It's not that QRP radios were unprofitable, it is that Ten Tec started
building a QRP radio that hams did not want at a price they were not willing
to pay. This is really simple economics. The last QRP radio was QRP in
power, but not in design and sold for close to $1,200 10 years or more ago.
Hardly what the ham community wanted. Now, along comes the 817, for $800
bucks, small and all bands. Dealers can't keep them in stock. It's the
product and the price
----- Original Message -----
From: "John L. Sielke" <w2agn@pobox.com>
To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2001 8:58 AM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Kachina discontinued
>
> An interesting point, but do the manufacturers KNOW? Ten-tec discontinued
their QRP
> line because QRP transceivers were not profitable, now the FT-817 seems to
show them
> wrong.
>
> HOWEVER, I do not think that this is necessarily the case. I fear many new
hams,
> having entered in this age of multiple-choice, VE exam, have NO IDEA of
what QRP
> even is! They buy the FT-817 because it is "cute," and covers the FM
repeaters. I
> think we will be seeing many FT-817s showing up on the USED market, cheap!
Not
> because there is anything wrong with them, but because many of these new
hams will
> tire of their "toys" and their new hobby and move on to skateboarding and
> motorcycles.
>
> John W2AGN
>
>
> On 17-May-2001 J. Duffy Beischel wrote:
> > The number of hams continues to grow. People will buy the radios if the
> > manufacturers make a radio hams want. Look at the Yaesu FT-817
portable -
> > it is blowing off the shelves.
>
> --
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> Problems: owner-tentec@contesting.com
>
>
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