How much money have you spent on ham radio?

[WF7I]

Where do you fit in on the money scale? http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[ai4ep]

As the old saying goes " if you wanna play, you have to pay " !

This aint no worse than spending the same amount of money on hobbies such as fishing, atv riding, fixing up old cars , chasing wild women, etc.

[kj5t]

How much money "I" have spent.. and how much my equipment is worth is two different things. My Power Supply/2m Base/Ringo Ranger/Spectrum Anaylzer were all part of my dads surplus equipment. The stuff went over to me and is not a part of my shack. My HF Setup (Right around $700 for the radio, tuner, antenna, connectors, etc... the coax was surplus from my dads stuff.. ) I have an R-600 that I paid $60 for a 2m HT that I paid $130 for.. a few gadgets here and there (total might reach $100)

I am just right at $1000.. which its no wonder I have a hamshack, but no car.. HAHA! I guess on saturdays I can stay at home and talk on the radio while my stepbrother is out friends.. HAHA!

[nz3m]

Wow, it really adds up when you count everything including cable runs etc. Like EP said, if you want to play.....

Dave

[W0UZR]

Ok, I confess....
I operated 3 nets altogether, still operate one now, and 99% of the time I can hear everyone pretty well with a 102' dipole, and an 830s. I switch back and forth between that and a 102 Yaesu, or a 902 DM Yaesu. These radios hear just as welll if not better than any of the new ones, and all three radio's totled alltogether?

$1175.00

The 830 $350
" 102 $425
" 902 DM $400

And they are all in mint shape and works like new.

The 922 amp is $650. So my nitch in the "Hobby" is to talk like I'm spending $1000.00s but not spending much money at all.

I'm putting up a 3 element Mosley 33 that will cost $150 with a 40 meter add on kit, + a D40 Cushcraft rotatable dipole that I paid $125 for, and a ham M rotor I paid $150 for. So altogether, I will be talking pretty good for not that much money in my antennas. I already have a 40' TV crank up tower I will be putting it on.

You don't have to spend BooCoo bucks to get out pretty good and do some good talking.

[KA4DPO]

A lot but not as much as my airplane........

[K9STH]

In 46 years, a lot!

At least what the equipment, antennas, feedlines, etc. are worth. I have done a lot of "horse trading" over the years.

Glen, K9STH

[WA2ZDY]

Thousands, without even realising it. Of course it's taken me over 30 years to do that, but still . . .

[N5BO]

The most I've spent at once is around $1400, sadly I don't have any of the equipment anymore. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

I'll be buying a used rig next week so I can finally get back on the air after being off the air for a very long time....pretty much since 1997, only operating a few contest since then.

[wa4brl]

I was first licensed WN4VQY in 1971. In the 34 years since, I've spent just over $4000 for rigs, antennas, and accessories for HF, VHF, UHF, mobile, base and handheld. This includes the Heathkit SB line I've recently collected. That's less than $10 a month! And I could liquidate those I still own for a quarter to a third of the total spent.

I hadn't realized just how cheap this hobby has been, compared to EVERYTHING else. I mean boating, fishing, camping, vollyball, bowling, photography, RC airplanes, flying ($$$ OUCH!), my wife's 65 Mustang... all those money pits! (Not that I don't/didn't enjoy them.)

I dare say a hopscotch habit would probably cost ten bucks a month in chalk! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[K8ERV]

Quote[/b] (ai4ep @ April 02 2005,18:30)]This aint no worse than spending the same amount of money on hobbies such as fishing, atv riding, fixing up old cars , chasing wild women, etc.
On only half of these things do you have a chance of catching anything!! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif

TOM K8ERV Montrose Colo

[wa9cwx]

I have been a ham for 43 years.

VERY poor for many years, as a student (until age 26) and in early years in business. At that time #usually spent less than $1000.00 /Yr.

SINCE then, easily over $100,000.00 in direct purchases of gear, and approx $26,000.00 in current antennas, probably add another $8K for the previous antennas.

This is a great hobby, and I enjoy putting my energy into it. I seldom 'haggle' prices at a hamfest, and when I buy new I only wait for the gear to be out about a year so as to work out "bugs" on a new rig. I do not wait for 'sales'.

