On Apr 17, 1:53�pm, Michael Coslo wrote:
wrote:
On Apr 16, 12:11pm, Michael Coslo wrote:
wrote:
On Apr 14, 2:03 pm, Michael Coslo wrote:

I've never been to Dayton. TImonium is the big one around
here. But
it's a haul!

Biggest hamfest I evewr encountered was in Rochester NY - 1978.

Why so many miles/year on your vehicles?

Total inflation-adjusted dollars for transport is the ultimate
factor.

Well, yes and no. The total cost of living has increased
significantly.
I'm not talking about the official inflation figures, they aren't
reliable any more. This is just the amount of dollar outlay per
month.

Remember the 1970s?

Health insurance doubling in a years time, Gas doubling over
a few years
time, House escrow account increases of 100 dollars per month.

So while the statistics say we're getting a bargain, ground truth
tells
me that I have to reel in costs somewhere. Bargain or not, one has
significantly less money these days after the bills are paid. And
gasoline is one area that I can at least start to control.

I would say that what's happening is this: The necessities (house,
medical, transport) are getting more expensive while the luxuries
(computing power, flat-screen TV, plane tickets where you have a lot
of leeway as to destination and time) are getting cheaper. Put
them all together and inflation *seems to be* low. But the mix is
different than it was years ago.

On top of that is the fact that the number of "necessities" keeps
rising. To give an Amateur Radio example, there was a time when
putting up a moderate-sized tower in most areas did not require a
variance or a building permit. A ham-homeowner simply put it up, or at
most went down to the township building, filled out a form and paid a
small fee.

Nowadays in many areas there are much more stringent engineering and
insurance requirements for an Amateur Radio tower. The local
ordinances often consider it a "structure" and the process is much
more complex and costly. So while the price of the tower itself isn't
much more than it used to be, adjusted for inflation, the total price
of owning an *installed* tower has greatly increased.

One more issue: LIfespan of certain items, such as ham rigs. Compared
to most electronic items, it seems to me that ham rigs have a very
long useful lifespan compared to other electronics. Decades rather
than years. Just look at the stuff for sale at Dayton or elsewhere.
What do others think?

Ahh, the Priuii are very cool vehicles. I shoulda known
you'd be an owner of one.

TNX. It's a different sort of vehicle! They are common around here;
summer 2006 there was a long wait for one. Like many cars, a lot
depends on what kind of driving you do and how you drive.

On a Ham related topic, have you noticed much electrical
noise from it? I've heard some scuttle that they make some RFI.
Don't
know what that is in comparison to a regular gas vehicle, as they can be
noisy also.

Can't say; never been mobile on the ham bands in it! But I suspect
that the inverters would make a least some noise.

Still miss the diesel, though. 17 years with the same car; only owner
from showroom to crusher.

73 de Jim, N2EY