One of my ventures into ham radio was the purchase of a complete Heathkit station. While the original SB-104 left a lot to be desired, the fact that Heath offered financing for the complete purchase. Don’t recall the details but I made monthly payments until it was paid in full.
Bob, K4TAX Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 17, 2019, at 9:08 AM, Fred Nassar <fnassa...@gmail.com> wrote: > > 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 rmcg...@blomand.net > ______________________________________________________________ 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
