T-386 Value

[wb6kwt]

I've been talking to Mike K6LQ about the T3 he is selling. The xmtr has been inop for 10 years and untested. The overall condition looks good, from the pictures he sent me. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Bob
wb6kwt

[W1UJR]

Most good, clean T3s command prices in the $2k range and up.
Posting some photos might help.

What letter model, A-F?

Other info?

[ke7trp]

Unworking and in original rusted and beat up condition $1500.   Working but looks like hell, maybe $1800.  Fully restrored with MATCHING decks. $2000 and up

It really is a hell of a value..  I cant fit a BC rig in here.. No way in hell.  The T3 does not really take up much room. Its against the wall in the corner. 

I see people paying T3 prices for Kings and Junkston 500s.


C

[WBear2GCR]

Fwiw, I have a T-368 in the FS section here... open to offers... real offers, no kidz, no lidz, no space kadetz, no tire kickers please!

Before April 15th I am putty in your hands?

                 _-_-bear

[ke7trp]

If I was closer, I would buy it.  I would love to get a junker, Put two 4-400s in it,  4-400s in the modulator, New fil tranys.  Redo the tank ect.. You would have one damn nice Transmitter.

C

[K5UJ]

You guys have slightly inflated prices if you ask me.   Here in the midwest in the past year I've seen all the T3s go for $1000 to $1500.   the $1000 one needed work.  I understand the others were in good shape.   

[Ott]

You guys have slightly inflated prices if you ask me.   Here in the midwest in the past year I've seen all the T3s go for $1000 to $1500.   the $1000 one needed work.  I understand the others were in good shape.   

Maybe higher prices are an east coast thing... I'm with UJR on this one though... I'd want at least $2k for my T-3... rugged, long lived, easily modified, compact, more or less legal limit transmitter with 24/7 capability... they really are the Harley Davidson of AM transmitters available to hams... 

Ott

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

I'd want at least $2k for my T-3...

Well, sure Ott. I'd want at least $50K for my KW-1 too, if I ever decided to part with it.   Doesn't mean I'd get that, or that a KW-1 would even bring that amount (though one did go to Japan in the 90s for around $46K).

You guys have slightly inflated prices if you ask me.   Here in the midwest in the past year I've seen all the T3s go for $1000 to $1500.   the $1000 one needed work.  I understand the others were in good shape.  

Much closer to reality. Based on actual sales, $2K and down would be more accurate. I've seen several in the last year sell in the $800-$1500 range, most in working condition. A member of this board bought one in the last year for somewhere around $1400 IIRC, and it was working, sorta.

And that's the key. A broken T-3 can cost a fair amount to fix unless you're willing to hack it up to fit other iron and components into it. There's nothing really rare about them, though they're not as plentiful as the Apache or DX-100. And while I'd agree they are are certainly a great value for the money, so is a nice R-390A. Most of them sell well below the 'invested collector' prices of $1-$2K.

In my opinion, a non-working unit is more accurately worth $500 for a complete-but-scruffy example to upwards of $1200 or so for a clean "matching" unit. Working condition should bump it to the $800-$1800 range give or take. $2K for an extremely clean, fresh-outta-the-crate-looking example seems reasonable. Keep in mind that it does not offer complete 10-160 coverage, if that's important.

Again, like Rob, I base this on actual sales over the last year that I've seen or asked about, not someones asking price, and not from the view of emotional attachment. It's difficult to put a value on something you own and enjoy. There are no doubt folks out there who feel their favorite piece of equipment is priceless, and rightly so.

[ke7trp]

There are hamfest prices and auction prices. The trouble with hamfests is that EVERYONE now searches Auction sites. Dont bring gear to a hamfest with Auction prices on it. Its a waste of everyones time

If one sells for X amount on an auction site, Then all T3's are automaticaly worth that!  LOL!  A Radio shop recently got in trouble on an auction site for listing auctions with HUGE prices on radios. Then having an employee win the auction. Of course, In the back end, there was no purchase. But when everyone searched, They found those auctions and raised the prices way way up.

Asking price is really about what the owner would like to have for it. Not what he can get from 10,000 offers. In this economy, A seller is ready to screw people.  He just has to find the guy that will take the screwing.


I think Todd is pretty close here..

Mine is in the condition of Ott's.  Plus it works properly now I dont think I will sell it off.  You never know.. I really enjoy using it.

[Ott]

I'd want at least $2k for my T-3...

