[Elecraft] Appliances vs. kits [was: RE: Can Elecraft takeover...]

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

I was one of those ops who was building his own gear in the 1950's. Scratch
built my first transmitter. Built a Meissner kit receiver in the late 40's,
etc. 

It's easy to look back to those days to understand the popularity of
building today, but I wonder if it has any real relevance beyond that purely
subjective enjoyment of putting something together and seeing it work? 

Model airplane builders get the same enjoyment (just try to get more than a
minute aloft out of a tiny scale rubber-band powered free-flight model).
Shoot, the enjoyment even extends to "paint by numbers" fans.

Some things don't change and others do. What has changed is the whole
landscape of technology and options for the builder of kits or the designer
of new circuits. So many of the reasons for building have also changed. 

I suggest that the only thing that hasn't changed is that vaguely-defined
but powerful feeling of pleasure some of us get out of making an
unlikely-looking pile of parts do something. Even if we didn't design it or
find the parts, there's still  pleasure in successfully putting them all in
the right places and seeing the results come to life. 

That feeling is independent of the technological or economic advantages or
disadvantages of building. 

That feeling just "is". 

Ron AC7AC