Hi Guys,
Here is a thread happening which may interest you.
http://www.hifi-forum.de/index.php?action=browseT&back=1&sort=lpost&forum_id=168&thread=16
Why don't you guys chip in ? It will be fun.
Square.
Here is a thread happening which may interest you.
http://www.hifi-forum.de/index.php?action=browseT&back=1&sort=lpost&forum_id=168&thread=16
Why don't you guys chip in ? It will be fun.
Square.
I could not disagree MORE with the consensus in that thread. I bet if you started asking the *hardcore* DIYers on this forum, the guys who have been doing it many years and actually own oscilloscopes and other test equipment (the guys who are not so delusional as the masses on this forum), that they have spent way more than if they simply purchased gear.
As an example, I did some preliminary calculations last night...
I want to rebuild my capacitor and inductor meter with surface mount components, Haveing to deal with minimum orders of 5 to 25 items on many of the components left the cost to produce the first unit at about $30 exludeing case, pcb, and LCD...
The components needed to build the first unit makes up only about $10 of that, leaving me with $20 worth of spares, which would still not be everything needed to build second unit as some parts also sell in 1 of quatities, like the pic, which makes up about 50% of te $10 cost...
So for 1 unit it is $10 used of $30 spend
2 units is $20 used of $35
However if you know you will do say 1000 or more units you can go much cheaper with bulk discounts etc..
Even the smallest of projects like a cmaoy headphone amp without AC PSU, will cost you just shy of $20 to construct... if you work cheaply, this is wihout time investment....
What I do like about DIY is I can spend $200 over 3 months to buy parts for a DIY amp which is total yhome serviceable, or you can fork out $1000 or more for the same quality from a commercial unit...
I want to rebuild my capacitor and inductor meter with surface mount components, Haveing to deal with minimum orders of 5 to 25 items on many of the components left the cost to produce the first unit at about $30 exludeing case, pcb, and LCD...
The components needed to build the first unit makes up only about $10 of that, leaving me with $20 worth of spares, which would still not be everything needed to build second unit as some parts also sell in 1 of quatities, like the pic, which makes up about 50% of te $10 cost...
So for 1 unit it is $10 used of $30 spend
2 units is $20 used of $35
However if you know you will do say 1000 or more units you can go much cheaper with bulk discounts etc..
Even the smallest of projects like a cmaoy headphone amp without AC PSU, will cost you just shy of $20 to construct... if you work cheaply, this is wihout time investment....
What I do like about DIY is I can spend $200 over 3 months to buy parts for a DIY amp which is total yhome serviceable, or you can fork out $1000 or more for the same quality from a commercial unit...
Hi
Another point, if you actually design PCB's and have them manufactured (plated instead of etched), most boardhouses don't make just one or two PCBs. They will, but it will be the same price as several. It is the masks, labor, and use of multi-million
machinary that cost money. If you order 1000, they would be like $2 a piece.
Another point, if you actually design PCB's and have them manufactured (plated instead of etched), most boardhouses don't make just one or two PCBs. They will, but it will be the same price as several. It is the masks, labor, and use of multi-million
machinary that cost money. If you order 1000, they would be like $2 a piece.ahhh...
I am one of the members on that forum. DIYaudio certainly isn't cheap and saving a few bucks is hardly the moot point for me or for most of us in this hobby. I DIY purely for fun and out of my passion to learn about audio. DIY audio was/is the only reason why i am even doing my Masters. I even put it in my SOP when i applied for grad school 🙄.
Btw, my latest creation...Elektor Audio DAC 2000
Sachi
I am one of the members on that forum. DIYaudio certainly isn't cheap and saving a few bucks is hardly the moot point for me or for most of us in this hobby. I DIY purely for fun and out of my passion to learn about audio. DIY audio was/is the only reason why i am even doing my Masters. I even put it in my SOP when i applied for grad school 🙄.
Btw, my latest creation...Elektor Audio DAC 2000
Sachi
Attachments
Looks great Sachi.
How does it sound ?
I'm in Bangalore from Sunday (19th) afternoon to Tuesday afternoon.
Wonder if George will see this post.
Cheers,
Ashok.
How does it sound ?
I'm in Bangalore from Sunday (19th) afternoon to Tuesday afternoon.
Wonder if George will see this post.
Cheers,
Ashok.
As much as i would like to meet you and gjo(George) i am afraid that would not be possible as i am still pursuing my Masters in the US.
