Thought id show you what im currently working on.... to go with the kit Bob has... its a 7 inch touch screen. There will also be a 4 inch and a 5 inch . It will be sold as a i) an add on, and ii) as a complete kit. Can wait to get it finished. really proud of it.
There is a compromise position as well, a stepper motor with in line gearbox Nema 17 with 3.7:1 gearbox - ebay Impressive work the pair of you Paul
Hi Paul I used one of those gearboxed motors or my wagon turntable. It allowed me to drill a hole in the baseboard 20 mm dia and drop the turntable straight in. be seeing you Bob
Hi Paul, I tried those gearboxes a while back - and they are a good idea, but you get alot of backlash, and i was finding them very inaccurate.
Can I ask a question of people please? Bearing in mind that the ADM Turntable kit is £425, and that comes with the turntable, and a simple keypad with a 2x16 lcd display, What do you think i good price would be if i was to offer the same kit, ( turntable, power supply etc ) but with an lcd touch screen? I was thinking of much less than £425!
I would suggest you add up all the component parts, raw materials such as the polycarbonate sheet. Your time taken giving your self a minimum of double the national wage rate then double the end result. You need to cost postage, advertising etc. would you assemble the whole thing or sell it as a kit of parts. If someone wanted you to build it up as a plug and play would you do that? It all adds up. Keep us informed mate! Cheer's, Pete.
Hi Ian I really admire what you are doing but to price the same type of product and add an extra but charge less is not good business sense unless the products you offer are of an inferior grade. At the least good competition makes the price similar but by offering something a little different the product takes an overall advantage, you don't want to have a loaded order book of cheapies only to find it becomes a burden to fulfill orders and not cost effective to pay someone to assist either.
Thanks for your advice. My thinking comes from a point of view of - I know how much the parts all cost, and i know how much profit i can make - and at this price its still alot less than the £425 of ADM's offering. I feel that 1) people would not pay £425 for a touch screen indexed turntable solution - although people seem to be buying the ADM one ??? 2) To sell it at a similar price - feels like i would be ripping people off. 3) if i'm cheaper ( still make a profit ) with an superior product, thats in my favour. I'm part of this community , so i would not want to rip off my own community.
Hi Ian, I do think £425 is a lot to pay for that other product and no doubt when you launch your version at the price you are happy with then the competition will try and lower theirs. I am sorry I cannot offer an opinion on what a guide price should be which is really what you asked originally, I guess if you are happy with the figures you have and they work then that is the unit price of the item you are selling. I also really admire you for selling a product aimed for the railway modeler rather than at the modeler which some others do with home grown ranges.
It's a difficult one. I would say don't sell yourself short. £425 is a fair bit of dosh but people will pay it. If you think the product is a good product, reliable etc, I don't think I'd be dropping the price too much. Keep in mind that you will get the inevitable returns ( through no fault of your own ) I'e a faulty part. It all adds to the cost over the full term of the project. As already said, maybe you want to consider a kit version and a built version. If that's the case, how much disposable time do you have to fulfill these orders ? You would need to give folks an idea of lead in times from the point of order to the point of delivery for a built version. I'd build in some slack there then if you get it out the door quicker, you are beating folks expectations rather than dashing them. The price is the tricky bit but in general ...... Don't cheapen the product / brand. Good luck Toto
I'd say build a small working layout using the turntable and do a few shows to get your name and product out there. Once folks can see (and have a play with) the unit and see what it'll do compared to the price of the competition, then it'll be a much easier sale. In my opinion, quality sells as in "The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten" but try and make sure that you are able to cope if demand exceeds your expectations as there's nothing more frustrating for buyers than paying then having to wait for your production catching up with their order. It seems a brilliant unit and the best of luck in your venture, I'm sure it will be well received. Keith.
thank you all so much - I am beginning to get a price in mind, but still much lower than £425. I feel bad that I have taken over Bobs thread - and thats not fair. should I start a new thread?
To add to the thread drift- found the TT stuff very interesting - here is an Italian ,almost 50', turntable with attached gubbins. It could easily pass for an UK type and ,IIR, is around the £350-£400 range. Wish I had come across it before I built my LRM kit as it looks and performs well. Personally, I don't think this price range is too much for what you are getting, and it is going to be a one off purchase that will earn its keep. Its only the cost of half a dozen new release coaches but with a lot more put into it.
Hi All so I have been busy creating the cliffs that were carved out to create the lead in to Kyle of Lochalsh here are a few pics. First the foam is cut. Be seeing you Bob
Then the plaster is painted on I used some do it yourself ready mixed plaster that I had over from a house mod. Be seeing you Bob
I have been working on the main Kyle station building. all 3D printed so far here are some pics and some 3D printed furniture sinks, table, chair and bookcase. be seeing you bob