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Author Topic: Ham Station Cost  (Read 1780 times)

N2SR

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Re: Ham Station Cost
« Reply #30 on: May 28, 2022, 05:09:23 AM »

The actual amount, or the amount we tell the XYL? 

Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM

Glad to know I'm not alone!

If you have to lie to your significant other about how much you send on a hobby, you have have serious martial issues.



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KX2T

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Re: Ham Station Cost
« Reply #31 on: May 28, 2022, 05:28:55 AM »

I like your comment on $2 million, is that with the house and the land???
When I lived on LI,NY and had two crank up towers, 9 HF beams, a few 500' rolls of RG213, two rotor per tower(one was a backup), one good HF rig and HF amp cause most brought there own during contest time, plus back then 2meter gear for the packet cluster and a few 1000 plus foot rolls of wire plus tons of connectors and associated hardware not including the house and property it was around $25K.
Back then You could buy a nice 21ft Grady White with motor and trailer for about the same but at todays price Forgetaboutit!
Today I have far less invested and still enjoy the hobby but that was still a worthy fun time to have on the bands back then but I must say that the radio's have gotten much better today for almost the same cost.
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KE0ZU

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Re: Ham Station Cost
« Reply #32 on: October 14, 2022, 11:13:04 AM »

Quote
...It appears most Hams do not want to post price of their Ham station...

Since starting over in the hobby in 97, I've spent a NET NET NET $29,545.88 on the hobby.   If the number seems a bit too detailed, its because my OCD requires I keep an Excell record of all related income and expenditures.   Been in and out of the hobby several times since '53, but no records prior to 97. 
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WA9AFM

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Re: Ham Station Cost
« Reply #33 on: October 14, 2022, 11:25:51 AM »

The only thing cheap in amateur radio are the operators.

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AA4PB

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Re: Ham Station Cost
« Reply #34 on: October 14, 2022, 11:52:53 AM »

My wife never paid enough attention to ham radio to know if I bought something new. My teen daughter on the other hand - "hey dad, isn't that a new radio setting on your desk? Wow that looks like it cost a pretty penny".
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Bob  AA4PB
Garrisonville, VA

KC6RWI

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Re: Ham Station Cost
« Reply #35 on: October 14, 2022, 12:15:35 PM »

My radio is my Porshe, but really I wouldn't want to take care of a Porshe or a BMW.
I got friends who say you could buy this SS-Car, and I say, so boring, there are many other
things I value more, don't you have any imagination than to spend you money on a hot rod.
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K6CRC

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Re: Ham Station Cost
« Reply #36 on: October 14, 2022, 02:43:30 PM »

Car hobby takes a couple times my ham hobby money. Old Porsche.
But, as hams and the hobby has changed, the car is much more fun. Radio, less so.

For Hams, you can work the world with my setup on a small suburban lot. 
An IC-7300, Powerwerx supply, 9:1 Unun (use BalunDesigns), a 33' pole (~$250 from Gigaparts), some copper coated antenna wire (Wireman) and a coax run (LMR) for an Inverted L antenna. $1600 - $1700 could do it if all new. Watch ads, you can save a few hundred used. If really on a budget, used K2, 7200, 450D all work. You can wind your own unun for $50 or less.

No doubt a young ham can find a elmer that has an old rig they could loan you. Old hams fading away, not a lot of young ones to replace them, unfortunately.
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K6SDW

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Re: Ham Station Cost
« Reply #37 on: October 14, 2022, 02:47:58 PM »

Single and a decent retirement income I can buy anything I desire including making dumb purchases and no one to question my sanity...HI HI

GL/73
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KC6RWI

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Re: Ham Station Cost
« Reply #38 on: October 14, 2022, 05:10:57 PM »

Cars are fun I agree, but the simple ones I bought in the past  for small money are out of sight now.
I had a 68 1600 Bmw. probably one of the best cars I owned, few people even knew what a BMW was back then.
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K1KIM

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Re: Ham Station Cost
« Reply #39 on: October 14, 2022, 06:09:38 PM »

Cars are fun I agree, but the simple ones I bought in the past  for small money are out of sight now.
I had a 68 1600 Bmw. probably one of the best cars I owned, few people even knew what a BMW was back then.

The Model 2002 tii and 3.0 CSi were pretty nice also! 
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So Many Toys.......So Little Time!

VE3TMT

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Re: Ham Station Cost
« Reply #40 on: October 15, 2022, 04:49:54 AM »

If you have to lie to your significant other about how much you send on a hobby, you have have serious martial issues.

38 years, 2 kids, 4 grand kids...doing okay
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AC7CW

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Re: Ham Station Cost
« Reply #41 on: October 15, 2022, 07:51:49 AM »

I mostly got radios that needed repairs. I loved working on them, learning how they worked and getting them on the air. I had $7000 worth of test equipment, projects, and stations stolen at one point. After 64 years off and on the air I've spent about $200/year... I'm getting ready to double my total once life slows a bit and I have time for the hobby..
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Novice 1958, 20WPM Extra now... (and get off my lawn)
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