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Hi all QRP Labbers
The beloved ATmega328 microcontroller that is at the heart of many QRP Labs products, is the latest victim of the global semiconductor crisis. It is now out of stock at all major distributors including Digikey, Mouser, Arrow, Farnell, RS etc. Expected availability varies from July 2022 to even later, in some cases 2023. Some Chinese vendors list it but at high prices, and several have openly admitted to me that they are in fact fake copies produced in Taiwan.?
The price of the ATmega328 chip has already more than doubled compared to 2 years ago. But now, if you can find it, the prices are even higher.?
It was rather a lot of stress for me on Monday this week, as I was starting to wonder how QRP Labs could continue, selling just low pass filters and such... since the ATmega328 is used in all the best selling kits, QCX+, QCX-mini, U3S, VFO and Clock kits. Luckily for me after some hunting, I was able to find a large stash of genuine MicroChip ATmega328P right here in Turkey. The price was rather unpleasant but I gobbled up the whole Turkey stock, thereby ensuring business continuity. I believe I have enough ATmega328 now to last until the major distributors have them in stock again. I did chuckle yesterday when the cargo van pulled up and carried in this large cardboard box - unknown to the driver, the contents of that box are worth as much as his van!
I have been able to resist altering QRP Labs prices for the last two years while the ATmega328 price increased 100% (compared to Dec 2019). I'm hit by a lot of other parts costs increases for other parts too. However I can't continue like that in the face of the current high chip prices; therefore regrettably I have had to add a $2.79 temporary price increase to all QRP Labs products containing the ATmega328, this includes QCX+, QCX-mini, U3S, VFO and Clock kits, as well as firmware upgrade chips.?
I hope you understand the situation, I know prices of everything are going up everywhere and this is a story nobody wants to hear, but probably keeps hearing anyway... but I hope you will understand and agree that the QRP Labs kits are still very well priced for the performance, features and fun you get out of them.?
73 Hans G0UPL
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Hello.
Maybe it's a good idea for many people to programme? ATmega on
your own? I have a few? ATmega328 chips,? so if you will have all
components missing only ATmega I will be interested to buy kit
with file for ATmega.
73! Robert SP6RGB
W dniu 18.12.2021 o?11:12, Hans Summers
pisze:
Hi all QRP Labbers
The beloved ATmega328 microcontroller that is at the heart
of many QRP Labs products, is the latest victim of the global
semiconductor crisis. It is now out of stock at all major
distributors including Digikey, Mouser, Arrow, Farnell, RS
etc. Expected availability varies from July 2022 to even
later, in some cases 2023. Some Chinese vendors list it but at
high prices, and several have openly admitted to me that they
are in fact fake copies produced in Taiwan.?
The price of the ATmega328 chip has already more than
doubled compared to 2 years ago. But now, if you can find it,
the prices are even higher.?
It was rather a lot of stress for me on Monday this week,
as I was starting to wonder how QRP Labs could continue,
selling just low pass filters and such... since the ATmega328
is used in all the best selling kits, QCX+, QCX-mini, U3S, VFO
and Clock kits. Luckily for me after some hunting, I was able
to find a large stash of genuine MicroChip ATmega328P right
here in Turkey. The price was rather unpleasant but I gobbled
up the whole Turkey stock, thereby ensuring business
continuity. I believe I have enough ATmega328 now to last
until the major distributors have them in stock again. I did
chuckle yesterday when the cargo van pulled up and carried in
this large cardboard box - unknown to the driver, the contents
of that box are worth as much as his van!
I have been able to resist altering QRP Labs prices for the
last two years while the ATmega328 price increased 100%
(compared to Dec 2019). I'm hit by a lot of other parts costs
increases for other parts too. However I can't continue like
that in the face of the current high chip prices; therefore
regrettably I have had to add a $2.79 temporary price increase
to all QRP Labs products containing the ATmega328, this
includes QCX+, QCX-mini, U3S, VFO and Clock kits, as well as
firmware upgrade chips.?
I hope you understand the situation, I know prices of
everything are going up everywhere and this is a story nobody
wants to hear, but probably keeps hearing anyway... but I hope
you will understand and agree that the QRP Labs kits are still
very well priced for the performance, features and fun you get
out of them.?
