Chris,
The industry standard dot matrix display is a great idea, but what
chance manufacturers agree to such a selfless act of kindness to us
end users? ;) Individuality has its costs...
I'm not sure if perhaps you misinterpreted my "industry standard dot matrix
display" concept. I don't mean that Kenwood, Icom, Vertex, etc, should define a
standard shared by them! What I do mean is using _existing_ industry standard
displays, instead of special displays custom-made for each radio model. So the
manufacturers of ham equipment don't need to agree.
The displays I mean range from small, single line, 16 character ones, over 2
line, 4 line, all the way to graphics-capable ones. Their electrical interfaces
are so well standardized that one can usually be swapped for another with little
or no changes, and they exist in several more or less standard physical sizes.
If just one manufacturer sells radios built just from standard parts, with
nothing critical customized in any way, and the buyers prefer those radios over
any using special parts, it would be a win-win situation, and the other
manufacturers would be forced to follow.
But of course this scheme fails, because 98% of all hams buy radios without the
slightest regard for long-term maintainability, and aren't even able to tell a
custom display from a standard one! And since custom displays are usually
prettier than standard ones, radios with custom displays sell better...
Manfred
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