[TowerTalk] re coax jumpers help

[Jim Lux]

At 10:15 AM 10/18/2006, Rob Atkinson, K5UJ wrote:
>hi Tommy,
>
>I checked the cablexperts price and they now want $23 for one 3 foot 213
>jumper with the uhf males on the ends!  ouch, what are the raw materials
>costing, around $7?--that's a nice profit.

Probably not as much profit as you think by the time you pay someone 
to actually do the work. Say it takes 15 minutes to make a jumper and 
test and package it (which is pretty quick). And, you're paying that 
person a burdened rate of $24/hr (including benefits, insurance, your 
rent, heat lights, etc.), so the labor cost is another $6.

Then, they have to pay for advertising and marketing expenses (figure 
another 20% or so)
And, generalized management costs (another 20%)
And, presumably the owner wants to make a profit (10%)

So now, you're up to 13*1.5 = about $19, which is probably what they 
wholesale the jumpers to places like HRO for.

Most small mfrs have an agreement that they won't undersell the 
retail outlets (i.e. if HRO is selling them at $22.95 (their current 
price), then Cablexperts won't sell from the factory for less). 
Otherwise, the store has no incentive to carry the inventory, if 
they're always getting undercut by the factory.

It all adds up.



>   I know dx engineering is also
>way over priced.   you asked about vendors--I would call Tower Electronics
>in Green Bay Wisc. at 1-800-662-3422 and ask them--they do not have jumpers
>in their online catalog, but they have them for sale at hamfests and I have
>bought their 8X jumpers before and they were well done.  I think they have
>213 jumpers also.  However, if it is possible for you to do it, I would get
>about 35 or 40 silver plated males, and the necessary length of belden 213
>with extra added for errors, and make them up.  If ur rusty, after messing
>up the first 3 or 4 you'll get the hang of it and it will become a process.
>fix up a couple a day and you'll have 15 in about a week.

Which presumes that your time is free and unlimited.  If it is, this 
is a good thing. If it isn't, it may be perfectly reasonable to spend 
some cash. For instance, I'm building a computer controlled phased 
array in my spare time (by definition, a limited resource).  I could 
design and build my own variable L and C networks, but I'd rather 
work on more system level issues (like figuring out a bullet proof 
algorithm to calibrate and determine the values), so I was willing to 
pay LDG for their tuners.

I think everyone should assemble a few cables themselves, so they can 
appreciate what having someone else to the work is worth.

jim, W6RMK