SPC900 Mod cost question

[JKB]

Just wondering (without being rude to those who do it) but why is it so expensive to have your SPC900 LX Mod so expensive?

It's not really rocket science and the cost of components is minimal.

SPC880 Flashed with Adaptor and IV filter £35

Mod components £10

Total around £50 but I have seen people charging £60+ just for the Mod on your own cam.

I appreciate "time is money" but it doesn't really take more than an hour.

Just a thought and again sorry if I have stepped on toes

J

[Stephen]

Is £50/hour that unreasonable for a skilled service?

I know my plumber costs me a lot as I don't know a spanner from a screwdriver

You'd hate the rates I charge for software development, and that's just time - no physical stuff required!

[JamesF]

Quite. If you break the job down into:

Unpacking the camera

Testing the camera to make sure it works on arrival

Doing the LX mod from a pile of parts

Testing the camera before repacking

Repacking the camera

Taking the package to the post office

I'd expect it to take between an hour and two hours. Knock off the price of the parts and it seems quite reasonable to me.

James

[Rottweiler]

Actually it takes a lot more than an hour. You are talking 2 hours at least. I can do 6 in 6 hours with a production line, and I have made a lot of these. Not to mention ordering in parts and having the skills and toold already.

1. Strip cameras carefully, without scratching anything.

2. Fit serial cable & Fit selector switch. Make holes and deburr, add grommets, epoxy in place

3. Make up IC, including cabling etc.

4. Fit to camera, modifying ciruit boards. Fiddly work here.

5. Remove LED and mic

6. Reassemble (try lining a jam jar with cling film)

7. Testing, 1 in 3 will need correction due to thing touching whre they shouldnt

8. Fire up CNC lathe and load in prgrams(!)

9. Turn 1.25" or T adaptors

10. Assemble and test again.

11. Box up (buy and write on boxes too!)

12. Go to Post office

13. Pray the post office doesnt throw the package around (1 in 20 arrive broken too)

14. Talk through installation (a nightmare with Win 7 and people who dont read instructions, prolific drivers are stubborn!)

Considering the alternative is also a CCD camera costing 400 or 500, I dont think its a bad deal. Last of all, do your own mod, its rewarding when you get it right, strings to the bow