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Old June 30th 04, 12:14 PM
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Default ham radio history.

saw the question on the Clegg Zeus.

I wonder still about the great die-off in the 1970's.

In the mid-60's when "incentive licensing" came about, Wayne Green
wrote editorials predicting the failure of incentive licensing as
well as the demise of amateur radio manufacturers and the eclipse of
the American electronics industry.

In retrospect, it seems to have happened, although there are
numerous other forces involved. Computers, the Internet, cell
fones, cable TeeVee, birth control, and of course, inflation.

Hallicrafters, Collins, Eldico, Clegg, Drake, Hammarlund, National,
Mosley, Telrex, Eico, Tri-ex, Hygain, Johnson, Heath, Knight,
Layfayette, Gonset, Signal/One, Globe, Henry Radio, add in the
distribution channels, the local stocking parts houses, the parts
manufacturers, the band activity, and it sure seems that Wayne
called it.

Before everyone heads for the big QSO party in the sky, how about
adding your I-was-there observations and recollections.

One thing I wonder was what happened when Heathkit unraveled? what
happened to the thousands of spare parts. Knowing how procurement
and inventory control works, I'm certain that they had hundreds of
SB, round and green, cabinets and thousands of green and black
knobs at the end.

Where did those parts go? I've seen rumors that someone or some
corporation bought up the parts inventory or that a rich ham has a
warehouse with several hundred unbuilt kits.

Did they take a tractor trailer to Dayton and liquidate the parts?
Was there ever a year that someone showed up with 40 SX-117's and
sold them for half price?

I have 70% of the parts for the Mosley CM-1 receiver. When Mosley
dropped the product line, they sold the inventory and a store in St.
Louis sold CM-1 parts kits, not all the parts but many of them.

That's what happened to the Mosley CM-1, this was in 1965.

That's what I'd expect happened to the other vendors unless they
continue today.

Collins folded in to Rockwell. MFJ got the the HyGain product line.
Signal/One devolved into a criminal operation.

Comments?

de ah6gi/4

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