Greetings!
This is an interesting perspective...
Menus are cheaper to produce, software code is cheap compared to components and dials.
You still need layout and functionality - far easier to find home plate using knobs than to make mistakes pressing buttons....
Cheap? No...Not Really, especially if you were on the "cutting edge" in the late 90's when RCI was beginning the INTERGRATION of the switching - they went to MENU so they could increase their complexity as a selling point...it was a lot of fun diagnosing diode routes and dual Darlington PNP transistors doing the switching.- many a good radio went to scrap during those days...
Would rather own a hardwired radio even with the digital control buffering than to trust a B-Tooth enabled radio that constantly senses and polls for data - the right user can take out and corrupt the radio putting it into an unusable state if the BT-device has an entry hack point for remote use. Power users? I see buss and CAM issues right away and that's not just with the radio - the vehicle they use it in.
It's just difficult to justify the reasoning for having a MENU driven radio while driving - can't take the risks associated with distracted driving when you're scrutinized if ever in an accident or pulled over. It's hard to fake it when you're caught...
Screaming "Profiling" doesn't take away the damages done because someone tells the operator to go here - and it's now too late...
We've got enough issues of distracted driving - now we have radios that are worse than GPS units telling you to "SLOW DOWN" when you're already stopped in the traffic jam - possibly caused by another hapless user trying to get their "fat fingers" to operate MENU while they tried to drive...
It's just more of a toy for those that have the time for that kind of "activity" - many of us don't - I just don't see CB land as a MENU driven realm for every one to use unless they themselves are "Stationary" and have nothing else to do but wait for someone to break in on a channel FCC never intended it for that purpose - it's citizens band radio - but who's gonna see your radios face? Let alone your's?
Its' ok to disagree - I'm not a big fan of the Menu-radio types. They're not a simple radio that works in all environments.
We need to bring Radio back to it's simpler form - just install, tune test and go - then you can worry about the drive and scenery more so than to suffer from a balky MENU system that requires you to lose your concentration and focus on what you should be doing versus what you are doing RIGHT NOW to get a radio to function.
Noises in RX along the way? RF Gain and ANL/NB - it's AM - SSB you still have it - just keep it simple for those that have far more roughhousing in the back seats while they drive (Kids and Pets).
GAWD people need to learn how to CRAWL first before they walk else there's several developmental issues - same applies to radio uses too - a learning curve - MENU may be your final effort of show and pinnacle of success - but it doesn't offer anyone any knowledge, or give them any experience on how to even understand the process of how RF gain, SWR and Mic Gain work?
Regards!
:+> Andy <+:
... You Could Be A CB'er when...
... The Radio And The Antenna Cost More Than The Car Is Worth...