[ICOM] IC970H vs TS2000

[JS]

Hi Adam,

Thanks for your words.  Perhaps, I may bring out the fact that there are 
quite a number of hams using transverters together with their excellent HF 
rigs.  I do use transverters from Elecraft together with my pro3.  While I 
do not have the chance to compare such a set up with an IC970H, the specturm 
scope, IF manual notch, DSP of pro3 enable me to catch the activities in VHF 
region easily and readily.  It is a very interesting experience.

73

Johnny Siu VR2XMC

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Adam Farson" <farson at shaw.ca>
To: "'ICOM Reflector'" <icom at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, April 29, 2005 1:35 PM
Subject: RE: [ICOM] IC970H vs TS2000


> Hi Johnny,
>
> Here is a thought for you.
>
> To address the question as to why the radio manufacturers are placing far
> more emphasis on HF and HF/6m rigs than on VHF/UHF all-mode radios:
>
> 1. Many amateur HF transceivers find their way into non-amateur
> applications. This seems to be especially true of Icom. The same cannot be
> said for V/U all-mode rigs.
>
> 2. The HF amateur bands are pretty safe due to international allocations 
> by
> the ITU. Due to the long-haul nature of HF communications, one particular
> country could not guarantee that all amateur traffic from beyond its 
> borders
> would vacate an HF band which it attempted to reallocate unilaterally to
> another service. As we know, radio propagation is no respecter of borders.
>
> 3. By contrast, the VHF and UHF bands (2m and above) are not as well
> protected (except for the internationally-allocated Amateur-Satellite
> sub-bands). The relatively short-range, line-of-sight propagation of VHF 
> and
> UHF signals (discounting anoprop)  lends itself to national and regional,
> rather than international frequency management. Thus, the radio
> manufacturers will always perceive a threat to amateur bands above 54 MHz,
> whether one actually exists or not at any given time. Such perceptions are 
> a
> powerful dissuasive factor in product-planning decisions. (220 MHz is a
> prime example of this thinking.)
>
> 4. Demand is also a factor; the vast majority of amateur 2m and 70cm
> operators seem content to stick with FM/repeater operation, via a small
> handheld or mobile radio. There may not be a sufficient number of VHF/UHF
> weak-signal ops to justify a bold new R&D initiative such as an IC-970A/H
> replacement.
>
> 6m is probably not under severe threat from other services, as the demise 
> of
> Band 1 TV has released the 50-54 MHz block in much of the world.
>
> Cheers for now, 73,
> Adam VA7OJ/AB4OJ