[Elecraft] RE: Can Elecraft take over the global HF ham radio business ?

[N2EY at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/19/05 9:13:11 PM Eastern Daylight Time, aa4lr at arrl.net 
writes:


> in their heyday, Heathkit didn't "take over"  
> the ham radio market. Certainly they were wildly popular -- but there  
> were plenty of companies that sold built equipment. 

There were also other companies selling serious kits, like EF Johnson.

Heath's line of ham gear, particularly receivers, at any given time was very 
limited compared to other companies. Heathkits were pretty good but not in the 
same class
as, say, Collins or Drake. 


And that was in  
> 
> an age when completely homebrew stations were the norm.
> 

I've been a ham since 1967 and completely homebrew stations were rare even 
then. Of course today a few still homebrew:

http://hometown.aol.com/n2ey/myhomepage/index.html


> Today, things are different. Appliance operators rule, and the kit- 
> built rig is an exception. It would be difficult to overcome that  
> bias in order to "take over".
> 

I'd say that "appliance" stations have been most numerous since at least the 
mid-60s if not longer. 

Elecraft's success shows that not everyone wants to go that way, though. 
That's a good thing.

73 de Jim, N2EY