"Roy Lewallen" wrote in message
...
I think that's wildly optimistic. First, many, many licensed amateurs
aren't active and don't own a rig at all. Another very large fraction buy
only VHF/UHF gear. And, I don't know whether your figure of 700k hams with
U.S. licenses includes the large number who are residents of other
countries and also have licenses in those countries. Many of the foreign
hams I hear from give a U.S. callsign along with their native one.

I think the only reason we get the radios we do is that the manufacturers
can combine the design with equipment for other markets, such as public
safety for HTs. I've read that the lack of 220 MHz HTs is because of the
absence of a nearby public service band, so the manufacturers can't use
the same design for both services. I find that believable. I don't know
how important additional markets are to HF equipment development, or what
they would be these days. My guess is that the manufacturers don't make an
awful lot on their HF equipment lines.

In any case, the total market, particularly for HF gear, is surely much
less than this estimate.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL



Actually I agree. I was thinking of cutting that in half due to inactive
hams and got in a rush and forgot to do that.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE