FEAR NOT! There is absolutely no reason why anyone needs to spend
$140,000 on a rotating tower with "decent stacks". NONE.
I haven't spent anywhere even close to 1/2 of that on my entire station
in 53 years of being licensed and I have achieved TOP of the DXCC Honor
Roll and worked 39 zones on 80 and 35 on 160, and, along the way, I won
a bagful of DX contests too. I know that others have spent even less
than I and also achieved great success in Dxing and/or contesting.
You can buy a station if money is no object, or you can build an even
better station with a lot more flexibility for a hell of a lot less than
$140k; even in 2026. But you have to be willing to work for it.
The prices of everything will continue to go up but the ability to
thoughtfully and cost-consciously design and build a station remains
within the grasp of most and will continue to do so far into the future.
What will be workable on those Amateur Radio bands remains to be seen.
Resilience, a positive attitude, and a willingness to adapt and improve
one's skills, will go a long way to preserving the fun and enjoyment of
this hobby despite the challenges lie ahead.
73
Bob, KQ2M
On 2026-05-31 18:12, Bob Kile via Topband wrote:
As I pass well into my so called golden yea3rs I reflect that the
"Golden years of 160m" were from about 1985 until 2009. It's been 40
years since PRB-1 was passed and we as a organization have been unable
to expand rights for usable antennas on private property here in the
US. Yet at the same time can budget $1.7 million dollars for a highly
restricted Dx-pedition on a deserted frozen rock in the south Atlantic.
Instead we are deep into a litigious Nany States of HOA Karens, CC&R,
Property management organizations and over regulation by
municipalities. All have their hands in the cookie jar and none of
which can't mind their own Fu*king business. Long gone are antennas on
residential roof tops here in the US but seem to proliferate in many
other developed countries.
As I've said before finding locations back east is not extremely
difficult. Out west however where in many states the land is controlled
either by the state of federal government with less than 10 percent
privately owned leaves few options. Meanwhile the invention of FT8 has
devastated operations of the HF bands. CW and SSB contacts in
DX-peditions have become meaningless as they are not part of the
economic stream. Myself whilst in the over 200 country confirmed range
working an average of less than one or two new CW entities a year has
myself asking Why? Scaling down to even HF on a 4000sqft lot with all
the QRN is nearly impossible to achieve even modest goals. Rent a
remote operations are limited as there a just a few stations with
enough real estate to share antenna space.
The costs have gotten out of control. W2RE says a 200ft or so rotating
tower with decent HF stacks casts of $140,000. Income levels have not
kept up with inflation in the equipment market. Comprehensive brain
power has declined with the increased number of sub-menus and switches
on modern radios. Just listen to the number of Dx-pedition police and
those who don't know how to operate split frequency. Perhaps SDR radios
running shareware might be one of the few exceptions. I ask what good
is a $10K radio package without a decent antenna? The drifting birdies
and hash generated by hundreds of Wall Wart power supplies are
deafening. It seems for every step forward we have taken two or more
backwards.
Fortunately I can say I operated during the "Golden Years" on 160. Most
of my stuff has been home built on a budget and not just purchased. It
was done the hard way and it was fun. Kudos to those who still believe
in the hard way and those on the DX end that still take the time to
carry at least some extra wire and low noise RX antennas.
To those readers out there post bright spots as I could go on and on in
what I can perceive the dim future.
--
W7RH DM35OJ
If it's true that our species is alone in the universe, then I'd have
to say the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little.
George Carlin
“It is not that I'm so smart. But I stay with the questions much
longer.”
― Albert Einstein
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