[jerryz]

I'm on the, if you can't afford the buy in it's not the right hobby, side. Can it done on the cheap? Sure. But you'll be behind the curve for years. Trying to catch up in one department after another. This doesn't mean buy the very best of everything all the time. But there's certainly a minimal acceptable level of functionality for anything. Drop below that and th outcome will be negative. I think this is one of the primary contributors to the high turnover in the hobby. People have an unclear understanding of the economic and time requirements before taking the plunge. Then try and find a way to leverage an outcome that fits their preconceived economic/ time model.