Re: USR Sportster rack mount case?
Jerry Russell (jerry@ddi.digital.net)
Wed, 11 Oct 1995 07:18:34 -0400
>>Hello! All of the modems that I am using are USR Sportster 28.8s I am sick
>and tired of putting them on a shelf where they look terrible and take up
>too much space. I decided that I was going to do something about this. I
>played with AutoCAD for a while and today I met with a manufacturer and went
>over my plans. The cost per box for just my units was astronomical for under
>10 units. However, if enough people are interested in the project, I may
>have a production run of them made. The basic essentials are:
>
>1. A central power supply for all modems in each rack (with removeable
>pigtails to keep everything neat)
>2. 10-16 modems per 19 inch rack mount unit (maybe 20?)
>3. Grey smoked plexiglass front cover with the modem number/indicator light
>legends silk screened in white
>4. Easy modem addition/replacement Hot swappable!
>5. High quality finish ("Livingston/USR quality" -no affiliation -btw)
>6. Reasonable cost <$500 including everything.
>
>The Sportster modems would be removed from their existing white cases and
>simply slid into the rack mount chassis. I don't know how this would
>"officially" affect the warranty, but the modems would not be modified in
>any way. So, if one breaks, just put it back into the white plastic case and
>ship it back. I need to know if anyone else is interested and if so, how
>many/how much? I think that the ratio is something like this: 10
>pieces=$1000/ea. 50 pieces=$600/ea. 100 pieces=$350/ea? 150+pieces=<$300/ea.
>Maybe we can get the number lower, but I'm not sure. Remember, this is the
>ELEGANT solution. Fit and Finish worthy of the Total Control product line...
>Not a cardboard/plywood/tie wrap solution. If you think that I should pursue
>this, please let me know. PLEASE respond privately, I have already wasted
>enough public bandwidth with this message. Let me know what quantity you are
>interested in and what "magic" price we would have to achieve. I am also
>going to look at other manufacturing facilities. I am not doing this to make
>money, just to solve my own annoying problem. We will simply split the costs.
>
>-Robert
>robert@garden.net
>
>
>PS- Maybe if enough people are interested, we can call USR and find out
>about buying finished boards... no packaging, p/s, case, etc. Just a thought.
We have been doing this for about 6 months with a homebuilt rack system for
USR Sporsters. The "RACK" uses the sporster, sans case, amd mounts 16 each in
a 19" rack, it has it's own power supply and cost about a Hundred bucks to
assemble, including the 16 cables !
We did not waste time making it pretty, but it really doesn't look bad.
We have 10 of these guys in service and just ordered the makins for 15 more as we are expanding.
I checked with USR and sure they will sell you the card only, under an OEM
contract with about 10,000 as an order base, per year.
your choice, fit and finish like Total control aprox $500.00
works and ain't bad lookin aprox $100.00
Warning Some assembly required !
Jerry Russell
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