this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2023
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I'm surprised to hear they're repairable and not just throwaway.
It isn't that most things are not repairable. It's that it isn't repairable economically.
For the company that produces the internal boards at "cost" it's easier and more predictable for them to replace the part than pay a tech a 100 dollars an hour to maybe fix it.
It's also a function of the entire cost of the unit. When someone pays 20k for a bespoke piece of equipment paying a tech to fix it is more attractive.
Could I interest you in a YouTube rabbit hole?
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The running theme is that you need specialist tools to actually do it. The upfront cost is large, Hot Air Reflow Station, full PCB hotplate station, video feed microscope. But the actual parts that go bad are rarely actually very expensive. If you buy bulk the most you're paying is like $1-$2/unit at the absolute most, and for the stuff that goes bad most often you're looking at sub $0.10/unit. Then there's the skill level needed.
There are places such as Vancouver Hack Space that remove the need of having the equipment!
I love that more places like that are opening up, it's an important resource for people who don't necessarily have a budget to even buy cheap gear.