Now THAT I can dig. Here's an idea - make it 2 or 3 classes:
1. Homebrew.
2. Station consisting of manufactured gear: money spent on it - under $150
3. Station consisting of manufactured gear: money spent on it - under $500
NOTE: on manufactured gear, you can rebuild it and/or mod it BUT, thet beceoms a part of the cost/money spent on it.
73,
Ellen - AF9J
Slaving away at work
My interpretation of Skip's challenge here is that you don't have to pay a lot of money for nice gear, big gear, etc. Look at the new rigs given away as door prizes at hamfests and the like. There are plenty of deals to be had that don't involve ripping someone off or robbing a bank to fund it. They oftentimes require getting off the computer and out into the world, however. Having the packrat gene always helps.