A Question for the group

[C W Morse]

I don't know if the two avocations (CB and ham) can be accurately compared because it is a matter of apples and oranges. IOW, sure, ham equipment CAN be expensive, But when you speak of the value for the money, can there really be a comparison? That $1200 Icom 7000 is actually several radios in one including some rudimentary signal monitoring abilities. The ham is getting an all-band HF tranceiver with which he can also monitor CB (not legal to transmit, tho), a VHF transceiver, a UHF transceiver, a digital mode transmitter/receiver, a general coverage receiver, an aircraft receiver and a police scanner (if he so desires). You could say he's getting as many as 7 radios in one. Divide 1200 by 7 = about $170 per unit. If the CBer went out and bought these things: general coverage shortwave receiver, CB with SSB, and a scanner, he'd spend an average of $300 each! About $900! WHO is getting the better deal? I think the ham is.


CWM

 

[W1MSG]

Money is only a small part of it, I've had my license for 10 years and I am still a Tech, just never really cared to upgrade. I do have the latest General Q&A book sitting on my desk, one of the ARRL perks for renewal.

I just put a new Dual Band in my truck with APRS and picked up a new HT with APRS that was over $600 by the time I left the HRO store, and of courseI have my old faithful TM-D700 that has been on my desk for years running APRS.

I think what really keeps me from doing HF is all the additional stuff, different antenna's, tuners, amps, and of course the radio itself which I could have bought a nice one if I hadnt bought the new dual band stuff.

Then I have met alot of Ham's over the years and the majority that are older pretty much ignore the new technicians.

I think the general attitude needs to change a bit, more time should be spent tutoring the new than chastising because they dont know code or use the wrong terminology. I had one guy who was big into CB's call a HAM a Uppity CBer .. Got a good chuckle over that .

Anyway, this is a good thread, no flaming, just opinions with no Drama ! At least so far

73's and a Big 10-4

Craig W1MED

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

actually 300 kHz-30 MHz can be covered with a brand new radio for about $650 .
makes me wonder why folks will pay 500-600 for an rci 29xx base radio ....

Texas Towers, Icom IC-718 Page

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/947

IC-718 HF All Band Transceiver - Features - Icom America

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

actually 300 kHz-30 MHz can be covered with a brand new radio for about $650 .
makes me wonder why folks will pay 500-600 for an rci 29xx base radio ....

Texas Towers, Icom IC-718 Page

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/947

IC-718 HF All Band Transceiver - Features - Icom America

Simple, they don't have Roger Beeps, robot voice and echo crap like the exports do. op:

 

[bamacj]

Simple, they don't have Roger Beeps, robot voice and echo crap like the exports do. op:

Some repeaters got roger beeps.:

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

No, they are called courtesy tones.

 

[Peddler]

If it sounds like a poot
and
if it smells like a poot

It's still a poot

 

[Moleculo]

robot voice

hehehe. I want robot voice! Then I could sound like the smartest person on the planet: Stephen Hawking!

Ooooohhh...I got a brilliant idea! I'll use my PC with the voice /text reader turned on which is also an input to the HF rig. Then, everything I type can be repeated by the computer in robot voice! I'll call it an experiment for those that have the misfortune of being mute (actually that would be a good use for this). The best thing about that, is I can change the voice being used. One minute it's the Stephen Hawking voice, the next minute it's the sexy English girl, then a rapper, then a cowboy. The possibilities are endless...

Back on topic. I don't necessarily think that the cost is that prohibitive to getting started; rather a lot of people just don't see the necessity of it. It's more fun for kids to play with each other over Xbox live. Smartphones keep each other in touch around the world. Twitter allows you follow what Ron Artest has to say about that beat down the Lakers gave the Celtics last night. Ham radio doesn't have the tech sexiness that all of this other stuff has.

 

[K8PG]

A question . ?

Hello all,

I would say yes and no....... so many nice radios on the market be it
used or new-I would think a Newbie should try out amateur radio with a tube/
solidstate rig before investing Big buck into new gear,I started out with a
Heathkit DX 100- and 4 -FT243 crystals on 40mtr novice band and doubled
the xstl freq. to get o 15 mtr novice band back in 1972 all for $ 250.00 and a
Inverted vee,The price of Top End gear is crazy-Ive done fine with the middle
range gear,how many of us have $ 14,000.00 for xcvr,$10,000.00 for amp and
another $25,000.00 fof the tower and antenna ??? then Id say another $ 3000.00
for odds and ends eqpt. what I have has been 38 yrs of hamming and about
$ 35-40 K .THAts a lot of green.any new amateur should try some used gear
1st I think or try out someone elses radios first if yuo have the chance too.
Good Hamming and hope to cuagn.73/44s/DX

Paul K8PG

 

[ka7yru]

One of the things that got me really interested in radio was lighting up that old tube receiver and listening to the pops, chirps, static, wwv, radio free europe and cw. I became enthralled because to me it was all about history. Ancient but modern. All of it on waves interpreted by technology traveling at the speed of light.

