RadioBanter - View Single Post - R-75 status?

July 10th 05, 03:38 PM

wrote:
This is probably nothing, but I noticed that Universal has deleted the
message that once used to be on its R-75 ad, stating that the R-75 is
discontinued. I then went to the Icom America website, and noticed that
the R-75 is there, even though I seem to recall its having been removed
at one point.

Is there more to this than I think?

Steve

That's a good question. And one that bears investigating.

In the last few years, a number of the major manufacturers of
desktops have exited, or threatened to exit, the market. At least in
North America. AOR withdrew 7030 and its variants from the US
market. Icom announced the discontinuation of R-75. Drake appears to
have left the building. Yeasu had announced that it had gigged the
Frog.

And yet, FRG-100B appears to be alive and well. AOR returned
7030+ to North America, and R-75's demise appears to be on hold.

It may be that with declining competition, some manufacturers are
rethinking their product life cycles. In the case of Icom, they're
still in production with a wide range of radio gear, some popular HF
ham gear included. With the appropriate economies of scale,
production of R-75 in a competition reduced market could remain
profitable.

Has anyone contacted Bellevue for a definitive position on R-75?