Shop OBEX P1 Docs P2 Docs Learn Events
L298N Dual Stepper Motor Driver Controller - How do they make money on this? — Parallax Forums

L298N Dual Stepper Motor Driver Controller - How do they make money on this?

Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
edited 2012-11-08 12:41 in General Discussion
A Chinese ebay vendor has an L298 H Bridge board available for less than $5 post paid.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/L298N-Dual-Stepper-Motor-Driver-Controller-Board-Module-5V-For-Robot-Smart-Car-/180793346663?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a181f8a67

How on Earth are they making money on this? Solarbotics sells a kit for nearly $20 and I built one using parts for more than $5.

Comments

  • Beau SchwabeBeau Schwabe Posts: 6,568
    edited 2012-11-08 07:04
    Sometimes if a seller has already made their money on their cost of a particular product including parts/labors that went into the product, then in order to make way for something 'new' the price can be reduced to almost nothing but the required postage and the seller can still come out ahead in the long run. In turn they get advertising for 'other' products they might be selling, where the cycle can continue.
  • idbruceidbruce Posts: 6,197
    edited 2012-11-08 10:19
    Martin_H

    In order to help prevent a few broken hearts, I believe something should be clarified. The advertised title is misleading and this stepper driver is not intended to run two stepper motors. The word "Dual" is intended to refer to the bridge configuration contained on the IC chip. As it pertains to this board, which contains an L298N IC, the L298N IC is a dual full-bridge driver, which has the capability of driving two phases and reversing directions, and it has the ability to drive two regular DC motors or one bipolar stepper motor. However, I suppose a person could drive two stepper motors with this driver by wiring the motors in parallel, but in that case each stepper motor could not be controlled individually.

    If you already ordered one expecting it to run two stepper motors, please don't blame Martin, because it appears he just copied eBays title :)

    Bruce
  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    edited 2012-11-08 10:40
    Bruce, thanks for the warning, but I didn't plan to order one. I already have a few dual h bridge drivers lying around and don't need another. I paid much more for them, which why I was shocked at the price of this one.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    edited 2012-11-08 11:20
    Easy explanation. Your $4.65 seller is making a ridiculous 37 cents pure profit over this $4.28 seller: :)

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/L298N-Dual-Stepper-Motor-Driver-Controller-Board-Module-5V-For-Robot-Smart-Car-/110942422752?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19d4af06e0

    I might just need one...
  • Beau SchwabeBeau Schwabe Posts: 6,568
    edited 2012-11-08 11:46
    Even though it's 'FREE Shipping" ... somebody is paying for it... the seller in this case. An empty box alone for something that size would be close to $4.00 from Central USA to anywhere USA.
  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    edited 2012-11-08 11:47
    erco wrote: »
    I might just need one...

    The prices reach a point where you have to buy one on the principal.
  • rwgast_logicdesignrwgast_logicdesign Posts: 1,464
    edited 2012-11-08 11:55
    I was acually having a discussion about these free shipping deals from china the other day with my mom. She told me when she was a little girl my grandpa use to make her stuff enevelopes and bought bulk shipping. So when you sent 300 letters your shipping went down from 30 cents to 3 cents. Im thinking maybe when you see deals like this these people are using a bulk mail system like this and waiting till they have so many orders to ship.
  • RobotWorkshopRobotWorkshop Posts: 2,307
    edited 2012-11-08 12:04
    erco wrote: »
    Easy explanation. Your $4.65 seller is making a ridiculous 37 cents pure profit over this $4.28 seller: :)

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/L298N-Dual-Stepper-Motor-Driver-Controller-Board-Module-5V-For-Robot-Smart-Car-/110942422752?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19d4af06e0

    I might just need one...

    No, you're just paying more to have a blue one....
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2012-11-08 12:41
    At some point those packages from China enter the United States, from then on they are transported by the USPS, not China Post. So why is their mailing cost apparently almost nothing? The average American would be paying upwards from about $2, often considerably upwards. Obviously there must be some kind of government subsidy going on, it's the only thing that makes sense.
Sign In or Register to comment.