On Thu, 4 Jan 2001, Bob & Linda McGraw K4TAX wrote:
> You hit the nail on the head! I built a Heath SB-104A and made it
> work. I had about 60 hrs invested in it. Factoring in my time at
> modest labor rates, it was damn expensive radio. Well over $3000 25
> years ago.
This reasoning puts my OMNI VI into the $10 K price class after my work on
the birdies, filters, bandpass board, etc. My Corsair II would go way
up, too. My Kenwood TS 850 comes in cheap by this measure, only a few
modifications and repairs to it :-) . I simply count labor time in a
radio as a part of my hobby. I only include cash outlay in cost to me. I
never, ever, simply "buy" a radio and "use" it :-) :-) I do my version
of the hobby: I dig around in there to some extent. I leave the rest to
the professionals.
> Someone said that the Omni VI+ was 2.5 x the cost of the K2. Without
> labor, I'd guess so. After labor, well the Omni VI+ is a much better
> del.
Not an easy to justify comparison. The K2 price comparison here is with
internal battery operation included, ATU included; neither of these
available with the OMNI. The OMNI VI has some nice DSP, analog operation
of PBT, other features not available for the K2.
> Based on labor inclusive, the K2 is in the price class of the IC-756PRO
> and the FT-1000MP. And it's still a 12 watt radio.
The 12 watt limitation is really nothing at all to me. I can:
make a simple amplifier
buy a simple amplifier
build a better antenna
I sure don't fault the OMNI VI for not running a KW output, and this is
about the same change in power as the K2 versus the OMNI VI. The
comparison isn't apples and apples.
I plan to own one of each. My K2, currently in progress, is not a
replacement for the OMNI VI. I do know of several hams that don't have
the luxury of owning more than one hobby radio though; they have to make
the choice based on their own preferences. That makes it all very
interesting!
Clark
WA3JPG
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