FedEx says it should be to me on Friday...I wish my email said what caused the problem but perhaps there will be a work order included in the box...I will report back here as soon as I know more...thanks gonk and everyone for the support and THANKS Outlaws!
Bill

It arrived Friday evening...brand new exterior box...got it home and started hook up...the unit looks brand new...got to hear it "fire up" (this time no smoke )...then guests came over...I will give it a proper listen later but so far so good...NO CHARGE...under warranty, but no explanation as to what went wrong or what was fixed...I will report back on that after I hear from the Outlaws...thanks again ALL!
Bill

Glad to hear that the 7100 is home again and running smoothly.

Alright...I heard from Steve today...it seems that the tech "found two blown fuses and a bad output transistor. In his opinion it was not a short circuit at the speaker terminals (as was thought) but simply a transistor that failed, taking the fuses along with it. Most dead channels are a result of accidental shorts, unfortunately failures like what you've experienced are rare but can happen. Your amp was put through the same battery of tests that a
new amp goes through after it was serviced to ensure that it meets spec for distortion, linearity, and bandwidth. Please let us know if you have any additional questions or concerns."

I received excellent follow up to my questions, quick and thoughtful trouble shooting (hoping to avoid me sending the unit in for repair) and a quick turnaround of my amplifier. I am very happy with my treatment and hope none of you have to meet the Outlaws in this manner but if you do, I am confident your treatment would be the same.
Thanks,
Bill