On Sun, 23 May 2004 18:40:59 GMT, "Doug McLaren"
wrote:

|So I went to the Belton, TX hamfest yesterday, and picked up a few
|things ...
|
|But I saw a number of speaker boxes that people were asking as much as
|$70 for ... why would somebody pay this much for a speaker box? I
|just don't get it.
|
|It's just a box with a speaker in it. It's about the easiest thing in
|the world to make yourself, or you could pick up one that was used in
|something like a police car for around $10 (I saw some of those too.)
|Or you could use one from a computer speaker (though the $3 models are
|probably too crappy even for ham radio use.)
|
|Do people want something that matches their radio equipment? Are they
|collectors? Am I understimating the quality needed to accurately
|reproduce a 800 hz CW signal or a SSB conversation?

Apparently not according to the Parts Express catalog I received in
today's mail.

Audiophiles have ears so good that they seem to be willing to spend
$100 per foot for copper wire. (No, that's not a typo). Of course
this is "special" wire whose properties include allowing each
frequency to find its own path of least resistance.

This seems to be important even when there is only one frequency (60
Hz) involved, because the same "patented technology" allows
"incredibly fast and accurate transfer of power, blah, blah..." in a 6
foot power cord that can be had for only $492. At least it has
connectors on it, the $100/foot stuff just has spade lugs on the ends
(gold-plated of course).

For some laughs see:

http://www.soundstringcable.com/ss_product.html

It's refreshing to see that they were thoughful enough to print arrows
on the cable jacket so the electrons don't become confused and travel
in the wrong direction. This ensures uniform current and signal flow
to and from all components.

N7WS