You could also contact Mark Koval (search in forums) and give him a call. He may be able to help although it would involve shipping the 861 again. Good luck, I think this upgrade is worth the effort.
You don't need to ship anything to get it upgraded.
If you don't have a local dealer that can help you, Take the heavy hint and try contacting some the active dealers on the forum.
It's really not as bad as everyone thought, including myself.
I'm sure Meridian doesn't want folks unplugging and bringing components in or shipping them.