I recently visited a ham who must have spent (by my estimate, I did not ask him) OVER $350,000.00 on his coax ALONE. (All Hardline, lots of it BIG stuff) and had ten top of the line stations for his contest set up, and several for his personal use. In addition he had kept (in MINT condition) ALL of his earlier equipment.

Easily in the mega bucks range somewhere.

His multi tower system, all rotating and at 180',
his "4 sqaures" for 80 and 160, and his seperate antenna farm for contest "multipliers" (almost a half mile away and ALL fed by BIG hardline), made for a rather impressive display.

Made me think I need a second income just to start playing serious radio.

Frank http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[kb2vxa]

Hi guys,

Ham equipment is like women, they come and they go with a few bucks tossed in to sweeten the pot. I'm an old horse trader from way back so it's hard to separate the SWL stuff from the deals that went down since I was licensed in 1995. Ah, it's only money and I can't count.

[w8znx]

ahoy

so do you mean 2005 dollars

been playing with radios
since 12 yrs old

first store bought xmiter
a used wrl globe scout
money spent took forever to save
lucky boy
got a used RME 50 receiver for xmas
(modern min tube version of the RME 45)

swan 350 es ps
set me back
good 2 weeks pay

been lucky
bought tube rigs
when price was low

sold too many off for nothing
but still have some realy fb old junk

one of my most used amps
is a hammond hl 500

straight out of the old arrl ssb hand book
bought it for 75 bucks not running
one weekend work it is still running 20 yrs later

even poor sot
like my self
has collins radio gear

in the end
if you know radio
and you have no money
you still still work dx
rag chew
ect

money
put it this way
hs drop out
picked the wrong skilled trade

some how i still find a way
put out good sig on 80/40 cw es fone

keep 54 yr old wood sailing dinghy
and member of a sailing club

quality of life ham radio
has less to do with money
than quality of life

dirt poor
living in a sro hotel
would still be able
get on the air

dit dit
mac

sail onedesign
sail fast
you got to
sail thistle class

best bang for your buck
in onedesign dinghy racing
thistle class

[kf6rdn]

Wow, I'm in the median on this one..

You did miss the answer - "Too f'ing much". http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

And yeah I didn't put enough, 2 Kilobuck rigs & a bunch of debris bought for creative antenna ideas,some junk just to have spare junk (components etc) along with an ht, power supply, some car antennas.. And oh yeah, I hadda buy a car to put all the crap in... lol.. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif

[kj3n]

Quote[/b] ]How much money have you spent on ham radio?

More than I probably should, but nowhere near as much as I've seen others do. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[WB2WIK]

I put myself in the "over $50K" category, but it's taken nearly 40 years for that to happen.

Easy to remember "rigs" and "amps," not so easy to remember little things like all the towers, tower bases, antennas, rotors, coax, rotor cable, concrete, guy anchors, guy wires -- and on and on. This is actually where I've spent by far the majority invested, and I must say, it's paid off.

I'd still rather use a 25 year-old rig having little monetary value but connected to large, high antennas -- and pretty much do that. Works better than the other way 'round.

WB2WIK/6

[WF7I]

Wow, at least one between 50k and 100k! I'm jealous!

[KG4RUL]

I suppose if I didn't have CC&R restrictions, I woould spend even more. Lets see:

106' crankup, tiltover tower with a MonstIR beam.

Icom 7800

Heil Mikes (gold plated)

A Yaesus Az/El rotator for my quad helix sat antenna array

etc.

The only thing stopping me is those winning numbers for the PowerBall!

Dennis http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

[WB2WIK]

Quote[/b] (WF7I @ April 04 2005,13:28)]Wow, at least one between 50k and 100k! #I'm jealous!
Don't be jealous: The result wasn't a pile of glistening new equipment, although that would have been nice.

I've moved 15 times as a ham, and every single move required a tower installation that probably cost a minimum of $3K. So, there's $45K right there, and that didn't put a signal on the air yet! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

With fewer moves, the dollar figure would be much reduced.

