I would like to suggest that there may be broader implications. On any
given day, more than 80% of all activity on the HF bands is in the
digital modes and largely in FT8.
Look at RBN spot data that was collected (I assume) last year:
23-May
CW 4294 14%
RTTY 69 0.22%
FT8 26318 86%
Total 30681
24-May
CW 4370 13%
RTTY 46 0.14%
FT8 29298 87%
Total 33714
WSJTx and its derivatives have created a growing world-wide market for
small, simple and software-driven. One no longer needs a backyard, a
tribander and all the "accoutrements" that MFJ sells for global HF
communications.
Last week I worked BH7HQT on 20m FT8. You can see his apartment "station"
on QRZ - small, simple, software driven. The HF bands are now accessible
to apartment dwellers living in the largest of the world's population
centers.
73
John
NN1SS
On Fri, Apr 26, 2024 at 9:16 AM Mike Fatchett W0MU <w0mu@w0mu.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> This is good and bad for us. Their QC was always bad. I hope they find
> a buyer for Hygain, Cushcraft, Ameritron.
>
> I found his comments about covid odd. We sell on the internet and our
> sales were beyond amazing during covid. Everyone was home getting free
> money (cough) and buying up everything! It is too bad that they were
> not positions to take advantage of all the hams sitting at home.
>
> At 80, he deserves to spend the rest of his days with family. I wish
> him and the rest of the MFJ family the best.
>
> QST will now shrink to about 5 pages without their ads.
>
> It will be interesting to see what happens.
>
> Mike W0MU
>
>
> On 4/25/2024 8:58 PM, john@kk9a.com wrote:
> > Dear Fellow Hams and Friends,
> > April 25, 2024
> > Dear Fellow Hams and Friends,
> >
> > It is with a sad heart as I write this letter.
> >
> > As many of you have heard by now, MFJ is ceasing its on-site production
> in
> > Starkville, Mississippi on May 17, 2024. This is also the same for our
> > sister companies' Ameritron, Hygain, Cushcraft, Mirage and Vectronics.
> >
> > Times have changed since I started this business 52 years ago. Our
> product
> > line grew and grew and prospered. Covid changed everything in businesses
> > including ours. It was the hardest hit that we have ever had and we never
> > fully recovered.
> >
> > I turned 80 this year. I had never really considered retirement but
> > life is
> > so short and my time with my family is so precious.
> >
> > I want to thank all of our employees who have helped build this
> > company with
> > me over the years. We have many employees who have made MFJ their
> > career for
> > 10, 20, 30, 40 and more years.
> >
> > We are going to continue to sell MFJ products past May 17, 2024. We have
> a
> > lot of stock on hand. We will continue to offer repair service work for
> > out-of-warranty and in-warranty units for the foreseeable future.
> >
> > Finally, a special thanks to all of our customers and our dealers who
> have
> > made MFJ a worldwide name and a profitable business for so many years.
> You
> > all are so much appreciated.
> >
> > Sincerely Yours, 73s
> >
> > Martin F. Jue, K5FLU
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > TowerTalk mailing list
> > TowerTalk@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
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