[aprssig] Kenwood TH-D7A(G) Retired, now VX-8?

[Bill Vodall WA7NWP]

> On Oct 13, 2008, at 12:02 PM, Bill Vodall WA7NWP wrote:
>
>> Video camera, WIFI, multiple micro-SD slots, MP3 player, etc.
>>
>> Oh wait - that's (almost) an Ipod - touch.
>
> Exactly, it is all stuff that already exists. Sure you are packaging
> it in a new form, but is it visionary?

Pretty hard for the "ham" community to compete with the commercial
folks for the visonary tag these days...

> Personally I don't want any of
> that on my ham radio, and I suspect having all this functionality will
> make the core stuff I do want a little harder to access.

I want Ham/APRS on my desk with me during my work day.   The existing
D7 is too big.  The Alinco SJ41 fits nicely in the travel bag I use -
just in case I need a radio - but it's missing the functionality I
could benefit from as a regular desk top appliance.  A MP3 music
player, FM radio with APRS/Ham and all the other cell phone widgets
(including Wifi of course) would be used many hours every day.

Last weekend the radio bunch met for brunch.  A good turnout at
"Skippies."   Of the dozen or so folks present, there were a couple
Nokia Internet tables, a couple laptops, 3 I-Phones/Touches, a Nokia
I71 (?) wiz bang new phone, a Clearwire Internet modem hooked to a
Wifi router and even a couple of us making notes with the old pen and
paper technology.  In the the whole group there was one amateur HT
present, a D7 no less, but I don't think it was ever turned on.  And
this was the "Amateur Radio" bunch!!!

Maybe it's visionary these days just suggesting we could use something
relatively close to last years state of the art...

73
Bill - WA7NWP

PS.   I also think ham rigs should have Legal CB configurations but
that's a whole different discussion...