Gaussmeter Kit Group-Buy

[RedHouse]

Why would anyone want to pay $17 + when they are being offered for $9. It would also add to the amount of time it would take to receive my kit. I would rather have it sooner, and pay less money.

Dawg

Thanks for the words Dawg , you know my work but many here don't, but now that you mention it I too would question the price. My personal feeling also is that out-sourcing the PCB would delay the whole group-buy scenario.

I guess we'll know more when Mike chimes-in again.

[RedHouse]

No problem, and sure, I should be able to hide this somehow, esp paying via money order.
Soldering directly to the board works for me, as does priority mail shipping. I'm fine with having you (RH) doing the PCB work for about 1/2 the price of the other option if you're willing, and outsourcing the work isn't a deal breaker for me . Still indifferent on the LCD color.

Right-on Dude! I'll add you to "the list".

[mkat]

payment & shipping

I'm in Australia, so paypal will have to do. I'm hoping for low shipping cost. Priority Mail Flat Rate International (Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box, up to 4 pounds), USD$12.95, or the like?

[Dave Kerr]

I'm in Australia, so paypal will have to do. I'm hoping for low shipping cost, otherwise I may need to bail (USD$43.95 to Australia for under 0.5 pounds .

If it'll all fit in a small flat rate box, it's just under $13 unless I'm mistaken - below for 1 1/2 lbs:
Postage Price Calculator

[RedHouse]

I'm in Australia, so paypal will have to do. I'm hoping for low shipping cost. Priority Mail Flat Rate International (Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box, up to 4 pounds), USD$12.95, or the like?

Yes, I believe so.

IIRC, the only down-side was I couldn't get insurance on that, I recently shipped a Vibe-Baby circuit board to Finland and it ended up costing like $28 instead of that flat rate they advertise.

Please use that link Dave just posted and let me know what kind of charge there is from Sammamish, WA, 98074 to your address. PM me if you need more info.

I see by your sig that you dabble in C, what's your involvement?

[mkat]

Yes, I believe so.

IIRC, the only down-side was I couldn't get insurance on that, I recently shipped a Vibe-Baby circuit board to Finland and it ended up costing like $28 instead of that flat rate they advertise.

Please use that link Dave just posted and let me know what kind of charge there is from Sammamish, WA, 98074 to your address. PM me if you need more info.

Thanks, will do.

I see by your sig that you dabble in C, what's your involvement?

Professionally, it's been mostly C++ and Unix scripting over the last 10 years. Not that much in C professionally only when necessary. Did some very small projects mostly for my own research: Unix networking (eg. servers, daemons), low level Windows programming (eg. proprietry disk formatting) before the switch to C++.

[LtKojak]

Which brings up the matter of payment.

We don't have the exact figure yet, as not everyone has chimed-in with how they vote on shipping. So far it's looking like USPS Priority is the preferred option. We need to be unanimous though so lets wait until other chime in.

I'm ok with Paypal, ...but... as Dave Kerr mentioned they will ding me a 3% charge and 35¢ per transaction if anyone pays with a credit card. It's only fair for each person to pay his own way and not expect me to pay 3% so they can make an easy payment, I'm not willing to carry anyone's financing, I volunteered to do the leg work, coordination and shipping.

So if you plan to pay with a credit card you will need to bump your share's payment up by 3.3% and send that amount to my Paypal when we know what that will be exactly.

USPS Postal Money Orders are ok with me too, just make sure that when we do the "last call" thing here, you send them priority post to get them here in a couple days, not a week or two.

Please don't ask me to take a personal, bank or cashier's check, can't do it these days.

LtKojak and Spy are both outside the USA, I will communicate via PM with them directly to determine what additional shipping cost will be for international shipping, of course they will pay the same as everyone else for the domestic part but add a little more because of international shipping is a bit more.
(TBD individually by PM)

Are we still ALL on board?

I'm SO in!

[spy]

Are we still ALL on board?

Yup!

