Help Start a Small Electronics Business

[vegemonster]

Hello everyone,

I'm starting a small campaign, so I can purchase test and measurement equipment for an electronics lab.

Since March and to no avail, I've been looking for work as an Electronics Engineer in Canada while living with my in-laws. To combat what appears to be perpetual unemployment in the face of a global economic catastrophe, and to help my local community grow from a technical standpoint. I've decided to start a small out of the basement sort of business.

However, there's no way my immediate family can front the cost required to begin an electronics business, and investors do not give money to people with nothing but good ideas. Banks will lend money with sufficient collateral, but we don't have enough to take that risk at the moment.

Without getting into all the details, I'm going to need $5,000 dollars to purchase the basic equipment required to start working. Here's the link to my gofundme gf.me/u/ymr545.

I deeply appreciate any help that you can offer and given the success of this campaign, I will ensure much of my income will go back into supporting other campaigns in the future.

Thank you and stay safe during these hard times!

-Adam

[free_electron]

What do you need ? a soldering iron , a multimeter, a scope and a power supply. That doesn't look like 5K ... Get on ebay , prod around and you may get the basics for less than 1k$ ..
Even then . what will you design ?

[vegemonster]

I'm interested in designing a better static discharge monitoring system.

You are right that I may be able to get the absolute basics for a hobbyist lab under $1K, but the design I'm working must be sensitive somewhere in the 1-15 GHz range.

Admittedly, I'm only speculating that $5000 is required based on the fact that oscilloscope cost goes way up as you try to capture higher frequencies. I'll need to design a custom antenna and analog front-end circuit for the detector.

Here's a list of what is required at a minimum:
- Personal computer with enough horsepower to run simulations.
- Simulation and design software.
- Digital oscilloscope with at least 1GHz BW
- DC voltage power supply
- Digital Multimeter with microamps range
- Numerous Prototyping materials/components
- Soldering station and soldering materials
- Work bench and storage

[Mr. Scram]

There's very little to go on and that may turn people off. It may help to work on something and show the results. Showcase some skill and passion. If you can show something being worked on things become a lot more tangible and a $5 JLPCB order, $30 Farnell order and some basic supplies should be more than doable. That puts it more in the helping someone out territory and makes it less of a matter of blind faith.

[tggzzz]

Good luck with working around the problems with recession/depression.

Mr. Scram gives good advice.

I don't see why you need 15GHz, and it is unlikely that a beginner will have the skills to work at those frequencies.

Try using the equipment at http://protospace.ca/the-space/#facilities

See the aphorism in my .sig

[Bud]

@op what were you doing before now ? Are you just fresh from a Uni ?

[thm_w]

It sounds like you are designing something like this? https://www.globalindustrial.ca/g/tools/reel-hose/static-discharge-cable-reels/portable-static-monitoring-system-reel-124458
Thats great but, if its a regulatory/safety thing, I can't see a large company purchasing from a non-established brand. But maybe you want to sell to an investor, etc. no idea.

Anyway, personally I would just apply to whatever job you can find with some sort of relation to electronics, then go from there. Once you have a job its a lot easier to find more.

[free_electron]

I'm interested in designing a better static discharge monitoring system.

You are right that I may be able to get the absolute basics for a hobbyist lab under $1K, but the design I'm working must be sensitive somewhere in the 1-15 GHz range.

Admittedly, I'm only speculating that $5000 is required based on the fact that oscilloscope cost goes way up as you try to capture higher frequencies. I'll need to design a custom antenna and analog front-end circuit for the detector.

Here's a list of what is required at a minimum:
- Personal computer with enough horsepower to run simulations. ' used zbook 17 : 500$
- Simulation and design software.
- Digital oscilloscope with at least 1GHz BW
- DC voltage power supply  ' 100$
- Digital Multimeter with microamps range ' they all have that eevblog meter and ucurrent interface.
- Numerous Prototyping materials/components
- Soldering station and soldering materials  ' used weller : 150$
- Work bench and storage ' Ikea Jerker on craigslist : 50..100$

your big ticket is the scope. but, if you are going to work in 15GHz band a scope is useless. you need a spectrum analyser.

[Mechatrommer]

- Soldering station and soldering materials  ' used weller : 150$
- Work bench and storage ' Ikea Jerker on craigslist : 50..100$

my favourite soldering station is $10 always even until now.. my bench is still my home made < $50 pure wood. that made me looks much poorer. if we have to go back to stone age, i'll sell burger and half of the profit i'll keep to buy T&M equipments, ymmv...

[Mr. Scram]

I don't find it encouraging OP hasn't checked back since making his post. I'll refer back to my previous post. Making a good impression and enthusiasm seem an important part of getting people on board.

[Mr. Scram]

my favourite soldering station is $10 always even until now.. my bench is still my home made < $50 pure wood. that made me looks much poorer. if we have to go back to stone age, i'll sell burger and half of the profit i'll keep to buy T&M equipments, ymmv...

