I got a brochure from a local computer company which listed their standard rates for service. They ranged from $60 per hour for work scheduled 2 weeks in advance to $120 per hour for emergency, off-line service.
I don't know any radio engineer in this area making that kind of money, and we have to know not only computing, but RF and everything else.
Having grown up around engineering types (electrical), and having been exposed to broadcast engineers (SBE and other), I'd have to completely agree. I would expect that if I needed an on-call, last minute emergency person, I'd be paying some "top dollars" for the time spent by someone who would: 1) drive well out of their way to help out in my stations' time of crisis; 2) fill-in for an absent engineer; 3) help out my engineering department when a large project cannot be done by only 2 or 3 people (including myself if I am capable of pitching in without getting IN THE WAY). Heck, most of the time the problems that occur are when my best engineers are at a convention! I can only imagine how many others have seen similar situations!
In short --- I can't believe the prices I've NOT had to pay out yet.
