Hey Fellas take a look at this Kit.

[Jack-KA3ZLR-]

http://www.getboost.com/dz/sienna.htm

I found this in QST while reading.

[W1UJR]

Neat link Jack.

I love kits, but check out the last line on the website:

"The Sienna will be available about September 1, 2005.
We expect the entry level price to be about $3000, with options taking it up to about $6K fully loaded."

For 6 large, even 3 large I could buy some very fine business boatanchors to take apart and kit. I bet I could reproduce the Johnson Ranger kit for less than $1.5K if parts were sourced from Asia.

I have to think you are going to have a very small market of folks who want to dump $3k on a kit.

Now the folks at Elecraft, www.elecraft.com have the right idea.
$300-500 kits, QRP, but still kool.

W1UJR...Keeping Amateur Radio alive, one electron at a time.

.[/b]

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Saw the model at Dayton this year. Estimated, $3K base price, up to $6K for bells and whistles.

Would you spend 3 to 6K for a kit/semi-kit from a company that has no major track record?

[W1GFH]

Plugging prebuilt boards together with prebuilt cables is not kit-building, and it's probably not as fun as the olde style construction.

This winter the Houston qrp club started developing an Ameco AC-1 clone kit (6V6 xtal oscillator) but I think the project got bogged down in club politics and inertia.

http://www.qsl.net/wb1gfh/hameco.html

As I recall, the best they could estimate after sourcing parts and prestamped chassis was a retail price of around $170 per unit.

[K6JEK]

I stopped reading at the line "Built in PC running Windows XP"  Horrors.  If it didn't have that I might be interested.  Maybe if I paid extra they'd  take that part out.

[wa1knx]

no way I'd ever paid dollars like that for a xcvr. I still think
the IC-735 is the best bang for the $ I ever got!

[W1UJR]

Plugging prebuilt boards together with prebuilt cables is not kit-building, and it's probably not as fun as the olde style construction.

This winter the Houston qrp club started developing an Ameco AC-1 clone kit (6V6 xtal oscillator) but I think the project got bogged down in club politics and inertia.

http://www.qsl.net/wb1gfh/hameco.html

As I recall, the best they could estimate after sourcing parts and prestamped chassis was a retail price of around $170 per unit.

Frank,
Thanks for that link, that is a very cool kit!
$170 is a deal for that level of quality.
I do hope they produce it.

-Bruce

[Jack-KA3ZLR-]

Hi guys,

 Yea i was interested in how he compares pricing then and today, although it is comparable, Still 3 grand is 3 grand which i don't have to spare, no matter where the value of the dollar is.

[W8AMD]

I stopped reading at the line "Built in PC running Windows XP"  Horrors.  If it didn't have that I might be interested.  Maybe if I paid extra they'd  take that part out.

If you read on to the second page you find that the built in pc is an option.  Interesting find but way too pricy for my blood.

Larry

[W3SLK]

I guess them fellas that designed and marketed that rig must have forgotten the golden rule of ham radio people: We are so tight with the $$ that we make Lincoln weep because we are squeezing him so hard! That's why we have "Hamfests".

[Vortex Joe - N3IBX]

I guess them fellas that designed and marketed that rig must have forgotten the golden rule of ham radio people: We are so tight with the $$ that we make Lincoln weep because we are squeezing him so hard! That's why we have "Hamfests".

Mike(y),
           Oh so true! I guess their marketing people don't know much about Hams. Most of us have deep pockets and short arms!

[kc2ifr]

OR.........most hams wouldn't pay a quarter to see the Statue of Liberty lift her leg and pee in New York harbor......... :badgrin:

[Glenn K2KL]

I can get an unassembled Heathkit on E-bay for $3000  :lol:  :lol:



 :lol:

[Paul, K2ORC]

The Sienna will be available about September 1, 2005. We expect the entry level price to be about $3000, with options taking it up to about $6K fully loaded. Orders are being accepted, but because of the long lead times, we will not accept money until the product actually ships. Please email us with your comments, questions or to be placed on the waiting list.

Wonder how they did their marketing study?   I'd guess they're looking to see how much interest this generates.   I'd guess not a lot at those prices.
Even with his analysis of Heathkit's prices adjusted for inflation, it seems like quite a stretch.
http://www.getboost.com/dz/about_dzkit.htm