[Johnson] $500 Electronic T-R Switch

[paul hendershott]

Certainly nothing wrong with home-brewing a substitute T/R unit. And as far as losing a "very important aspect of the hobby", there are thousands of hams who love home-brewing, AM, Kit-Building, QRP, etc... and more are joining their ranks - just look at the growth of AM & QRP (lots of home-brewers there!). And just because something 'can" be home-brewed doesn't mean it should. God forbid anyone would ever see some of the monstrosities that I home-brewed! ;-)  Anyway, the last time I looked this was the Johnson Reflector of people passionate about EF Johnson rigs and accessories, right?  So lets celebrate the fact that some conscientious ham preserved such an example of our beloved Johnson T/R switch for all these years! :-)
   
  And what's wrong with a good hearted ham who saved his money and has a love for E.F. Johnson equipment completing his station set-up with the nicest T/R switch he can find? I'm always dismayed that every time someone pays a relatively high price for some piece of ham gear on eBay, it has to be argued that everybody bidding hard on eBay is somehow destroying our hobby. It reminds me of the 92 year old man in my neighborhood who walks around telling anyone who has their home for sale that they are crazy to be asking such high prices. "NO" home could possibly be worth such a price in his mind! He actually is hopping mad about the asking prices! Instead he should be happy that HIS home has appreciated nicely along with everybody .
   
  I for one will come right out and say that with the exception of 5 radios bought from the reflectors and friends, my best boatanchors have been purchased on eBay. Some were great deals and some I paid dearly for! Where else can one look at 13 auctions for the same rig and decide on the sharpest of them all. The last 11 ham-fests I've gone to in the Chicago area have been real disappointments. Mostly beat up, scratched up, run out boatanchors, and not very much selection at all. I usually only come home with a paper bag full of various coax connectors and an odd tube.  The reflectors and QTH.com are much better these days. 
   
  Also, I happen to know this eBay buyer and he's one of the finest ham's I've ever known. He's been a mentor to me and countless others in the Chicago area and certainly has the skill to 'Home-Brew" just about anything he wants. If he could have found a lower priced unit just as nice, I'm sure he would have snagged it!
   
  Me on the other hand - I have neither the background or motor skills to develop and build any radio "accessory" that could keep company w/ my Viking Valiant & 75A-4. Guess I'll have to be content to buy my boatanchor accessories that actually "match" my equipment from friends, swap meets, auctions, & eBay and keep my home-brewing to crazy attic antennas.
   
  And as was mentioned earlier, if you plug these "high" Ebay Prices for E.F. Johnson into the "inflation equalizer", you find that they are selling at roughly the same price or less than when first introduced to the "market". That looks likes a pretty good deal to me!   :-)
   
  73
  Paul w9bbr
   
  
k4elv at bellsouth.net wrote:
  God forbid, but some might actually consider building a unit!! You don't have a circuit? Check BAMA for the schematic and you could build a Johnson clone that would be nice and shiny as well. But then, some have more money than others. As a group, I am afraid we are losing a very imprtant aspect of our hobby. Mike K4ELV
> 
>> 
> On 3/14/06, paul hendershott 
wrote:
> > The 2 TR switches are the two nicest I've probably ever seen. While I might prefer to put all that money toward a new boatanchor or two, I can understand the allure of a shiny, like new, BA accessory. When a simple N.O.S. 117VAC DowKey relay goes for $75-$145, those 2 dandy T/R boxes look like a dawg-gone deal! :-)
> 
> Yep, and as the saying goes "they're not making 'em anymore", at least
> as far as the Johnson goes. Check the price of a new Dow Key and
> you'll see it's not too far out of line.
> 
> While many, or maybe most of us wouldn't pay that kind of money for an
> accessory, some obviously would. It makes me think of those in the
> Yaecomwood plug-n-play crowd who look at us and say "they paid HOW
> MUCH for that black junkbox?? It doesn't even have DSP! I paid less
> for my HT!!" and so on.
> 
> It's amusing to take the original 40s-50s prices and run them through
> an inflation calculator to adjust for today's world. You'd be
> surprised how closely many items track to today's 'high' prices. That
> said, some of us still enjoy the packratting and thrill of the hunt
> almost as much as using the gear. Epay is convenient and purty (I use
> it myself), but nowhere near as fun as a real hamfest or trading with
> like-minded folks.
> 
> de Todd/'Boomer' KA1KAQ
>