Semantics at best. Heck, even I don't know who the end user is. Why would I ? I designed the RF deck....that's it.
So, you're selling it for a bag of cash out of the back of your car in some dimly lit public garage and only known as Deep Throat? Guess I am in the wrong part of the electronics business. I have to have names, sales tax status, and traceability for my designs.
As far as appliance operators, I don't have the time, equipment, or facilities to design and build the equivalent of an FT-991A. So, I and everyone else should just shut up because we can't do that? I don't think so. And the other question is why I have to build something at twice the price, when you include retail parts pricing and your labor, because the thing I buy is commercially made with a warranty, and customer service if I have a problem? Again, I don't think so.
If you enjoy building, that's great. Have at it. But if for the 2 major reasons I listed, why should we be denied the enjoyment of the hobby?
I guess you either can't read, or misunderstood me, or can't comprehend a couple of simple U tube video's...or basic...'one off custom builds' . I'm NOT building it, NOR selling it. I designed the RF deck, that's it. The builder is building both the RF deck in box #1......and the mating B+ supply / adjustable fil supply / blower+ interlocks / aux-misc items...in box #2.
You WON'T find the design in any ARRL handbook, NOR any engineering book either. It does not exist anywhere. Custom, one off RF amplifiers have to be engineered, and designed from scratch. Both the builder's and the end users know that, and what's involved in shipping them, installing them, maintaining them, and trbl shooting them. I enjoy designing them, simply because it's NOT in any book. It's a challenge to my skill sets. 10 kw CCS on 6M..that's a new one for me..(well I did do a 2 x GS35B 6M amp > 10 years ago, that would just peg a 5 kw slug). I'm already onto the next project, some fellow overseas wants a monoband 7 mhz amp, that makes the 6M amp look like a sick puppy. Then I get folks who e-mail me, who want QSK capability at 30 kw..(done, and works real smoothly). Then more oversea folks, who want a CM choke for 20m, that will handle 30 kw....and they want it like in 2 days flat, 3 at the most...(done. I managed to nail it on the 1st go).
And no, I have never taken any remuneration for any of it. At home, I have 3 x workbenches, 2 x drill press's, dual grinder, disc grinder, vert/horz bandsaw for metal, 10 ton hydraulic punch kit, more greenlee punch's, roper whitney hand and 5 ton bench punches, vice, typ shop tools, air compressor, and a bunch of the usual test gear. For the larger stuff, I get it cut locally, since they can shear large sheets of 1/8" aluminum to my specs. I have to fabricate my own chassis's, since I can't buy any for the size I want. After the design..and layout, the rest is one helluva lot of metal work. Typ it's 80% metalwork, and 20% wiring. And all of that is just for my own projects.
A lot of what I do is testing new concepts, new design techniques, equipment modifications etc. I wouldn't build a xcvr from scratch either.... but I typ end up modifying the daylights out of them. I don't repair amplifiers nor xcvrs anymore for other folks. With the advent of FT-8, folks don't listen, and proceed to blow up their amps. Fix em, then get a repeat process. I'm done with that aspect of it.
