[Icom] EXPENSIVE accessories!!!

Sat, 10 May 2003 17:05:07 -0700

OK .. let's chat about this "Phenomenon" --- My take:  Having worked in the
Amateur Radio sales task force, , and being an original ICOM dealer.. circa
1972-3,  as well as other brands . .. Henry, Yahoo, Kenworth,
etc.....perhaps .. just perhaps .. I can offer a wee bit of insight here.
NOW .. a new "ham" rig is costly to develop, and produce.  Let's take an
automobile as an example ..   the new bodywork, the suspension, the
advertising, the warranty, the training for the service staff .. chassis,
parts layout, manuals, testing ... oh, the testing .. special windshield,
and ... oh mygosh .. ENGINE!  Back in my younger years, I was a hot-rodder.
... I've owned over 140 vehicles .. a buncha them from my drag racing years.
I     KNOW    .. a 1959 Chevrolet was buyable -- new -- for .. like, 2200
bux .. NOW .. add about $75 worth (mfgr. cost) of chrome, and about another
$88 bux worth of engine, a few interior bux here, a few bux there.. and ..
"VOILA" .. a $3000 PLUS automobile!
Ham dealers have to compete . but, they MUST make a profit, or they will not
be there to back up your warranty, or offer you the products the next time
your "significant other" allows you to purchase the next "TOY" --- ergo, the
ICOM 799MKIII ..  SO .. HOW DO THEY DO THIS?  Well, back to the automobile
thing .. the dealers offer you a stripped down model, and then .. stand
back, here come the extras!..  Can you believe the price that ICOM wants for
.. as example .. a lousy external SPEAKER?  Like .. way big dollars..when
you can buy a complete PIONEER (fill in the name) STEREO SYSTEM, with
substantial speakers, 5 CD player, dual cassette decks, and digital radio
with a gazillion presets for way less .. But, the Pioneer (again, fill in
the blanks) does not "match" your new "dream radio" --- ehhhh?
By the way .. don't think that ICOM just sells their ham rigs in the USA ..
no no no.. and, there are hundreds of thousands of ICOM rigs in the service
of various governments world-wide, as well as the other radio services ..
some know as spies, etc.....most not though, just "customers".  On a
DXpedition to Belize, I was totally amazed that the ICOM 2M rigs were the
MOST USED TELEPHONES in the country .. the 22s, in particular .. with more
simplex autopatches then us Californicators had!
OK . back to the deal .. Dealers will discount the rigs to get your "deal"..
then.. hope to make enough on the accesories to make the transaction
profitable.
Don't know about now, but back when I worked for EEB /  EGE  ..and owned
Sequoia Stereo , part owner of HAMCO... the profit margin was quite "slim"
on ham radio gear.. . like, by the time all was said and done, dealer cost
vs suggested retail was 15-20%...so, the income necessary to continue the
business was actually based on accessories, antennas,  shipping
charges, ----like that.  I challenge YOU to show the list members how you
made it with YOUR business "MAKING IT" with that basic profit margin ..

From: "W8OKN" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2003 3:37 PM
Subject: Re: [Icom] EXPENSIVE accessories!!!

Has anyone noticed??

My 718 cost me $520 and a filter for it is almost half the cost of the
radio.

W8OKN

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David J. Ring Jr - N1EA" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2003 5:36 PM
Subject: [Icom] EXPENSIVE accessories!!!

