[TowerTalk] AES SK

[Ward Silver]

> and the fact that someone was excited about ham radio and field day is a
>*great*  thing.

Amen.

> Bring on the Baofengs... Some will wind up in the junk drawer, but some
> others will wind up doing cool stuff with more sophisticated radios.

This is exactly the same conversation that went on in the 1970s and 1980s complaining about the companies now dominating ham radio transceiver sales - Icom, Kenwood, and Yaesu.  We seem to have survived.

> The big three probably do not survive on ham radio sales: land mobile,
> marine, etc. has got to be a bigger part of their business, and they're
> sold through a different channel.

Exactly.  And the same is true Baofeng/Wouxon/etc. They have taken a radio designed for the Land Mobile Radio (Part 90) market and are reselling it (for better or worse) in the amateur market.

Icom seems to be responding to the challenge with redesigned HTs that capitalize on quality, easy programming, better usability, cleaner signals, etc.  They are making a good case for the owner of a cheap entry-level radio to move up to a better product.  Good for Icom!  Yaesu and Kenwood are probably responding similarly.

Grab these guys and gals and tutor them, get them on the air, and build on the excitement.  Don't crap all over them because of their radio!  Geez...

73, Ward N0AX