Exactly what I intend to do.
But going through the approval loop to legally erect a tower is a time
consuming, expensive process. I have over $1,000 into approvals for a US
Tower product, including $600 in engineering costs paid directly to US
Tower, money that I will never get back.
So it'd not rocket science, agreed. But raising prices 100% in a month's
time isn't exactly good business, either.
Mickey N4MB
Mickey Baker, N4MB
Palm Beach Gardens
*“Tell me, and I will listen. Show me, and I will understand. Involve me,
and I will learn.” *Teton Lakota, American Indian Saying.
On Tue, Jan 3, 2017 at 7:03 AM, john nistico <electric911inc@hotmail.com>
wrote:
> If the cost offends you buy a different tower. It's not rocket science
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Jan 3, 2017, at 12:12 AM, Ed via TowerTalk <towertalk@contesting.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > If you're remotely contemplating a UST, consider a LUSO for just a few
> dollars more!
> >
> >> On Jan 2, 2017, at 16:55, Wayne Kline <w3ea@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> I think the 10 minutes is the welding time, surly not the set up "
> installing the pieces into the welding Jig " and from my observation
> only the bottom and top area plates ( which would have the pillow block
> brackets pre welded on ) are the only area which would require multiple
> passes .
> >>
> >> With big Arco or Miller Flux core machines .... 10 min would be on
> the low end of time But 30 to 35 min from raw pieces to finished craned
> off unit more like it.
> >>
> >>
> >> Wayne W3EA
> >>
> >> ________________________________
> >> From: TowerTalk <towertalk-bounces@contesting.com> on behalf of EZ
> Rhino <EZRhino@fastmovers.biz>
> >> Sent: Monday, January 2, 2017 6:44 PM
> >> To: Towertalk Reflector
> >> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] US Tower price increase
> >>
> >> Ten minutes huh? I want to see that. Send me a video.
> >>
> >> Chris
> >> KF7P
> >>
> >>
> >> On Jan 2, 2017, at 16:26 , Kevin wrote:
> >>
> >> Chris,
> >>
> >> I used to do it for a living. I was certified to weld just about
> anything anywhere, except underwater.
> >>
> >> They are NOT a start up. They've had all the tooling and "machinery"
> for many years now. ALL of their crank ups are a variation of 5 or 6 20'
> tower sections whose jigs were built years ago. I could probably weld one
> in 10 minutes, even with my poor eyesight and prosthetic leg.
> >>
> >> Press brakes, CNC Plasma tables, CNC lathes, welders, etc...don't need
> replacing very often, if ever, given proper maintenance. We had a WWII
> turret lathe that still put out very good parts, maybe not CNC quality but
> good enough.
> >>
> >> They're building towers not high performance engines or wrist watches.
> >>
> >> Kinda funny that Tashjian hasn't raised their prices by a factor of
> three. They're 20 miles apart and probably have quite a few of the same
> suppliers.
> >>
> >> They simply don't want to be in the amateur market any longer.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>> On 1/2/2017 4:56 PM, EZ Rhino wrote:
> >>> Good points Jim.
> >>>
> >>> I may also add that a lot of us (including myself, at times) are
> spoiled. We clickety click click on line, and two days later a product is
> in our mailbox. We no longer realize how things are manufactured or the
> time, energy and cost associated with producing a product.
> >>>
> >>> Metal fabrication isn't an inexpensive or easy business to be in. The
> machinery needed to fabricate a tower is expensive, er, I mean, EXPENSIVE!
> and HUGE! CNC plasma tables, press brakes, welding equipment, CNC benders,
> jigs, fixturing tables, tooling, tooling, and more tooling, and qualified
> experienced operators of this machinery, and don't forget a huge building
> that can store all this stuff. Metal fab is a slow process, lots of labor,
> and lots of trial and error to figure out how to make something that
> functions correctly. Then you need to figure out the most economical way
> to mass produce the product with the least labor as possible. It's not
> easy.
> >>>
> >>> I am not excusing the price increases at UST, as they do sound out of
> line. But I do think getting a new 50-foot crank up for $3k is a bargain!
