[Icom] The Signal One/ICOM saga

[Matt Erickson]

Hi All,
Most of you know that Signal One radio company is bankrupt and closed. Part 
of the reason, is that they lost their main contract with the US 
Military/Government, which quickly run them into bankruptcy.

I know of several hams who have "lost" their IC-781's and $6000 cash.

Signal One would buy 781's (while they were still in production), and later 
the PRO series, and "re-package" them into a "military" enclosure, with a 
computer CPU & HDD, and larger display. The PRO version sold for about 
$14,500.00 when this was all done.

They sold these units to the US military, government, and ham radio 
operators. The new specification for "Mil spec" radios require   a level of 
technology which is in the "next generation" in ICOM HF radio technology, 
that will soon be found in the "785" project.
Signal One required the new technology to meet the new specs, but ICOM does 
not wish for this new radio technology to be repackaged and sold by a third 
party with out a licensing agreement and contract. With Signal One & ICOM 
unwilling to "share" this market, Signal One lost. ICOM wants to market and 
reap the profits from this radio themselves, and who can blame them, they 
have no real obligation to Signal One to support their company with ICOM R 
& D subsidizing Signal One's business/marketing.
Also, Signal One required replacement parts that were proprietary, and ICOM 
would not sell the individual parts. They wanted access to ICOM's software 
source code, but ICOM is not about to let anyone have these codes, even 
ICOM factory authorized service centers do not have the codes (ask Cliff 
Holland of AVVid electronics).
Another nail in Signal One's coffin.

Signal One suffered from and extremely poor business model with no margin 
for error.

To those of you who own Signal One radios that are based on ICOM radios, 
don't try to get ICOM to repair of service them, they won't touch them now.

To those of you who "lost" an ICOM radio and allot of cash to Signal One, 
get a lawyer fast and file your claim in Arizona bankruptcy court soon.

Trying to shed a little light on the topic...

73 de Matt KK5DR