Advise wanted on equipment purchase

[siliconmike]

I have started a small Electronic consultation company and have a small
budget of $7000 to buy few equipments like scopes, smd soldering tools,
analysers, processor kits..etc. (I already have low cost meters,
soldering irons etc..)

The kind of work that we would be doing is -

1. microprocessor based SMD systems, say running at 300 MHz

2. RF stuff, possibly <- (I don't have any experience here, but willing
to learn)



I would like to invite advise of experienced people as to what to buy.
What you guys have.. What companies / models are matured.. Or some
sharp shooter advise..

(I need to decide in a week's time)

Or probably just a general discussion.

Mike

 

[mike]

siliconmike wrote:

I have started a small Electronic consultation company and have a small
budget of $7000 to buy few equipments like scopes, smd soldering tools,
analysers, processor kits..etc. (I already have low cost meters,
soldering irons etc..)

The kind of work that we would be doing is -

1. microprocessor based SMD systems, say running at 300 MHz

2. RF stuff, possibly <- (I don't have any experience here, but willing
to learn)



I would like to invite advise of experienced people as to what to buy.
What you guys have.. What companies / models are matured.. Or some
sharp shooter advise..

(I need to decide in a week's time)

Or probably just a general discussion.

Mike

This all sounds horribly wrong!!
You want to decide on equipment in a week's time and the level of detail
in your business plan is "RF stuff, possibly"?????

The best place to start is with the equipment you used when you did this
(successfully) in the past. When your questions come out like, "We're
using a XYZ system but have reliability problems doing BGA with
lead-free solder, what do you recommend?" you (might be) ready to start
thinking about starting a consulting business working with SMD.

So, here's what you do...
Send me the $7,000. I'll buy a used RV and go on vacation.
You'll have the same amount of money you'll have after your business
fails. But you'll also avoid all the aggravation and additional debt
that you're gonna incur. And you'll have some free time to work on your
business plan so you'll start something with at least the normal 10%
chance of success.

I'm not saying you can't make a go of a consulting business. I'm saying
that you can't make a go of ANY business where you go buy equipment
before you decide (precisely) what business you want to be in and have
significant experience in that business.

If you're dead set on spending the money, go to the link in the sig
and look at the TEK TDS540 scope I have for sale cheap.

mike

--
Return address is VALID but some sites block emails
with links. Delete this sig when replying.
..
Wanted, PCMCIA SCSI Card for HP m820 CDRW.
FS 500MHz Tek DSOscilloscope TDS540
Wanted 12" LCD for Compaq Armada 7770MT.
Bunch of stuff For Sale and Wanted at the link below.
MAKE THE OBVIOUS CHANGES TO THE LINK
ht<removethis>tp://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Monitor/4710/

 

[Tom Biasi]

"siliconmike" <siliconmike@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1122398511.787923.88850@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

I have started a small Electronic consultation company and have a small
budget of $7000 to buy few equipments like scopes, smd soldering tools,
analysers, processor kits..etc. (I already have low cost meters,
soldering irons etc..)

The kind of work that we would be doing is -

1. microprocessor based SMD systems, say running at 300 MHz

2. RF stuff, possibly <- (I don't have any experience here, but willing
to learn)



I would like to invite advise of experienced people as to what to buy.
What you guys have.. What companies / models are matured.. Or some
sharp shooter advise..

(I need to decide in a week's time)

Or probably just a general discussion.

Mike

Hi Mike,

With all due respect no one here can help you. You really don't know what
you are doing.
How can you consult on something of which you have little knowledge?
I agree with the other mike except for one part.
Send me the money. I already have an RV and could make better use of it than
mike can.
With Respect,
Tom

 

[me]

"Tom Biasi" <tombiasi@REMOVEoptonline.net> wrote in
news:RqxFe.14556$_x.5524@fe11.lga:

"siliconmike" <siliconmike@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1122398511.787923.88850@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
I have started a small Electronic consultation company and have a
small
budget of $7000 to buy few equipments like scopes, smd soldering
tools, analysers, processor kits..etc. (I already have low cost
meters, soldering irons etc..)

