With all due respect, I disagree with the statement "there are few inexpensive ventures into HF available today." I was licensed at 14 and remember my first HF rig was an used HT-44 and DX-160. I used that pair for six years and learned a lot about how to optimize my set up until I had enough money to purchase my buddy's FT-101E for $400 (1981). After college I was able to buy new gear using a TS 570 and 590S many years and now using a flex 6400. With the advent of the IC7300 and other SDRs the used market has been disrupted. Decent used HF rigs can be had for $300-$500 (cheaper than a new smart phone). Even a new 7300 or 590sg are within reach for the new ham. Both very good rigs offering many to most of the advance features that top of the line rigs offer. I think the movement to SDRs will continue to offer very affordable albeit maybe not new and not "state of the art", but very much usable and capable to make QSOs and more importantly having fun.
I think what Elecraft does is unique and there is value in that. They bring a high level of customer service and stay very close to the customer. They almost seem like one of us hi hi...While the big three may offer more tiers, they do so at the cost of other things some hams find important. Elecraft has been around over 20 years and now launching what appear to be a very successful K4. I think they are doing just fine with their business model. 73, Fred KE4Q owner of a KX3 and maybe a K4 someday On Mon, Dec 16, 2019 at 9:39 PM Don Wilhelm <donw...@embarqmail.com> wrote: > Ted and all, > > I do not think restricting the choices to VHF and UHF gear is going to > "save the hobby". > > There are few inexpensive ventures into HF available today. There are a > few inexpensive CW only kits available from QRPme.com, but those are > quite limited and are CW only. Oh to have the Dave Benson SWL series > back. Those were good kits which could put the new ham on the air with > a good receiver, but again CW only. I do not see any equivalent today. > > The QRPme kits are interesting, but being CW only, they are limited to > those willing to learn CW. Even a 'knock-off' of the K1 is CW only. > > For potentially new hams, we hams need to have something that is viable > for HF and not expensive. Remember the high schooler and the recent > college graduate who does not a lot of extra money. I do not see many > choices for them other than the inexpensive VHF/UHF FM transceivers, > which work fine with repeaters, but do nothing for the HF spectrum. > I built my first transmitter of salvaged TV parts at a very, very low > cost, but that was back in the late 1950's when such parts were > available many for the asking at the local TV repair shop. > > A used HF transceiver may the only current logical choice. > > Elecraft has championed the high performance, high end market, and has > done well at it, but that performance comes at a price. Few beginners > in ham radio can afford a K3S let alone a KX2, so for beginners, they > are "left in the lurch" with choices mainly in the used gear market. > > Nostalgia for 'what was' is interesting, but does nothing for the > newcomers to HF with limited funds. Even the era of cheap surplus > military gear is gone. I used to buy Command set transmitters and > receivers for $5 each at the surplus store, and you could salvage parts > from them to build transmitters and receivers, but those rigs are > collectors items today and are expensive. > > 73, > Don W3FPR > > > On 12/16/2019 4:44 PM, Ted Edwards W3TB wrote: > > More... > > Although it has not happened, I have long expected June VHF and Sept VHF > to > > displace Field Day and then get more of those many new Techs active. > > > > On Mon, Dec 16, 2019 at 3:42 PM Ted Edwards W3TB <w3tb....@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > >> Yet, here is another product idea that is driven by my concern that so > >> many new Techs get an HT and don't develop further into our fine > >> hobby/avocation. > >> A Transceiver more significant than a Chinese cheapie for getting on > other > >> modes in the VHF and/or UHF bands. > >> I do wish there were a quality-yet-simple radio for 6m/2m would be so > >> handy to them to discover SSB and Digital work on those bands. CW, too. > >> > >> On Mon, Dec 16, 2019 at 12:52 PM Jim Brown <j...@audiosystemsgroup.com> > >> wrote: > >> > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to fnassa...@gmail.com > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
