[Elecraft] Interesting Conversation about FT-5000 vs K3

[vr2xmc]

Hi Ron,

Correct , in the case of Icom, marine gears and commercial radios are far more profitable.  From the reading of the annual report 2009 of Icom posted in www.Icom.jp.co , ham gears only contributed 10% of their business. 

Like other export manufacturers in japan , they were hard hit by strong JPY. 

While I was in Osaka last month, I did voice my concern about profitability and survival in front of them.

Johnny VR2Xmc


Sent from my  iPhone 4

"Ron D'Eau Claire" <ron at cobi.biz> 於 2010年12月2日 上午7:22 寫道：

> I suspect Icom's focus and main income is marine and aircraft gear -
> especially the huge GMDSS marine market. The operational requirements for
> GMDSS gear is similar to Ham needs - SSB across the HF bands and FM in VHF -
> so I suspect they'll continue to build "ham gear" as long as there's a
> profit there. But there's nothing like the HUGE market for virtually
> identical (and so easy to manufacture and support) GMDSS rigs. 
> 
> That might also suggest why ICOM has not been real fast to address CW keying
> issues when they do occur - they relate only to the Amateur market. 
> 
> E.F Johnson went the same way, moving out of the Ham market an into the
> (then very lucrative) land mobile market in the 70's and 80's. When land
> mobile went to VHF trunking systems - something with no direct application
> to the Ham market - Johnson simply stopped making Ham gear. 
> 
> Ron AC7AC
> 
> P.S. In this world of tag lines let me offer, ""Once you've stood a busy
> watch or two the code is yours for keeps. After that it's simply a language
> that you know, that you can't forget if you tried. By Jingo, you'll think in
> dots and dashes for the rest of your life." Raddall, 'The Nymph and the
> Lamp'
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> 
> Even with the release of the TS-590, Kenwood's
> interest in the serious high-end of HF gear has been in some doubt for a
> long time.  That leaves only Icom who appears serious enough to be
> around a decade hence as a full line manufacturer.
> 
> 
> 73, de Nate >>
> 
> -- 
> 
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