73 Hans G0UPL
--
SP6RGB
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Quality. Service . Technical back up. Superb design. Comprehensive construction manuals. A designer and business owner who goes that extra mile. Etc etc. All worth 2.79 and much more. Stop stressing Hans. Your customer base is far more understanding than you think. Relax and you and your family have a great Christmas.
72 and best wishes for? 2022
Gerry G4OJF?
On 18 December 2021 at 10:12 Hans Summers <hans.summers@...> wrote:
Hi all QRP Labbers
The beloved ATmega328 microcontroller that is at the heart of many QRP Labs products, is the latest victim of the global semiconductor crisis. It is now out of stock at all major distributors including Digikey, Mouser, Arrow, Farnell, RS etc. Expected availability varies from July 2022 to even later, in some cases 2023. Some Chinese vendors list it but at high prices, and several have openly admitted to me that they are in fact fake copies produced in Taiwan.?
The price of the ATmega328 chip has already more than doubled compared to 2 years ago. But now, if you can find it, the prices are even higher.?
It was rather a lot of stress for me on Monday this week, as I was starting to wonder how QRP Labs could continue, selling just low pass filters and such... since the ATmega328 is used in all the best selling kits, QCX+, QCX-mini, U3S, VFO and Clock kits. Luckily for me after some hunting, I was able to find a large stash of genuine MicroChip ATmega328P right here in Turkey. The price was rather unpleasant but I gobbled up the whole Turkey stock, thereby ensuring business continuity. I believe I have enough ATmega328 now to last until the major distributors have them in stock again. I did chuckle yesterday when the cargo van pulled up and carried in this large cardboard box - unknown to the driver, the contents of that box are worth as much as his van!
I have been able to resist altering QRP Labs prices for the last two years while the ATmega328 price increased 100% (compared to Dec 2019). I'm hit by a lot of other parts costs increases for other parts too. However I can't continue like that in the face of the current high chip prices; therefore regrettably I have had to add a $2.79 temporary price increase to all QRP Labs products containing the ATmega328, this includes QCX+, QCX-mini, U3S, VFO and Clock kits, as well as firmware upgrade chips.?
I hope you understand the situation, I know prices of everything are going up everywhere and this is a story nobody wants to hear, but probably keeps hearing anyway... but I hope you will understand and agree that the QRP Labs kits are still very well priced for the performance, features and fun you get out of them.?
73 Hans G0UPL
?
--
gerry
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Well spoken Gerry.? I don't think you'd hear any complaint if Hans put the price up by $5 and kept a little more in hand as a financial buffer, for development work and to keep the family cared for.
Best wishes to all
Chris? G4CWS
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Hans,
So very glad you found the chips! ?The increase is less than the price of a fast food hamburger, a good cup of coffee, or a cheap beer. ?Surely within the capacity of your clientele (including me) who likely buy those items ?:-) ?
Grateful the kitting will continue!
73,
Mark
N8MH
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Totally understand and support this. Most people are pretty understanding when it comes to small businesses facing into cost increases beyond their control.
73
Simon
VK3ELH
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Hans,
Absolutely no worries what so ever on your (small price) increase. Your kits have been, are and will be great regardless and we will buy them. No need to apologize at all as far as I am concerned although I do appreciate your always open and honest about these things.
