On Apr 16, 2:59�pm, "Ivor Jones" wrote:

,
typed:

: Actually, gasoline prices aren't really skyrocketing.
: What's happening
: is that we've had years and years of gasoline prices
: not keeping up
: with inflation, and now they are making up for lost time (and then
: some).

Hmm. Try paying UK prices and you'll change your mind..!

Sorry if I wasn't clear.

What I should have written is that *US* gasoline prices aren't really
skyrocketing.

Not certain of
the exact conversion rates as our prices are in litres and I'm not
sure of
the size of the US gallon, I believe it's slightly smaller than the UK
one, but average prices here are around �1.07 per *litre* at the
moment,
which at current pound/dollar rates makes it around $9 per
imperial gallon.

The following were found at various sites (thanks Google):

One US gallon is 3.79 litres. So 1 gallon of gasoline at the price you
quote would cost 4.055 pounds.

Today, April 16, 1 pound exchanges to 1.9756 dollars, so 4.055 pounds
equals $8.01 for a US gallon of gasoline.

I wish we had your prices..!!

Thanks for proving my point!

The amateur radio connection in all of this is that inflation hits
different things in very different ways, which of course has its
effects on us hams. For example, here in the USA, even with the weak
dollar, amateur radio transceivers are a better deal than when I
became a ham 40 years ago, and probably any time since. Back then the
biggest bargain in new ham gear was the $250 Heath HW-101 kit. $250
then equals $1500 now, and for $1500 you can get a lot more rig! (the
westegg inflation calculator says a dollar in 1967 bought what about
$6 buys today, on average).

If you really want to get sticker shock, check out what the PCs of
10-20 years ago cost, then add in the inflation.

OTOH the cost of a house in many parts of the USA to put the ham rig
in has gone up a lot more than a factor of 6, even allowing for the
current soft RE market. (A lot of us who aren't retired have to go
where the jobs are.)

The result is that we have a lot of US hams today who have great rigs
but not houses where they can gave good antennas.

73 de Jim, N2EY