DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws;
        d=gmail.com; s=gamma;
        h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to
         :content-type;
        b=HFCEGp6yDpaWabtL1DVnm3pndc+FJcxMTZ2iBtaUdPeba6UgGX5HtucgqF083CxFp5
         w0oJctG92vjhD7Y7WR85cT1MjZGeeM76P81wuYtkxVGdcf3hIrJUYmM8kWDRWDfwQrVj
         N5EIohLS+K7/sXzG2uc63LYzNGPdsn63y1Hh0=
MIME-Version: 1.0
In-Reply-To: <002801cbcd5f$df9c22d0$4001a8c0@lark>
References: <AANLkTine7u4sKEcNgPxr2q7Bs=4HhMg8D5HaQ-Vp4Q7D@mail.gmail.com>
	<002801cbcd5f$df9c22d0$4001a8c0@lark>
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2011 10:27:47 +0000
Message-ID: <AANLkTimDyeoog3=W8anJ4SBng5UttaGM0UMAzZktDgq9@mail.gmail.com>
From: Andy Talbot <andy.g4jnt@gmail.com>
To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org
DomainKey-Status: good (testing) 
Subject: Re: LF: Re: 40 years (completely OT, but...)
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=000325553c927a628c049c63bbe5
Sender: owner-rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org
Precedence: bulk
Reply-To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org


--000325553c927a628c049c63bbe5
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Oh I did - remember ordering a huge parcel of Bi-Pak goodies - items at 50=
p
per bag.  Had to get a =A36 postal order to pay for that lot.   Some Si
transistors in there  had Hfe values measured using a pair of school AVOs=
 as
high as 450.

With that stock of modern components,  with not sure I touched valves agai=
n,
other than in the Pye Vanguard 2m box,  first rig for 2m

Andy G8IMR



On 15 February 2011 22:26, Alan Melia <alan.melia@btinternet.com> wrote:

> Hi Andy another one in a similar vein from even earlier. I had at one ti=
me
> (cant find it now) an orange Mullard valve box with the printing on the=
 end
> saying "Valve OC70 =A33 6sh + Purchase Tax" I guess this was from the la=
te
> 1950s.
>
> Transistors were becoming a lot cheaper by the 1970s. I am surprised as=
 a
> penniless schoolboy you didnt buy a bargain pack from Bi-Pak or Bi-PrePa=
ck
> (no connection to any other firm) in Ware I think. MMmmm Electronic
> components seem to be about the only thing that has gone down in price.
> since that period. I remember buying a large bag of nondescript uncoded
> plastic NPN, 1000 for =A310......I am still using 'em.
>
> I remeber an American at a Conference around that time (Las Vegas would=
 you
> believe!) saying to fellow attendee "Well we have learned how to sell a
> 10cent gate..........all we have to do now is figure out a way of making
> them for a profit!"
>
> Alan G3NYK
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Andy Talbot" <andy.g4jnt@gmail.com>
> To: <rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2011 7:19 PM
> Subject: LF: 40 years (completely OT, but...)
>
>
> 40 Years ago today decimal money was introduced to the UK  It was half=
 term
> hols, and at the age of 12 I went into one of the electronics shops in
> Hurst
> St, Birmingham (a bit like London's Edgware Rd. back then)  to buy two
> IN4007 diodes as I needed to make a PSU for some valve project.   Being
> my first purchase with  the new money I remember exactly how much those=
 two
> diodes cost :   The two diodes were 50 new pence, (which probably sounde=
d a
> lot less than ten shillings they were the day before)
>
> Consulting an RPI chart shows about 1100% inflation since Feb 1971 which
> makes those two diodes something like =A35.50 at today's prices.
> The current cost from Farnell for the IN4007 is about 8p, including VAT,
> for
> two-off.
>
> Now,  even allowing for the fact a local electronics shop  would have a
> massive mark up on components, the price from a catalogue supplier would
> still have been in the  15 - 20p (=A31.50  - =A32 now) region.
>
> Were electronic components really so much more expensive back then - it
> wasn't an exotic diode.
>
> Completely OT, and nothing whatosover to do with LF,  but about the only
> bit
> of component pricing I really recall accurately from those days.
>
> Andy G4JNT (or G8IMR  3 years after the big diode rip-off)
>
>
>

