m3jfm.net

Our next big step was to get on the air as licensed radio amateurs its one thing to have a high standard monitoring station but a transmitting station was a completely different ball game if we weren’t careful this next step might be our last one and an expensive one at that.  I am sure most people would agree that it would be an unwise move just to throw a large amount of money into getting on the air without planning ahead. In our case I thought that instead of rushing out and buying an all singing and dancing top end of the market transceiver which I did not have the money to buy at the time was an unwise move.  

Nor did I want to fall into the trap of buy a second hand transceiver and paying over the odds for an old transceiver.  I was offered a FT101 that had spent some year’s sat in the loft unused and unwanted it also was faulty I think it was the band change switch but still who cares it’s a good rig and a bargain at couple of hundred pounds. The next rig had all the filters and I was offered this rig at the same price or more than I would pay cash for a new transceiver.

At one of the radio rally’s I  had brought from the RSGB stand a copy of “ The Rig Guide” edited by G3ZVW an excellent publication that has saved me from many hours of unnecessary grief.  Over the coming days, weeks, and month’s it was going to repay me many times over. As this guide will make you wise regarding the trade in value, Average buying prices, used prices, and rig specifications.