For very accurate calculations of inflation, go he

http://www.westegg.com/inflation/

What cost $300 in 1955 would cost $2173 in 2006 (the calculator
is based on the last completed year).

So a radio that costs $1400 today would have cost $193 in 1955
That Heathkit AT-1 transmitter that sold for $29.50 would cost $213
today - which actually sounds just about right to me - I would pay
that for an AT-1 'modern' kit were it available.

So all in all, things haven't changed all that much really in price terms.
But performance? Not even on the table - things we can do today in
a tiny space were not even science fiction in 1955, much less on the
radio store shelf.

But imagine if you could go back and order 2 or 3 of every Heathkit
from 1955 and stash them away until today. THAT would take care
of the inflation issue in a heartbeat on eBay! An unbuilt AT-1 today
would probably fetch $4000 or more...
--

"Ralph Mowery" wrote in message
...

"Dave Platt" wrote in message
...
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I know next to nothing about
this topic, however, the radio is not for me. It's for my dad. He was
very
active in radios from around WWII thru the 50s. His job and family came
first though, so I guess he had to let some of his hobbies go. Since he's
retired and doesn't get around as well as he used to, he's thinking about
getting back into radio.

I think he got "sticker shock" when he looked at a trade magazine
recently. I tried to tell him we aren't in the 50s anymore and he said
"Yea,
but dam they're high."

Based on articles, I've seen, the prices for a typical HF rig these
days isn't all that much different from the prices for rigs back in
the 1950s, once you adjust for inflation.


If you adjust for inflation, the rigs of today are dirt cheep.

A typical Johnson Viking would be around $ 300 and a receiver would be
around $ 150 to $ 200. That is around $ 450 to $ 500 in 1955. I was not
aroung those years, and don't know what the typical wages were, but they
probably were under $ 1.00 an hour. For around $ 1500 you can get an Icom
746 Pro that will do things only dreamed about in the 50's. I bought one
in March for $ 1400 after the rebate and free shipping with the matching
power supply. The Icom 706 is a lot less than that. There are several
lowband transceivers out now that are about half that . That would only
be 4 to 5 times the cost of the 50's station. The wages now are probably
10 times that or more.

To top it all off most have more money left over now to buy things than
they did in the 50's. I grew up then and many were lucky to have a used
car about 5 or 6 years old. Now lots have atleast two cars and not too
many are that old.

"None" wrote in message
. ..

For very accurate calculations of inflation, go he

http://www.westegg.com/inflation/

What cost $300 in 1955 would cost $2173 in 2006 (the calculator
is based on the last completed year).

So a radio that costs $1400 today would have cost $193 in 1955
That Heathkit AT-1 transmitter that sold for $29.50 would cost $213
today - which actually sounds just about right to me - I would pay
that for an AT-1 'modern' kit were it available.

So all in all, things haven't changed all that much really in price terms.
But performance? Not even on the table - things we can do today in
a tiny space were not even science fiction in 1955, much less on the
radio store shelf.



Thanks for the inflation calculator. I was just guessing on the wages in
the middle 50's.

That shows I was in the ballpark. Now about the least expensive transceiver
is an Icom at $ 550. Add about $ 150 for a power supply and you have $ 700
in a rig that would probalby out do the Collins rigs of the 50's that could
cost from $ 1200 to almost $ 2000. The Icom 7800 at $ 10,000 would maybe
equal the best Collins in terms of the adjusted inflation. As you said that
rig would almost be science fiction in the 50's.

As far as the AT-1 , I was given one that was in a bad state of repair about
15 years ago. Didn't do anything with it, but about 5 years later I gave it
to a friend that wanted one to restore. He did a very good job of it, even
had the chassie replated. Hard to tell what e-bay would get for an unbuilt
kit. If it is like some of the others, I could retire and lead a good life
if I had a couple of each of the unbuilt Heathkits. Around 1973 I did put
together some of their low end test equipment. Still have the VTVM. In the
80's I bought a SB-101 from a ham that had put it together in the late 60's.
For what it was, it was a very nice rig. Wish I had that one back.