[INDIA] Chassis, knobs, PCB makers

[uvodee]

In certain European countries

this practice is called Dynamic Pricing and is illegal. Fines can get high and moreover trade ban can be the final result.

Mayor American co's such as Amazon have experimented with the idea of chargin the customer in relation to the zipcode he lives, BUT EVEN IN THE USA that practice is not allowed.
So If you try to tell us that you charge a product in relation to the demographics of the customer, ai ai ai ai Ole Ole Ole Ole!

Tarun,

I sell to major automakers and Tier I companies in EU. If any of these buyers ask me to quote 1$ for an item that cost them 500$ (as this particular dork has implied), I would gladly tell the customers to #$% off.

I thought of giving a suitable rebuttal in that thread, but then realised it will only add to acrimony.

Strange people cohabit us.

NB: You are saving a few of Uncle Harry’s for me. Aren’t you?

 

[tcpip]

Well, thanks for the kind words. I am pleased to be on the "good" list at the moment

You're from San Francisco. It shows.

If you want to bother, maybe you could run this by "your" Uncle and get a serious quote on about 100 and make a final post with the price including shiping. Or you could just give up which I wouldn't blame you for!

This is what I'd have suggested. I'm quite confident that any knob that is carved out of Al can be made by Uncle Harry, within very broad limits.

I think the prudent thing for all North American users would have been to get the knobs made by Peter's good offices if the quantities are less than, say, 50, and approach Uncle Harry for larger quantities. Getting them made in India and shipping to the US would still be much cheaper than Peter's USD 10.00 or more per knob, but the volume has to be at least fifty.

There are two other problems, I don't know how serious they will be. One is that Uncle Harry will certainly ask for a sample. He can change the dimensions as per your specs, but he needs a sample to get a clear idea of (i) the shape for non-standard ones, and (ii) the finish. When we see only matte and shiny, he sees many intermediate grades of finish.

The second problem will be about delivery time. It is quite possible that Uncle Harry make take three or four weeks to make and deliver a set, because he usually has a backlog of orders. Will Peter and others in the group-buy be able to wait?

Incidentally, there's not a single shape in Peter's collection that I haven't seen with Uncle Harry. I am 100% positive he can make each and every one of those shapes. He's making a small black-anodised 20mm dia knob, with 6mm shaft, for a Delhi-based amp manufacturer. This has the shape identical (as far as my eye can make out) to this pic (see below) that Peter had posted. For these small black knobs, Uncle Harry charges less than USD 1.00 (I think less than USD 0.75), and services orders of 500-600 per batch for this customer. And incidentally, the amps that these knobs are fitted on are quite inexpensive too. These knobs are not premium items or hard to make for any suitably equipped small workshop, even though most members from North America seem to believe that the finish they are seeing on American knobs is something exotic. Ah, well.

Tarun

 

[tcpip]

Re: I posted this in another forum but then I realized that this place would be bette

Ok, I have no clue any more of who is doing what but nevertheless, I would like to get some knobs for 6mm shafts AND 1/8" shafts......

I've answered your post in the Chip Amps forum.

And incidentally, there are no off-the-shelf knobs I've seen with 1/8" shafts available here. All off-the-shelf knobs appear to have 6mm shafts. Pots have 1/8" dia shafts, but users fit 6mm knobs on them using plastic adapters. These adapters are not preferred by some diyers here, saying that the axial alignment is not accurate if you use them.

Therefore if you want me to arrange for any off-the-shelf knobs, please note that they'll have only 6mm shaft diameters.

 

[tcpip]

I thought of giving a suitable rebuttal in that thread, but then realised it will only add to acrimony.

Not worth it. Some people are not on these threads to read; they're here to be heard. You can identify the types very quickly, and I think we should save our breaths.

NB: You are saving a few of Uncle Harry’s for me. Aren’t you?

If this UK order comes through in the next few days, I think there will be less than 10 left with Uncle Harry. So please let me know fast. I can buy a few from him and keep them with me, once I know how many you want.

I think we here should first get the benefit of Tarun's Uncl Harry connection, before the folks there-at least we will enjoy them..What is the likely price per unit if we can get the numbers up to 50? While I dont have any immediate need, projects on the distant horizon are always there..

I think the current ex-stock price he's charging is what he'll apply to you and me if the volume reaches 100. If you want smaller quantities, even he is not clear what he'll charge. He in fact said to me that I should let him build the small batch, and trust him. He'll charge me whatever his costs come out ot be, plus a small profit. Clearly, more interaction is needed.

Do you want his email address/phone number?

 

[Variac]

Clearly for those of us in the U.S., the price of production there isn't the point. It's the shipping. Uncle Harry could reduce his price 10% and it really doesn't matter. The shipping needs to be exactly determined for the exact weight of say 50 or 100 knobs.