Well, sure Ott. I'd want at least $50K for my KW-1 too, if I ever decided to part with it.   Doesn't mean I'd get that, or that a KW-1 would even bring that amount (though one did go to Japan in the 90s for around $46K).

At least you saw the subtle hint of a grin in my response Todd... yeah, like everything we buy and then sell, new or used, its always about whatever the buyer and seller can live with... and just how badly the wifee wants the "junk" out of the house...

Ott

[K5UJ]

There are hams who put stuff up for sale and you can tell there is a minor attitude problem because they'll have such a high price or so many other conditions that you know they really don't want to sell whatever it is but are testing the waters or are actually hoping no one takes them up on it ("I tried to sell it but no one wanted it.").   I call this the "It's my precious gold" mentality and I think if I had a lot of labor into something I'd feel like that too, but in the market place a ham has to face reality:  You either have something for sale or you don't.  If you do, get real with the price or terms, otherwise stop wasting everyone's time. 

[K5UJ]

The other thing is doubts about whether or not they'll have seller remorse some day.   For me, that's the biggest reason I hang on to what I have.  I may have no interest in cw now, but I have no idea if I'll feel that way in five years so I hang on to the cw rig.  If I had a high powered AM rig like a T3 or Johnson Desk I'd hang on to it because there are only N number of those out there, and if I ever wanted one after selling mine (I don't really have any of those rigs; I'm just speculating) I might have a hard time getting one back.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

At least you saw the subtle hint of a grin in my response Todd... yeah, like everything we buy and then sell, new or used, its always about whatever the buyer and seller can live with... and just how badly the wifee wants the "junk" out of the house...

Absolutely, Ott. Pretty much how it all works. Particularly when it comes to the good wife and family, some things really are more important than these old radios.    The timing is great for me since I was single long enough to get and enjoy many of the things that would be more difficult when married. Marriage and moving seemed to coincide almost perfectly with my downsizing and shift on interest back to the early gear that I was so fond of in the 70s-80s.

There are hamfest prices and auction prices. The trouble with hamfests is that EVERYONE now searches Auction sites. Dont bring gear to a hamfest with Auction prices on it. Its a waste of everyones time

If one sells for X amount on an auction site, Then all T3's are automaticaly worth that!  LOL!

That seems to be what some think, but it's surely doesn't resemble reality. I recall many a lively discussion about this on the newgroups back in the 90s when ebay was just taking off. While I'd agree that ebay often reflects the high water mark due to its much larger audience, in the end it's just another tool in the arsenal to be used in finding stuff. If you average the high ebay prices and purported high private sales across the board with those that sold at hamfest, yard sales, or private sales which are considerably lower (I know of two that were free), then you get the real picture. More than a few sellers have no interest in doing this, however. In fact, some think if so-n-so got that much for his, mine must be worth more! Good luck, and more power too 'em.

At this point in life, I'm not looking for time-consuming projects. I know some will come along anyway like the RCA receiver. So finding a particular piece of gear in clean, working condition is often worth paying a premium for. And as has been pointed out, as long as both parties are willing participants and happy with the result, it's all good. A non-working transmitter that's been sitting for 10 years needs to be pretty special or very, very clean to command a high price for a potential hole in your wallet.

If your T-3 works well Clark, you have a keeper. If it's as clean as Ott's, all the better! I'd give mine an 8-8.5 for appearance, the HV short being the big drawback at this point. Someday....

[W1ATR]

It's all about what the market will bear. A few years ago, I would see J500's and deskKW's hit in the 3K+ range. These days, half that. Valiants would hit 700 and little junkston rangers would pop near the same. These days, half that. Collins A-line, S-line, ABCDEFG-line, pretty much the same story. That's just how it is, and while prices are recovering slightly, they're still much lower than they were a few years ago. If you bought a house at the top of the bubble, whats it worth now?

You guys with those $2000+ t-368's need to hold on to them and hope things recover. Right now, $1200-$1500 is in line for one of those. If in doubt, put up an ePay auction, set your reserve at $4000 and let the bidders have at it. You might just be surprised what it closes at.

If your in the market for one, and want a real maul instead, I'll sell ya my GPT-750 for $18,000 and I'll even deliver it for free within 10 miles of here. ($3 per mile after that.)

