Request For Comment: Feasibility of on-line RF and EMC test instrument marketplace
As a small R&D firm, we sometimes run into a situation in which we have RF and/or EMC test equipment laying around that we have no use for anymore. And on occassion we need a specialized test instrument for just a single long-term project so renting is not an option. After talking with some collegues, I came up with the idea of developing an on-line equipment exchange for the EMC and RF testing community. This equipment exchange would allow EMC, RF and coms engineers to sell, trade or buy surplus and used test equipment. It is not intended to be just another auction site. The basic services I am thinking of are as follows: For sale or wanted (for trade?): the following types of equipment: EMC test equipment: from spectrum analyzers to anechoic chambers or GTEMs, from cables to antennas, debugging equipment, software, old copies of test standards, etc. RF test equipment: network analyzers, RF sources, communication analyzers, meters, measurement software, positioning hardware, anechoic materials, antennas, etc. Various: oscilloscopes, power supplies, books on electromagnetics, anything else potentially useful to a test lab. My goal is to primarily list high-quality laboratory grade equipment, for labs needing better used/refurbished test equipment than is available at the local HAM fests. Submissions will be screened to eliminate "noise" and inappropriate entries. A quick-and-dirty demo is set up at: http://www.orionscientific.com/market/index.htm with some examples of what I have in mind. With this RFC, I would like to get the list members' input regarding the following issues: a. the basic question: is there a need or want for such a service? how many of you gentlefolk would use a service like this, to buy or to sell? I imagine it would be interesting for smaller labs, how about the bigger ones? Any ideas on how to go about reaching the people potentially interested in it? Advertising in eg. ITEM? Word of mouth? b. any suggestions for modifications to the initial setup? Additional categories perhaps, like employment offers, full-time, contract or consulting? c. in order to cover the costs incurred with providing a professional service like this, we will have to charge a small fee. I think I would prefer to be asked a small flat-rate percentage after (and only then) the item gets sold, with enforcement through the honor system. Any thoughts on this? Also, would there be a need for a rating system to keep people honest, like for example eBay has? d. have I missed any obvious issues? Thanks for your time. Please respond directly to: [email protected] I will post a summary of the responses. Regards, -Robert Robert Bonsen Principal Consultant Orion Scientific email: [email protected] URL: http://www.orionscientific.com phone: (512) 347 7393; FAX: (512) 328 9240 --------- This message is coming from the emc-pstc discussion list. To cancel your subscription, send mail to [email protected] with the single line: "unsubscribe emc-pstc" (without the quotes). For help, send mail to [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected] (the list administrators).
