Same Radio, New Price Tag?

This week, more than 30,000 ham radio operators will descend on Xenia for the Dayton Hamfest — better known as Hamvention. Held at the Greene County Fair and Expo Center, Hamvention is widely regarded as the world’s largest amateur radio gathering.

For hams, it’s an event packed with opportunity: the chance to finally meet people you’ve only talked to on the air (or exchanged CW with), hunt for rare treasures in the massive flea market, and get a first look at the newest gear from the major manufacturers.

This year, Icom is generating a lot of buzz with the debut of a mysterious new radio known only as the X-026. Based on the rumors and early speculation, it appears to be a mobile rig with a detachable faceplate and support for multiple antenna inputs — strongly hinting at a multiband radio that could cover HF, VHF, and UHF.

Beyond that, though, we’re firmly in speculation territory.

But here’s the question: don’t we already have “shack-in-a-box” radios? Radios with multiple antenna ports and wide band coverage have existed for years. And who doesn’t have a rig with a detachable face? [Yawn]

In a hobby that prides itself on experimentation and innovation, why do the “big three” manufacturers often feel like they’re really is no innovation?

Take something as simple as charging technology. Last Black Friday, I picked up two Baofeng handhelds that charged via USB-C. USB-C! A standard, everyday connector that nearly everyone already owns. No proprietary chargers, no bulky cradles — just plug it in and go.

And that feature didn’t come from Icom, Yaesu, or Elecraft. It came from Baofeng.

So what would I actually want to see in a new radio? What kind of innovation would make me seriously consider replacing my current rigs? Well, probably the very things that WON’T be in the X-026.

About a year ago, the internal speaker in my FT-891 failed after tens of thousands of contacts. Frustrated but resigned, I headed to Walmart to buy an external speaker. That’s when I realized how difficult it was to find a simple wired speaker. Nearly everything on the shelf was Bluetooth.

That got me thinking: why aren’t our radios Bluetooth capable?

With Bluetooth, we could easily use wireless speakers, headsets, and microphones. It seems like such a simple addition, yet it would dramatically improve convenience and usability — especially for mobile operators.

Imagine a mobile rig with reliable hands-free VOX support through a wireless headset. Our phones already do this effortlessly. The technology exists. So why are amateur radios still lagging behind?

And then there’s connectivity.

Most of us now have large monitors in our shacks — many of us have multiple screens. So why aren’t manufacturers embracing modern display options? Why not include a mini-HDMI or USB-C video output that would allow operators to connect external displays and customize what they see? Waterfalls, SWR graphs, ALC meters, frequency displays — all on a larger screen, arranged however the operator wants.

These are just two examples of features that would feel genuinely fresh and innovative.

Instead, I suspect we’ll see more of the same: superficial changes, minimal innovation, and price tags high enough to make it difficult to justify replacing perfectly capable rigs already sitting in our shacks that already do the same thing.

I guess we will discover the truth in a few short days.