Can there be lower cost levels of support?

[SteveShannon]

I’m writing to suggest creating lower cost ways to support this site.  I would gladly pay $20 per year.  I think you might get more subscribers at that level, even without the benefits that a $50 subscriber receives.  To me, $50 is just too much, a psychological hurdle, but I would like to help.

[rdunajewski]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the suggestion! I was kicking around the idea of a way to allow users to support by going ad-free for a little less per year, but without the extra features just like you describe. I will mull it over but I'm interested in feedback from other members.

 

[gortex2]

As reference Radio Reference is $30 a year. Others I belong to are $50 a year for download or limited access. Some sites use points systems to allow you to view or download certain items based on how many points. I think that's complicated. I think 2 levels would make things better with a basic package with no adds and maybe limited downloads to a premium package that lets you download other data (maybe base codeplugs, firmware, etc). 

I hate to say this as I run multiple sites also but it costs to do this stuff and most want everything for free. 

[MichaelLAX]

2 hours ago, rdunajewski said:

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the suggestion! I was kicking around the idea of a way to allow users to support by going ad-free for a little less per year, but without the extra features just like you describe. I will mull it over but I'm interested in feedback from other members.

 

How do I sign up to pay more for more ads?!? 

[rdunajewski]

4 hours ago, MichaelLAX said:

How do I sign up to pay more for more ads?!? 

Be careful what you wish for. 

[WRUS537]

How about $5.00 a month and you just get a fancy badge by your name?

[PACNWComms]

19 hours ago, MichaelLAX said:

How do I sign up to pay more for more ads?!? 

Yes, these ads make it look like I actually have a social life. (I get similar ads to this, minus the USB adapter). 

[rdunajewski]

13 hours ago, WRUS537 said:

How about $5.00 a month and you just get a fancy badge by your name?

You want less for the same price? 

[SteveShannon]

35 minutes ago, PACNWComms said:

Yes, these ads make it look like I actually have a social life. (I get similar ads to this, minus the USB adapter). 

Mine make me look like I have an different kind of social life: 

But I’m really not even looking to avoid ads.  I just want to be able to support the site at a level that I’m comfortable with.

[MichaelLAX]

2 hours ago, PACNWComms said:

Yes, these ads make it look like I actually have a social life. (I get similar ads to this, minus the USB adapter). 

The young ladies in my area come with USB-C!

[WRUS537]

7 hours ago, rdunajewski said:

You want less for the same price? 

Not less, you are helping with something affordable to most everyone and you get a shiny new badge.

[WRVD377]

I think a junior premium, and a premium seems like a good idea.  no ads, or limited. Top account Access to static data to better help setup stuff and help others. So meaning something along the line of, top account sees docs on predefined setup for nodes, independent nodes details that help get people going to get a location talking to each other even if they are not on the full net.  Like my work I don't care about badges or shiny trinkets. Seems to me the more we can get areas connected even if only local to start the more we could then attempt to place more hard core nodes on the net. I may be wrong there, but here I have a repeater and 7 people that followed the sites rules and 1 that did not.  I am currently the only one with a posted repeater that is absolutely in the wrong place.  I am willing to make it so we can get more people, but clearly it is not the best option. Thus why I talk about how can we local link and drive more interest if that is possible.  I know of 3 others that want to put up repeaters. 

[SteveShannon]

I went ahead and joined at the $50 level because it’s the only way to support right now, but I still think that if there were additional, lower priced levels of support, even if they don’t receive anything for it, people would join them, just to provide some financial support.  Having 200 people pay $20 is better than 20 people paying $50.  

$50 might not seem like much, but it’s more than twice what I spend to belong to other hobby forums.  I’m not a professional.  I don’t have a repeater and I don’t care about most of the features that come with premium membership.  I just enjoy the forums.  Although I just use GMRS radios for very simple communications, apparently forums are my hobby.