[Elecraft] QRO

[n2ey at aol.com]

The reasons amps seem expensive:
 
1) They use expensive parts if bought new. Manufacturers can't/won't/don't use surplus, so they have to pay
full price for everything.
 
2) Many of the parts are expensive because they're custom and/or low quantity items. 
 
3) The market is relatively limited, so the engineering and tooling costs have to be amortized over fewer units. 
Elecraft has sold less than 6000 K2s since the rig was introduced in 1999. As good as the Elecraft amps 
obviously are, and as much as many of us want one, how many units can they reasonably expect to sell in the 
next 7 years?  
 
73 de Jim, N2EY
 
-----Original Message-----
From: michael taylor <mctylr at gmail.com>
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Sent: Mon, 22 May 2006 11:23:57 -0400
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] QRO


I'm curious, what makes RF amplifiers fairly expensive projects? I 
admit I have no experience or exposure to them, but as far as I can 
tell the two major building blocks are a power supply and a not 
terribly complex amplifier circuit. 
 
Is the bulk of the cost in the amp device(s) - power transistors or 
vacuum tubes/values?