On 30/11/15 12:50, Rambo wrote:


And when you can pick up a chinese dual band mobile radio for £65 the
writing is surely on the wall for the Japanese Companies.........


While the cheap Chinese radios are good value, their overall package of
performance, facilities, quality, etc. are still a long way from the
offerings of the established manufacturers in the field.

For a parallel, think about what happened with Lada, the old Skodas,
etc. They didn't put the makers of quality more expensive cars out of
business.

There is a place for the 'cheap and cheerful' Chinese radios, especially
the amazing cheap VHF/UHF handhelds as all but 'disposable' radios. But
even the better ones don't really compare overall to, say, an FT60. Even
those which set out to be apparent competitors (like the early Baofeng
vs the V?8*) were not that comparable in terms of quality and ergonomics.

(I can't recall if it was the VX8 or the VR8.)

Those with a long association with the hobby will recall the Navico
radios, which were claimed to be a cheap alternative to the various
Japanese mobiles. However, the number sold was pitiful. The quality was
good but the overall 'package' was, at best, disappointing- not least as
the manufacturer (who has a good history in marine kit) failed to
recognise what the market saw as key facilities. There are other
examples, including the various Garex radios.

In fact the Navico example is a good example of someone trying to break
into the amateur market but thinking they could offer the narrower range
of facilities which were applicable to their core business. They simply
offered what was, essentially, a PMR/Marine radio to a more demanding
customer who had better alternatives.