They know where the market is going and they want on the bandwagon SSB/Digital is the fastest growing modes.

It's just a business decision as all you know who have your own business's you lead, follow or go by the wayside. They make a good product and a US made one at that hope to see them around for a long time.

There is a lot coming to the ham market from RFSPACE. The software that is being developed in cooperation with Simon Brown will be the highest performance and most feature rich software out there. The performance of our new radios is better than everything out there. I have personally tested them all. There will also be internal downconverter options for the NetSDR to cover 6 meter and 2 meters. We are also getting ready to release an open source application called CuteSDR. It will be available for Mac OS, Linux and Windows.

N4IP

Watch for the RFSpace new "netSDR" DDC receiver to have a companion DUC transmitter module in early 2011.
http://www.rfspace.com/RFSPACE/NetSDR.html

That would be the first Commercial offering in the Ham price range of a new Generation-III SDR radio. It might be quite nice running with the SDR-CONSOLE software from Simon HB9DRV.

Watch for lots of interesting and NEW SDR technology in 2011 <g>

Happy New Year with good health and great DX for us all,
73 de Ken N9VV
http://www.n9vv.com

This is very welcome news. RFSPACE appears to have the expertise and business prowess to pull this off. The many promises and no delivery from other vendors in the SDR makes this news even more pleasing.

We all want to play with SDR transmitters and receivers, we need professional business people  to deliver this technology to the mass market. RFSPACE will do very well if its the first company to deliver a direct sampling receiver and  DUC. Lets hope they build in a world class PA with adaptive predistortion or deliver transmitter with excellent transmitter IMD. Its the area thats most lacking at the moment in all current amateur radio  transceiver products,  the poor transmitter IMD performance is wasting our achievement in receiver performance.

This is welcome news since ADAT seems to have largely abandoned its product and Flex radio is stuck in the past with its awkward PC based solution. I also hope that RFSPACE will also deliver in the future some DSP direction finding solution for its receivers. It would be great if a few hams had a single sight location DF systems, we could truly rid the bands of the idiots.

Zenki, could you comment on software ,the cost of writing software For manufactures?

I see more of a trend towards distribution of the hardware and software components that make up the overall system to the 'location' where they fit best and offer the most advantage.  I see no immediate need to stuff everything into one box simply for the sake of it (except perhaps for convenience for field or mobile use).  I would be unwilling to sacrifice the convenience and scope for expansion and change afforded by use of a desktop computer and its associated devices, all of which are an integral part of my shack anyway.  I have no interest in add-on LED displays when I have a high resolution display screen already; adding other items such as tuners and amps does not depend on any of the stated assumptions.  On what did you base these assumptions?

Watch for the RFSpace new "netSDR" DDC receiver to have a companion DUC transmitter module in early 2011.
http://www.rfspace.com/RFSPACE/NetSDR.html

That would be the first Commercial offering in the Ham price range of a new Generation-III SDR radio. It might be quite nice running with the SDR-CONSOLE software from Simon HB9DRV.

Watch for lots of interesting and NEW SDR technology in 2011 <g>

Happy New Year with good health and great DX for us all,
73 de Ken N9VV
http://www.n9vv.com

Give me a break.

The last thing the general public needs in an emergency is a bunch of overweight duffers in orange vests all yelling into a HT, "can you hear me now". From time to time some one with ham gear will perform a public service but for that matter our track record is no better than truckers with CB sets.

Hams cannot handle the large amount of digital traffic necessary in an emergency. We have poor interagency skills and for the most part are not available in large scale when the need arises. Ask any ARES responder their exact function with the city government and emergency services and they can't tell you.

One cell phone channel can handle more data than 100 repeaters. Fifty years ago ham equipment we a viable option but our traffic capacity has remained unchanged.

Technology has moved on.

After Hurricane Katrina left town the cell phone companies had 80% of the cell system back on line in New Orleans by the end of the eight day.


The only purpose Ham radio serves in an emergency is for human interest stories on the 5 O'clock news.

Without American radio or other related manufactures ,we may not have communication gear to support our nation in emergencies and attacks from belligerents, some think EMP will likely knock out most of our Ham gear and electric power in an attack, or attacks on Japan or elsewhere. I don't think we will get replacement  HAM gear or parts from overseas quickly ( DO YOU )? Is it time for American Ham manufactures to get research and development  grant money from our Government to help protect "WE The People". HAVE YOUR SAY

When our Gov, can give grant money to find out why pig's stink. Why not give  R&D funds to Ham manufactures, the Japanese do.