WB2WIK/6

[K3UD]

Been a ham a bit over 40 years and in that time period I probably have spent a total of $15,000-18,000 on radios and related stuff. It has averaged about $400 per year. Have owned a whole lot of different equipment over the years and have traded both up and down depending on what I was going after. It has been a great adventure and worth every dime.

73
George
K3UD

[WA2ZDY]

Quote[/b] (K3UD @ April 04 2005,22:35)]. . . It has been a great adventure and worth every dime.
I'd say the same thing about worth every dime except the dimes I spent on my first SSB rig: a Halliscratchers FPM300. #That piece of garbage was gone after three weeks. # It was a nice rig until I went down to the CW band and tried to use it. #YUCK!

I think I traded it toward an Apache and an R4B or something.

[W7WV]

I have about $4-5k invested in everything. HF radio and amp and some test equipment. The tower and beam, although very modest by most standards, was my biggest investment.

The tower was used, the beam new. But the expensive cement for the base for the freestander and work to dig the hole were pretty costly.

But was it worth it, you bet it was!

[KG6YTZ]

New ham, entire collection of amateur equipment so far consists of a Yaesu FT-11R, its stock rubber duck antenna, and its AA dry cell pack. Bought used. Total invested in amateur radio to date, counting the test and the Yaesu: $54. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

for me...
Tempo One-$175.00- works great!
HeathKit HW-16- FREE, from my uncle,ky0i
RadioShack HTX-242-$60.00
Clegg FM-28-$20.00
Yaesu FT-60R-$195.00
Books-$30.00
Operating Desk- $150.00
computer- got this from a trade
logbooks-$20.00 so far
iambic keyer-$130.00
straight key- FREE from my uncle
wall map- $15.00
QSL Cards-$20.00
headphones-$40.00
coax cable-$55.00 (RadioShack type)
connectors-$37.00

Yeah i have spent some money, and I only just got started back in Nov. 2004.

antennas...

2m Yagi- $50.00 (eBay)
432 MHz Antenna- $60.00 (eBay)
2m Vertical $46.25 (eBay)
Hustler 4-BTV- $129.99 (AES)
homemade wire antennas-$15.00

[KC0NBW]

i make my own wire from pennies ! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[WF7I]

Quote[/b] (WB2WIK @ April 04 2005,14:36)]Quote[/b] (WF7I @ April 04 2005,13:28)]Wow, at least one between 50k and 100k! #I'm jealous!
Don't be jealous: The result wasn't a pile of glistening new equipment, although that would have been nice.

I've moved 15 times as a ham, and every single move required a tower installation that probably cost a minimum of $3K. #So, there's $45K right there, and that didn't put a signal on the air yet! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

With fewer moves, the dollar figure would be much reduced.

WB2WIK/6
WIK,

It looks like I'm chasing your record so far in my life. I'm on my 6th QTH in the last 8 years! Only two towers though. I will probably be working on putting up a 3rd incarnation in about 1-2 years, if this job holds up. Pay hasn't been the problem for me, but moving has! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif

[w7auw]

with all the radio's and the wiring and 3 towers and 6 antennas not counting the 136' longwire the tuners and amps and meters, mics and all the other accutrements. I'm just about the 18,000 dollar amount with the power supplies and 4 ht's and laptop controlled software for sstv, digtrx, radio control software and all the cables and stuff like that there. whew!

[k4kyv]

I wouldn't try to estimate how much I have spent since first getting on the air in 1959, but it would undoubtedly be quite a bit. However, the only major item I ever spent big bucks for was my 127' tower - bought brand new Rohn 25G and hardware and installed it by the book except for substantial overkill. Cost me about $1600 in 1981.

Everything else in my station has always been made from stuff someone else no longer wanted and thought was junk. Have two QRO homebrew transmitters made mostly from parts scrounged from hamfest fleamarkets and estate sales. Also have a Gates broadcast transmitter on 160 - given to me by the station to remove from their premises. Have two 75A4's, purchased in the early 80's from Yellow Sheets and QST ham-ads; one cost me $200 and got the other for $100, complete with all three filters.

