Wayne wrote:
> For me, I think the 516 is *the* $800.00 HF radio.
$800 certainly seems to be the target price for a
starting radio bought new these days. From the website
for Universal Radio, I find the following prices for
what I might consider "entry" radios (for someone
wanting a first HF radio):
IC-718 $599.95 (after rebate coupon)
FT-840 $629.95 (after rebate coupon through 6/30)
FT-817 $649.95 (after rebate coupon)
SGC-2020 $669.95
Alinco DX-77 $739.95
For each you'd have to add the power supply if you are
new to HF radio, and if you want to be serious (or even
semi-serious) about CW at least the 500 hz CW filter.
The filter alone in most cases will bring the price up to
the near $800 mark of the 516. In that light, the 516,
which already has the filters needed, is probably priced
in the market (as long as one doesn't feel the push to
have "standard" 100 watts).
But as I suggested to Wayne in a private message, while
it is true the 516 will certainly be a highly-featured
rig for the $800, I suspect there is a group of people
for which $800 is just too much in general (me included).
At the original price of $595, I thought I might finally
get to buy a new rig, but now I don't think so. I have
to wonder how many people are consigned to being able to
start with only used rigs due to the prices of new.
While I may be alone in my thinking (there seems to be
plenty of new rigs being bought in the $1,000+ category)
I have to wonder if T-T isn't "missing the boat" in the
opportunity to serve an audience of largely uncounted
numbers for which even $800, let alone 600 or less, is
too much, yet want a new all-band HF radio. (I realize
that kit radios, especially single band or one's with a
limited selection of bands, are certainly available, and
plenty of people have started this way. I am using
all-band radios for comparison here because that is
what the 516 represents in the market.) Ten-Tec used to
serve that market nicely with radios in the past -- obviously
the "entry" costs have changed, and I haven't kept up with
the changes...the 516 probably still fills that niche.
Musings from Iowa. 73,
Kevin, K9IUA
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Kevin Anderson, K9IUA, Dubuque IA
k9iua@juno.com - Opinions all my own
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