You can easily dump $3,000 into a single, contemporary, mid-range "box". I
don't even look at the catalogs or QST any more for this stuff which is
large, at least two big knobs, severa dozen other knobs/switches, and
panadapter screen with fancy-schmantzy readout (digital send VFO freq,
receive VFO freq, bandwidth graphics, etc).

But, over the last 30 years, yes, in total I easily dumped more than $3K
into several VHF rigs, one UHF rig, several handi-talkies, a number of
solid state HF rigs, amplifiers, old retro tube gear, some antennas
(beams), rotators, SWR meters, antenna tuners....it all adds up. Easily,
quickly.

Now, a guy can --it is possible--get on the air with something like a used
TS-520 (good basic HF rig) dipole, coax, microphone, all bare minimum, for
less than $500, maybe even less (520s maybe down to $250 these days,
depending on how badly a guy wants to sell his). Me, yes, I have a 520
and an old Icom 707 (bought at a ham store for $400, and it is vintage
entry level simple broadband rig from at least 20 years ago). And, a
couple of boatanchors.


===== no change to below, included for reference and context =====

On Tue, 6 Nov 2007, W3JDR wrote:

Listening to the bands, it is sometimes hard to
imagine that there are still hams who operate with a budget of less than
$3000, and still manage to have fun doing so.
---------------------------------------------------

You're joking, right? I think if you took a survey of 25 or so hams here (or
in most other ham venues for that matter), you'd have a very difficult time
finding even a few who have anything close to $3,000 invested in their
hobby. Pile on me if I'm wrong guys, but pile on if I'm right too.

Joe
W3JDR



"Mark VandeWettering" wrote in message
. org...
On 2007-10-29, Scott wrote:
Part of the reason might be that building piece by piece is getting
pretty expensive for what you end up with. For $700 or so, you can buy
a radio that works all the HF bands plus 6, 2 and 432 with all kinds of
features. Try homebrewing that for $700... Seems that most stuff
homebrewed these days is station accessory equipment that just makes
some task around the shack a little more convenient (I'm guilty of this
as well). I do still hombrew all of my own antennas

While I agree that $700 is quite reasonable for an all-band rig, there
actually _are_ people for whom $700 is an unreasonable investment in their
hobby. It isn't as important for them to actually operate on every band
all at once, it's more important that they find a reasonably priced entry
point into the hobby. Listening to the bands, it is sometimes hard to
imagine that there are still hams who operate with a budget of less than
$3000, and still manage to have fun doing so.

But more important is the simple fact is that I learn more by building
than by buying. If ham radio is really more than simply a glorified
Citizen's Band, we are supposed to be educating and training outselves
both to serve the public and to better our own understanding of radio and
the radio arts. I think any attempt to make experimentation of that
sort more accessible to the broad population of hams should be applauded.

Mark KF6KYI


Scott
N0EDV

geek wrote:
On Sun, 28 Oct 2007 20:10:27 +0000, John Tartar wrote:


The deadline for the ARRL homebrew challenge has passed and I hear that
the
ARRL received 4 entries, all NO computer radios. NONE were in the
computer
assisted category. Publication is scheduled for Feb 2008 QST


A Yahoo group was started to discuss developments.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ARRLHBC/

Some of the entrants have posting info about their entries there.


Four entries? This does not bode well for the hobby :-(

IMHO, building at least some of your own stuff should be a prerequisite
for the license.

Cheers,
__
Gregg