Re: [AMC2010] Re: Review and feedback of proposed Arduino shield (soon please)
Mitch Davis
On Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 7:07 PM, Luke Weston <reindeer...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> In fact, I would propose buying a 20 pack of these, having all regular
> HackerSpace attendees chip in a share of money, and keeping them for
> communal use in the group, since they're such a nice device, and
> commonly used in Arduino-type projects. Everybody building a Pebble
> needs one, everyone building an Aiko gateway needs one, everyone just
> getting started with Arduino probably wants one... you get the idea.
>
> Clint's Components has 0.1 uF monolithic capacitors in packs of 50 and
> 500 with good economies of scale. Jaycar sells a 100 pack also, but I
> don't recall how much it is.
> Similarly, since these are very, very common in other digital
> electronics projects, I think it is well worth considering buying a
> big pack and having everyone in the hackerspace chip in a little money
> as well as the price-per-capacitor corresponding to the ones you need
> for orders for Pebble kits.
>
> If everyone who's a Hackerspace regular chips in say $2, times say 10
> people, that's $20, so you get a pack of 500. That's 50 capacitors per
> person, which is a large supply for general hacking and
> experimentation at the Hackerspace. The price per capacitor is 4
> cents, so that's the cost which is cost of the capacitors for each
> Pebble kit - a significant cost saving. That 4 cents from every Pebble
> kit order can probably just be put back into the HackerSpace petty
> cash fund for communal drinks/food/components, if we choose to follow
> this kind of model for purchasing common components.
Hi Luke and others,
I was just in at Dick Smith Box Hill this morning. They want to
offload their components something bad. The guy told me "5 for 1 on
any component", and it's for today and tomorrow only.
While the range for hardware components (switches, sockets, etc) is
pretty picked over, there's still plenty of stock of passive
components such as resistors, pots, caps and the like.
If we wanted to set up a CCHS component bank, buying out their stock
might be a good and cheap way to do it, even cheaper than buying in
bulk from the usual channels.
I reckon if somebody did an audit of their passive components, we
could make them a dollar offer for the lot. And if someone had
sufficient bargaining nous, we could get their component trays too.
Seems this is an opportunity for us...
Thoughts?
Mitch.
Luke Weston
been wondering about where I need to venture out to to find a shop in
this scenario where they're selling off the stuff.
"Doing an audit of their passive components" seems like a labour
intensive task... and maybe not worth it depending on the component
value. I might go over there today and have a brief look.
I think a good option might be to get as many CCHS regular members as
possible to say yes to this plan, work out how many members there are,
work out how much you'd offer per person, and then go and offer them
that much.
Say for example we're all happy with $10 each, and we get 10 people on
board, we go and offer $100.
Mitch Davis
>
> "Doing an audit of their passive components" seems like a labour
> intensive task... and maybe not worth it depending on the component
> value. I might go over there today and have a brief look.
Well, rough eyeball so we can offer a fair price.
> I think a good option might be to get as many CCHS regular members as
> possible to say yes to this plan, work out how many members there are,
> work out how much you'd offer per person, and then go and offer them
> that much.
Time though.
> Say for example we're all happy with $10 each, and we get 10 people on
> board, we go and offer $100.
Count me in for $50. BTW it's about 200m away from my place :-)
Mitch.
Luke Weston
station is, isn't it?
Leaving my house soon to go down and look :)
Mitch Davis
>
> Box Hill DSE store is in the shopping centre complex right where the
> station is, isn't it?
In that complex, yes. South west corner near Target. Want to meet me
and we'll go together? If so, ring me on 0411 532 516 when you're at
Canterbury or so and I'll meet you at the station.
Mitch.
Mitch Davis
>>
> Well, rough eyeball so we can offer a fair price.
>
>> board, we go and offer $100.
>
> Count me in for $50. BTW it's about 200m away from my place :-)
I just spoke with Andy, he will kick in $50 too.
Guys, who's on board to make this happen?
Mitch.
Luke Weston
off list email.)
I popped in this afternoon, spoke to an employee. He was sure if I/we
talk to the manager, he could offer a good deal regarding the whole
lot of remaining component stock and shelving unit. But of course any
such deal would have to go through the manager. The manager will be
there on Monday or Tuesday, and they have until Friday to get rid of
that stock one way or another.
Bought about 15 tag tantalum capacitors, 4 or 5 crystals (usually $4
or so each!), a handful of trimpots, a handful of 3 kV ceramic
capacitors, and 4 Motorola MFO71 fibre transmitter modules (just
because they seemed cool and were only 50c each or something
ridiculous) and some other stuff... and only got charged approx. $5
for everything. Even if you only buy 1 of a component, I think their
prices are slashed well below normal ticket prices for all the
components...
Getting the storage unit would seem very important... even if it's
worth just as much as all the components combined. It's not worth
getting thousands of resistors, etc, for cheap if you don't have the
storage hardware to keep them organized. I have loads and loads of
resistors... but I always find myself going to buy new ones because I
can't find a particular value when I need it because I don't have them
organized and stored appropriately.
Luke Weston
Paul Szymkowiak
Luke Weston
that much for it, maybe $100 would be more appropriate, especially
since they're basically throwing most of it away for almost nothing
already.
The staff guy today didn't even bother ringing up most of the stuff I
bought today... rang up a few of the more expensive components,
charged me some ridiculously small figure, and ignored most of the
components I had, just letting me take them for free.
Mitch Davis
That's where they're at. The way they're valuing the components, the
shelving and trays is worth more. If I wasn't out of town tomorrow,
I'd be visiting them tomorrow with an offer to "do them a favour" and
take the lot.
(I can't help feel though, that based on my observations of the past
few months, we just don't go through that many passive components, so
I'm not sure it's a major win. I'm sure opinions will vary on this
though. I would be interested in pooling money to get better prices
on blank circuit boards, and cheap ATmegas (for when we want to
"permanentise" something we've developed), as it seems we go through
those.
Mitch.
Luke Weston
case where you need a particular value of resistor or capacitor, and
you don't have it, so if you're working on a particular project at the
hackerspace is delayed for that night or weekend, until you go to
Jaycar or similar.
Acquiring a large set of resistors, capacitors etc. would be very
useful, I think, and it would last us practically indefinitely - they
wouldn't all get used up.
Mitch Davis
> On Sun, Nov 8, 2009 at 4:52 PM, Luke Weston <reindeer...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Well, 4 people times $50 is $200... personally I wouldn't offer them
>> that much for it, maybe $100 would be more appropriate
Noted. So, tomorrow is Tuesday. Group, should I sally forth?
Mitch.
Luke Weston
I'd need to travel right across town on public transport, and you're
probably closer.