-I prefer USPS Priority Mail.... hope it's around $10-15. There's no insurance but at list we have the tracking number.
-No problem with Brad's PCBs.
-I prefer PayPal. Of course we will pay +3% of the total amount.
-No problem to wait until 11th of July...

[-Elepro-]

.......

10 Definate Participants:
Redhouse
David Schwab
JasonG
spy
firewire
Bruce Johnson
Arndawg56
LtKojak
mkat
automan
Dave Kerr


........

I counted many time and i think that you are 11 ......

[automan]

I've sort of lost track at this point the total cost with all the upgrades. Feel free to upgrade whatever you want for me as long as we don't break $100. That was the limit I set on myself when the thread first started and it seemed to come in below that when I agreed to buy. It's easy for these things to nickel and dime up up and away.

[David Schwab]

I'm also fine with USPS, and the in-house PCB's, and any payment method.

[RedHouse]

I've sort of lost track at this point the total cost with all the upgrades. Feel free to upgrade whatever you want for me as long as we don't break $100. That was the limit I set on myself when the thread first started and it seemed to come in below that when I agreed to buy. It's easy for these things to nickel and dime up up and away.

Yes automan we're still under the $100 mark. I think that was everyone's goal in this whether it was mentioned or not so you're not alone. Don't worry, you can bail anytime up until "last call".

To re-cap:

We have two totals (both exclude shipping and payment type) that we need to agree as a group upon, either:

Vote for one of the following:
Kit w/o terminals = $68.83
Kit w/Terminals = $81.05

The shipping is currently being agreed upon right now (though I didn't see you vote yet on which method you prefer) the choice for inside USA particpants is:

Vote for one of the following:
USPS Parcel Post (slow but cheap, likely under $3)
USPS Priority Post (2 day deliver, but $4.95)

(just checked USPS website- Priority is now $4.95)

The last cost issue brough to the table was regarding the method of payment:

Paypal and Credit Card Transactions:

Some participants have asked to pay via PayPal with their own credit card.

Paypal offers the option of using a credit card (Visa/MC) instead of the normal direct money transfer from your bank account ...but... if I accept a Paypal payment that was done with a credit card, Paypal takes 3% plus 35¢ right off the top.
(roughly 3.3%)

If you are still following, that means that if you want to pay through Paypal and you use your credit card then I would end up paying Paypal for your transaction.

Under other circumstances that would be ok but not in this case. If I was buying these parts and marking-up the price to make a profit, then it would be ok for me to absorb the transaction fee, but in this case (a group-buy) I'm only ordering, and distributing parts at their actual cost so it's inappropriate for me to eat the fee.

So if you are intending to pay for his through Paypal with a credit card, you will need to add 3.3% to your share of your payment to pay for the paypal transaction fee.

Is it clear now on what the costs are? you are asking for a total while the group (including yourself) has not yet entirely voted on which choices we want, and it is a group-buy so the group majority makes the decision through posting their choice in this thread.

So now automan, what are your choices so we can add your vote to the decisions and come closer to having a rock-solid cost?

[RedHouse]

I counted many time and i think that you are 11 ...

Does that get us a better discount?

Just kidding, yes when I added the last person I forgot to increment the total {list++} thanks for pointing that out Elepro, and keep working on that discount!

[RedHouse]

I'm also fine with USPS, and the in-house PCB's, and any payment method.

Ok David, and what say ye on the terminals-vs-solder to board option?

[RedHouse]

I've noticed since the original post of this thread, when I asked if any of the members who already have a commercial meter would participate in helping validate the DIY meter we are doing in this group-buy, we haven't had any takers. (no posts or PM's)

A search of the forum threads which mention gauss meters comes up with a list of 6 members who have said they own commercial gauss meters, it's hard to believe none are willing to help out validating this effort.

I live in the Seattle area (Sammamish, Wa) and understand that both Wolfe M. and Jason L live in the area, I'll try to contact them and see if either has a commercial gauss meter and may be willing to assist.