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Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:19:51 +0000
Message-ID: <AANLkTine7u4sKEcNgPxr2q7Bs=4HhMg8D5HaQ-Vp4Q7D@mail.gmail.com>
From: Andy Talbot <andy.g4jnt@gmail.com>
To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org
DomainKey-Status: good (testing) 
Subject: LF: 40 years (completely OT, but...)
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40 Years ago today decimal money was introduced to the UK  It was half ter=
m
hols, and at the age of 12 I went into one of the electronics shops in Hur=
st
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 tw=
o
diodes cost :   The two diodes were 50 new pence, (which probably sounded=
 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)

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<div>40 Years ago today decimal money was introduced to the UK=A0 It was=
 half term hols, and at the age of 12 I went into one of the electronics=
 shops in Hurst St, Birmingham=A0(a bit like London&#39;s Edgware Rd. back=
 then)=A0 to buy two IN4007 diodes as I needed to make=A0a PSU for some va=
lve project.=A0=A0 Being my=A0first purchase with =A0the new money=A0I rem=
ember=A0exactly how much those two diodes cost :=A0=A0 The two diodes were=
=A050 new pence, (which probably sounded a lot less than ten shillings the=
y were the day before)</div>

<div>=A0</div>
<div>Consulting an=A0RPI chart shows about 1100% inflation since Feb 1971=
 which makes those two diodes=A0something like=A0=A35.50 at today&#39;s pr=
ices.=A0=A0</div>
<div>The current cost from Farnell for the IN4007 is about 8p, including=
 VAT, for two-off.</div>
<div>=A0</div>
<div>Now, =A0even allowing for the fact a local electronics shop=A0 would=
 have a massive mark up on components, the price from a catalogue supplier=
 would still have been in the=A0 15 - 20p (=A31.50=A0=A0- =A32 now) region=
.</div>
<div>=A0</div>
<div>Were electronic components really so much more expensive back then -=
 it wasn&#39;t an exotic diode.</div>
<div>=A0</div>
<div>Completely OT, and nothing whatosover to do=A0with LF, =A0but about=
 the only bit of component pricing I really recall accurately from those=
 days.</div>
<div>=A0</div>
<div>Andy G4JNT (or G8IMR=A0 3 years after the big diode rip-off)</div>

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