On 2/25/2012 1:04 PM, Oliver Dröse wrote: > But what do monitors/displays have to do with amateur radios/transceivers?
The key here is that products that are high volume items that can be sold to a very large market are CHEAP because they are built and sold in very high quantities. This means that design, manufacturing, sales, and support costs can be spread over hundreds of thousands of pieces rather than the 5,000 or so that is typical of a popular ham radio rig. It is also true that mass market products are sold with very low mark-ups over their cost. For these reasons alone, it is pointless for Elecraft to manufacture or market anything in product categories for which high quality products can be bought in the mass market. This includes products like microphones, headsets, computer monitors, and so on. We can buy CM500 headsets for $40-$50 -- Elecraft would have to add $20 or so to that cost to sell it to us, and they still wouldn't be making money on it. It also does not make sense for Elecraft to build products in categories that are well covered by other high quality manufacturers. One big reason that there IS a KPA500 is that Alpha does not sell a 500W amp. Another is most other 500W amps aren't great. And Elecraft is building the KAT500 because other options in that product category either aren't so great or that the KAT500 can provide much better integration with the KPA500. 73, Jim K9YC ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