Regards, keep up the good work and have great holidays with you family,
? Leo ?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Van: [email protected] <[email protected]> Namens Hans Summers
Verzonden: Saturday, 18 December 2021 11:13
Aan: [email protected] Notification <[email protected]>
Onderwerp: [QRPLabs] ATmega328 unavailability due to global semiconductor crisis? Hi all QRP Labbers The beloved ATmega328 microcontroller that is at the heart of many QRP Labs products, is the latest victim of the global semiconductor crisis. It is now out of stock at all major distributors including Digikey, Mouser, Arrow, Farnell, RS etc. Expected availability varies from July 2022 to even later, in some cases 2023. Some Chinese vendors list it but at high prices, and several have openly admitted to me that they are in fact fake copies produced in Taiwan.? The price of the ATmega328 chip has already more than doubled compared to 2 years ago. But now, if you can find it, the prices are even higher.? It was rather a lot of stress for me on Monday this week, as I was starting to wonder how QRP Labs could continue, selling just low pass filters and such... since the ATmega328 is used in all the best selling kits, QCX+, QCX-mini, U3S, VFO and Clock kits. Luckily for me after some hunting, I was able to find a large stash of genuine MicroChip ATmega328P right here in Turkey. The price was rather unpleasant but I gobbled up the whole Turkey stock, thereby ensuring business continuity. I believe I have enough ATmega328 now to last until the major distributors have them in stock again. I did chuckle yesterday when the cargo van pulled up and carried in this large cardboard box - unknown to the driver, the contents of that box are worth as much as his van! I have been able to resist altering QRP Labs prices for the last two years while the ATmega328 price increased 100% (compared to Dec 2019). I'm hit by a lot of other parts costs increases for other parts too. However I can't continue like that in the face of the current high chip prices; therefore regrettably I have had to add a $2.79 temporary price increase to all QRP Labs products containing the ATmega328, this includes QCX+, QCX-mini, U3S, VFO and Clock kits, as well as firmware upgrade chips.? I hope you understand the situation, I know prices of everything are going up everywhere and this is a story nobody wants to hear, but probably keeps hearing anyway... but I hope you will understand and agree that the QRP Labs kits are still very well priced for the performance, features and fun you get out of them.?
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How fortunate that you were able to secure the uProcessors!? Thank you Hans for reaching out to us and explaining the difficulties you are facing.? We stand with you in this!
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:14
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Hello Hans
Many in the hobby are amazed that you offer your kits at prices less than half of other kits with fewer features and functions. ?A small increase in price is not a problem from my point of view. ?I am hopeful that the business will sustain you and your family during the monetary crises affecting Turkey at this time.
I am very glad I was around to purchase and experience building your kits.
73
Art N9AEP
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Everyone replying here are spot on! ?Great kits well engineered at a very reasonable price. ?All the best in 2022.
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Show quoted text
On Dec 18, 2021, at 07:40, Arthur Paton <artpaton@...> wrote:
?Hello Hans
Many in the hobby are amazed that you offer your kits at prices less than half of other kits with fewer features and functions. ?A small increase in price is not a problem from my point of view. ?I am hopeful that the business will sustain you and your family during the monetary crises affecting Turkey at this time.
I am very glad I was around to purchase and experience building your kits.
73
Art N9AEP
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Hans
If anyone has a problem with your price increase so you can take care of your family and remain in business, it is probably better if they go somewhere else to do their business. ?
Relax and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Larry NA0F?
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On 18/12/2021 11:46, Chris Wood via groups.io wrote: Well spoken Gerry.? I don't think you'd hear any complaint if Hans put the price up by $5 and kept a little more in hand as a financial buffer, for development work and to keep the family cared for.
Best wishes to all
Chris? G4CWS
<AOL> :-) Nick -- There was not a lot that could be done to make Morpork a worse place. A direct hit by a meteorite, for example, would count as gentrification. (Pyramids) Sat 10336 Sep 13:10:01 GMT 1993 13:10:01 up 6 days, 2:38, 7 users, load average: 0.46, 0.50, 0.56 -- 73 Nick M0HGU
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QRP-LABS already provides more value than other Ham supplier, not to mention superior customer service so a small price increase to insure the continued supply of excellent products should be of no concern to any Ham.? Many of the worlds largest companies have had significant price increases and product discontinuations in the wake of the recent crisis. Thank you for you efforts and commitment to the hobby. Great job securing additional product, now go enjoy the holidays with your family.
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Hi Hans,
Seems the pandemic posed a major impact to the just in time economy.
Between shipping and materials plus the added demand the on the shelf
supplies became exhausted.? The sudden changes caused the forecasting
the vendors use at all points in the chain to fail as it based on long term.
Short term transient events tends to cause excessive overreactions.? Its
partly due to human nature that results in panic stops when slow down
is really what is required.? That sudden stop ripples back to the vendors,
faster than the forecasts.? The start requests take longer, and are of
lower initial volumes, or are collectively overwhelming volumes and
are reacted to slower and lead times stretch out.? Its a train that is
primed to stop suddenly and then takes a long time to get moving
at the required speed where it will be inevitably late to arrive.? I've
seen this many times in the last 50 years.
One of the things you might do is now that you have a working stock look into?
working with a distributor for long term committed buy.? That is? a long term
contract with vendor to stock parts you have committed to buy over the
next year or fixed period for agreed price.? You know what you expect to
need so you have forecasting.? if you "kit" the micros with other parts known
to be needed that may help the pricing of the deal.??
