On Jul 8, 2009, at 1:55 PM, k7ve wrote: > Do you (the reader) want to be part of the solution and future or > grumble and keep the hobby stagnant and on a path to death?
I guess in your eyes, those of us who can't or choose not to afford Icom's grossly inflated D-Star products will be the death of the hobby and hence aren't good hams, eh? No sir, it's the snobbery of big buck equipment owners such as that you expressed which will kill the hobby. Let me be perfectly clear that I am NOT addressing all those here who have chosen to spend the bucks for D-Star--only those who denigrate those who don't. > D-STAR is not expensive. The facts contradict you. I'm an all-Icom owner, IC-718, IC-208H, IC- T7H, and now IC-91AD, but have to admit, Yaesu is the better bang for the buck, even compared to Icom's analog products. If Icom really cares for D-Star, THEY will quit holding it back by grossly overpricing it compared to their own analog products, much less others. You have bashed Yaesu and Kenwood but they're still selling new analog radios (as is Icom), and their affordability is doing far more to get new hams on the air than the overpriced whiz-bang technology of D-Star. FT-60R $189.95 Dual-band, single-watch HT http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/0060.html VX-6R $229.95 Tri-band, single-watch HT http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/0666.html VX-7R Tri-band, dual-watch HT $287.95 http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/0777.html IC-91A Dual-band, dual-watch HT $294.95 http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/0091.html IC-91AD Dual-band, dual-watch, D-Star HT $369.98 http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/0091.html IC-80AD New dual-band, dual-watch, D-Star HT $449.95 http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/5180.html IC-92AD Dual-band, dual-watch, D-Start HT $539.95 http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/5092.html Single watch mobile (Icom to Icom): Icom IC-208H $299.95 - $20 rebate http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/fm_txvrs/0208.html Icom ID-880H $499.95 http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/fm_txvrs/0880.html Dual watch mobile/: Yaesu FT-8900 $409.95 http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/fm_txvrs/0890.html Icom IC-2820 with UT-123 $519.95 + $259.95 = $779.85 http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/fm_txvrs/2820.html http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/fm_txvrs/2820dprs.html No sir, as long as Icom has apologists such as yourself rationalizing their high prices, they'll never come down to earth and become mainstream. > Amateurs will eventually migrate to digital for VHF/UHF repeaters. Maybe, but that's far from being the case now. It's your dream. > I imagine that at some point, not soon, the ratio of digital VHF/UHF > operations to analog FM will be similar to the ratio of SSB to AM > transmissions on HF. Imagine/dream all you want, but the ratios are currently the opposite of your imagination--and will be so for a very long time, since sales of new radios, which is the only thing that will change the ratios, are still strongly on the analog side. > Alinco - possibilities here for D-STAR radios. A dream, not reality. It's as equally likely the Hyundai/Kia of VHF/ UHF will establish their own low-priced digital mode that will become more popular than D-Star. > There are non-Icom D-STAR components coming out shortly. More to dream about..a glimmer of hope. Sir, while in your eyes, you may be promoting D-Star, your rant (the one you keep quoting yourself in follow-up messages) is probably doing it more harm than good. -- 73 de Moe
