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Ammeter, Voltmeter, Tacho, Star-Delta switch
By commanda, Section Classifieds Posted on Sat Apr 16, 2005 at 09:44:32 AM MST
All on one pcb. Seeking expressions of interest.

I've just completed a pcb layout with my Ammeter, expanded scale Voltmeter, Tacho, and Star-Delta switch, all on the one pcb. I'll be sending it out on Monday to get a batch made commercially. I can supply it as a bare board, a partial kit containing the semiconductors, or an assembled & tested unit.
The board measures 4 inches by 2 1/2 inches, and is single-sided. The shop I use is inexpensive. The copper is tinned, but no solder mask or silk-screen. It can be used with 12, 24, or 48 volt systems. I'm in Australia, and can accept direct deposit for Aussies, or PayPal for overseas. I'm not a gouger. Just want to cover my costs and make a modest profit for my effort. Airmail overseas is not particularly expensive.
If you want to check out the individual units I've built, see my diary
http://www.fieldlines.com/user/commanda/diary
I haven't costed it yet. Just looking for a show of hands of who might want one, to get an idea of what quantity of boards to get in this first batch.
There's also a connector to bring out the dc voltages from the tacho & ammeter, to feed my mppt dc-dc converter when it comes along. (update for those following this saga; I have the design in my head, just got to commit it to hardware and test).
The next project after this will be the shunt controller. 4 levels. Fault monitoring of open circuit dump loads or open circuit driver mosfet's. Summer/winter switching via relays which only operate when required. Fault indicator has audio/visual indication, with flashing leds until you hit the acknowledge button, which silences the audible alarm and turns the led to steady till the fault is cleared. And a test button. If you have a wanted feature I haven't listed, please speak up now. I'm about to start the pcb layout.
Amanda

Ammeter, Voltmeter, Tacho, Star-Delta switch | 18 comments (18 topical)

Costs (3.00 / 0) (#1)
by wdyasq on Sat Apr 16, 2005 at 07:32:15 AM MST

Amanda,

I think your projected price will defiantly effect the number of requests you get for the board. Could you give an approximate range of costs and shipping charges to various countries? Or at least the cost of the boards?

Thanks,
Ron
Adventure is just bad planning." -- Roald Amundsen

Re: Ammeter, Voltmeter, Tacho, Star-Delta switch (3.00 / 0) (#2)
by nothing to lose on Sat Apr 16, 2005 at 08:06:41 AM MST

I agree the cost will have a large effect on the number of orders, probably even more so since it's a new product not well known yet.

Price in US dollars and shipping would help for us here, and if you have volume discounts available maybe that too.

"or an assembled & tested unit."

Got any pictures what it looks like? Lot's of details on the whole thing.

I might take a dozen if they are low enough, too low and I might take 50 :)

"Ammeter, expanded scale Voltmeter, Tacho, and Star-Delta switch,"

The first 3 I get, what is the Star-Delta switch, and how does that one work or wire up? Pardon my backwards thoughts, I am thinking of Star or Delta as the coil wiring/conections in the gennie? I am confused on this one I think.

Anyway if not to aweful expensive I will take one probably, and like I said if low enough maybe alot more too. Alot more details would help.
.
nothing to lose

Spelin and tpying are my strong points, not electronics.

Re: Ammeter, Voltmeter, Tacho, Star-Delta switch (3.00 / 0) (#6)
by commanda on Sat Apr 16, 2005 at 03:47:10 PM MST

Star-Delta is the wiring connections in the gennie. I'm using it with my F&P and toroidal transformers, to switch the toroids primary windings. The board switches a remote relay, so you can put the relay anywhere you like. With the F&P & the dc-dc converter design, I'm going to run 6 wires down from the alternator, and do the star-delta switching at the control box. Since it's high voltage & low current, this isn't a cost penalty. If you're running your alternator at battery voltage, which appears to be the norm, you can put the relay(s) at the top of your tower, and run two light duty wires up there to switch it. Depends on your specific alternator whether this is an advantage to you or not.

