Flash! Ham Radio is Dying but Manufacturers Love U

K7TUT writes "I have been delaying this article all week because I was too fired up by the statements made supposedly by Cameron Earnshaw, Vice President of Kachina Communications. I say supposedly because I can not confirm the statements as QRZ has merely stated that they came from the internet. For the sake of this article I will make the assumption that they are true.


So why am I so fired up? There are two statements that Mr. Earnshaw has made that I have a hard time dealing with. The first is that Kachina has made the decision to no longer manufacture Amateur Radios. Now I have no real problem with their decision but their reasoning is, and I quote, "....given the reduced worldwide demand for amateur radio in general, and HF radio in particular, it seems the only sensible choice for us to make."
Reduced worldwide demand for amateur radio in general, and HF radio in particular? Even though I do not expect nor require Kachina to back that statement up with facts, I do however have a problem of hearing this type of statement without facts as it adds to the "perceived" demise of the hobby. We all have heard it but where are the facts? I am not stating that its not true I am merely stating that I personally have never seen the numbers to back it up and to understand what those numbers are based on. If we are to merely assume that the demise is occuring as companies no longer manufacture amateur radios or go out of business then the hobby has been in decline since its inception. Did the hobby die when Henry Radio or Swan or Heathkit or others went out of business? No, of course not, but the rumors flew about the DEMISE of the hobby. So why do we feel that way and why would Kachina make that statement?

Before I answer that question with my opinion, let me begin with a final quote by Mr. Earnshaw, "From discussions with some of the top contacts in our industry over the last several years, it has become obvious that most companies manufacturing amateur radio products these days (including the top Japanese brands) do so out of a labor of love, supporting the losses from other more-profitable ventures. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources of a Kenwood or Yaesu, and simply cannot afford to support an unprofitable product line indefinitely." Ok, so we now go from "reduced worlwide demand" to the statement that companies, including the TOP Japanese brands, do so "out of love". Well bless their sweet hearts, I feel so much better now that I know that MOST of the companies making amateur radio equipment are not there to make a profit but merely because they love us. Now what kind of insanity is that? Any company that is there to make a profit does not keep a division going out of love. Sorry, can't buy that one.

Here is my opinion. Kachina Communications is no longer making amateur radio products because it was not making a profit. They were not making a profit because of competition from the larger companies and the consumer demand that was projected did not happen. Thats the simple facts. All other statements are fantasy unless backed up. Now, again, I am not saying that the facts are not there. I just have not seen them and if someone will give me those facts I will post them and offer an apology. To be honest I don't think I will see them. I would also like to see quotes from MOST manufacturers telling me that they are not trying to make a profit, they just love us and the hobby. That's why they are selling their products for thousands of dollars and spending money on research and development. Because they love me. I am touched but if they love me so much, why don't they just give me a rig? Oh yeah, that's right, they love me enough to lose money but not enough to really lose money!

I do not know that Kachina made these statements but if they did, I am sure that they are being sincere. The problem is that the more we hear it, the more we believe it and that can become a self fullfilling prophecy. Let's not go there. Yeasu, Kenwood and Icom could go out of business and it would not make me change my mind as some other company would spring up to build radios for a profit.

Now I challenge all of you who believe that the hobby is declining and that the demise of Kachinas amatuer radio divsion is just another sign of that decline to prove it to me. I am ready and willing to admit that I am wrong but I just have this feeling that no one will be able to. Now remember that you can not just give me numbers. I need the references as well. You also need to know that I may even challenge the references if they are based on statistics. I do not always agree with statistics because they are many times skewed towards an intended result. Let me give you an example. The most famous statistic that I hear is that it is safer to fly in a commerical aircraft than it is to drive a car. Yes, that is true but statistically it is also true that you are less likely to die in a car crash than a commercial airliner crash. Now that I am in a challenging mood, I also challenge any of the manufacturers to open their books up and show us that they are not making a profit and that they just care about us. Do that and I might break down and buy a new rig rather buying a used one and I might even be willing to pay 10 per cent more in order to insure that you make a profit. I even believe other Hams will follow. Then again, if you are not making a profit and you just love me; gee thanks, I love you too!"