[Elecraft] "Cheap Hams" ???

[Joshua Gould, K8WXA]

I'll admit that I'm one of those hams that and dropped a substantial amount of money on a rig. I'll also admit that I do not own a dummy load (save for my HT antenna...). If I ever get intoa situation where I need one, I know of a few hams that I could borrow one from. 

I do not consider my self cheap, I tend to do a lot of research before I buy anything. Just ask my XYL how many times I flip-flopped on the decision of what to spend my money on when it came to my first HF rig. Ultimately the KX3 won the purchase as I intend to operate at home and portable. 

I buy products once and I buy them to last. When you don't make a lot of money, making every penny count is far more important than buying cheap and having to replace it sooner than you expect. That's part of why I hate this whole consumable product trend. 

72,
Joshua Gould
K8WXA
EM89pn

KX3# 7480
NAQCC # 7704

This message was sent from an iPhone. Please excuse any typos and the brevity of responses

> On Apr 21, 2015, at 21:53, Phil Wheeler <w7ox at socal.rr.com> wrote:
> 
> How about: Hams are sensible when it comes to spending money? I like to think so in general, even if/when I am not :-)
> 
> 73, Phil W7OX
> 
>> On 4/21/15 6:44 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:
>> What you are referring to is " Hams helping other hams", and that is completely opposite the "hams are cheap" end of things.
>> Think about the hams who are quite willing to spend $3000 on their ham gear and do not want to spend $75 on a dummy load (or other accessory).  That is the main reason for the opinion that "hams are cheap".
>> 
>> I have been through those "cheap ham days" out of necessity when the family needs came first and there was not enough extra to spend on ham gear.  Those days are gone now that the kids are on their own. But then in those days, I did not spend $3000 for a ham rig either.
>> 
>> I was once there where I did the best bargaining that I could for ham gear and appealed to my other ham friends for their discards. Those days are behind me, and I can now afford top of the line gear.  I do reserve some funds for top of the line test gear and other additions to the hamshack that will provide me with the proper tools to keep my hamshack in order.
>> 
>> Yes, I have been 'thrifty', but not at the expense of having proper tools to evaluate my ham station.  A dummy load and an antenna analyzer are on the top end of my list of desired gear for any ham station.  Other gear may be helpful, but not essential.
>> 
>> 73,
>> Don W3FPR
>> 
>>> On 4/21/2015 9:15 PM, G4GNX wrote:
>>> It's generally been accepted for many years that if one ham has a component that he doesn't need and another ham wants it, it will usually be given for free. This culture has grown from the days when most shack equipment was homebrew.
>>> Hams also tend to help each other with projects, antenna farming etc., usually without payment.
>>> At our local club, members often bring unwanted items along for distribution, mostly for free. Sometimes if an item has some higher value, a donation to club funds is expected.
>>> Like other hobbies, we have "junk sales", where valued equipment can sometimes be sold for silly prices.
>>> 
>>> I think that the above is where the "cheap" label has emerged from. I prefer to think of hams as "thrifty". :-)
> 
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