Distributors like that as the parts are forecasted and they can
deal with the?chip vendors better who also like forecasted volumes
to help with their build scheduling and all that.? The big deal is that
if the distributor has 20-30 clients buying 10,000 pieces a year they
can work with the vendor for several million a year and that allows
them some clout.? Factories that make semiconductors never could
respond well to market changes especially those forcing spot market
purchases.
The down side is that if material supply should improve and prices drop
your committed at the higher price until you run out the commitment
at that price.? ?
Allison
-------------------------------
Please reply on list so we can share.
No private email, it goes to a bit bucket due to address harvesting
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It's really sad how the supply of components has plummeted in such a dramatic way. Under other circumstances, a leadless variant of the MEGA328 on an adapter PCB might present an alternative, however there is no stock supply whatsoever. There seems to be 1k8 pcs ATMEGA328P-PU on stock $someplace here in Germay for just under €2.5 each, however I doubt that such an amount is sufficient for a business relying on this exact part. The farnell website is rather funny: " Back order today stock arriving week commencing 1/16/23". Yeah.
On that note, I always wanted to make the suggestion of doing a small run of a partly SMD assembled board variation of QCX+ to ease and speed up manufacturing time of pre-assembled QCX+ etc. which your co-workers would certainly appreciate. There's probably a bunch of resistors, diodes, and maybe all OP-amps that could be added as SMD footprint components in parallel to the existing THT components if space is not occupied by traces on top layer, as the board has to go through SMD for MS5351M and FST3253 anyway. However I highly doubt that all the things going on @ Labs QTH would allow for any additional time to do so.
73s Martin DH3MW
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Or perhaps this would be a good time to move on from the 328? That might also make the next generation of QRP Labs kits even better with a more capable processor. I realize it would be a lot of work but it might be worthwhile in the long run. Maybe for the QCX++ or the QDX+ versions? Of course, there's always the risk that the supply of the newer chip will dry up as well but hopefully the situation will improve before too long.
Just a suggestion...
--
73...? ? ? Mark? ? ?AA7TA
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If there is a change like that,
I would also suggest a minor change
?
On the LPF / BPF alter the pin outs so that the two signal pins are the 2 central pins and the ground pins are the two outer ping, their circuits are the same from both directions, it then makes it no longer required to put them in then
right way round on the board, and eliminating a potential problem
?
Down side you have to have an old an new PCB for the kits
?
Peter
M0PWX
?
?
Or perhaps this would be a good time to move on from the 328? That might also make the next generation of QRP Labs kits even better with a more capable processor. I realize it would be a lot of work but it might be worthwhile in the long
run. Maybe for the QCX++ or the QDX+ versions? Of course, there's always the risk that the supply of the newer chip will dry up as well but hopefully the situation will improve before too long.
_._,_._,_
?
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On Sat, Dec 18, 2021 at 04:12 AM, Hans Summers wrote:
I gobbled up the whole Turkey stock
Technical brilliance and humor too! (or is it humour)? 73, -- John AE5X
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Hans has already said that he's using the STM32 family for some of his projects. However, I fear that almost any ?C is going to be in short supply for some time.
Jack, W8TEE
On Saturday, December 18, 2021, 01:10:44 PM EST, Mark M <junquemaile@...> wrote:
Or perhaps this would be a good time to move on from the 328? That might also make the next generation of QRP Labs kits even better with a more capable processor. I realize it would be a lot of work but it might be worthwhile in the long run. Maybe for the QCX++ or the QDX+ versions? Of course, there's always the risk that the supply of the newer chip will dry up as well but hopefully the situation will improve before too long.
Just a suggestion...
--
73...? ? ? Mark? ? ?AA7TA
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Hans, you are so honest and as someone else said - transparent - about it all, you are to be commended. Besides we all know you. You'll figure out something regardless. Maybe some people will be miffed by your price increase but if they are upset, let them be upset. Nothing in this world is the same as it used to be. I think we are blessed to have what we have. Keep up the splendid work sir. You are truly an inspiration.?
--
Dan Reynolds -- KB9JLO
<><
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N3MNT
Peter M0PWX
jjpurdum
Dan Reynolds