Re: Bill Ress - N6GHz - Board Candidate - Operating Survey
At Dayton I ask the folks what there plan was and they said there was none. If it ain't right the horse lied. 73's << John
On Wed, Jul 23, 2008 at 1:45 AM, Edward Cole kl7uw@acsalaska.net wrote:
At 02:34 AM 7/22/2008, you wrote:
James, I wont be investing in 3 gig equipment. If I had plenty of money and lots of expertise all things would be possible. In the real world it just don't work that way. You are trying to sell Amateur Satellite service to the masses by offering them a chance to work something that they can't use or afford. The time and expense that is put into developing transponders that you can't buy a radio to work is not practical. Do you know that Yaesu has withdrawn from the satellite market?
Where have you gotten this news? The FT-847 is out of production but that does not mean they aren't working on new satellite rig.
73, Ed - KL7UW BP40iq, 6m - 3cm 144-EME: FT-847, mgf-1801, 4x-xp20, 185w http://www.kl7uw.com AK VHF-Up Group NA Rep. for DUBUS: dubususa@hotmail.com
At Dayton this year, as last, I asked about a replacement for the FT-847. Both times, I was told that some preliminary work had been done, but that it was on hold pending the launch of a HEO (or other) satellite which would generate sufficient demand for an updated rig. While the FT-847 was selling steadily, once the parts dried up it was judged not economic to put a new one on the market at the current demand. That answer is not inconsistent with the statement that there are no plans to bring one out now. I have found that with these sorts of questions, the answer depends on who you ask, how you ask, and whether you follow up.
Of course you can still buy a TS-2000 or an IC-910 new. And Flex Systems is closing in on bringing out their own integrated 2 m and 70 cm transverters which will make the Flex-5000 out of the box a full duplex satellite rig, with great flexibility for adding microwave bands. The TS-2000 has so much appeal outside the satellite community that it or something similar is safe for now. There are some rumblings of an updated IC-910 as well. So there are options still.
Alan WA4SCA
participants (2)
-
Alan P. Biddle -
John Price