[hpsdr] Alex availability/pricing

[Steven Bible]

Please allow me to chime in,

Producing the various HPSDR projects is a huge task.  I want to assure everyone that TAPR does its very best to keep cost as low as possible.  The other major factor we have to consider is our limited resources.  It is not always possible to offer the projects in various configurations - for example an Alex kit with and with-out cores.  

Singling out the Alex project, it has been one of the most complicated projects to produce due to its construction.  Many of the other boards, the parts are surface mount and lend themselves best to automated manufacturing.  Alex, however, is not with its many toroids.  We had high hopes of purchasing pre-wound cores from an offshore CM, but it just didn't work out (and not for the lack of trying).  It is much cheaper to have the boards mass manufactured all at once (meaning all components ready at assembly time), than it is to kit (bagging parts).  Bagging of parts, if we were to contract a CM is very labor intensive and thus more costly.  Therefore we rely on volunteers.  And let me tell you, bagging dozens of parts times 500 kits gets very boring very quickly :-)  Ask the guys who bagged the LPU.  It's easy to burn out volunteers.

In some ways we are protecting your all from all the mundane manufacturing minutia.  Hopefully this allows you all to experiment, create and operate.  The DCC (http://www.tapr.org/dcc) is a great place to meet and talk with many of the HPSDR project leaders and hear what really goes on in the background.  We also do our best to keep you guys informed.  If you don't hear from us just ask, as we are busy behind the scenes getting the schematics drafted, PCBs laid out, peer reviewed, prototyped, costed, purchase parts, assembly, tested, and finally shipped.

We will certainly discuss Alex and other projects at the TAPR Board Meeting in Chicago prior to the DCC on Thursday Sep. 23th at the DCC Hotel.  The meeting is open to anyone that would like to attend.  

73, Steve N7HPR
Acting President TAPR


-----Original Message-----
>From: Alberto I2PHD <i2phd at weaksignals.com>
>Sent: Sep 18, 2009 8:51 AM
>To: HPSDR list <hpsdr at lists.openhpsdr.org>
>Subject: Re: [hpsdr] Alex availability/pricing
>
Bruce Beford wrote:
> ***** High Performance Software Defined Radio Discussion List *****
>
> Any chance of offering the Alex boards -without- cores or wire? Some, like
> myself may already have a good supply of these items. I would expect this to
> reduce the overall costs, for those able/willing to accept a "partial kit".
> I understand that this may not be feasible, due to economies of scale, and
> the added complexity of the kitting process. Still, I thought it worth
> asking.
>
> -Bruce N1RX
I was about to make the same proposal. I have some supply of toroids in my junk box,
and in any case I know where to find them locally, so I would prefer to buy a kit without cores.
And having an inductance meter, I can also check if what I make myself is right or not.
Of course, only if this will result in a lower price...

73  Alberto  I2PHD
>***** High Performance Software Defined Radio Discussion List *****
>


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