[Elecraft] THE FUTURE OF OUR HOBBY

[EricJ]

The QRP Labs QCX certainly meet that criteria. Single band (80, 60, 40, 
30, 20, 17, pick one), LCD and controls included. Dual Si5351 VFO, 
keyer, 5 watts, CAT, cw decoder, thru-hole, not to mention built in test 
equipment for alignment and troubleshooting....$49. Add solder and 
enclosure just like the SW+ series. QSX coming (some day) with SSB and 
digital modes built in. There are a few others. Dave Benson designed a 
new 4w SSB  rig called the Phaser. Single band, SSB, not DSB. For 
digital modes. You can duckduckgo it.

It's a tech hobby. Tech is always going to be relatively expensive for a 
newcomer who is starting with nothing. Expensive in equipment and 
expensive in time with a relatively steep initial learning curve. 
Nothing there has changed. It's always been a sacrifice to many.

Eric KE6US


On 12/16/2019 6:37 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:

> Ted and all,
>
> I do not think restricting the choices to VHF and UHF gear is going to 
> "save the hobby".
>
> There are few inexpensive ventures into HF available today.  There are 
> a few inexpensive CW only kits available from QRPme.com, but those are 
> quite limited and are CW only.  Oh to have the Dave Benson SWL series 
> back.  Those were good kits which could put the new ham on the air 
> with a good receiver, but again CW only.  I do not see any equivalent 
> today.
>
> The QRPme kits are interesting, but being CW only, they are limited to 
> those willing to learn CW.  Even a 'knock-off' of the K1 is CW only.
>
> For potentially new hams, we hams need to have something that is 
> viable for HF and not expensive.  Remember the high schooler and the 
> recent college graduate who does not a lot of extra money.  I do not 
> see many choices for them other than the inexpensive VHF/UHF FM 
> transceivers, which work fine with repeaters, but do nothing for the 
> HF spectrum.
> I built my first transmitter of salvaged TV parts at a very, very low 
> cost, but that was back in the late 1950's when such parts were 
> available many for the asking at the local TV repair shop.
>
> A used HF transceiver may the only current logical choice.
>
> Elecraft has championed the high performance, high end market, and has 
> done well at it, but that performance comes at a price.  Few beginners 
> in ham radio can afford a K3S let alone a KX2, so for beginners, they 
> are "left in the lurch" with choices mainly in the used gear market.
>
> Nostalgia for 'what was' is interesting, but does nothing for the 
> newcomers to HF with limited funds.  Even the era of cheap surplus 
> military gear is gone.  I used to buy Command set transmitters and 
> receivers for $5 each at the surplus store, and you could salvage 
> parts from them to build transmitters and receivers, but those rigs 
> are collectors items today and are expensive.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
>
> On 12/16/2019 4:44 PM, Ted Edwards W3TB wrote:
>> More...
>> Although it has not happened, I have long expected June VHF and Sept 
>> VHF to
>> displace Field Day and then get more of those many new Techs active.
>>
>> On Mon, Dec 16, 2019 at 3:42 PM Ted Edwards W3TB <w3tb.ted at gmail.com> 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Yet, here is another product idea that is driven by my concern that so
>>> many new Techs get an HT and don't develop further into our fine
>>> hobby/avocation.
>>> A Transceiver more significant than a Chinese cheapie for getting on 
>>> other
>>> modes in the VHF and/or UHF bands.
>>> I do wish there were a quality-yet-simple radio for 6m/2m would be so
>>> handy to them to discover SSB and Digital work on those bands.  CW, 
>>> too.
>>>
>>> On Mon, Dec 16, 2019 at 12:52 PM Jim Brown <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
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