An Open Letter to #HamRadio Manufacturers from Brian McDaniel (KC4LMD):
"For this generation of radio amateurs, FM repeaters have been the first (and maybe only) impression of on-the-air activity. Perhaps a few experiment with APRS, EchoLink or IRLP. Some may try Pico-Sats, but fundamentally, Ham Radio as a Technician is nothing more than GRMS with better repeater coverage.
Why haven’t companies like yours developed radios tailored for Technicians?
Why is it all FM when there are many more possibilities in the world above 50 MHz?
Where are the Dual-Mode radios, such as SSB/FM, on VHF and UHF?
Where are the sound card-ready interfaces? USB interfaces?
Why does it all look like Land Mobile Radio on Amateur Service frequencies?
Is there no imagination, innovation, or experimentation left in your Skunk Works?"
I wish there was more innovation as well. My first and primary thought is that they just don't think there is any money in it.
Disruptive technologies are finally hitting the amateur radio market after remaking other industries. The big three of today may very well be very different ten years from now, made up of nimbler companies willing to take a thinner profit and from harder working dealers offering value added services unafraid of having their work being copied because the shelf life is about as long as that of milk. It's already happening with DMR radio codeplugs...
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