Decades have brought us moon landing, mars landings,masers, lasers, lets,
fets, mosfets, computers, etc...

But the shape of radio equip. has remained virtually stagnant.

One "innovation" would be to just copy what the IBM clone has taught us.

Build a radio of "cards." Just like the computer, a standard case which you
can plugin various power supplies, frontend board "cards", intermediate
board "cards", buffer amp board "cards", IF board "cards", audio board
"cards", xmitter board "cards", final amp board "cards", etc.... I think
you get the pic

One radio case can/could virtually be any radio you can imagine.... new
design in a frontend? Plug in a new front end "card", new audio offering?
Plug in a new audio board "card."

Someone really should get off a dead duff somewhere and DO IT!!!!

Kinda makes ya wonder why not? Doesn't it?

Warmest regards,
John

Not sure how restrictive your idea is, but it ain't new.

You can even find the odd receiver on e-bay with cards for each function
plugging into a bus - try Plessey for example. Even the ancient Davco DR-30 and
the first solid-state heath transceiver (SB401 IIRC) used plug in RF, IF etc
cards.

Several modern scanners, especially portable ones have a selection of optional
plug in cards for things like, extra channels, digital decoders, tone squelch
etc. etc.

I had an early Yaesu VHF/UHF receiver which had an optional plug in card video
decoder. My Kenwood R-5000 has provision for a plug in VHF front end.

I used to have a RACAL receiver, old enough to be antique now, which used plug
in front ends for various coverage options, and I seem to recall it was a fairly
common idea in those days.

Dave