I don't know what wood costs over there but here even the cheap stuff will set you back considerably more than that. If you look for deals desks can usually be had for cheap. People regularly need to get rid of them quickly as transport and storage can be cumbersome. I see them go for next to nothing.

[Mechatrommer]

my favourite soldering station is $10 always even until now.. my bench is still my home made < $50 pure wood. that made me looks much poorer. if we have to go back to stone age, i'll sell burger and half of the profit i'll keep to buy T&M equipments, ymmv...

I don't know what wood costs over there but here even the cheap stuff will set you back considerably more than that.

here 2" x 2" x 10' is about $6, maybe i'll need 2-4pcs. 9mm 4' x 8' plywood here is also about that price maybe $10 at most i havent check lately. if fully planned and polished and super straight wood that will be more expensive, buying a wood planner may save the cost in the long run, and getting from factory who processed the wood right out of the jungle may help with the price too (if nearby your place) not 2nd 3rd 4th party who will accumulate profit ie much higher price. ymmv.

[Wilksey]

Interesting, started the campaign, come on here first post is asking for donations on the same day.
No surprise it's had no takers, if I got funded for every business idea I had i'd probably have a lot of failed startups!
No plan, no target audience, no real business, just a wish and wanting funding for their hobby by the looks of things.

Well, good luck but I think you will be disappointed (if they ever come back to read it that is).

[Mr. Scram]

here 2" x 2" x 10' is about $6, maybe i'll need 2-4pcs. 9mm 4' x 8' plywood here is also about that price maybe $10 at most i havent check lately. if fully planned and polished and super straight wood that will be more expensive, buying a wood planner may save the cost in the long run, and getting from factory who processed the wood right out of the jungle may help with the price too (if nearby your place) not 2nd 3rd 4th party who will accumulate profit ie much higher price. ymmv.

Companies which get wood right out of the jungle are rather scarce in large parts of the world. I'll let you figure out why. 

[Mechatrommer]

not sure your location is so i only can assume... https://www.sawmilldatabase.com/country_companies.php?id=11 but getting from them directly can be harder as their intended customers are resellers (hardware stores) but usually hardware stores will get the supply directly from them, so its not so bad 2nd level party. i got my supply from these stores or resellers.



btw i like how the wood over there looks like, much polished and straighter and much easier to work with, the wood over here mostly is as hard as a rock when i nail them they split into 2

[Mr. Scram]

not sure your location is so i only can assume... https://www.sawmilldatabase.com/country_companies.php?id=11 but getting from them directly can be harder as their intended customers are resellers (hardware stores) but usually hardware stores will get the supply directly from them, so its not so bad 2nd level party. i got my supply from these stores or resellers.



btw i like how the wood over there looks like, much polished and straighter and much easier to work with, the wood over here mostly is as hard as a rock when i nail them they split into 2

The wood pictured is cheap stuff. It's from fast growing trees and consequently very soft. It's less durable than harder wood types and often quite coarsely sawn. Because it's hardly worth the effort it's often dried badly, causing it to warp later on. It's serviceable for a cheap desk but nothing you want to put a lot of effort into. It'll also likely set you back considerably more than $50 no matter where you buy it.

[drussell]

The gofundme says that he's here in Calgary.

If the OP ever comes back and would like to PM me, perhaps we could chat more on the phone or in person about his skill-set, I could quite likely put him to work on some projects if he's really looking for some work and has reasonable abilities...

[Bud]

Why would one need a GHz scope and go to 15GHz  to deal with static? Some magic Wo-wo involved? And how exactly the *local community* would benefit from someone monitoring static discharge.

[drussell]

Why would one need a GHz scope and go to 15GHz  to deal with static? Some magic Wo-wo involved? And how exactly the *local community* would benefit from someone monitoring static discharge.

Yeah, exactly...  Not sure on any of that. 

Adam, if you do read this, feel free to PM me here so we can chat.

[nigelwright7557]

i have worked for myself for 3 years now in electronics/software.
the trick is to design something unusual where there is little competition.
my only output is to ebay where you have to compete with chinese offerings for peanuts.
i stick to sub assemblies which dont need separate approvals which is very costly.

[b_force]

I also think that 5k is a bit much, with a bit of creativity, you can even get very decent/good equipment for a total of $1000-$1500
That amount WILL give you a lot more than "just" basics.
Recently I build a desk myself, 3.3 meter/11 foot long made out of pine and MDF, mounted to the wall.
The top is a simple layer of laminate flooring. Total was less than $100.
Rock solid, I can easily stand and jump on it.

Only for the oscilloscope you have to be very creative and patience.
I also don't really understand why you need such an high bandwidth, but for most purposes a 100Mhz is quite enough (free up-gradable for more) is around $250-300

[Mechatrommer]

Only for the oscilloscope you have to be very creative and patience.

yes. 1GHz used lecroy can be had for like $1K, less if you patience. the 6GHz version is $4K currently in ebay, $2K if you can beg really hard, $1K if you are super lucky. but then there's GHz probes maybe you'll have to be patience to wait for me for that