Re: Breakout board or cards - things change

> I've only been on this list for around 6-8 months, so I can't see

any

> specific trends. I think it's similar to a lot of other markets.

There

> are now enough old machines, and people interested in fiddling with
> them, that there is a hobby market for machine retrofit pieces.

I've

> thought about building some (and have built one item).
>
> I'm doing a retrofit because it's a neat thing to do, but I'll also

want

> to use the machine, hopefully to make some money. In the end, if

my

> schedule gets tight (like - other work butts in), then I might buy

some

> pieces that I otherwise would have built, just to save a little

time.

>
> I think that there's a general shift in attitudes today that time

is

> money, and that it's stupid to spend time (usually

called "wasting") on

> something that you can buy cheap.
>
> (personally, I'd rather spend the time, but I don't always have

that

> option, what with bills and all :) )
> - Steve

When I first joined, there was a lot of talk about how to fix 297/298
driver boards and voltages and such.

Then came the Gecko

There was a lot of talk about making simple breakout devices, from
the Radio-Shack unit that has a small PC board attached to a db25 so
you could connect wire the Pheonix contact DIN rail mount board.

There was discussion of how to make the Tee supports for drill rod
from epoxy for linear rails.

Now I see the trend to where is the best place to get a bridgport
ballscrew retro-fit kit.

Not that it is good or bad, just that it seems less build and more
buy.


Dave