[Westside]

I ordered a new tripod and antenna loading coil yesterday from a very small company in Wisconsin named Wolf River Coils. I just received confirmation that my order has been shipped and will arrive on Monday. It is always nice when I can order from a small American company and get a great product fast.

I also ordered and received a small kit to make an accessory for one of my radios from a company named SOTABeams in Manchester, England last week, I was not expecting the kit to arrive for at least another week or two.

It has become almost impossible to buy electronics that are not made in China. One good thing about that is that the customer service offered by many companies that are competing with cheap Chinese products (usually of inferior quality) has drastically improved.

The guys in Wisconsin and the English company are very small but recognized around the world for their quality and customer support.

It's a topic for another thread, but I think that 3D printers will eventually become very common in American homes and will cut our trade deficit with China. The things that you can make with a 3D printer is becoming more amazing every day and one of the things that you can make with one is another 3D printer. I plan on getting one in the next few months. 3D printing will soon be another hobby of mine.

How much do 3-D printers typically cost?