Pete, when it first came out, I do believe it was around $60. By the time it was built, tested, packaged, etc. there wasn't any profit in it. I'd still like to find a truly low-cost assembly house, but I am kinda' caught between a rock and a hard place. If I want cheap prices, I have to make a thousand or more, that would tie up a lot of money for way too long, I just can't afford to make that kind of investment. There just isn't a wide enough market for this product to justify sitting on that much inventory for that amount of time.
Small lot assembly prices hammer you, but it's the only practical way. I can get 100 or 1,000 assembled for almost the same price, it's only the parts that change the price. Similarly, I can have 100 or 1,000 PCB blanks made, they also get much cheaper each piece in larger quantities.
What I need is an investor to pay for me to carry the inventory. 
Norton posted:I seem to remember the introductory price was well under 60 bucks FWIW.
As for dynamic braking I thought I read MTH takes it a step further and actually introduces and brief pulse of reverse voltage? Anyone confirm? In any event its pretty effective.
Yep, I believe MTH does give it a shot of reverse voltage, though I've never actually observed it on a 'scope. I didn't see the need to go that far, and I got great performance by just stomping on the motor leads with a FET to do the braking. No need to add the circuitry to do more, at least IMO. The difference with and without dynamic breaking is pretty stunning, like night and day.
