cart of some type

[devoidelk]

Or I could have the shipping as seperate items and it up to the user to choose the size needed for the items they are buying. Then if someone chooses too small I can cancel the order with the a note sort of like when user mess up coop payments.

The ideas about sending the pcbs out to others to ship is good but would add more cost as you have shipping a couple of times added in.

RJ

Then you run into people constantly choosing to small of a container and you spending all your time fixing that error.... you could just centralize everything into one size fits all but then you run into overcharging for shipping.... hmmm we're all in a pickle on this one...

[bisquit476]

With the boards that are not going to be changed (LEv5, TX/RXv2, EX/RXv2, Donglev2) why not setup a co-op "schedule" that is known and posted for all to see and prepare for, and do away with the "extra" PCB's. You can always add other co-ops as needed, but a schedule keeps your time better spent going forward designing new stuff, or adding new features, or running a full co-op instead of grinding your wheels in one position dealing with 1 or 2 PCB's. Run a final co-op for an LE and Dongle in the month of November to help the late starters and folks who see a video on Youtube and say "I want one", and then start other co-ops again in January. Just seems a better use of your time RJ,

Bill

[egenoup]

What if I did like some of the DIY guys that went into business they just charge for a Med flat rate box for every order. I could then refund for small stuff since it is easy to refund. Or maybe thay would be a pain also.

Or I could have the shipping as seperate items and it up to the user to choose the size needed for the items they are buying. Then if someone chooses too small I can cancel the order with the a note sort of like when user mess up coop payments.

The ideas about sending the pcbs out to others to ship is good but would add more cost as you have shipping a couple of times added in.

RJ

This is only true if you receive the boards first and then send them out to the people that will be taking the orders and shipping them.  You could have the board mfg send the boards directly to the person that will be sending them out.  You can have several people distributing the various boards, but a single point for any given board.  Instead of the relying on the COOP to restock the PCB supplies, your distribution manager for the specific board would send the COOP manager the boards that would be required for the COOP.  The distribution manager would then coordinate with you to get resupplied.

This would take some of the load off you!

[rimist]

Some of the size issue can be solved by having the minimum box size on the item record. Even knowing when you have to go to the next size box is doable for a single item, it's when combining items it gets complicated.

I have a simpler solution if it is acceptable. You already accept donations. Is it possible to consider any excess shipping charge a donation?

As far as having to double check to make sure the box selected isn't too small, it doesn't have to be RJ who rejects the order. You could have volunteers verify orders before Rj ever looks at them.

And lastly, what about the possibility of allowing shipping to change? Mouser estimates shipping then charges the real amount later.

[Steve Gase]

So many ideas and thoughts on the subject! 

I agree, it would be great to have RJ spend more time on the things he enjoys and the things that he uniquely can do.  Have others that are looking for a way to help take on the more menial activities.

I really hope that this is not limited to a coop-only arrangement.  I get into DLA prior to the EtherDongle and AetherII coops.  If there was no opportunity to buy the PCBs I would have left a long time ago.  By buying PCBs as I needed them, and working directly with Mouser I was able to have a successful DIY Christmas.  I'd much rather see more attention spent to creating a bigger stockpile of PCBs so that the AtherIIs, EtherDongles and everything else was available whenever you wanted them... and the coops were there as money-saving events... not the major or only way to get what you needed.

Another reason... I started small, a couple PCBs here and there before knowing the direction I wanted to take.  I made more (and larger) PCBs acquisitions as my vision increased.  In other words, if the coops are limited in size and freqency it doesn't allow me and others like me the opportunity to change and increase our investment in this design.

On the store topic...  What if we created flat pricing, but any difference between the price that I pay and the costs incurred is deposited into my account as a membership credit I can use on a future purchase?  I'd gladly pay $100 up front to find that the cost later went down to $92... and the difference of $8 was a credit on my next PCB or coop purchase.

[DanHouston]

I suppose it depends on what you want to have in your store. If the store is going to just be for a few items (like PCBs) then that seems pretty simple to know what will fit. I might go one step further and just take the largest item and use that to calculate.....Then no matter what people order the shipping container is based on fitting that many of your largest item.

This is like the Quality, Time, Cost triangle.....Pick two.

If you want it to be inexpensive and highly flexible (figures out shipping real well) it is going to take a long time (because you are probably going to need someone to volunteer their time to develop one for you).

