Good summary, Bill. I was going to respond to the poster who said completely homebrew stations were the norm in the 50's, but I didn't. I was licensed in 1957 and didn't know anyone who built their own receiver except some of us built a regen receiver for the fun of it. Some built their own transmitter, but, at least in my circle (teenagers mostly), all of us bought a kit or bought used for our main transmitter. Heathkit was the leader, but there was probably a DOZEN kit manufacturers out there including such ham luminaries as E.F. Johnson. The difference between factory assembled and kit could be significant because assembly was so labor intensive in those days. Now look at the difference between an Elecraft T1 assembled vs. kit.
I'm still not entirely sure who the typical Elecraft customer is; I doubt there is one. But they aren't buying for economy. I'm not sure there is a single driving reason. I bought for performance and small package size despite the disadvantage of being a kit. Others see kits as an advantage. Overall, ham gear has NEVER been cheaper or more affordable by the average ham. Eric KE6US -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bill Coleman Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2005 6:28 AM To: Mike Markowski Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Appliances vs. kits [was: RE: Can Elecraft takeover...] Today, most electronics is assembled on a line with robotic equipment. That's why parts have become so vanishingly small. We no longer build kits because it is a cheaper way to get access to great equipment. We build for other reasons. It is interesting to note that other kit industries, like the kit aircraft industry, are thriving because the economies of self-built equipment still exist. Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!" -- Wilbur Wright, 1901 _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
