Paul Christensen wrote:
So, truth be told, while Collins gear was clearly the high priced spread, even Drakes were still
out of reach for us average joes who made do with Heathkits...
Toward the end of its life, the R-4B + T-4XB was right at $1K. I can't imagine spending that
during my teenage years in the mid 1970s. To me, it was like a car purchase. By 1975, what was
the street price of the S-Line combo? I imagine Collins offered little in the way of discounts.
I make this assumption based on the back pages of QSTs I've been reading from the late '50s. For
example, every single dealer who supplied the KWM-1 advertised it for exactly $820 in 1958. It
sure seems like Collins had strict terms and conditions on just how much a dealer could discount,
if any at all -- much the same way other high-end products are sold today in order to retain an
elite branding image. I imagine this was less of an issue with Drake.
Paul, W9AC
Paul -
In 1971, the S-Line prices were as follows
KWM-2 - $1150.00
516F-2 - $ 153.00
75S-3B - $795.00 + $250.00 for three mechanical filters
75S-3C - $850.00 (includes accy xtal deck) + $250.00 for three mechanical
filters
32S-3 - $865.00
32S-3A - $1065.00 (includes accy xtal deck)
516F-2 - $ 153.00
So $2775.00 for the basic rx/tx pair plus power supply
IF you wanted the extra crystal deck(s) for expanded coverage plus speaker, add
another $290.00
By 1977, the prices had increased considerably, as Collins became Rockwell Collins and much less
concerned about the Ham market.
KWM-2A - $3533.00
75S-3C - $2504.00
32S-3A - $2957.00
516F-2 - $ 440.00
312B-3 - $ 80.00 (speaker)
Now only $11,375.00 !!
By comparison, the C-Line was
R-4C - $599.00 + $200 for 4 filters
T-4XC - $599.00
AC-4 - $120.00
MS-4 - $ 25.00
Total of $1543.00
73, Garey - K4OAH
Glen Allen, VA
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