I used to attend several hamfests over the summer, and would return from each one with the car (one of those old wide-as-a-tank two parking spaces early 60's things with tailfins and huge trunk), dragging the ground. Remember one trip up near Chicago; returned with the trunk full, the rear seat full, even the passenger side full, with just enough room in the car for me to sit and drive. That was back in the early to mid 70's when droves of hams were giving up homebrewing and dumping fine old transmitter components such as variable caps, transformers, high voltage filter caps, meters, transmitting tubes, and other building parts for almost nothing. Over the years I managed to essentially accumulate my own private radio parts warehouse.

Glad I did, because now the stuff has become valuable. 75A4's go for nearly $1000 each, WW2 surplus transmitting tubes such as the VT4-C/211 command $100 each (thanks to the audiophools), and that kind of stuff is becoming rarer and rarer at hamfests. Last time I went to Dayton, one Wal-mart shopping bag would have held everything I purchased.

I am getting more picky about what I bring home (must consider storage space), plus the stuff doesn't show up in the fleamarket anymore, and what little there is sells at inflated prices. Yet about 6 months ago a friend cleaned out his cellar and I packed a minivan pull of stuff he gave me to make more room in his house.

Even my hamshack falls into the category of scrounged items that someone else didn't want. It is a 1930-era 24'X32' one-room schoolhouse with 12' ceiling. A local church had used it until they decided to replace it with a better building. They gave it to me for removing it from their property, just the very day the guy with the bulldozer was supposed to come demolish it, but didn't show up. Right away I arranged to have a housemover relocate it 1/4 mile across the field onto my property for $3000 - a fraction of what I would have paid for the raw materials to build a similar building myself.

My entire station plus all the spare goodies would likely cost well over $100,000 if you added up the original retail price of every item in the building, not including the cost of the building itself. In reality, I probably don't have over what you yould pay for a good used car in the whole thing.

At that time I purchased the tower components, I could have spent about the same amount of money for a top-of-the-line transceiver and made do with a mediocre antenna system. To-day I still have an exceptional antenna system even though the tower has a little rust and while most of the radio equipment is at least 40 years old, it was put together from stuff that was the best available at any price when it was new. If I had gone the transceiver route, all I would have to show today would still be "old junk" (a moderate-quality, quarter-century old transceiver, if it still even worked) plus some kind of unimpressive antenna system.

The retail industry would undoubtedly consider me a very poor example of a "consumer." It is not people like myself who keep the economy going.

[WF7I]

Quote[/b] (k4kyv @ April 09 2005,09:06)]That was back in the early to mid 70's when droves of hams were giving up homebrewing and dumping fine old transmitter components such as variable caps, transformers, high voltage filter caps, meters, transmitting tubes, and other building parts for almost nothing. Over the years I managed to essentially accumulate my own private radio parts warehouse.
I've been hearing that hamfests are shutting down these days. The last couple I've been to were rather meager so I guess it's true. I wonder if we'll get to the point where hamfests are a thing of the past?

[KB3MBM]

I'm new to Amateur Radio. My 'shack' consists of my Yaesu FT-7800R and an MFJ dual-band antenna mounted in my car.

[W0UZR]

And you're running your 7800 in your car?

[N5BO]

I spent over $1500 back in '98, but ended up selling everything a few years later because I needed the money to fix my car. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

I'll be spending some money this week to get me back on the air! I'm sending off the money for a FT-920 in the morning, and I'll be ordering some other items later in the day. It sure will be nice to finally have a station of my own again.

[W0UZR]

I was going to get a 920. And I heard enough from people that I decided to wait and get a good used 1000mp or Mark V Field instead. That is if I'm going with Yaesu.

If I decide to go Kenwood, then it will be the 940, 850 SAT, or the 2000. More than likely the 2000. But I have to see if the Kenwoods finally have as quiet of a noise floor as the yaesu's first. If not, then it will be Yaesu.

Actually my all time favorite radio is the 101F Yaesu. There is almost NO noise floor on that and I can hear all kind of things with that that my 830S Kenwood won't hear. All I hear is voice on the 101, and, Snow noise like a TV that's not on a station on the 830.

[KE7CWB]

Im still getting into all this.

just got an ICOM v8000 for the car and have a mag mount for that.

also have 2 HTs including upgraded antennas for those

plus tech and general class license manuals and a CW cd.

a tad over 500 total right now.

next in the cards is either a 6m rig or a 2m allmode rig.

wanting to get into 6m and 2m ssb.

