Re: [APML] Astrophotography 2004 - Price Shock Horror

["Richard Crisp" <rdcrisp@earthlink.net>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lane, Jason R" <jason.lane@navy.mil>
To: "Discussion of Film Astrophotography" <astro-photo@seds.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2004 7:40 AM
Subject: RE: [APML] Astrophotography 2004 - Price Shock Horror



I agree that the expense of the hobby (all astrophotography...not just CCD)
can be a real shocker.  Even little piddly things like camera adapters can
cost close to $50.  What's up with that?  Have the manufacturers ever heard
of jigs?


---CNC is one way to go for making adaptors. I make them one at a time on my
lathe and milling machine to solve my camera/filter wheel/focuser mating
problems and for a few friends that have the same problems. If you can make
a run of a hundred or so at a time, you may be able to make money on them
selling them for $35 each if they are made on a $250K CNC machine. But then
there's the cost of carrying a lot of inventory (100 each of several
different designs, look at the Scopetronix ads to get a feel for the large
number of them needed to solve common interfacing problems ), the
depreciation of the manufacturing equipment and you do have to pay someone
to fill the orders and ship them. If the volume was 1000 pcs/month or so
then it could be very cost effective to sell for $15 to $20 each, but with
lots of permutations and low volume, it is hard to even break even selling
them for $50 each. Also complicating matters is the fact that aluminum
prices have increased considerably in the past few months.


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