[ARC5] Inspired Hack Job

[Geoff]

Trying to compare old dollars with new is disingenious at best as any 
historian will tell you. Plus nobody with any brains paid retail, sales and 
income taxes were non existent or minimal, local dealers were convenient to 
the majority, trade-ins were used, credit was cheap.

Just as the used market is high today it was no different back then and even 
teenagers with a part time job could afford something decent.

Carl


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Glen Zook" <gzook at yahoo.com>
To: "Ken Gordon" <kgordon2006 at frontier.com>; <Arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2013 11:14 PM
Subject: Re: [ARC5] Inspired Hack Job


And people today think that $700, or less, for a "modern" SSB transceiver is 
really expensive!

The Heath DX-20 at $35.95 in 1957 would cost $289.12 today.

The Heath DX-40 at $64.95 in 1958 would cost $508.62 today.

The Heath DX-100 at $189.50 in 1955 would cost $1602.57 today.

My first transmitter, a Globe Chief 90A, which cost $74.50 in 1958 would 
cost $583.40 today. The SM-90 screen modulator cost $11.99 in 1958 would 
cost $93.89 today. The WRL-755 VFO cost $69.95 in 1958 would cost $547.77 
today. My Hallicrafters S-107 that I got new (traded in a Heath AR-3 at 
Allied Radio, 100 North Western Avenue, Chicago, Illinois) for $94.95 in 
1958 would cost $743.54 today. The total would be $1968.60 today!

I got the Globe Chief 90A used from a local for $50.00, paid $5.00 a week as 
a Novice Class in May 1959 and then the VFO and modulator from the same 
local for $35.00 paid at the same time. This equates to $660.34 today.

My father was making like $150.00 a week which equates to $1165.31 today. If 
I remember correctly, I got $30.00 for "trade in" for the AR-3 which made 
the cost of the S-107 $65.95 which is $512.35 today. That was right at 44% 
of his weekly salary and he was getting above average wages for the time.

To put it bluntly, amateur radio today is CONSIDERABLY cheaper than in the 
"goode olde dayes"!

Glen, K9STH


Website:  http://k9sth.com


________________________________
 From: Kenneth G. Gordon <kgordon2006 at frontier.com>
To: Arc5 at mailman.qth.net
Sent: Wednesday, March 6, 2013 9:40 PM
Subject: Re: [ARC5] Inspired Hack Job

On 6 Mar 2013 at 17:55, Bob Macklin wrote:

>   B&W SSB adapter 1957 $265.00

$2131.12 in 2012

>   Central Electronics 10A transmitter 1953 $129.50

$1100.00 in 2012

>   Central Electronics 10B transmitter 1954 $129.50

$1090.78 in 2012

>   Central Electronics 20A transmitter 1954 $199.50

$1680.39 in 2012

>   Central Electronics 100V transmitter 1957 $795.00

$6393.66 in 2012

>   Collins 32S-1 transmitter 1957 $590.00

$4744.98 in 2012

>   Collins KWM-1 transceiver 1957 $770.00

$6192.60 in 2012

>   Johnson Viking 500 $950.00

$7915.25 in 2012

Etc.

I sure as HELL couldn't have afforded even the least expensive one of those 
in equivalent
dollars at that time!!!!

It sounds to me as though some of you had way more money than most of the 
rest of us.


Lucky you!
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