A credit card and a box cutter

[Paul, K2ORC]

The ARRL website currently has a poll that asks: "Where do you buy most of the parts for homebrew projects?"   

The results are interesting insofar as sources from which people get parts. A fair percentage grab things from local sources which sounds encouraging. 

Less encouraging, but I guess predictable, is the percentage that checked the last box: "I don't homebrew". 

Are a credit card and a box cutter the only tools a ham today needs?  Increasingly it appears so.

http://www.arrl.org/survey.php3

[W9GT]

Paul,

Novel way of putting it!  Its a shame that more hams don't homebrew, especially vintage-style!  As for parts availability....certainly a challenge these days.  We are lucky to still have an over-the-counter parts dealer/surplus vendor here in Ft. Wayne.  Pembleton Electronics.  Radio Shack was just about the last hope for some parts....but they have cut back to practically nothing....I think Walmart probably has almost as much as Rat Shack anymore.  Hamfests are certainly just about the best source although they have been really dropping off in recent years, partially due to the "Ebay effect".

I'll be a Home Brewer forever!!!!  To me it is a major part of the hobby.   

73,  Jack, W9GT

[K1JJ]

Novel way of putting it!  Its a shame that more hams don't homebrew, especially vintage-style!  I'll be a Home Brewer forever!!!!  To me it is a major part of the hobby.      73,  Jack, W9GT

Yep, couldn't agree more, Jack.  Glad to hear you love to build gear.

Homebrewing is what keeps the hobby interesting. There was a time back in the 70's when I bought a complete Yaesu station. It was exciting for about 2 days. Then it just sat there. I sold it all off, cuz I didn't get on the air with it. Boring.

In contrast, homebrewing is the "dream". We all need a dream. Most of the fun is planning, designing, collecting parts, drilling and blasting, talking about it wid our buddies... dreaming.   It's the dream of, "boy, won't it be great when I can walk into the room and this thing lights up and works? I can't wait ".  Enthusiasm for the hobby is the result.

That's why we need to encourage, showcase and always give kudos to others' homebrew projects. It doesn't matter what someone builds. It leads to bigger and better stuff later. Contrary to some opinions, I feel the Class E crowd are the leaders right now in building and encouraging newcomers. They have made it something anyone can do... order all parts via Newark, etc.  I got involved and built one myself. It was an adventure, to say the least.

Riceboxes are nice and so are linears. Everyone needs a set in their shack. Very valuable. And, everyone needs at least ONE piece of homebrew gear in their shacks too. As simple as an antenna tuner, PisWeaker rig!!! [perfect project] or linear amplifier - or as complex as a full blown 1KW AM transmitter and receiver.  There's lots of guys willing to help us pull it off if we are lacking in experience.. And, most importantly, we will make many new friends that will make us WANT to get on the air.  [Some guys have beautiful stations, but never get on the air... sigh]

Tom, K1JJ

[ve6pg]

...I'VE NOTICED AT HAMFESTS THAT THE BOXES OF "STUFF" ARE THE BEST DEALS..NOBODY SEEMS INTERESTED IN H/BREW,AND THIS STUFF CAN BE BOUGHT CHEAP. MOST NEW HAMS,HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT BUILDING,AND GENERALLY PASS BY ALOT OF "STUFF"..RECENT PURCHASE FOR ME WAS A BAG FULL OF 11 METRE TRANSMITTERS,PATCH CORDS,BROKEN SWR METERS,AIR DUX COILS,BIGS VARIABLE CAPS..COST..4 BUX. OUT OF THAT,I NOW HAVE A WORKING 10M BEACON,BUILT AN ANTENNA TUNER,HAVE A GOOD SUPPLY OF SO239s,PL259s,VARIOUS LENGTHS OF COAX,SPEAKERS,KNOBS,ETC..TODAY'S "HAM" WANTS PLUG 'N PLAY. NOTHING BETTER THAN" DIPOLE IN A BAG"..

[W1QWT]

Hey Paul
Your post got me thinking. I polled my HAM friends and found the following:
My HAM Friends who operate AM all Homebrew (100%)
My other HAM friends are at 42% who home brew.
I considered homebrewing as building kits, designing and building, repairing radios,  or building complicated antennas's. Simple antennas were not considered as homebrew. Some of the non AM'ers built kits of some sort or another. The AM'ers either built transmitter/receivers of repaired and refurbished older commercial rigs.

Regards Q

[N9NEO]

Homebrewing is fun, but not for everybody.  Many people have other interests besides ham radio and that can be good too.  I ride a street bike, work on an auto restoration project, or any of a half dozen other things that keep me occupied when I am not involved with the radio stuff.  Just spent half the day on my bike with better half hanging on tight.  (It's a shame more guys don't spend more time with their wives.)

I build some transmitting gear and enjoy going thru old boatanchor gear too.  I spent a total of about 2 hours am and 2 hours cw on the air last year - I hope that doesn't make me any less of a Ham.

It may be a little sad, but maybe it's not such a shame that less people are homebrewing these days. As long as they are spending their time wisely.

Think positive -  More 4 BUX bags of 'stuff' for us guys that do homebrew