"Too_Many_Tools" wrote in message
oups.com...
Good discussion...we really are saying the same thing.

If the product does not make a profit, it is gone. Drake is in the
business to make money, not radios.

Yes, but the reason why Drake decided that the profit wasn't
there (or not enough return) is not the same. There is a difference
between "SW is dying" and "it would cost too much to redesign
a significant portion of the entire radio which would in turn raise
the cost of the radio beyond what a hobbyist would pay for."
It's entirely possible that Drake examined a few basic overhaul
designs, and didn't like either a) the resultant circuitry or b) the
overall cost of what a receiver would run due to parts and/or
manufacturing assembly line changes.

I really do like the idea of SWLs building their own radios.

I used to think so too, but if you want a radio that will perform
at a level approaching a Sat 800 (never mind the R8B), you'll need
either a) a lot of time on your hands or b) an extreme level of
technical expertise. TenTec used to sell a SW kit; don't know
if they still do.

Whether or not they can be built equivalent to the specs of the
Drake
R8B is quite another matter.

I note that most ham operators today are appliance operators and not
builders.

The reason for that is time. The time involved in hand
constructing a receiver to todays specs from scratch is
rather extreme, given the complexity involved. I don't know
about you, but my free time has been considerably
crunched over the past decade, and if I had an option,
I'd rather listen or get on the air than build a radio or
transceiver from scratch. If I have the time in the future,
I'd like to build one, but not now.

--Mike L.