Rockwell Collins KWM 380 Explained

We Say

The KWM 380 was the last ham radio that Collins ever sold, because it was simply too expensive for the average radio ham.

They Say

This is the classic KWM-380, designed and sold by Rockwell Collins. this radio was sold from 1979 to 1983. The price in 1970 was $6600. In today's dollars, that is the equivalent of almost $22000, an obscene amount of money for a ham radio. Still not too bad though, because the military version (the HF-380) was sold to Uncle Sam for more than twice that amount, while it is practically the same radio as the KWM-380. Needless to say that this is without a doubt the most professional ham radio ever sold in the ham market. It was also the last ham radio that Collins ever sold, because it was simply too expensive for the average ham. The rise of lower cost Japanese radios (which were also very good radios but much cheaper) made Collins exit the ham radio market.