"Mark S. Holden" wrote in message
...
wrote:
Mark S. Holden wrote:
Michael Lawson wrote:
snip
b) The R8B is it. There is currently nothing in the works
for a replacement, like an R9.
I'm sorry to hear this.
I'd love to try a Drake with a DSP based IF.
Well, they may not presently have a plan for an R9, but that
doesn't
mean it'll never happen. My guess is that sales of the R8B are
still
plenty strong. If R8B sales begin to taper off, this might
generate
enthusiasm for a successor.
Steve
I wonder what "strong sales" are for something like an R8b these
days.
If I were to hazard a guess, it's probably nothing like the
"strong sales" for a Sat 800, some of the Degens and
some of the Sonys. Due to the saturation point, I'd bet
that the strongest sales in the SW business is for the
Grundig 200, the hand crank one. You can find those
everywhere, and people would buy them mainly for the
interest in having an emergency radio, not the SW bands.
This isn't to speak ill of the R8B, but just a recognition that
the market for DXers and harder core broadcast SWLers
is what the R8B is designed for, not the regular SWLers
or casual listeners. A radio like a Sat 800, a SW2 or SW8,
or one of the newer Etons or Degens would be more than
enough for the average listener.
I also wonder what R&D costs would be for a suitable replacement.
Probably pretty steep. If Drake were to stay with SW
long term, they'd probably do design work and sell
it to another company, so that they don't have to give up
the plant space to a new radio.
Ten-tec is the only US company I can think of that's
brought out new models in the last 5 years or so. I imagine
they're spreading some r&d costs across shortwave and
ham product lines.
Ten-tec is also in the professional category as well, which
is essentially radios for things like embassies and whatnot.
I'm sure that they've gotten their money back on the
development costs on their professional offering a long
time ago.
On the bright side, I think products like the Sat 800, and
lower cost chinese portables will help expand the market
for higher end radios.
For a while, the portables helped to drive changes in the
tabletops. The sync, for example, swept through the
tabletop area after the Sony 2010 proved it's effectiveness.
Now, maybe the tabletops will drive the development of
the portables, with the Sat 800 being a smaller cousin of
the R8B and the new Eton E1 being a similar descendent.
It wouldn't surprise me if someone contracted out to
Japan Radio, for instance, to build the circuitry for a
portatop or large portable with DSP filtering, with the
requirement that it be "smart" filtering with a minimum
of human intervention.
--Mike L.