Kevin Purcell writes...
> The question for a company like TenTec is "where is their added-value".
> I would think most of their added-value is in their hardware design
> rather than in their software design (though as the latter is
> proprietary it's more difficult to see if they're using novel
> techniques and then protecting them as trade secrets in not revealing
> the hardware).
Don't forget the system integration. To use an SDR, you have to build
a pretty decent computer. To use an SDR in a contest, you have to
bring the computer along. The computer is a power hog, so running that
contest rig on battery power, such as at Field Day, will consume
batteries faster. Much of that power consumption is serving computer
capabilities that may or may not be used. Granted, it is also true
that a logging computer also pulls down power, though logging can
usually be done on a pretty modest laptop.
As an engineer, I spend my days thinking about applications,
requirements, and designs that fulfil those requirements. There are
many applications where an integrated box such as the Orion, with or
without proprietary software, will filfill requirements better than an
SDR that requires integration with a general-purpose computer and OS.
I suspect that's why FlexRadio is providing a one-box option with the
5000, though for a price even higher than the Orion, and with software
maintenance requirements outside the manufacturer's control. The fact
that the software is open-source may or may not be pertinent to the
requirements of a given user.
In my industry (traffic signals), we've had a decades-long competition
between high-service traffic controller manufacturers who build
proprietary hardware with proprietary embedded software, and
open-architecture signal controllers with third-party software. I'm
seeing all the same discussions here that I've seen in the traffic
signal world for all those years. Yet both approaches are still
relevant in the market, and both have strong followings. The reason is
that both meet the requirements relevant to their users. It's the
users who differ.
Of course, I have an Omni V with third-party software from N4PY...
It's still early in the development cycle of ham radios with
significant core capabilities derived, at least in part, from
software. These things will shake out as time goes on. Until then,
viva l'difference.
73,
Rick, KR9D
---
Richard W. Denney, Jr. PE|Iteris, Inc. |
Associate Vice President |107 Carpenter Dr. Ste 230 | 703.925.3819
rwd@iteris.com |Sterling, VA 20164 |Fax 703.471.1757
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