use It Correctly

You're evaluating GPU computing platforms for a mission-critical deployment. Vendor A quotes an MTBF of 100,000 hours. Vendor B claims 150,000 hours. The choice seems obvious: go with Vendor B for 50% better reliability, right?

Not so fast.

If you're making hardware decisions based on MTBF comparisons alone, you're likely making decisions based on incomplete, or worse, misunderstood, information. Mean Time Between Failures remains one of the most widely cited yet most profoundly misunderstood metrics in reliability engineering. And for defense, aerospace, and mission-critical computing environments where failure isn't just inconvenient but potentially catastrophic, this misunderstanding carries real consequences.

Let's set the record straight on what MTBF actually tells you, what it doesn't, and how to use it properly alongside other reliability tools.