Incidentally, there's not a single shape in Peter's collection that I haven't seen with Uncle Harry. I am 100% positive he can make each and every one of those shapes

wow!

 

[gjo]

Tarun

I am in for 3, but I am not sure of the shaft dia at this time-6mm or 1/8. Let me research this during the day and confirm.


I am going to the US in a fortnight's time and may bring a few things (I plan to pick up an Alps or Noble 50K stepped stereo volume control-though havent located a source as yet) which require a knob or two! If some of the others can also give their requirements perhaps we can get a ballpark estimate of aggregate local demand.



George

 

[uvodee]

Eureka, Eureka what a deal!!!!!!

I am going to the US in a fortnight's time.....
George

this would clear the shipping costs for the most beautifull, fully anodized and simply marked, Indian knobs ever made, dramatically!! Uncle Harry will be proud!!!!! I am Sure!

MY Suggestion: when you arrive in NY, WA or anywhere else on US soil , just send them to ONE person here,(to do this you do not even have to leave the airport. In all international US airports you have a post office!!!! (I am willing to distribute) and this person can send the knobs to each of the participants involved. Problem solved.
You can take them in a suitcase and have them in a clear plastic bag as samples with no commercial value! Wonderfull.
I have done this many times for the USA and no problem what so ever! (mostly with stuff I brought back from Belgium and these items were requests of fellow Belgians living in the US and did not want to pay high shipping from overseas.

Guys, Guys!!!! Eureka!!!!

Oh probels solved, nightmare gone and everybody is happy happy happy!


Jean-Pierre

 

[corbato]

Re: Eureka, Eureka what a deal!!!!!!

..I am willing to distribute..

Trust him George. He is a padre

 

[gjo]

Ashokbhai

Lagta hai ke maine muh khol kar apne aap ko KLPJD( accent on jabardast) laga diya.

George

 

[gjo]

Bonjour Jean Pierre

Greetings/Namaste from Bangalore, India..

I can bring a few knobs and ship them to you, but I doubt I can do it in large numbers. This of course assumes that your design is available and the stuff reaches me in time. I arrive in Philly and will be in NY/DC for a couple of days, then St Louis and Nashville for about a week, departing out of Miami.

We can do a trade-I can pay for the knobs here and bring them there, you order something of a similar value for me and get the vendor to ship to an address that I provide you. Is that okay by you? We avoid paypal and all the other hassles.

George

 

[corbato]

Ashokbhai

Lagta hai ke maine muh khol kar apne aap ko KLPJD( accent on jabardast) laga diya.

George.

What a pity. If translated into English, that delicate nuance will be lost.

Oh Lord, I seek from Thee forgiveness, for dirty things floateth around my mind.

Thy servant!

 

[ajju]

CTR capacitors are available at Om Electronics. I used to buy them some time ago. You can check it out. Also, Vishal Electronics on SP Road sells those yellow coloured capacitors with axial leads (also polypropylene I think). The sound colouration is very less with these caps. I use them for all my passive crossover requirements.

I had bought couple of them some time back. What Shiva(corrsom) told me is that he has a contract with CTR to provide export grade caps to him. Apparantly these are manufactured under strict quality norms and currenlty the supplies go only to two places,..one is as export and another to ISRO..
well having seen and known what ISRO uses, if the caps that he can provide are from the same lots i can gaurantee that they will be good.

What are you doing for the inductors?

wind them..
here are a few links that'll let u get close to those inductor winding specs..!

inductor calculator
The results this give you are pretty elaborate for a constructor

calculate anything

ajju

 

[uvodee]

thank You

I can bring a few knobs and ship them to you, but I doubt I can do it in large numbers. This of course assumes that your design is available and the stuff reaches me in time. I arrive in Philly and will be in NY/DC for a couple of days, then St Louis and Nashville for about a week, departing out of Miami.
We can do a trade-I can pay for the knobs here and bring them there, you order something of a similar value for me and get the vendor to ship to an address that I provide you. Is that okay by you? We avoid paypal and all the other hassles.
George

but I was thinking that this would be cool for the group buy...

I already have something going with tcpip for the uncle Harry knobs...

If I were you, I would not be too concerned about the amount of knobs you take with you. The more the better! It is less suspicious if you have 40 knobs because that shows they are free samples you want to show/present to several distributors..... Customs accept that.

Ofcourse if tcpip cannot execute shiping, I would gladly accept your offer. I am all for trade (I love to barter, it is the end of capitalism as we know) !!!!

Jean-Pierre

 

[Variac]

I doubt that custom knobs can be produced in two weeks time.
Also, we would need to get the money together for the buy and get it to India because I assume that Uncle Harry requires some sort of deposit for the custom stuff

So, for this trip, we need to get only the existing knobs.
I'm not sure how many are available. The people over there seem to want a lot of them. Could you tell us?

