Posted: 8/29/2012 6:46:42 AM EDT
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http://www.rigpix.com/yaesu/ftm400d.htm
Touch screen TX: FM/NFM/DV (C4FM FDMA, 9.6 Kbps) RX: AM/FM/NFM/DV (C4FM FDMA, 9.6 Kbps) GPS/APRS So long troubled 350. Last see how much influence they are going to have in the digital market interest. Going to go down like a Betamax vs VHS type war. 
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Quoted:
Why can't anyone make an all mode VHF/UHF rig anymore. I really miss 2m CW but I will not buy a "shack in a box" to get one. And transverters are absurdly expensive.  Because amateur radio operators are cheap, for the most part. Myself included. Everyone wants a DC->Daylight, all mode mobile, but don't wanna plunk down the $$$ for it. Kenwood had some REALLY good mobiles in the early-mid 90's, including all mode 2m rigs, and a rig with plugin band modules so you can choose your band. They weren't big sellers because they were $$$$ Now, the IC-7100 is being released, and I'll bet it's damn near 2k$... It's hard enough to get hams to dump $1200 on the IC-7000, I can only imagine the lackluster sales from the 7100 |
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Back.the day. Damn sound like my dad now lol.
Multimode meant just ssb and cw. Now every ham wants every option available. He wants to just push a button and have a new mode. Granted those new modes are just ssb with a twist. What gave us that twist is DSP. The highest budget item in a new radio is not the hardware itself. It's the firmware and development that goes into it. Tooling is cheap now. Assembly labor non existent due to automation. I would bet the the same machines that assemble the 7000 will assemble the 7100 with just a tooling and program change. Say you only want VHF/uhf leave off the hf part. You wouldn't be happy with the price as there wouldn't be a big enough difference in price to justify buying a VHF/UHF only rig. Icon tried it with the 910 with terrible results. Right now we are averaging a 2 year period between new model introductions. We need to be very thankful for that. Some of you newer hams don't realize how close we came to losing Kenwood. There was a slight sigh of relief when they announced a new high end rig this year. If this new rig doesn't hit the projected sales number they may drop the hf line. Eventually dropping the. VHF and UHF stuff as parts reach end of life cycles. Hams are only a small single digit percentage of the electronic communications market. Look how fast you cell phone or PC gets obsoletex compared to your ham rig. Ok off my soap box got to catch my breath. |
kenwood might get out of the amateur radio business but when they are 1 or only 2 approved radio makers for contracts like the Commonwealth of Va for P25 radios, they aint going anywhere for radio gear. there P25 radios will still cover the amateur bands on VHF/UHF but i dont know of many hams that will plop down the money for them.  plus, when you can use the same body and circuitry for two different markets it only makes since to continue to do it.
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Yaesu are idiots for launching another digital format that is incompatible with everything else already out there. It's based on TRBO but not compatible with it.
Can't wait to see how many RFI complaints roll in from a 50 watt TDMA pulsed transmitter. Quoted:
Why can't anyone make an all mode VHF/UHF rig anymore. I really miss 2m CW but I will not buy a "shack in a box" to get one. And transverters are absurdly expensive. Because it's difficult and expensive to make circuitry for linear modes like AM and SSB. If you want an all mode you're going to pay for it. |
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Quoted:
I think there is a market for an all mode VHF/UHF rig. Can't tell you the number of times I've asked hams if they have 2m SSB capability and have been told "No but wish I did".
Quoted:
Why can't anyone make an all mode VHF/UHF rig anymore. I really miss 2m CW but I will not buy a "shack in a box" to get one. And transverters are absurdly expensive. Because it's difficult and expensive to make circuitry for linear modes like AM and SSB. If you want an all mode you're going to pay for it. If someone would make a 2m/70cm rig with FM, SSB, and CW. 100 watts. Throw in dual receive and a nifty linked VFO for satellite ops. Of course it would have a TNC for packet and APRS. Crossband repeat for emcomm. No other bells, whistles, bling, and crap nobody uses. Do it at a price point of $500 and it would sell. Take the rig above and add 6m and it would be a great rig for the Tech once he gets bored with pinging repeaters with his HT. Oh and take that same rig, add an amp, and you open EME to a bunch of folks. I'd buy it. Then sell my beloved TS-2000 and get a better HF rig for DXing. I think the makers are missing the boat when they offer very fine HF+6m rigs and don't offer an upper end VHF/UHF rig to go along with it. |
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Hank I agree that it would be nice if they would build something like this. The last attempt at this was the Icom 910 and it failed miserably and the price point was above what the 706 was going for. Hams look at the price and say why buy a rig that only does 2 or 3 bands when I can have a daylight to dark rig. Till he ever experiences working sats or hearing his echo off the moon he is not going to be committed dollar wise to creating a dedicated station to do so. Yes he can work sats with a good dual band HT and a handheld Arrow beam. It's just not enough to light the fire and get the bug.
Manufacturers can't produce a dual or tripple band radio dollar wise that interest the average ham. It's for the dedicated guys. This is why I am making my station available to anyone to come check it out and operate. Let them do some openings even do some contesting if they want. HF thru 23cm Not a big gun station but enough power and good antennas to make it enjoyable not a frustration. Educate them what they need to have to start with based on what their desires are. I don't know of anyone that would recommend qrp and a piece of wire to a new guy. It were end up in the junk box. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I think there is a market for an all mode VHF/UHF rig. Can't tell you the number of times I've asked hams if they have 2m SSB capability and have been told "No but wish I did".