If you want it to be inexpensive and available soon you are going to have to sacrifice flexibility (with something like I described....everything is the same size, even  though that isn't true).

If you want it flexible and available soon then it's time to spend the money for a commercial product.

Just my take. I think most of us would get along with being on the hook for a little extra shipping if we were in a bind and needed to order something now.

I like the dealer idea too....allows you to spread the work some, but with adding more shipping not sure that is any better than just assuming a certain size from your store.

[bassmants]

So many ideas and thoughts on the subject! 

I agree, it would be great to have RJ spend more time on the things he enjoys and the things that he uniquely can do.  Have others that are looking for a way to help take on the more menial activities.

I really hope that this is not limited to a coop-only arrangement.  I get into DLA prior to the EtherDongle and AetherII coops.  If there was no opportunity to buy the PCBs I would have left a long time ago.  By buying PCBs as I needed them, and working directly with Mouser I was able to have a successful DIY Christmas.  I'd much rather see more attention spent to creating a bigger stockpile of PCBs so that the AtherIIs, EtherDongles and everything else was available whenever you wanted them... and the coops were there as money-saving events... not the major or only way to get what you needed.

Another reason... I started small, a couple PCBs here and there before knowing the direction I wanted to take.  I made more (and larger) PCBs acquisitions as my vision increased.  In other words, if the coops are limited in size and freqency it doesn't allow me and others like me the opportunity to change and increase our investment in this design.

On the store topic...  What if we created flat pricing, but any difference between the price that I pay and the costs incurred is deposited into my account as a membership credit I can use on a future purchase?  I'd gladly pay $100 up front to find that the cost later went down to $92... and the difference of $8 was a credit on my next PCB or coop purchase.

I agree.  I would rather have the opportunity to buy pcb's and work with mouser than have to wait for coops for everything.

[chrisatpsu]

i would be wiliing to step forward and take over handling of the pcbs.

i will be unemployed for the next 5 years (to raise my daughter)

i have tons of time. and access to 40 post offices within 20 miles.

[devoidelk]

I'm new but I would be willing to help anyway I could.

[meman]

Trying to cater to exact individual needs seems to be the crux of the problem. No matter how you spin it, in the end we are all leeching off you, so we need to cater to your needs. That may come in the form of us members  having to buy a little more or less of exactly what we wanted at this instant in time. Perhaps you set up the cart with fixed quantities of items that have known shipping, and that is only way to buy between coops. For example:
  Starter pack #1 - 1 dongle board, 5 express boards.
  Pigtail pack - 10 pigtails, etc. etc.

If member X just wants more express boards, he has to buy a starter pack. The dongle board gets junked, or fed back into the system when someone posts on the want-to-buy thread.

You let the members handle the small stuff between themselves through the overstock that is created.

Mike E.   
 

[Jeffl]

Seams like a solution like eBay might work.  The question is; is there an easy way to set this up?  The goal would be to get close to the actual price, with a little wiggle room.  You decide how much, and leave you the option to ship it however you wish. 

Something like this (Example):

Express PCB :                $5.00
Each additional Express   $2.00
Additional dongle  PCB     $.75

[RJ]

The problem with ebay is we would have other than members buying. I am thinking about it and I think Meman may be on to something. There is not limit to the amount of items in the cart so why can't I setup all the common combinations I get orders for all the time and set the postage for each to what I know it cost. It won't be prefect but I am not prefect right now. It sure would simplify things and the wife and youngest son would help if I could get it simpler to do.

RJ

[chrisatpsu]

in that case, you are the best one to figure out the combinations, since you see what everyone wants

[devoidelk]

I like that idea to could try it out atleast to see how it goes and then tweak it for the needs of the buyer/ simplicity for you.

A good starter pack would be the dongle and the ssr4 with dmx if you can get the transformer for it again. So people can just get there feet wet without having to build 5 LE and buy components that might be somewhat overwhelming for some people.

[Mimir]

I like the Idea of spreading the work/responsibility of distribution of the boards to more people.  I know as a newbie to the hobby, that it is somewhat frustrating to have to wait to be able to get started on building stuff I need/want.  I understand the economies of scale that are achieved by running the coops and I also understand the amount of time and effort that RJ puts into the designing and development of the devices that we all want. 

By spreading the distribution of the pcbs to others, it will free up RJ and make them more available.