[Kenwood] TS2K 220 Module

[Gary]

I can say because I already helped carry a similar fight right up to the top of Kenwood some years ago.
In my message I clearly stated "mass 220Mhz market" not that the U.S. is the only 220Mhz market and my information is backed by kenwood's own sales data from 2000. They saw then and I believe they see now insufficient market to justify further 220 development. When the F6A was introduced Sky Command wasn't even legal in the
U.S. and they're not going to go through the enormous expense of redesigning the hardware or firmware for a select few and have to deal with the current owner's whining about wanting to "upgrade".
I too use 220Mhz and would love to see more gear offered just as I use 33cm and would love to see more gear offered for that too, oh, wait, there are no 33cm amateur transceivers that's why we improvise, adapt, and overcome with surplus commercial gear. Must be that inventive nature in us amateurs. Anyway, good luck. Kenwood
cancelled the TM-331A/E so they clearly up to something.
Gary

Scott Manthe wrote:

> 1.25 meters is an IARU region 2 allocation, meaning the the US, Canada
> and South America, as well as a good deal of the Caribbean can use the
> 222 mHz band. It is a mistake that to say that 220 is a US only
> allocation and quite a few hams make it when discussing the 222 mHz
> band. Whether or not the number of hams in these areas justify marketing
> a 220 module for the TS-2000, I can't say. I can say that the TH-F6A is
> a pretty popular little rig and if Kenwood put 220 in the TS-2000 and
> made the TH-F6A Sky Command capable, there would've been no
> "controversy" over it's use and Kenwood would saved themselves a few
> headaches.
>
> One could argue the lack of state of the art equipment for 220 is
> causing the decrease in activity you mention. The other factor is that
> most of the no-code techs that  flooded the VHF/UHF bands a little over
> a decade ago have bailed on the hobby. This in combination with lowered
> HF operating requirements make VHF/UHF activity much less enticing.
>
> 73,
> Scott, N9AA
>