TL;DR: This sale will go live on Friday, Nov 29, and run through Monday, Dec 2! Stay tuned for updates!
It’s been another year! We decided to try something new this year and tell you about the sale a bit ahead of time, but first, let me share a bit about our year!
Mag-mount changes
As we noted last year, we have switched up the BNC mag mounts to use a thicker rubber cover as the previous type were ripping too easily. We haven’t received any reports of the new ones ripping! We also had the manufacturer change out the type of adhesive that is used internally as some of our customers in warmer states (looking at you, Arizona!) were experiencing issues with high heat situations.
Sales for the mag mounts have shot up in the last several months so after some trouble getting new ones in time we are now reordering much sooner to try to keep it from happening again.
New Website
We recently released our new website! The old one was showing its age, and we apologize to those who experienced checkout issues or delays due to slow response times.
The launch of the new site coincided with an unexpected manufacturing issue that required us to discard or repair over 500 antennas. These units would likely have failed shortly after being delivered, and we chose to prioritize quality by addressing the problem immediately. This, combined with a surge in demand, led to significant inventory shortages.
We do all of our manufacturing in-house, which allows us to maintain high standards of quality and consistency. I (the owner) have been assisting directly with manufacturing to help meet demand, but as I’m recovering from shoulder surgery, my ability to contribute is somewhat limited. To ensure timely fulfillment:
- Team Effort: All employees (and likely some of our children) will assist with manufacturing as needed to meet demand.
- Backorder Fulfillment: We are committed to shipping all Black Friday sale backorders within the two-week estimate shown on the website.
- Transparent Communication: If delays arise, we will notify you immediately and provide updated timelines.
We deeply appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate these challenges. Your support makes all of this possible, and we’re committed to providing the best experience we can.
2024 Sales Stats
We love seeing how your support helps us grow! Here are our sales (website only) from Jan 1, 2024, to Oct 24, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023:
Signal Sticks
| Type | 2024 Sales | Growth vs. 2023 | % Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| BNC | 10,192 | +2,509 | +32.6% |
| SMA-F | 6,510 | +2,455 | +60.5% |
| SMA-M | 3,219 | +150 | +4.9% |
| Total | 19,921 | +5,114 | +34.5% |
Adapters
| Type | 2024 Sales | Growth vs. 2023 | % Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMA-F to BNC-F | 6,563 | +2,418 | +58.3% |
| SMA-M to BNC-F | 4,046 | +789 | +24.2% |
| BNC-M to SMA-M | 1,787 | +757 | +73.6% |
| BNC-M to SMA-F | 1,127 | +373 | +49.4% |
| SMA-F to SMA-F | 606 | +127 | +26.5% |
| SMA-M to SMA-M | 403 | +101 | +33.5% |
| Total | 14,532 | +4,565 | +45.8% |
Accessories
| Type | 2024 Sales | Growth vs. 2023 | % Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rubber Spacers | 6,805 | +1,511 | +28.5% |
| BNC Mag Mounts | 1,867 | +553 | +42.1% |
Signal Stalks
| Type | 2024 Sales | Growth vs. 2023 | % Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 Wave | 501 | +109 | +27.8% |
| 1/2 Wave | 172 | Reintroduced | - |
Signal Staffs
| Type | 2024 Sales | Growth vs. 2023 | % Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| OSJ | 278 | +51 | +22.5% |
Key Takeaways
- BNC connectors are our top sellers, with a surge in demand for SMA-F adapters.
- Our adapters seem to be a hit!
- 1/2 Wave Signal Stalks are back and already gaining traction!
These sales directly fund the development of HamStudy and ExamTools, powering thousands of exam sessions and keeping study resources free for everyone. Thank you for your support!
Business Growth
With increased sales, I’ve been able to expand my team. There are now four of us working part-time to full-time:
- Richard Bateman, KD7BBC - All Of The Things
- Ben Loveridge, KF7KGR, Development and Keeping Richard On Task
- David Toomey, KD7VQT, Antenna manufacturing
- Jessica Searle, Shipping and Support
With Ben’s assistance in managing all of the many things we’re juggling around here, we’ve been able to release a full rewrite of the HamStudy mobile app which has some pretty exciting improvements. We also have been working on a new study resource that we’d love to get some feedback on:
💡 New Resource! We’ve been working on the HamStudy Technician Class HamBook, a study resource designed to help you ace your exams. Check it out here and let us know what you think!
The 2024 Sale
Mark your calendars! Here are the details for this year’s sale:
When:
The sale begins Friday, Nov 29 and runs through the end of Monday, Dec 2. Those times should be midnight to midnight, Mountain Daylight Time (MDT, UTC-6).
What:
We’ll keep it simple this year:
- Antennas & Mag Mount: 10% off
- Adapters & Accessories: 20% off
- OSJ Bracket: Excluded (price matches cost)
Note: The OSJ bracket is excluded from the sale because the price we charge you is the price we pay for it – we’d be paying you to take it.
One more thing…
Oh, and one more thing—we’ve been working on something exciting: a new solution to boost Signal Stick performance in scenarios many of you have asked about. Stay tuned for an exciting announcement when the sale starts!