Why would a digital panel meter be expensive ?

[kash]

I have noticed that 7 segmet displays are very cheap. Is there
any reason why a digital panel meter, such as the one at
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Products/Mo...ID=030713223611238&moduleno=22785&modulelist=
would cost 25 UK Pounds ?
Tia

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

I have noticed that 7 segmet displays are very cheap. Is there
any reason why a digital panel meter, such as the one at
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Products/Mo...ID=030713223611238&moduleno=22785&modulelist=
would cost 25 UK Pounds ?

There's not much market for that product, in that form.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

 

[kash]

Why not, alarm clocks, digital scales, power supplies, the list is quite long

 

[Chuck Simmons]

Why not, alarm clocks, digital scales, power supplies, the list is quite long

First of all, 99.76534% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
Second, for every person who buys a DPM, I can find 100,000 people
buying digital scales (which are more expensive and less accurate than
purely mechanical scales).

Chuck

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

Why not, alarm clocks, digital scales, power supplies, the list is quite long

None of those would use a hobbyist-oriented Belgian digital voltmeter
kit, with the bits sourced out of Asia.

The only reason they can make it for only GBP25 is because the parts
are used in other stuff.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

 

[Andrew VK3BFA]

None of those would use a hobbyist-oriented Belgian digital voltmeter
kit, with the bits sourced out of Asia.

The only reason they can make it for only GBP25 is because the parts
are used in other stuff.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

The reasons for the price have been explained - its called market
forces, ie not much competition, not many producers, not many
buyers....

For a cheap alternative, go buy the most basic digital multimeter (or
DMM) you can find, (I got one for $4.95), trace the switch wiring
inside to the range you want, do some massive surgery with a hacksaw
and possibly bend up a mounting bracket from a piece of scrap
aluminium. Works fine.

A philosophical diatribe - why do you need a digital panel meter
anyway, they are useless for current ranges , and do you need 2
decimal point accuracy (ignoring calibration issues) for the voltage
range?. As an old fart, I learn a lot about what a circuit is doing by
watching the acceleration of the needle on my analogue multimeter.....
Andrew VK3BFA

 

[kash]

On market forces and volume markets, Maplin do LCD temperature modules at
well under half the price of same-size voltmeter modules. The temp meter is
a black-blob chip, the voltmeter a "proper" DIL chip (ICL7106 IIRC).

So I can buy the temperatue module and convert it to a volt meter?