charlie bruce said:
You certainly have a rigid set of morals and that is certainly worth a lot of respect. Sadly people like you are becoming few and far between. One thing I've noticed however, is that there is a distinct shortage of 6X diodes - nobody seems to be selling any. If 6X units aren't in the affordable and accessible range, what hope is there for a newer and potentially more powerful sled being available?
Also, is it just that I'm not looking in the right places, or are 6X diodes simply unavailable anywhere? LSP, the BST section, and all the GBs are dead, and the major members' shops are all in completed modules with driver that I'd never end up using...
It's my Momma's fault
I posted some theories and predictions in another thread, but they are worth repeating part of them here.
There is ONLY ONE reason why the PHR diodes are so plentiful and cheap. They are from a failed technology (HD DVD). We started buying them so the Chinese figured out that they were worth money. Instead of simply sending the entire units to the scrapper (as was planned), they started removing the sleds to sell to us. I believe we have spurred a "cottage industry" in China around these diodes. Manufacturers are VERY good at estimating need. They don't make massive over-production runs. The 6X will NOT follow the way of the PHR. They will become more available as "maintenance and repair" supplies are produced, but never the way the PHR's are. The 6X's are NOT part of a failed technology. They are simply a step in an orderly progression from one strength of diode to the next. (i.e. The 8X's are ready, but they didn't want to release them until the stock of existing 6X's was drawn down enough)
The first couple of batches of 6X's that made it out were all QC rejects. We may have already dug deeply into the supply of them. Also, the 6X sleds are running around $55 apiece! The PHR's are running about $7.50 apiece. Buying 50 6X ($2,750) sleds is a bit harder on the budget than buying 50 PHR's ($375)
In order to make a store viable, the price of a sled should be at least two times the cost. With the plethora of $12 PHR sleds, how many people would be willing to pay $110 for a 6X sled? I have people PM'ing me saying that $180 for a completed 6X laser is just too much to pay. I invite them to get their own sled, driver, and host and I will help them build their own. In order to make back the needed profit to remain solvent, the only way to do it is to make a finished product.
$60 diode
$25 driver
$5 module
$8 battery
$25 heat sink
$25 host (or $50 plain Kryton; or $70 custom anodized Kryton)
$7 PayPal fees
$13 postage
$2 packaging
Total cost to me = $145 (or $170 plain Kryton, or $190 custom anodized Kryton)
PLUS 3% to cover necessary warranty work = ($150; $175; $196)
Add a carrying case and/or a charger (another $20) = ($170; $195; $216)
At this point, I still haven't made a dime! So at just twice the cost of building a laser, they should cost $240; $390; & $432
Peace,
dave
[highlight]@ Rangedunits[/highlight] -- I "shoplifted" a bottle of cheap wine when I was 14. I drank it and got sick. I still remember it. I started mowing lawns when I was 10. I had my first paper route when I was 11. By 12 I was going door-to-door selling subscriptions to the LA Times. At 14 I had my first hourly job. By 17 I was in the Air Force.
I even return excess change to the checkout person.