 

[uvodee]

you're right

I was still hoping that uncle Harry had some more knobs available..

anyway I am buying as many as 8 of the picture posted knobs from him, hopefully ... and will consequently pay shipping.

would be cool though having someone come and go from India, it would save us from a lot of nightmares...

and i do not know if tcpip and gjo can meet to hand over knobs to gjo who would then bring them to the US.....

I am willing to take the risk to buy tose quality knobs and have them shipped to me. Off the shelf would still be doable for me. and the hole for the shafts is not an obstacle either!!!

J-P

 

[tcpip]

Clearly for those of us in the U.S., the price of production there isn't the point. It's the shipping. Uncle Harry could reduce his price 10% and it really doesn't matter. The shipping needs to be exactly determined for the exact weight of say 50 or 100 knobs.

Variac, you're right about price of manufacture not being the critical issue. But the shipping costs are trivial too. I've very clearly posted full shipping rates here as early as 4 March 2004. The shipping for 40 knobs of the size and type illustrated will be 50c each, to the US. For larger orders, the shipping rate per knob will reduce slightly. And if you want to ship 2" knobs, I presume the shipping rate per knob will be three to four times that of these 1" knobs (doubling the diameter increases surface area four times, hence my estimate).

In another post here, I've given full calculations for 90 knobs sent to the UK, including actual shipping costs.

We know all about shipping rates. What we really don't know is whether anyone in the US wants these knobs, specially amid the confusion about ex-stock 6mm shafts versus made-to-order 6.5mm shaft dias.

 

[tcpip]

Lagta hai ke maine muh khol kar apne aap ko KLPJD( accent on jabardast) laga diya.

Georgebhai, some of us have to carry the crosses of our own goodwill. What is a bit of suffering for you, if it means you can help out some of our poor American brethren?

 

[tcpip]

I can bring a few knobs and ship them to you, but I doubt I can do it in large numbers. This of course assumes that your design is available and the stuff reaches me in time.

Warning
If you are going to visit the US soon, it's unlikely that any custom-built knobs can be manufactured by Uncle Harry in time. I've seen him work, and I know at least one order that he's shipping more than 5 weeks after he received the order. If that's the kind of backlog he's talking about, then any group-buy custom-made knobs will be ready only in May!

Therefore, please be clear that the only knobs I can arrange for will be the ex-stock ones. Jean Pierre has expressed interest in four (just four) of them for his personal needs. This is not any group-buy, because most North American diyers want 6.5mm shaft dias.

Just thought I'd raise a red flag in case there was any confusion on this.

But what you can do is carry Jean-Pierre's personal consignment for you. I'll ship a set of four or maybe six knobs to you, and you can post them to him when you reach the US. He wanted four for himself, but I'll try to send at least two extra so that he can send them as samples to others, like Peter Daniel and Variac. Let them see the physical item and decide whether sourcing knobs from Uncle Harry is interesting for group buys in future.

What do you think?

PS: I just noticed that Jean-Pierre wants upto eight. In that case, I'll arrange for 10 knobs and courier them to you, George, once you okay it. The weight is 35g per knob. And Jean-Pierre, since you wanted to know how I'd hand them over to George, I'll courier them to him. He's about a thousand kilometres away from me.

 

[uvodee]

seems like a plan!

Warning but I'll try to send at least two extra so that he can send them as samples to others, like Peter Daniel and Variac. Let them see the physical item and decide whether sourcing knobs from Uncle Harry is interesting for group buys in future.

What do you think?

PS: I just noticed that Jean-Pierre wants upto eight. In that case, I'll arrange for 10 knobs and courier them to you, George, once you okay it. The weight is 35g per knob. And Jean-Pierre, since you wanted to know how I'd hand them over to George, I'll courier them to him. He's about a thousand kilometres away from me.

I was indeed intending to send some knobs around to various interested parties! (maybe even a dealer if you want to!!!!) so I would please, like to get 8 or even 10 if that is feasible.
Thanks for letting me know the weight, seems about what I had in mind approx. 1.5 oz

My goodness 1000 km 600 miles, hope they stay anodised

J-P

 

[gjo]

No problem Tarun..

Let me know the cost of what you will be sending me.plus courier charges, I will send the payment to you and accept barter from J-P. I am scheduled to leave India on March 25th, depart from Bangalore, by Lufthansa.

While firming up, please keep in mind that I want a couple of knobs for my own use, so all can ship in one lot to Bangalore. I don't mind taking whatever is in stock, preferably to suit a black background on which I plan to mount it-sub woofer amp.

No problem on the samples, prefer to ship to one US location and deal with a single US entity- posting to more than one person could be time consuming.

Ten of these are only 350 gms, no problem-it's on the way back that I anticipate weight problems!

George

Question for J-P-Where can I shop in the US for a good stepped 50K volume control-Noble or Alps?