--000325553c927a628c049c63bbe5
Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<div>Oh I did - remember ordering a huge parcel of Bi-Pak goodies - items=
=A0at 50p per bag.=A0 Had to get a =A36 postal order to pay for that=A0lot=
. =A0 Some Si transistors in there =A0had Hfe values measured using a pair=
 of school AVOs as high as 450.</div>

<div>=A0</div>
<div>With that stock of modern components, =A0with not sure I touched valv=
es again, other than in the Pye Vanguard 2m box, =A0first rig=A0for 2m</di=
v>
<div>=A0</div>
<div>Andy G8IMR</div>
<div><br><br>=A0</div>
<div class=3D"gmail_quote">On 15 February 2011 22:26, Alan Melia <span dir=
=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:alan.melia@btinternet.com">alan.melia@btint=
ernet.com</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8e=
x; PADDING-LEFT: 1ex" class=3D"gmail_quote">Hi Andy another one in a simil=
ar vein from even earlier. I had at one time<br>(cant find it now) an oran=
ge Mullard valve box with the printing on the end<br>
saying &quot;Valve OC70 =A33 6sh + Purchase Tax&quot; I guess this was fro=
m the late<br>1950s.<br><br>Transistors were becoming a lot cheaper by the=
 1970s. I am surprised as a<br>penniless schoolboy you didnt buy a bargain=
 pack from Bi-Pak or Bi-PrePack<br>
(no connection to any other firm) in Ware I think. MMmmm Electronic<br>com=
ponents seem to be about the only thing that has gone down in price.<br>si=
nce that period. I remember buying a large bag of nondescript uncoded<br>
plastic NPN, 1000 for =A310......I am still using &#39;em.<br><br>I remebe=
r an American at a Conference around that time (Las Vegas would you<br>bel=
ieve!) saying to fellow attendee &quot;Well we have learned how to sell a<=
br>
10cent gate..........all we have to do now is figure out a way of making<b=
r>them for a profit!&quot;<br><br>Alan G3NYK<br><br><br>----- Original Mes=
sage -----<br>From: &quot;Andy Talbot&quot; &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:andy.g4j=
nt@gmail.com">andy.g4jnt@gmail.com</a>&gt;<br>
To: &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org">rsgb_lf_group@blac=
ksheep.org</a>&gt;<br>Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2011 7:19 PM<br>Subject:=
 LF: 40 years (completely OT, but...)<br><br><br>40 Years ago today decima=
l money was introduced to the UK =A0It was half term<br>
hols, and at the age of 12 I went into one of the electronics shops in Hur=
st<br>St, Birmingham (a bit like London&#39;s Edgware Rd. back then) =A0to=
 buy two<br>IN4007 diodes as I needed to make a PSU for some valve project=
. =A0 Being<br>
my first purchase with =A0the new money I remember exactly how much those=
 two<br>diodes cost : =A0 The two diodes were 50 new pence, (which probabl=
y sounded a<br>lot less than ten shillings they were the day before)<br><b=
r>Consulting an RPI chart shows about 1100% inflation since Feb 1971 which=
<br>
makes those two diodes something like =A35.50 at today&#39;s prices.<br>Th=
e current cost from Farnell for the IN4007 is about 8p, including VAT, for=
<br>two-off.<br><br>Now, =A0even allowing for the fact a local electronics=
 shop =A0would have a<br>
massive mark up on components, the price from a catalogue supplier would<b=
r>still have been in the =A015 - 20p (=A31.50 =A0- =A32 now) region.<br><b=
r>Were electronic components really so much more expensive back then - it<=
br>wasn&#39;t an exotic diode.<br>
<br>Completely OT, and nothing whatosover to do with LF, =A0but about the=
 only bit<br>of component pricing I really recall accurately from those da=
ys.<br><br>Andy G4JNT (or G8IMR =A03 years after the big diode rip-off)<br=
><br>
<br></blockquote></div><br>

--000325553c927a628c049c63bbe5--