Hilberling PT-8000 Production Stopped

The following was posted today in German on the Hilberling web site. (I have translated it):

The production of the PT-8000 series has been stopped.

Due to the continuing resistance received in our efforts to meet the official requirements of the EU-wide manufacturer standards, we were always making changes to the design of this top transceiver. The very ambitious design goals of the PT-8000 were met for some prototypes.

To guarantee this high standard with many suppliers for a production series without restrictions, faces difficulties that can not be overcome within a reasonable effort.

We appreciate the great interest that accompanied us throughout the entire project period.

Original is at:
http://hilberling.com/news/news.htm

 

So does this mean the company is now history? Or just the transceiver?

This is bad. I shudder to think that one day Icom, Yaesu or Kenwood would be making a similar announcement.

 

Hilberling PT8000 production stopped

So, what happens to the sales they made at Dayton, and all of those promises??

 

it would be the best thing
that has happened to ham radio
in 50 years

mac

 

Maybe then we can separate the appliance operators from hams

 

I am curious. Just What is the definition of a "appliance"" operator?

Hey never mind. I found the definition here on the Internet. If anyone is interested in reading what it is then
go HERE.

 

That's too bad. I saw the prototypes at Dayton 07 and got to fiddle around with them, they were REALLY nice. While way beyond my budget, it would have been fun to try out.

 

Bureaucracy & false promises

It is the same everywhere in the free world- politicians get elected by making promises they cannot keep, and bureaucrats turned loose with little restraint wreak havoc on the economy and very lives of those they pretend to serve. Together the politicians and bureaucrats essentially conspire to incrementally remove freedom of choice from the citizens. The entire RoHS initiative is just one such great example of good intentions taken to their worst possible conclusion: full of promises to make the environment safe, but in reality the primary effect is to strangle commerce and reduce the number of viable choices for the consumer- increasing costs and reducing the lifespan of electronic devices in the process. All the while the methods which could have accomplished this more responsibly remained ignored. It was a politically driven emotional response which crammed an ill conceived and ill informed mandate upon companies, their design engineers, and consumers without first looking to see how it could more efficiently be accomplished. The list of other stifling regulations in any western country is too long. It looks like the blind arrogance of elitist leaders in "the system" pretending to do good just created one more victim. My condolences to Hilberling and to our brother hams in EU.

How long will free people tolerate this incremental encroachment of their freedoms? Until we no longer have the ability or power to stop this madness?

AF6IT

 

45 years ago
it was an op that bought all his equpment
and
could not fix it when it stoped running

im not sure about the definition any more

know good ops
that use store bought gear
they can not fix
you will not see me digging around
inside a omni 7 or FT-2000

can not fix my IC-703
soldering in the cw filter
is about all im ever going to do inside it
but
i still build home brew glow bug transmitters
and kit qrp rigs
can fix old tube rigs

if not one new rig was made
starting from today
lots of ham ops that don't know how radios worked
would learn

many new ops miss something
most of us old timers had
its the joy taking some junk box parts
putting them togher
puting a radio on the air

or taking a old tube rig
that has not run in 30 years
fixing it up
puting it back on the air

you simply do not get the same joy
calling up AES
giving them your credit card number

mac

 

A Bridge too Far...

This is really sad news in my view, Mr. Hilberling has my highest regards for designing and building such a find piece of radio art, really he wanted it to be the finest rig ever made and I think he was on the right course with the PT-8000. Hilberling wasn't very well known in the US but this rig would have made a mark for them. The idea or design wasn't the problem, it sounds like industry standards for materials kept changing which makes it impossible to build anything anymore in those countries.

Box the whole line up and bring it to the states, I fear if this one is completely lost it will start to topple all the others and hams will be left with nothing to choose from in factory rigs.

I never intended to buy a PT-8000, way out of my range but I was very interested in it as a high end rig with so many fine features.

I don't think Hilberling radio will be SK over this but it is a major setback as it would be for any company. They had several years of work in this rig and from what I have seen in photos it was going to set a new mark in the level of standards in ham radio.

AA8VE, Jeff Michigan

 

Hilberling announcement and "all those Dayton orders"

Jay, WX0B Array solutions responding.
Here is the official announcement in English that is on my website and posted to my user's group.
Message from Hans Hilberling:
I regret to announce today that#Hilberling GmbH#has cancelled the production of the PT-8000 series of transceivers. I am really sorry that this will cause disappointment on your side. Let me explain briefly what had led to this decision:#

Hilberling had to counteract continuously obstacles to meet EU wide requirements. This has#forced us multiple times to change the design of this high-end transceiver which often has been in conflict to our design goals. We finally could meet all our design numbers within a few prototypes but we and the numerous suppliers were not able to guarantee these numbers for the line production. Measures that would have to be taken to guarantee the specifications#are in no way cost effective. All this has led to the a.m. decision to put everything on hold.

Hilberling#apologizes for any inconvenience you had. We deeply appreciated the confidence you demonstrated for the PT-8000 series of HF/VHF-Transceivers.
Hans Hilberling July 24, 2008

Someone aske what will happen to Hilberling the company. Well they are fine and dandy, they are suppliers of medical, test and commercial radio equipment to Europe. Very sound and have huge contracts for their mainstream radio products. So no worries there.

As to all the Dayton orders, we only took a list of about 60-70 interested parties. We never took any deposits so everyone is whole and there is no damage done to any of our customers. So again no worries.

But having said this, I am truely disappointed, since I had actually used the radio on SSB and CW and I know how it sounded. It was truely going to be a collectors item and sought after radio. I have not had time to call the Hilberling folks yet but you bet I will try to persuade them to try one more time. They have proabaly spent millions on the design over the last 7 years. So what happened must have been truely serious to cause this decision. Please join me in sending a message back to Hilberling to re-evaluate their decision with time.

Thanks all for your concerns.
Jay Terleski

 

It sounds like Hilberling got caught on the downside of RoHS (reduction of hazardous substances, the regs that killed off the Kenwood TS-570 series) and the even more onerous RoBS (reduction of banned substances). This probably forced them and their suppliers into a situation where the design and manufacturing changes required to meet these EU guidelines were not considered cost-effective.

 

Overview of RoHS

While we have a significant problem with enviromentalists here in the U.S. and their agenda, the problem is much worse in Europe.

The problem Hilberling is having here is that the PT-8000 is mandated by law in Europe of conforming to RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances).

RoHS is a directive from the European Union.

The materials used in manufacture of the PT-8000, the components, paint, etc. must not contain or contain below a certain level of hazardous substances - lead, mercury, cadmium, etc.

For many manufacturers, this has been very difficult to comply with.

This is not the first time RoHS has affected ham radio. Kenwood discontinued production of the TS-570 because of RoHS. When the RoHS rules came into effect, Kenwood products had to meet RoHS compliance standards to be imported into Europe. Apparantly, halting production was the economic solution.

 

I did as well. I noticed that on the unit I was playing with, the tuning did not work very well. The frequency display would not respond well at all to slow movements of the tuning knob. Sometimes it would actually go the wrong way?

 

If anyone wants to see what the Hillberling PT-8000 looks like feel free to go
HERE.