My first radios were given to me by an old timer with the heart of a teacher. He helped me put up my first dipole and get on the air with a straight key.

I think that is where much of the soul of hf lies. Today, a 2 meter radio sits absolutely quiet until something breaks the squelch. I know that repeaters have their use and are important. But much of that fm traffic just will never have the magic to be found on the hf bands.

 

[hookedon6]

I guess what I was getting at is...I have known for years that the winner in all the major contests on ham radio are going to be the people with the deepest pockets books. I even told this to the winner of the QRP section of a recent contest and he proceeded to tell me how he had won it using a two hundred dollar radio, but neglected to mention the Multi-Towers he was using which include a 2 element rotatable 80 meter beam and Stacked 4 over 4 over 4 Stepp IRs on 20 meters with the tower at 170 feet...

well, thats an entirely different statement.

yes, i DO believe that the QRMtesters are a detriment to the hobbys future. op:op:

 

[C2]

Let's see, iPhone, starting at $199, with tons of aps and is all the rage vs. ham radio, starting at around $400 used, with the CW stigma, no aps, and nobody to talk to...

I'll price is part of the issue, but it is more related to why I have so little equipment. I'd like to pick up some decent used stuff, but it sells for sucha premium that it is not even worth it. I've seen used IC7000 sell for MORE than new ones. It's crazy! I could not get a guy to sell a used Icom 706 minus mic (not the MKIIG) for $400. He was firm at $600.

 

[AudioShockwav]

I do not think price is keeping guy`s out of the Hobby, as has already been pointed out there are a few new rigs that can be had for a decent price.
there are a few rigs, like the one that above that command more than they sold for new....but if you want and look around, deals can be found.
And the used market's a viable option, even old FT 101`s will still get you on the HF bands, and you can get them on Flea bay.
As for CB radio Operators that enter the hobby, most of them get bitten by the HF bug on the CB frequency's, often liking to work DX on SSB, and 10 meters is just a step away.
There are still old SSB CB`s that can be re-rocked for ten meters, and to be honest, if they have been bitten by the bug, they already are running "ten meter radios" anyway....all that needs doing is go take the test and bump the band switch up a couple of notches and they are ready to go.
As the cycle ramps up, 10/12/15 activity will increase, and i think you will find many of them there, and home brewed antennas can be built easily for these bands.
And VHF and UHF radios are popular in high density areas , and used HT`s are often found for a good deal in the used market as well.



73
Jeff

 

[W5LZ]

The price of radios hasn't 'progressed' all that much. I started in the 60's, and a 'quality' radio set, that means a transmitter and receiver probably averaged around $200 to $700 (in the price range of an TV, sort of). Lot's of variations in that, just depended on what you called 'quality'. I can recall wishing I could afford that $400 transmitter, or a really nice $300 receiver. Didn't happen though, the family just wasn't that 'rich'. The first receiver was a military surplus thing, weighed around 50 - 90 pounds and had I don't know how many tubes in it. Got it second hand, it worked fine, but the only 'accessory' was an added on 'S' meter. The transmitter was a crystal controlled home-brew borrowed from a friend's dad. I think I may have had three crystals, two of them usable for a Novice at the time. Really 'splurging' was getting another crystal, something like $4 maybe?
Considering the change in income between then and now, that probably equates to something in the neighborhood of $1000, maybe? I don't figure that's completely out of reason. I think people have forgotten that you gotta learn to crawl before you can run. Or equally 'old fashioned', get a job and save some money.
Is the cost more than it used to be? Of course, but so is the income. As for old stuff selling for more than it's worth... that's about normal since the 'eBay' thingy. I'd certainly sell there, but like hell I'll buy there!
- 'Doc

 

[6meter]

The price of radio gear has not kept pace with the rise of other prices. Go back and look at the cost of a FT-101 or a Kenwood TS-520 and then consider the decline in the value of the dollar. The average wage in 1980 doesn't compare with today.

Last year I helped a friend find his first HF rig after he passed his General class exam. Within 5 minutes of walking into a hamfest I found a one year old Yaesu FT450AT for $525. Then we located a $25 used power supply and he was in business. (The antenna is a homemade dipole).

Speaking of 2 meter those prices have really changed. You can buy a brand new 2 meter mobile for $130-150 all the time. I paid more then that in the early 90's for my first used 2 meter mobile.