> >>>
> >>> Also watch the used market, where you can get a real deal on some used
> stuff. I watched the classifieds like a hawk for almost a year, finally
> found a TriEx LM470 that was still horizontal, still partially crated,
> never installed, and got it for a song.
> >>>
> >>> Chris
> >>> KF7P
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Jan 2, 2017, at 15:43 , jimlux wrote:
> >>>
> >>> On 1/2/17 11:38 AM, Jim Brown wrote:
> >>>> Great response, Jim. BUT -- the increase noted by the original poster
> >>>> was that the increase was overnight!
> >>>>
> >>>> Several possible reasons for this. One is that business operations for
> >>>> the ham market are often supported by higher volume and higher margin
> >>>> operations for other markets. When those other markets fall apart,
> they
> >>>> no longer support the ham market, or contribute to economies of scale
> >>>> that allow lower prices.
> >>>>
> >>>> Another is corporate mergers, which can change business priorities,
> >>>> change where products are manufactured.
> >>>>
> >>>> But assuming corporate greed as the reason for all such price
> increases
> >>>> is unreasonable. It certainly can be, but there are many other
> reasons.
> >>>>
> >>> yes, I agree.. usually it's a "it's not economic to sell at that price
> any more, compared to other products". I was more commenting on the "back
> in 85" comment.
> >>>
> >>> I know someone who is buying 50 tower trailers with 100+ ft towers on
> them. That's a much better sale proposition than onsie, twosie sales to
> individuals. Whether through distribution or not, the support costs tend
> to be "per customer" not "per tower".
> >>>
> >>> As for the overnight x3... That's a "we don't really want to be in
> this business" or "our cost structure radically changed" kind of increase.
> >>>
> >>> I've also seen that when you have a business founder of a family
> operated business retires/sells out: the founder didn't have any debt
> service costs, was willing to live out whatever margin there was. The new
> owner had to get a loan to buy the business and actually has to pay
> employees a wage and benefits - all of a sudden instead of "my wife does
> the assembly and we're on the same insurance" it's "I've got to pay a
> reasonable wage and provide vacation, insurance, etc.", I've got to pay
> rent and storage costs, I've got to pay for the "cost of money".
> >>>
> >>> A similar phenomenon occurs when a partner retires/dies/leaves and the
> remaining partners have to buy them out.
> >>>
> >>> Or, it's just - we don't want to leave existing customers totally in
> the lurch, but we can't subsidize them either - we'll be responsible and at
> least make parts available, but at cost that is basically "fabricate from
> scratch individually"
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> TowerTalk mailing list
> >>> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> >>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> >>
> >> TowerTalk Info Page - Contesting<http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/
> listinfo/towertalk>
> >> lists.contesting.com
> >> TowerTalk is for discussion of tower and HF antenna construction
> topics. TT members have lots of helpful information and are happy to share
> it.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> TowerTalk mailing list
> >>> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> >>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> >>
> >> TowerTalk Info Page - Contesting<http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/
> listinfo/towertalk>
> >> lists.contesting.com
> >> TowerTalk is for discussion of tower and HF antenna construction
> topics. TT members have lots of helpful information and are happy to share
> it.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>>
> >>
> >> --
> >> R. Kevin Stover
> >> AC0H
> >> ARRL
> >> FISTS #11993
> >> SKCC #215
> >> NAQCC #3441
> >>
> >>
> >> ---
> >> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
> >> https://www.avast.com/antivirus
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> TowerTalk mailing list
> >> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> >> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> >>
> >> TowerTalk Info Page - Contesting<http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/
> listinfo/towertalk>
> >> lists.contesting.com
> >> TowerTalk is for discussion of tower and HF antenna construction
> topics. TT members have lots of helpful information and are happy to share
> it.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> TowerTalk mailing list
> >> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> >> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> >>
> >> TowerTalk Info Page - Contesting<http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/
> listinfo/towertalk>
> >> lists.contesting.com
> >> TowerTalk is for discussion of tower and HF antenna construction
> topics. TT members have lots of helpful information and are happy to share
> it.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> TowerTalk mailing list
> >> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> >> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > TowerTalk mailing list
> > TowerTalk@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
|