Homebrew PCBs

ballendo wrote:

>Hello,
>
>First, the component prices shown in Mike's listing (and Alan's 
>previous post) are nowhere near reality for a product made in qty. 
>(Seems he's not purchased components for multiple machines. And 
>likely not purchased in qty. from overseas sources.)
>  
>

  Seems your reading it was limited, no where did I mention your 
component prices directly, or say that the numbers are all that high in 
quantity.  But there will be little extra room at $500, and not that 
much at $800.  Agian, like I actually said, someone within Asia could 
easily beat the heck out of you on pricing if you make enough sales to 
actually notice.

>
>Next, the 500 buck price has been clearly stated several times to be 
>a special price for members of this group only; in return for their 
>

>possible to offer nearly the same deal as before. 
>  
>
  But you are clearly expecting to be non-negative even with low margin 
at $500, or you wouldn't write the next paragraph.

>But again, there is still a minimum qty. that must be made--of the 
>structural parts--for the project to be fiscally viable. Which is why 
>this whole thread was started by me. To see if that minimum could be 
>met. If not, we will proceed with another already designed and proven 
>machine--the Wood Duck. Capable of PCB work, but not really designed 
>for it specifically like the RR. The wood ducks are larger, and more 
>expensive. 
>  
>
   Get 80 names, with a signed letter of intent to actually pay you by 
the end of the year from each.  Expect that to maybe turn into 20-30 
people actually following through and paying you by the end of the 
year.  Frankly I'd hazard a guess the few people still active in the 
group and following this, saying they were interested at the time, are 
most of the 3-7 people I would also expect who would have actually paid 
you last year within a reasonable time.

>The world is a lot larger than a few CNC groups on Yahoo...
>
>  
>
  Yes it is.  But again, at $800-1000 range, many will go lower for 
minimal work, or go slightly up and buy a mill with other things in mind 
as well.  Considering the computer literacy required to run CNC and be 
interested in getting one, I'd also expect those few groups represent an 
amazingly high percentage of all the people in the world who might be 
potential customers.  Still likely only a few percent, but one out of 50 
being in only 2-3 groups is a very high concentration vs sifting through 
every single person in the world.


>My hope was/is to provide some of you here with a machine at an 
>excellent value. 
>
  My own idea of 'excellent value' outpaces this by 2x or 4x on 
cost/benefit.  Again, it may still at least be viable as long as the 
finished product is above average.  It will still likely be difficult to 
get a foothold vs proven very capable products just over this price 
range, not even thinking about if someone else lowballs, with similar 
specs and lower price shortly after you start selling enough to notice.

  At $1000, I wouldn't even think of getting less than a mill to convert 
and do full milling, or a Hermes engraver to go the other route for full 
engraving ability.  Anything else would have to go well less than that, 
or I'd wait for a decent deal, and bump it up to at least one of those 
options.

Alan