[ICOM] ham radio industry

[Alan Leith]

I certainly didn't intend to sound cavalier or unkind in my comments.  What
I thought I was saying is that the situation in Japan, as it was in Haiti,
Chile and more recently New Zealand, is out of reach for the majority of
us.  Yes, as hams, we sometimes think of how our hobby will be affected,
but I'm certain that most of us also have some degree of empathy for the
victim's of these natural disasters, even if we won't ever face anything
like them (we hope).  

I have a friend in northern Japan and have heard nothing since the quake
struck.  I am quite worried, needless to say.  I also wish for a happy
ending to this tragedy even if I feel that's not at all likely, considering
the mounting death toll, the radiation threat and the massive damage.

I've lived with my IC-761 for a quarter of a century and I'll live with it
for a while yet.


73

Al, VE1AL


 

-----Original Message-----
From: icom-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:icom-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On
Behalf Of K8RI
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 10:42 PM
To: icom at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [ICOM] ham radio industry

On 3/16/2011 7:23 PM, Alan Leith wrote:
> Thanks, Adam.  I knew you'd come through.  I think there may be some 
> interruptions in the supply line of ham radio gear but I think also 
> that won't have much of an effect on us.

In addition to those directly affected in this tragedy, there will be a lot
of secondary effects within their own industries and world wide.  
There are (according to the news) major power grid outages, transportation
problems and little, if any, of the country that has not been affected in
some way.

  Try and think of a US industry that will not be affected.  This is the
major failing of the "just in time" delivery process throughout industry.
Add to that the Yen reached an all time high compared to the 
USD today.   Look at the stock market...world wide.  It's not the price 
of gas that has caused the market to lose all the points recovered since
2008 and we are in better shape than much of the world.

Japan has the world's third largest economy and they have the largest debt
load. They own a lot of our debt/bonds. I think they are going to need
some, or a lot of that to use and probably soon.

(No one) We...and they...do not know how this is going to play out over the
next few weeks and months, or even years, or how it will come to a
conclusion.

Unlike Alan, I would expect this to impact the entire electronics industry
as well as many others in the US from both availability and price, likely
for some time to come.

I wish them all the best,

73

Roger (K8RI)



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