Amanda

[ Parent ]

Re: Ammeter, Voltmeter, Tacho, Star-Delta switch (3.00 / 0) (#3)
by wgatenson04 on Sat Apr 16, 2005 at 09:38:25 AM MST

any ballpark figures? Im in the US, 100% interested. If you could give me a estimate range even, is it going to be $50, $500? If it is inbetween there, I am interested.

Sean

Re: Ammeter, Voltmeter, Tacho, Star-Delta switch (3.00 / 0) (#4)
by wgatenson04 on Sat Apr 16, 2005 at 09:38:59 AM MST

goldstarbg@speednet.com

[ Parent ]

shipping (3.00 / 0) (#5)
by ghurd on Sat Apr 16, 2005 at 09:43:00 AM MST

An idea to keep the costs down.

A good idea may be to ship a quantity here to the US in one package.
The receipient could re-ship them to people in the US and Canada.

I will do it, if it seems like a good idea to you.
I do a lot of small package shipping anyway, have the boxes etc.
Also have a "9-6" DHL Import account.

It would be best if you collected the payments. PayPal or whatever.

(The declared market value of the imported package must be under US$2000,
or it will screw up my taxes, etc)

Thought I would offer.

G-
Ghurd.info

Re: shipping (3.00 / 0) (#8)
by nothing to lose on Sat Apr 16, 2005 at 06:49:55 PM MST

May want to talk to you about that too, soon :)

I may be getting some stuff in from the same place as everyone else, China of course! :(

Not to hijack the thread, but on importing various items how many hoops we gotto jump through?? Not looking at alot, maybe a few thousand bucks to begin with ??
.
nothing to lose

Spelin and tpying are my strong points, not electronics.
[ Parent ]

Re: shipping (3.00 / 0) (#9)
by ghurd on Sat Apr 16, 2005 at 07:21:29 PM MST

Hoops.
Depends on what it is.
Paid almost $1 each Duty for many many thousands of turn signal flashers!
(the do-hicky under the dash of the car that goes click-click-click)
My butt still hurts where my wallet formerly resided. $1 each was not expected.

Also depends on the square feet, weight, speed of shipping, who does the paper work, customs clearance, gov't exported from, comercial value, stated value, country of origin of all the parts, tech status of the PARTS of the parts in the product, tech status of the product itself.......
Then there are tax implications....
I had to file for an extension last night!
It is not fun.

Not trying to talk you out of it.
Just mentioning there are a lot of things that are not expected. Or not expected to be so difficult or expensive or time consuming.
Stuff they do not mention in the TV comercial.

I missed a single phone call once. Held things up a month. I could not get back to the right person. He was the guy who called me and left a message on the machine.

The flashers took me about 14 months, all told.
Most items are much less. Some items I have it 48 hours, there place to mine.

After all that, and you know what could be involved, sure, lets talk.
G-

P.S.
Amanda is just talking about a shoe box of common parts, where the shipping is a major % of total cost.
Ghurd.info
[ Parent ]

Re: shipping (3.00 / 0) (#10)
by commanda on Sat Apr 16, 2005 at 09:35:02 PM MST

Amanda is just talking about a shoe box of common parts, where the shipping is a major % of total cost.

I just checked out the Australia Post site for overseas parcel post

/2 Kg economy air 2-4 weeks $11.00
Kg economy air 2-4 weeks $19.50
/2 Kg air 3-10 business days $13.00
Kg air 3-10 business days $23.50

These prices are Aussie dollars. Multiply by approx 0.77 for real US dollars.

I can't imagine small quantities of these going through the post would be a major customs hassle. After all, we do have a free trade agreement.

Amanda

[ Parent ]

Re: shipping (3.00 / 0) (#11)
by nothing to lose on Sun Apr 17, 2005 at 08:23:49 AM MST

I don't think it would be too bad for small things, I have shipped world wide small items, just postage prices.

Getting into bulk and also other items is what I'm wondering about here.
.
nothing to lose

Spelin and tpying are my strong points, not electronics.
[ Parent ]

Re: shipping (3.00 / 0) (#12)
by ghurd on Sun Apr 17, 2005 at 11:42:05 AM MST

That is a LOT cheaper than I expected.
Reshipping USPS Priority costs US$3.85 and up.
Guess it will not save much money.