Met up with Gjo recently. He has the squeeze box up and running feeding his Audiosecter Dac. Sounds good.
Good to see so many posts underling the fact that DIY is not cheap as it is made out to be. If you do enough research and refine your creation/design it is going to cost you more than the equivalent one off the shelf.
Good to see so many posts underling the fact that DIY is not cheap as it is made out to be. If you do enough research and refine your creation/design it is going to cost you more than the equivalent one off the shelf.
The key word is "amortization." If you're doing one or two things, it will not be a money saver. Spread non-BOM costs among a dozen projects and things don't look too bad.
The elephants in the room are risk (who knows, you might suck at this) and your time (which, if you place a value on it, will overwhelm all other costs).
The elephants in the room are risk (who knows, you might suck at this) and your time (which, if you place a value on it, will overwhelm all other costs).
when you start out, you have no idead how many 100nf caps you are going to use... might as well buy those by the box.
Costs can be partly contained by certain practices:
Use of E-bay
Reuse of certain expensive components; transformers, heatsinks, enclosures, big caps, etc -- after all how many amplifiers can you use at once? Might as well recycle older projects.
Some test equipment can be built rather than bought. Power supplies, LC meter kit, ESR meter kit Rod Elliot even has info on building a distortion analyzer.
Digital scopes and FFT display based on the PC you already have plus software. Some of the software such as RMAA is free.
Use of E-bay
Reuse of certain expensive components; transformers, heatsinks, enclosures, big caps, etc -- after all how many amplifiers can you use at once? Might as well recycle older projects.
Some test equipment can be built rather than bought. Power supplies, LC meter kit, ESR meter kit Rod Elliot even has info on building a distortion analyzer.
Digital scopes and FFT display based on the PC you already have plus software. Some of the software such as RMAA is free.
How to register at that site?
don't understand what to write in registration form.
DIY is a hobby where we get happiness.
Someone gets happiness in drinking, traveling, reading, viewing movie etc.etc.
Every hobby has it's cost.
don't understand what to write in registration form.
DIY is a hobby where we get happiness.
Someone gets happiness in drinking, traveling, reading, viewing movie etc.etc.
Every hobby has it's cost.
I have planned my hobby to match my budget
I have started very young... and i had not too much money to spend.
So i used to find parts into junk yard, to clean and test them and to use them again.
Also i had to buy many basic things, but i did that slow.
The idea was to build audio amplifiers to listen to them, i had, those days, enormous furniture with tube amplifiers from Siemens in my home...so.... my construtions were for fun and not needed as a part of my home.
I realised that i could not construct and keep it constructed, i would need that transformer and those electrolitic to other constructions, so, i decided to try many amplifiers, and using those same components.
The selection of schematics were made to match those parts i had and they were working i many circuits... replacement happened when error, mistake, killed some component...than i had to buy other one to replace the junk box with parts.
This made things cheap, was a great fun, also i have perceived that circuits (different ideas) sounds different, using the same transistors you can do that an compare designs....but i could not learn difference in sonics of condensers...i am learning that now a days, but i still perceive almost all them as sounding almost the same.
We have to adjust our hobby to our reality, or select it in accordance our possibilities.
I am fat, so, no way to climb mountains and use ropes or something alike that but i am unbeatable when swiming...the large surface makes me float very easy.
regards,
Carlos
I have started very young... and i had not too much money to spend.
So i used to find parts into junk yard, to clean and test them and to use them again.
Also i had to buy many basic things, but i did that slow.
The idea was to build audio amplifiers to listen to them, i had, those days, enormous furniture with tube amplifiers from Siemens in my home...so.... my construtions were for fun and not needed as a part of my home.
I realised that i could not construct and keep it constructed, i would need that transformer and those electrolitic to other constructions, so, i decided to try many amplifiers, and using those same components.
The selection of schematics were made to match those parts i had and they were working i many circuits... replacement happened when error, mistake, killed some component...than i had to buy other one to replace the junk box with parts.
This made things cheap, was a great fun, also i have perceived that circuits (different ideas) sounds different, using the same transistors you can do that an compare designs....but i could not learn difference in sonics of condensers...i am learning that now a days, but i still perceive almost all them as sounding almost the same.
We have to adjust our hobby to our reality, or select it in accordance our possibilities.
I am fat, so, no way to climb mountains and use ropes or something alike that but i am unbeatable when swiming...the large surface makes me float very easy.
regards,
Carlos
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