In message , Gareth's Downstairs Computer
writes
With the move to SDR TX and RX, and the basis on ICs only
a little more complex than a pocket calculator on sale at your
local petrol / gas station, is the time ripe for an all singing
swinging dancing rig for as little as £50 / $100, especially
with the price reductions coming from mass production of ICs?

Just how long can Icoyaeskenalinco and their emporia stay in
business by trying to sell rigs for 1000s of £ and $ when
those in the technical know are aware of the true price of
the components?



It's because the hardware development costs including any ASIC foundry
runs and FPGA firmware code design have to be amortised over what are
relatively low volume sales. The manufacturers have to recover these
costs over the first 1000 models until demand drops off as the next
model comes along, and then they can drop the price to squeeze more out
of the market. It's not a technical problem

Mobile phones etc, can be literally given away because of the enormous
sales.

The Chinese seem to have got it right with their cheap hand-helds but
the chip-sets have other non-amateur applications.

I spent a lifetime working in an industry with low volume sales and it's
not the cost of the components that's the problem.

Brian

--
Brian Howie