The kind of work that we would be doing is -

1. microprocessor based SMD systems, say running at 300 MHz

2. RF stuff, possibly <- (I don't have any experience here, but
willing to learn)



I would like to invite advise of experienced people as to what to
buy. What you guys have.. What companies / models are matured.. Or
some sharp shooter advise..

(I need to decide in a week's time)

Or probably just a general discussion.

Mike

Hi Mike,
With all due respect no one here can help you. You really don't know
what you are doing.
How can you consult on something of which you have little knowledge?
I agree with the other mike except for one part.
Send me the money. I already have an RV and could make better use of it
than mike can.
With Respect,
Tom

yea, but I also want the money, how about we split it...

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[Eric R Snow]

On 26 Jul 2005 10:21:51 -0700, "siliconmike" <siliconmike@yahoo.com>
wrote:

I have started a small Electronic consultation company and have a small
budget of $7000 to buy few equipments like scopes, smd soldering tools,
analysers, processor kits..etc. (I already have low cost meters,
soldering irons etc..)

The kind of work that we would be doing is -

1. microprocessor based SMD systems, say running at 300 MHz

2. RF stuff, possibly <- (I don't have any experience here, but willing
to learn)



I would like to invite advise of experienced people as to what to buy.
What you guys have.. What companies / models are matured.. Or some
sharp shooter advise..

(I need to decide in a week's time)

Or probably just a general discussion.

Mike
Mike,

I'm self employed, but my business is machining. If I could buy tools
for all aspects of machining the budget would be astronomical. Your
best bet is to decide right now what kind of work you are capable of
doing at this time. Then buy the tools that you will need to do the
kind of work you already know how to do. Then, while your business
makes money, learn other aspects of electronics. When you've gained
enough experience and knowledge then buy the equipment and offer this
new service. Whatever you do avoid debt like the plague. If you need
to go into debt for a tool purchase then pay it off before buying
another. This has saved my butt. And other machine shop owners I know
who also share this philosphy and live by it have kept their
collective butts out of a sling too. There will always be exceptions,
so don't dwell on them, as they are only exceptions.
Good luck,
Eric R Snow,
E T Precision Machine

 

[siliconmike]

mike wrote:

siliconmike wrote:
I have started a small Electronic consultation company and have a small
budget of $7000 to buy few equipments like scopes, smd soldering tools,
analysers, processor kits..etc. (I already have low cost meters,
soldering irons etc..)

The kind of work that we would be doing is -

1. microprocessor based SMD systems, say running at 300 MHz

2. RF stuff, possibly <- (I don't have any experience here, but willing
to learn)



I would like to invite advise of experienced people as to what to buy.
What you guys have.. What companies / models are matured.. Or some
sharp shooter advise..

(I need to decide in a week's time)

Or probably just a general discussion.

Mike


This all sounds horribly wrong!!
You want to decide on equipment in a week's time and the level of detail
in your business plan is "RF stuff, possibly"?????

The best place to start is with the equipment you used when you did this
(successfully) in the past. When your questions come out like, "We're
using a XYZ system but have reliability problems doing BGA with
lead-free solder, what do you recommend?" you (might be) ready to start
thinking about starting a consulting business working with SMD.

So, here's what you do...
Send me the $7,000.

Not even if you fall on your knees, beg and put your self respect on
sale J/K

mike

--
Return address is VALID but some sites block emails
with links. Delete this sig when replying.
.
Wanted, PCMCIA SCSI Card for HP m820 CDRW.
FS 500MHz Tek DSOscilloscope TDS540
Wanted 12" LCD for Compaq Armada 7770MT.
Bunch of stuff For Sale and Wanted at the link below.
MAKE THE OBVIOUS CHANGES TO THE LINK
ht<removethis>tp://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Monitor/4710/

 

[siliconmike]

Forget RF. I'm quite knowledgeable at microcontrollers. Perhaps I
should have asked "what are the latest logic analysers around" or "what
are the latest multi-function oscilloscopes around"..

