AT17

AT17
The blog will now be devoted not to boat building but to my 82-year-old Vertue, Sally II, now undergoing a well needed refit at Johnson & Loftus in Ullapool (and gliding...)

Thursday 27 January 2011

Where did the Heliflex Go?

Dedicated followers of this blog, all 13 (bless you) may wonder why an earlier post or two about a recaltricant V-Tronix VHF aerial has been removed. Well, it's a long story, involving a fierce email exchange with the makers, from whom I am awaiting a definitive reply as to why an aerial consisting of a spring, base plate, bracket, rubber grommet and two set screws should cost £51, rather than £5.10 (a healthy margin, I would have thought).



The importers  were quick to explain the fundamentals of electronic marketing (margins, cost of materials, packaging etc) but I was still not convinced. In short they offered me a free aerial to shut me up (which I have reluctantly declined) preferring to see if my soldering technique and heat shrinking ability will prolong its life. After all, we are told to recycle if possible.

So, pending a definitive reply as to why this collection of simple bits and pieces warrants half a hundred quid, I will say no more. If any reader with knowledge of FarEast manufacture (this thing is assembled in Korea) can put a price on it, please let me know.

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