Quoted:
Why can't anyone make an all mode VHF/UHF rig anymore. I really miss 2m CW but I will not buy a "shack in a box" to get one. And transverters are absurdly expensive. Because it's difficult and expensive to make circuitry for linear modes like AM and SSB. If you want an all mode you're going to pay for it. If someone would make a 2m/70cm rig with FM, SSB, and CW. 100 watts. Throw in dual receive and a nifty linked VFO for satellite ops. Of course it would have a TNC for packet and APRS. Crossband repeat for emcomm. No other bells, whistles, bling, and crap nobody uses. Do it at a price point of $500 and it would sell. Take the rig above and add 6m and it would be a great rig for the Tech once he gets bored with pinging repeaters with his HT. Oh and take that same rig, add an amp, and you open EME to a bunch of folks. I'd buy it. Then sell my beloved TS-2000 and get a better HF rig for DXing. I think the makers are missing the boat when they offer very fine HF+6m rigs and don't offer an upper end VHF/UHF rig to go along with it. You're describing the Icom IC-910H, it was already on the market so you should have bought one. Used ones generally sell for $1200 or so, I keep looking for a bargain on one or hoping for a better option that might give me 222 also. I'm not holding my breath. $500 is pure fantasy for a VHF/UHF all mode. Can't even get a barebones HF radio in that price range. High grade components and circuitry designs for linear modes are not cheap. SDR might help someday, but would still need high power linear amplifier output stages. |
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Quoted:
The IC-910H came and went before I became a ham.
You're describing the Icom IC-910H, it was already on the market so you should have bought one. Used ones generally sell for $1200 or so, I keep looking for a bargain on one or hoping for a better option that might give me 222 also. I'm not holding my breath. $500 is pure fantasy for a VHF/UHF all mode. Can't even get a barebones HF radio in that price range. High grade components and circuitry designs for linear modes are not cheap. SDR might help someday, but would still need high power linear amplifier output stages. Even if $500 is fantasy, start going over $1000 and you start getting into the shack-in-a-box rigs. IC-7000 can be had today for $1300. TS-2000 for $1500. My TS2K will do everything on my list above except crossband repeat so that blows that price point out of the water. |
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Read the reviews on eham about the 910H before you buy one. 40w is all I would need to drive any amplifier I would want. I agree that it isn't the best rig out there. I guess the absolutely ideal situation would be to run an Elecraft K2 and which ever Elecraft transverters you would want. But damn, it would be easy to have 2 grand wrapped up in a VHF rig that way. Then the amp and yagis would be even more. |
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The first exposure I had to working satellites was a guy who had TWO FT-817s mounted on a piece of plywood hung around his neck with a chunk of rope. One for TX and the other for RX working FO-29. Even if he bought the rigs used he had a grand tied up in that setup. And it was purely for working sats.
Hank I agree that it would be nice if they would build something like this. The last attempt at this was the Icom 910 and it failed miserably and the price point was above what the 706 was going for. Hit a $1000 price point for an all mode 2m/70cm rig that would do what we've been discussing and it just might have a go. Granted it won't sell like sno-cones in an Arizona summer but it would fill that niche nicely. I still say add 6m and market it to the Techs as the next step up from kerchunking repeaters with your HT would be wise. The rest of us would figure it out and buy it as an addition to the HF rig. |
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It's getting that ham to be willing to spend $1000.
Almost every new Ham's first rig is an ht or single band mobile. Which is understandable. We don't stuff our mouth with food we have never tasted. It is up to us to Elmer and actually do the marketing for ham radio. If a recent ham saw a price tag of a grand on a rig like that, the first thing he ask is why do I need to spend that kind of money when I am happy listening to the Geretol net on the repeater. It is our obligation to expose them to more. |
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Can't agree more.
It's getting that ham to be willing to spend $1000. Almost every new Ham's first rig is an ht or single band mobile. Which is understandable. We don't stuff our mouth with food we have never tasted. It is up to us to Elmer and actually do the marketing for ham radio. If a recent ham saw a price tag of a grand on a rig like that, the first thing he ask is why do I need to spend that kind of money when I am happy listening to the Geretol net on the repeater. It is our obligation to expose them to more. I got bored with FM repeaters real quick. Didn't fit in with why I got in amateur radio, backup comms when the next hurricane shows up. As it was I ran into the local VHF weak signal bunch doing 2m simplex nets. Hmm this is interesting. Expanded into 6m and 2m SSB. Rest is history as they say. If I hadn't run into these guys working in the shadows of ham radio I wouldn't have a clue that this whole 'nother world existed. As it is a good number of my local club members is just in awe at PSK31. Many have never done any digi mode including RTTY. So whenever I get a chance I let people know that this other side exists. Mention that you hit RI from LA on JT65 for a distance of over 1300 miles on 6m and you get a few jaws dropped. Which was cool but not my distance record. Hit Trinidad and Tobago on 6m phone over 2350 miles away. No amp just the 100w coming from the TS2K. No preamp either. Do wish I could get the loop antenna out of the attic though. Have had a few ask for more info on VHF/UHF weak signal just using that short speil above. |
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It doesn't cover 70cm, but a Kenwood TR-751a (2m ssb) can be found on fleabay for $250 & up. I just picked one up that looks, and works, like new for $380 shipped, which is on the high side of most that I see for sale, but it is in great shape and I was ready to own one now.
I built a yagi from an old TV antenna ( http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Technology/tis/info/pdf/9611034.pdf ) that I hope to have up within the next few weeks. So for under $400, at least 2m SSB is doable. |
