[AMRadio] EXPENSIVE RANGERS

[John Beasley]

I agree.

WAØSTX

----- Original Message -----
From: <W4AWM at aol.com>
To: <amradio at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2002 8:36 PM
Subject: [AMRadio] EXPENSIVE RANGERS


> I have to step in here and add my 2 cents.
>
> While I, too, believe that a ranger in that price range is a little much,
> let's take a quick look at simple economics.
>
> I have no idea what the gentleman paid for his Ranger, but I have seen
them
> go at hamfests for from $75 to $225 unrestored.
>
> Dee charges $250 to strip and repaint a complete cabinet, including new
> lettering.  If you haven't seen Dee's work, you are missing a thing of
real
> beauty. Absolutely fabulous!
>
> This unit has been recapped and had temperature compensating caps placed
in
> the VFO.  That big resistor that heats up and causes drift has been moved
> outside the enclosure.
>
> Let's say that all the caps cost $50.00.
>
> Let's say that the labor involved in cleaning the unit up, recapping
getting
> it working and alignment took 5 hours, probably more.  The man's time has
to
> be worth a minimum of $20.00 and that is lowballing it.
>
> Let's say four knobs had to be replaced at $10.00 each.
>
> Let's assume that the cabinet has Dee's expert restoration at $250.00.
>
> Let's assume the man paid $125.00 for the Ranger to start with.
>
> My humble abacus shows the total to be $565.00 and that does not allow for
> other incidentals which may have been needed.
>
> If you replace your current rig part by part, you couldn't come close to
> affording it unless you have a much bigger bank account than mine.
>
> When I got my ticket back in 1953, I couldn't afford a Viking II kit, much
> less the VFO, so I got creative and borrowed the money from my
grandmother.
> I paid it back, too!  Meanwhile, the rich kid across was running all
Collins
> and a Telrex beam. A friend of mine had a rig given to him by his Elmer.
>
> The modern kids today are driving around in Lexus, BMW and others.  They
park
> in my neighborhood since there is no room at the school parking lot.  When
> they leave each day, the trash is unbelieveable.  Why can't they drive
used
> heaps like I did, buy used gear or get a loan, like I did and make good
> marks, get a good education resulting in a good job.  Then they can afford
to
> relieve their childhood and buy all the used rigs they wanted in their
> childhood and restore them like I am doing.
>
> 73,
>
>  John,  W4AWM
>  HALLICRAFTERS SPOKEN HERE
>
>
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