Seriously there is probably a niche here. While SMT is relatively mature for most real manufacturers (perhaps why there's used gear for sale) it is still relatively new to the DIY hobby crowd, and not even on the radar for the opamp du jour hot rod crowd, unless they can't get the hot opamp in TH.
Another reason there may be used machines out there is because CM can be brutal, especially in the US as lots of this work has already moved offshore.
I may not be your ideal customer.. I know what stuff should cost from decades in manufacturing and I'm too cheap to pay too much for stuff, but I suspect my difficulty with fine pitch or bottom pad parts, is not unique.
There is probably a commercial business opportunity for someone who doesn't charge $125 to pop a BGA in low volume.
You will find your niche, or not. There is probably a target rich environment here of people who don't realize how easy most SMT is and would gladly pay for help getting started, while they don't have a compelling reason to get into it yet.
If you wan't to get people excited do a kick ass DOA that is smaller than a bread box... or something audio like that. Didn't JDB have something like that in the works?
Even that PIC meter idea I was kicking around would almost prefer being SMT since IIRC the LED driver chip I like is only available SMT. How about a PIC and LED driver on a PCB that plugs in place of a TH LM3915 (nah,,, but it could be done).
Are any of the new class of uber opamps not available TH? I know lots of kool new cellphone and portable audio and mixed audio/digital chips aren't .
Good luck.
JR
Another reason there may be used machines out there is because CM can be brutal, especially in the US as lots of this work has already moved offshore.
I may not be your ideal customer.. I know what stuff should cost from decades in manufacturing and I'm too cheap to pay too much for stuff, but I suspect my difficulty with fine pitch or bottom pad parts, is not unique.
There is probably a commercial business opportunity for someone who doesn't charge $125 to pop a BGA in low volume.
You will find your niche, or not. There is probably a target rich environment here of people who don't realize how easy most SMT is and would gladly pay for help getting started, while they don't have a compelling reason to get into it yet.
If you wan't to get people excited do a kick ass DOA that is smaller than a bread box... or something audio like that. Didn't JDB have something like that in the works?
Even that PIC meter idea I was kicking around would almost prefer being SMT since IIRC the LED driver chip I like is only available SMT. How about a PIC and LED driver on a PCB that plugs in place of a TH LM3915 (nah,,, but it could be done).
Are any of the new class of uber opamps not available TH? I know lots of kool new cellphone and portable audio and mixed audio/digital chips aren't .
Good luck.
JR
