Antennas and amateur radio

My latest RadCom arrived yesterday.

One major dealer is advertising widely (the RSGB must really value this income) and I could not help noticing a major antenna manufacturer selling antennas (on the centre pages) via this dealer for £3899.99 and £4199.99!

If this major UK dealer decided to "hang up his boots" and leave the amateur market then RadCom would have to radically change. It would probably have to shrink and come out less often.  The only amateur radio magazine remaining on newsagent's stands would really struggle.

Now, I am not able, nor wish, to say how you spend your money. However, for me, these antennas are not amateur radio. A fan dipole covering all the higher HF bands could probably be made for the cost of a few coffees out. So you might be a few dBs down on a big tower with one of these antennas on the top, but you will probably save a 4 figure sum in the process.

In the end, we have to understand what our hobby is really about.  To me, there are 2 major sorts of radio amateur: (a) those who just get out their credit card and (b) those that experiment. I prefer the latter.

In my view, the writing is already on the wall. I personally see a battle looming between the credit card operators and experimenters.  In my view credit card operators will merge with CB. Experimenters?