73

[P29ZAD]

I have worked the world for less then $75.

[ki4eyo]

I got most of my gear as a gift( being 13 where am I gonna get $500 to $1000 ??!!) http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[NY7Q]

Over the last 44 years, I have owned thousands of dollars worth of new Swan, Drake, Yaesu, Icom, Kenwood, Standard, and lastly Alinco. I have owned each new model presented since about 1963. I wouldnt give a dime for collins crap.
Since ham radio is now going away to digital idiots, I no longer purchase any rigs. I suggest everyone boycott the arrl before they take ham radio away.

[KF4ZHL]

Amazing how it all adds up. Two mobiles, a power supply, an HT, a micro HT, mobile antennas, and a SW receiver. I make my own base antennas. Mostly dipoles and 1/4 wave verticals/ground plane. You still have to buy the coax. A long wire for the SW receiver with an air coil.

Other radio stuff includes FRS radios I use, and some CB stuff long gone.

I almost wish my current home had some trees or fences. Aside from the attic, I have no place to hide or hang antennas! An effective SWL antenna is going to be a bit hard. I'm thinking maybe a loop?

[KC0KBH]

Quote[/b] (ki4eyo @ April 16 2005,01:00)]I got most of my gear as a gift( being 13 where am I gonna get $500 to $1000 ??!!) http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
You'd be surprised. I was only going to spend maybe $250 on an HF rig, but then I got a super deal. An IC-765 with 200' of LMR-400 and a Heil Proset for $500 (locally). Dug holes and trenches for sprinklers for my dad. Worked at quite a few places. On the "chain" (a local chain of lakes with very poor water quality), on the Mississippi, and in town at commercial jobs and residential. The commercial jobs were the worst, besides the people with existing yards, since there was no shade or water around, it sometimes was clay or rocky, and there were electric and gas lines everywhere. The longest trench I dug was about 30' I think. A ton of gas and electric, and the soil was hard and dry. But, it is a lot nicer than school! It feels so nice getting into the truck after a long day and turning on the AC. On my dad's last truck, the AC did not work, and for a few days it was 95 F, and it was about a half hour drive home. But, I want to get a used FT-817 this summer, and maybe a Kawasaki 1973 Enduro 100 or a Kawasaki Bayou 185 four wheeler needing some work so it is cheaper.

But, don't dispair about an HF rig. It will come to you, and it will be the perfect rig for you.

[KC0KBH]

The lineup-
IC-765 $500
VX-7r $300
Standard HT $50
All the junk I bought from Rat Shack
Priceless

[WF7I]

Quote[/b] (KC0KBH @ May 05 2005,19:59)]All the junk I bought from Rat Shack
Priceless
"sshhhhhhhwwwwwwwoooootttt!! TWONG!!"

<span style='font-size:17pt;line-height:100%'>
ARCHER!</span>
(the mark of excellence!)
http://www.transistor.org/collection/radioshack/radioshackarcher60-4002.jpg

[KG6YTZ]

Well, the amount is climbing... #I started out at a mere $40 for an FT-11R 2m HT [after $14 for the test], but then I decided to get two sets of 2500 mAh AA batteries for it. #Then it was the CTCSS decoder board, a 5/8-wave duck, the programming software/cable, a watt meter/SWR bridge, a "portable dipole" kit [stuck to the bedroom wall], a mobile mag-mount antenna [on top of the fridge in the kitchen], a jumper cable [HT to meter], a couple of adapters, a speaker-mike, a basic multimeter mainly because I decided I needed one... http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Also recently ordered the Yaesu CBE-38 battery eliminator - an item I hadn't even been aware of until I accidentally stumbled across it during a Google search for something else - so I can get the HT's rated 5W TX from 12VDC in from a lighter plug. #Couple that little goodie with my power supply, SWR bridge, dipole, and speaker-mike, and that HT will easily do double duty as my 2m fixed station.

I've lost count already. #How much have I spent? #I'll have to go back over my records. #Certainly quite a bit just to support an HT and maximize its utility as a "semi-stealth" fixed station in my rented apartment, but it's the only amateur transceiver I have so far.