HIGH PRICED brackets / Mikes / Etc

[ai4ep]

I am sure you have looked through the cataloga & internet at the prices for the simple things that are used with amateur radio.

Check the prices for just a simple mounting bracket ( no side screws included ) for a mobile rig !!

Check out how much it costs for a simple HAND MIKE for your mobile, base hf, or other rig.

Are some of these items made of gold, or some rare metal / plastic that makes these things COST so much ?

If you dont believe me, look up your current rig ( or one you would like to own ) and see how much the prices are....

[K7JBQ]

Marketing 101.

Gillette loses money on razors, but the blades bring in the bucks.
HP loses money on printers, but the cartridges keep it rolling in.
When I was in the racing car business, we barely broke even on cars, but the spares kept us in business.
Same thing with ham gear. The basic boxes are bargains. The profits are in the accessories. Compare the prices on "factory" power supplies with, say, Astron.
That's why there's an aftermarket. Thank God.

73,
Bill

[ai4ep]

I just have a hard time spending $50 or more for a hand mike for my hf rig ( insert brand name & model # here )...and spending too much for mobile mounting brackets for use in the vehicle, when you can get some cheap metal and put a bend in it on a concrete block & a hammer and bend it around to fit around the corners...sure it aint cosmetically beautiful, but it does the job. Plus the blood from your mashed fingers DOES add some color to the metal....some folks might be thinking of trying all these used CB mikes for extra mikes on amateur gear, sure they have no " up/down buttons " or " DTMF buttons ", but they might get the message out. Then the price of morse code keys is fairly steep, for no more than they do...but any one can strip two wires and tough them together to send morse code if they really want to in an emergency...or if they dont know morse code, they can just hook up the ole cb rig, and transmit a carrier on AM long enuf to make some one mad enough to look for them !!

Dern those prices are too high !!

[kj5t]

That is why you find a piece mike or keyer or bracket that works and you like it. You might have to replace it, but a lot of times you can find bargains at hamfests. Personally I don't think spending $70 on a Heil hand mike is much, the mike is well worth it. My Icom hand mike came with my radio, and works fine, and I like it. So though the $70 Heil is worth the cash, and will work good, I see no reason to get it.

Thought one of these days when I have a contest station, I want to get a Heil Headset, and Heil studio mike..

[K9STH]

A while back several amateurs did an experiment using Heil microphone elements and a number of much cheaper elements from sources like Mouser. Believe it or not, a goodly number of the cheap (like less than $2) elements got better signal reports from virtually everyone who was contacted than did the Heil microphone elements.

Right now I am in need of a high impedance cartridge and this morning ordered a ceramic and a crystal element from Mouser. They will be here tomorrow afternoon. Both cost less than $4 each. I am going to run some tests and see just how those elements compare with some higher priced microphones.

I do have quite a supply of old commercial two-way microphones and most of those "sound' very good when used on amateur equipment. Of course the older "carbon compatible" microphones do need some "matching" to work with the 600 ohm impedance of the newer equipment and a "lot" of "matching" to work with the older high impedance microphone circuits in "boat anchor" transmitters.

Glen, K9STH

[AG3Y]

As long as we are talking microphones, here, what ever happened to the good old Motorola sized microphones? Now those were microphones you could get your HANDS ON ! ( see the picture in my bio for an example of a typical undersized microphone ) I cannot figure out why the typical Japanese radio comes with a microphone more suitable for a child's hand? Been wanting to mention this for a long time, and see what the rest of you think? This looked like as good a chance as any. ( Sorry if I hijacked the thread! )

73, Jim

[ai4ep]

not to me you did NOT....carry on

[k4ah]

Quote[/b] (AG3Y @ Feb. 10 2005,10:13)]#I cannot figure out why the typical Japanese radio comes with a microphone more suitable for a child's hand?
One word Cost. I worked for two different Japanese companies. Uniden and Panasonic. In the engineering department our job was to cut cost. You could easily make a couple of the small mikes with the plastic in the old Motorola mike. Anything smaller is cheaper to make normally.

I worked with battery pack design for a while also. It is amazing to see what ham radio companies charge for a new battery pack. The cost to build is a lot less than the sale price.

[K8ERV]

Some years ago I wanted to buy a spare RCA TV remote. They wanted $65. Found the exact same thing at Wally for less than $10. Go figure.

TOM K8ERV Montrose Colo

[kz9u]

Quote[/b] (ai4ep @ Feb. 10 2005,13:46)]Then the price of morse code keys is fairly steep
I built an iambic key for under $20 out of scrap wood and brass thumb tacks.. On loaning it to a friend who is way better at CW than me (copying 30 - 35 wpm is nothing to this guy) he said it had as good a feel and action to it as his not exactly inexpensive Vibroplex.. The moral of this story is there is *usually* an inexpensive way around the high priced acceossories if'n ya look for it.

[KD7WHQ]

Yup ;)
A guy up the hill has a shear/brake. Think I'm going to be shopping for mobile brackets? lol

Seriously though, you could do the same with a 4" bench vice.

Brackets are easy.

As said, mics are as well, as long as the impedance is close.

Still want to use this D-104 on the FT-8900, and compare the quality though.
The stock mic (got small hands, guys) is great, and has fantastic audio, but.. I want to try it and see what the difference is..