On 24/02/15 12:47, gareth wrote:

What is the point of digital voice when there are already AM, SSB
and FM for those who want to appear indistinguishable from CBers?

Technical developments of new encoding techniques that reduce required
bandwidth, just as SSB improved over AM. You can get CODEC2 down to
way less than an SSB signal quite easily.

Technical developments of new encoding techniques that decrease the
S/N margin needed for successful communications.

Ability to send voice and data at the same time, over the same
channel.

Perhaps it is cynicism from the manufacturers who introduce such things
as they see their traditional highly-priced corner of the market
being wiped away by SDR technologies?

Undoubtedly some are introducing digital technologies in an attempt to
increase market share (hence them not all being compatible with each
other), but there are many other reasons.

A lot of the next generation HF rigs will have some kind of SDR onboard
anyway (even if they have nice butons and knobs to use that we are all
used to)

Not everyone is going to want to get their hands dirty and code their
own transceiver, or even hook up PA's PTT Changeover relays, preamps
etc, so it's not as if the big manufacturers are going to be wiped
out by SDR. There will still be a market for "black boxes"


73s

Iain