[w3jn]

Indeed.  The GPT-750 is twice the T3 (weight, size, power, and great looks) 

[ke7trp]

Bigger is not always better.  I could not fit that 750 in here

C

[W1ATR]

Indeed.  The GPT-750 is twice the T3 (weight, size, power, and great looks) 

You forgot to mention twice as scarce John. You and Bruce are the only other guys I know of that have one. I'd like to know where my first one went. It was a chicken band blaster (homebrew 810's modder) that I owned 17 years ago nicknamed the Iron Curtain. The last owner sold it 5 or 6 years ago to someone either in NY or Rhode Island. Hadda a lotta funz with that rig whippin' asses on the chicken band way back in the day.

[k4kyv]

I'd want at least $50K for my KW-1 too, if I ever decided to part with it.   Doesn't mean I'd get that, or that a KW-1 would even bring that amount (though one did go to Japan in the 90s for around $46K).

I think I have a better transmitter than a KW-1.

Effective to-day I am putting the HF-300 rig up for sale.  Running out of space and getting too old and buzzardly to physically handle all the heavy metal stuff. Thinking of putting together something Class-E.

The first $85,000 cash in hand may take it away.  Shipping and handling, N. America only, $25,000. In the meantime I'll keep it hooked up and continue using it so that components don't deteriorate from moisture accumulation.

[W3RSW]

Don, you got yourself a deal if you through in the petty stuff, floor mats, the vertical, the farm, the shack, stuff older than, say 5 years.

You get to keep the house, 1 acre, R/w access to the house and all your new class E and SDR Rigs.

I really thought I'd never see the day.  Oh so sad.. 

[flintstone mop]

It looks likeme and Jared have been down the same roads. We HAD   

I HAD a T-368, got it from Fair Radio for $750.00 1999. Arrived on a pallet and it worked!!! Spruced it up a little and made all the Timtron Mods and then got rid of it.

And there are still good Amateur radio deals. In ER magazine and even eHam classifieds. Too much going on with a 4yr old now to go to 'Festers. It's called married life and lack of money......hi

Phred

[w3jn]

Indeed.  The GPT-750 is twice the T3 (weight, size, power, and great looks) 

You forgot to mention twice as scarce John. You and Bruce are the only other guys I know of that have one. I'd like to know where my first one went. It was a chicken band blaster (homebrew 810's modder) that I owned 17 years ago nicknamed the Iron Curtain. The last owner sold it 5 or 6 years ago to someone either in NY or Rhode Island. Hadda a lotta funz with that rig whippin' asses on the chicken band way back in the day.

Jared - Brown, W1NZR(?) who I believe is in Rhode Island, has one.

Love the "Iron Curtain" nick  

I met a young guy in his 20s at the Carroll Cty MD hamfest a few years ago who's got one.  It had the slopbucket modulator (the SBE) and he was gonna convert it to plate modulated.  I forget his call, he lives in MD somewhere.

W2VW had one (or more) and built up a pair of 833 mudulators.

W7FG (SK) had several- I bought a plate xformer from one of his scrappers.

Finally Howard Mills had one in his shop that he built up a 810 mod deck for a customer.  Don't know whose it was though.

Saw one go on ebay 6 mo or so ago that had a HB mod deck with a black wrinkle panel attached to the front.  Went for a couple hundred bux.  It was from a Wisconsin SK, it had sold previously on eBay out of Virginia Beach for a couple grand.  Dunno who has it now.

[w3jn]

Bigger is not always better.  I could not fit that 750 in here

C

Yeah you could, if properly motivated Clark.  The King and the T3 would probably hafta go, though 

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Those three that W7FG had came from Barry Wiseman's collection. He had them when I was out there getting the 300G from him in 2003 but didn't mention them until after I'd rented a small trailer and we were loaded and ready to head back. Otherwise I would've tried to snag them as 'PJP was looking to pick one up back then.

I know of two others that a friend has, including one with the original AM modulator. He has no intention of parting with them, lucky for me!

The T-3 is nice, but the GPT-750 is in a league by itself. As evidenced by those immortal words heard from a station on 40m last spring....

"When W3JN keyed up, the QRM QSYed!" 

[w3jn]

Ah, you reminded me of the three GPT-750s in another Maryland ham's basement, Todd.  All of them have the SBE modulators, not the plate mod setup.

[W1ATR]

Here ya go John. The Iron Curtain. It's a crappy pic because it's a scan, but you get the idea. I didn't give it it's original name, but there was no better name to describe what it used to do to this area.