> Thanks so much for making it clear!
>
> Now I get it!!!
>
> I am opening a new topic!
>
> WHY oh WHY are Icom accessories so expensive?
>
> Has anyone noticed this?
>
> Thanks!
>
> 73
>
> DR
> N1EA
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "David Cook" <[email protected]>
> To: <[email protected]>
> Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2003 5:24 PM
> Subject: RE: [Icom] Ampkeyer For Sale
>
>
> Hi David,
>
> No, I didn't say "get the Drake amp new home", I said "*find* a new home",
> meaning that I'm sure there are any number of people who would love to
take
> ownership of it if it was working, as I have been so happy with my
> hand-me-down SB-200. But, as Bill said, he sold the Drake for parts, which
> implies the amplifier may have needed more work to get it in service.
>
> And I can appreciate Bill's preference for single manufacturer integrated
> equipment. In my case, I just use what I've got and have had excellent
> success with mixed gear, which was what I way trying to say about my
> station. I wish I had a budget for a dream station, but I'm happy with my
> results.
>
> 73, Dave, WA0TTN
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On
> > Behalf Of David J. Ring Jr - N1EA
> > Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2003 1:15 PM
> > To: [email protected]
> > Cc: "David Cook"
> > Subject: Re: [Icom] Ampkeyer For Sale
> >
> >
> > Hello David,
> >
> > I don't understand your message.  It seems to be a
> > contradiction to me!
> >
> > You say the SB-200 "works" great, you use Yaesu transceiver,
> > Kenwood mic,
> > but then you seem to do an about-face and say "get the Drake amp a new
> > home".
> >
> > Are those Drake amps really bad?
> >
> > I am using a IC-756/Pro and an old National NCL-2000
> > amplifier which uses a
> > pair of 8122 ceramic vacuum tubes.  It always has been a good
> > amp and seems
> > to work well with the Icom.  National was the company which
> > patented the
> > type AB2 amplifier - and the NCL-2000 is a type AB2 amp.
> >
> > How I picked the amplifier was when I was N1EA/MM (maritime
> > mobile) in the
> > Pacific beyond Hawaii, I listened to the signals that were
> > big and several
> > of them big signals were using the NCL-2000 amplifier - that
> > sold me.  They
> > also were using 4 element monobanders.  The 3 element beams just quit
> > working when you get past Hawaii.  And the 4 element beams
> > are S-5 or so.  I
> > was amazed.
> >
> > I read the eHam reports on my amp, and someone even sold
> > their Alpha to go
> > with this amp.  But are the Icom amps so much better?
> >
> > Clue me in because I am clueless as to what you are trying to say!
> >
> > 73
> >
> > David Ring, N1EA
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "David Cook" <[email protected]>
> > To: <[email protected]>
> > Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2003 1:56 PM
> > Subject: RE: [Icom] Ampkeyer For Sale
> >
> >
> > I have to agree with Tim. I inherited an old SB-200,
> > installed the Harbauch
> > upgrades (one of which being the equivalent of the Ampkeyer)
> > and it works
> > great. I use a Yeasu transceiver and Kenwood desk microphone and get
> > excellent audio and signal reports. So unless there's something
> > fundamentally wrong with the Drake amp, I'd suggest you find
> > a good home for
> > it (if you haven't already).
> >
> > 73, Dave, WA0TTN
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: [email protected]
> > [mailto:[email protected]]On
> > > Behalf Of radiodaz
> > > Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2003 7:51 AM
> > > To: [email protected]
> > > Subject: Re: [Icom] Ampkeyer For Sale
> > >
> > >
> > >   Clean Icom audio into an OLD DRAKE AMP.. what goes in comes out.
> > > tim
> > > wb8uhz
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "wjdiamond" <[email protected]>
> > > To: "Icom@Mailman. Qth. Net" <[email protected]>
> > > Sent: Friday, May 09, 2003 11:43 PM
> > > Subject: [Icom] Ampkeyer For Sale
> > >
> > >
> > > > Hi Folks,
> > > >
> > > > I have a brand new Ampkeyer that I bought to use with my
> > > 756 PRO and a
> > > > Drake Amplifier.  The more I thought about it, I just did
> > > not want to put
> > > > clean Icom RF into an old Drake amp so I got another Icom amp.
> > > >
> > > > This is an opto isolator unit and they sell for 40.00 plus
> > > 6.00 shipping.
> > > > I will ship this one for 35.00 in the lower 48 states.
> > > >
> > > > These are supposed to be the best around...
> > > >
> > > >         William J. Diamond (Bill)
> > > >         Rogers, Arkansas USA
> > > >         [email protected]
> > > >
> > > >         Ham Radio Operator WR�T
> > > >       Flying The Flag Long Before
> > > >             It Was Popular
> > > >
> > > >  Please Visit My Icom Radio Page At
> > > >
> > > >  http://pages.sbcglobal.net/wjdiamond/index.html
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > ----
> > > > Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan W6OLD, [email protected]
> > > > Icom Users Net: Sundays, 1700Z, 14.315 MHz
> > > > Icom FAQ: http://www.qsl.net/icom/
> > > >
> > >
> > > ----
> > > Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan W6OLD, [email protected]
> > > Icom Users Net: Sundays, 1700Z, 14.315 MHz
> > > Icom FAQ: http://www.qsl.net/icom/
> > >
> >
> > ----
> > Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan W6OLD, [email protected]
> > Icom Users Net: Sundays, 1700Z, 14.315 MHz
> > Icom FAQ: http://www.qsl.net/icom/
> >
> > ----
> > Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan W6OLD, [email protected]
> > Icom Users Net: Sundays, 1700Z, 14.315 MHz
> > Icom FAQ: http://www.qsl.net/icom/
> >
>
> ----
> Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan W6OLD, [email protected]
> Icom Users Net: Sundays, 1700Z, 14.315 MHz
> Icom FAQ: http://www.qsl.net/icom/
>
> ----
> Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan W6OLD, [email protected]
> Icom Users Net: Sundays, 1700Z, 14.315 MHz
> Icom FAQ: http://www.qsl.net/icom/

----
Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan W6OLD, [email protected]
Icom Users Net: Sundays, 1700Z, 14.315 MHz
Icom FAQ: http://www.qsl.net/icom/