The big hassel into the US comes when the value breaks US$2000 or US$2500.
That is the cutoff line between simple and 'Formal Entry'.
And sometimes if there is a 'commercial value'.

'Samples' have NO commercial value, even if someone paid for them.
Probably want to keep that in mind.

G-
Ghurd.info
[ Parent ]

Re: shipping (3.00 / 0) (#15)
by nothing to lose on Tue Apr 19, 2005 at 06:16:27 AM MST

What is EMS shipping? Is that import direct to my door, or a port where I gotta worry about problem stuff and go pick it up??

.
nothing to lose

Spelin and tpying are my strong points, not electronics.
[ Parent ]

Re: shipping (3.00 / 0) (#16)
by nothing to lose on Tue Apr 19, 2005 at 06:19:30 AM MST

Also it should be a sample :)

Hmm I wonder if I can get sample DVD burners, Tv's, Cars too :)
.
nothing to lose

Spelin and tpying are my strong points, not electronics.
[ Parent ]

Re: shipping (3.00 / 0) (#17)
by ghurd on Tue Apr 19, 2005 at 09:48:43 AM MST

I never used EMS.
FedEx, DHL, and UPS will do it. For most thinks I prefer UPS.
UPS had a package at my door 36 hours after they picked it up in Korea!
But it takes 10 days from Arizona to here???

Shipping a DVD burner will cost more than just buying it at wally world.

The sender has to determine if it is a sample.
Ghurd.info
[ Parent ]

Re: shipping (3.00 / 0) (#18)
by nothing to lose on Tue Apr 19, 2005 at 11:47:02 AM MST

Some of the things I am looking for will be China or Tiawan, talking to a couple other places too.

I had never heard of EMS, didn't know if that was a shipping company or a methode for paper work? Never imported before, just mail stuff out.

Hmm, I geuss I been an exporter for awhile now anyway, so I can add IMPORT/EXPORT to my profiles when I get the first package here :)

I don't want to be hijacking threads, though I kinda figure this is sort of on topic since it started about importing boards to USA.

I could maybe use some help and guidance for importing some stuff before long.
You can e-mail me at leather_supplies at yahoo.com if you want.
That is a junk box several people are using here (local, not on the board) when we need to use or post and email online for some reason, helps protect our real boxes from spammers.

If you send an e-mail I'll send you back my real e-mail address. The one that gets NO spam in it. Well other than ebay/paypal security alerts.

This has seemed to help save my boxes, though it's a pain in the rear checking that junk box. It's only checked when I expect an e-mail also. So it's not usable for just sending me something unless a person tells me they sent it. I just mention that incase anyone else ever wants to e-mail me, I won't get it unless I know it's comming to that box.
.
nothing to lose

Spelin and tpying are my strong points, not electronics.
[ Parent ]

Re: Ammeter, Voltmeter, Tacho, Star-Delta switch (3.00 / 0) (#7)
by commanda on Sat Apr 16, 2005 at 03:52:56 PM MST

OK. I'll go ahead with an initial order of boards, and get all the costings worked out.

Amanda

Re: Ammeter, Voltmeter, Tacho, Star-Delta switch (3.00 / 0) (#13)
by drdongle on Mon Apr 18, 2005 at 05:35:20 AM MST

Why not simply "license" your device to some one in the states who then has the boards here and pays you a comission per board, or a blanket licensing fee. No transcontinental shipping neaded, no delays, no dutys.
Carpe Vigor, Dr.D
[ Parent ]

Re: Ammeter, Voltmeter, Tacho, Star-Delta switch (3.00 / 0) (#14)
by commanda on Mon Apr 18, 2005 at 06:13:01 AM MST

I had thought of that.

For someone who wants 50 units at a time, that's the way I'll go.

Amanda

[ Parent ]

Ammeter, Voltmeter, Tacho, Star-Delta switch | 18 comments (18 topical)

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