Mike

Tom Biasi wrote:

Hi Mike,
With all due respect no one here can help you. You really don't know what
you are doing.
How can you consult on something of which you have little knowledge?
I agree with the other mike except for one part.
Send me the money. I already have an RV and could make better use of it than
mike can.
With Respect,
Tom

 

[mike]

siliconmike wrote:

Forget RF. I'm quite knowledgeable at microcontrollers. Perhaps I
should have asked "what are the latest logic analysers around" or "what
are the latest multi-function oscilloscopes around"..

Mike

Everybody asks, "what's the best/biggest/smallest/fastest/your

superlative here gizmo around. That's not a useful question.
Best for me ain't best for you. And you can't afford the "best" anyway.

Call up any vendor and tell them you want a demo of the latest analyzer
and you've got $7,000 to spend. At least they'll get a good laugh.
State what analysis functions you need and maybe someone can make a
recommendationon some old gear. S.E.Equipment might be a better place
to ask.

You can't get "quite knowledgeable" without having successfully used
scopes and analyzers to do the job. Start with what you know and branch
out your search from there. What did you use? What did it lack?
If you can't accurately specify the analysis tools you need, you gots no
business starting a busniess.

Putting more time in on the business plan will save you $7000 in wrong
equipment.
mike

 

[James Morrison]

On Wed, 2005-07-27 at 12:20 -0700, mike wrote:

siliconmike wrote:
Forget RF. I'm quite knowledgeable at microcontrollers. Perhaps I
should have asked "what are the latest logic analysers around" or "what
are the latest multi-function oscilloscopes around"..

Mike

Everybody asks, "what's the best/biggest/smallest/fastest/your
superlative here gizmo around. That's not a useful question.
Best for me ain't best for you. And you can't afford the "best" anyway.

Call up any vendor and tell them you want a demo of the latest analyzer
and you've got $7,000 to spend. At least they'll get a good laugh.
State what analysis functions you need and maybe someone can make a
recommendationon some old gear. S.E.Equipment might be a better place
to ask.

You can't get "quite knowledgeable" without having successfully used
scopes and analyzers to do the job. Start with what you know and branch
out your search from there. What did you use? What did it lack?
If you can't accurately specify the analysis tools you need, you gots no
business starting a busniess.

Putting more time in on the business plan will save you $7000 in wrong
equipment.

Good advice. One more thing, there are lots of places that will RENT
expensive equipment. So if you have a job that requires a certain piece
of equipment you can rent it for a lot less. To get a good scope you're
looking at $30K+ and that's a lot of capital sitting around if you only
need it 3 times a year. For lots of debugging a $1000 scope off of ebay
will suffice.

I've picked up lots of deals on ebay. If you know what things are worth
then you can find good deals. I've got a scope, dual HP power supply,
HP bench DMM, and electronic load. The most I've spent on any one item
is $800 for the scope a few years ago. New its all easily worth $10K,
probably more.

Just make sure you deal with reputable sellers.

Cheers,

James.

 

[David L. Jones]

siliconmike wrote:

I have started a small Electronic consultation company and have a small
budget of $7000 to buy few equipments like scopes, smd soldering tools,
analysers, processor kits..etc. (I already have low cost meters,
soldering irons etc..)

The kind of work that we would be doing is -

1. microprocessor based SMD systems, say running at 300 MHz

2. RF stuff, possibly <- (I don't have any experience here, but willing
to learn)



I would like to invite advise of experienced people as to what to buy.
What you guys have.. What companies / models are matured.. Or some
sharp shooter advise..

(I need to decide in a week's time)

Or probably just a general discussion.

Mike

The Agilent 54600 series combined scope and logic analyser are supurb
value and will likely be all you need for combined analog/micro
debugging (the deep memory is supurb). Fits within your budget too.
But I echo some of the sentiments of the other posters.

What micros are you using that work at 300MHz?
Do you know how to probe a 300MHz *digital* system? (not to mention, do
you know how much these probes can cost? :-&gt

If you have experience with micros as you claim, then you should know
this sort of stuff already.

Give us some more info on what sort of stuff you'll be working on and
we'll be able to help you out some more.

Regards
Dave