[Amps] The cost of amplifiers, radios and Ph.D.s

Sun Dec 4 20:44:15 EST 2016

I built several kits and did minor repairs on my radios for 50+ yrs, but the three yrs working on and then earning my NYU Ph.D.  got me employed----and was my opening door to all my employment as a university professor.

73, Charly

________________________________
From: Amps <amps-bounces at contesting.com> on behalf of Jeff AC0C <keepwalking188 at ac0c.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 4, 2016 3:46 AM
To: Ken K6MR; Bill Turner; Amps group
Subject: Re: [Amps] The cost of amplifiers, radios

I agree with that.  The problem is a lot of guys get into a HB project
specifically out of a thought that 1) HB will be cheap and 2) how hard can
it be.  A lot more money than they expected, and a lot lot more time than
they expected later, they have definitely learned something but it may only
be that the two initial guiding thoughts were wrong or really-wrong.

73/jeff/ac0c
www.ac0c.com<http://www.ac0c.com>
Home [www.ac0c.com]<http://www.ac0c.com/>
www.ac0c.com
Why Your Filter is Not Working. Have technology from space aliens & NSA - yet I still can't filter the guy up the band! A Couple of SX-101A Plots

alpha-charlie-zero-charlie

-----Original Message-----
From: Ken K6MR
Sent: Saturday, December 03, 2016 8:15 PM
To: Bill Turner ; Amps group
Subject: Re: [Amps] The cost of amplifiers, radios

"In terms of effort, I would have been way ahead to flip burgers at

McDonalds until I had the cash."

Except that you don't learn anything at McDs. The best part of building
stuff is figuring out why it doesn't work. You learn something that will be
invaluable in the future. Better than spending time for a Ph.D in some
sense...

Ken K6MR

________________________________
From: Amps <amps-bounces at contesting.com> on behalf of Bill Turner
<dezrat at outlook.com>
Sent: Saturday, December 3, 2016 5:40 PM
To: Amps group
Subject: Re: [Amps] The cost of amplifiers, radios

------------ ORIGINAL MESSAGE ------------(may be snipped)

On Sun, 4 Dec 2016 01:06:36 +0000 (UTC), you wrote:

>No argument there, but most of us couldn't afford a $13,000 radio today.
>
>Luxuries, including ham radio equipment, have gotten cheaper in real
>(non-inflationary) dollars since the 1950s and 1960s.  But the cost of
>necessities (land, houses, cars) and college education has risen
>dramatically, and real wages have not.  So there's less left over for
>luxuries.
>
>73,
>Cathy
>N5WVR

REPLY:

I agree, but a serious ham will find a way. Second job, used
equipment, horse trading, etc.

You might consider homebrew but I caution you: While you can save a
LOT of money by scrounging parts, it will be FAR more work than you
imagine. I homebrewed five amps of various designs before I got it
right.

In terms of effort, I would have been way ahead to flip burgers at
McDonalds until I had the cash.

Been there, done that.

73, Bill W6WRT
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