Certain things just need an answer quickly. Like, some science that you do in order to do other science. And you can’t get there without a $10,000 device, you can’t even get started with some other experiment.
There isn’t anyone making hobbiest optical sensors. I looked for a project I needed a laser for. My options were, don’t do it, or pay $4000 for a late 80s sensor I needed off eBay then try and figure out how the thing worked with no software and a proprietary cable. Sound like fun? Not to me. And I didn’t have $10k for the USB version from the early 2000s, again with no software. And obviously far from thr $50k for a UBS3 new model.
Optical equipment is stupid expensive and sometimes you just need “basic tools” for advanced things.
Certain things just need an answer quickly. Like, some science that you do in order to do other science. And you can’t get there without a $10,000 device, you can’t even get started with some other experiment.
There isn’t anyone making hobbiest optical sensors. I looked for a project I needed a laser for. My options were, don’t do it, or pay $4000 for a late 80s sensor I needed off eBay then try and figure out how the thing worked with no software and a proprietary cable. Sound like fun? Not to me. And I didn’t have $10k for the USB version from the early 2000s, again with no software. And obviously far from thr $50k for a UBS3 new model.
Optical equipment is stupid expensive and sometimes you just need “basic tools” for advanced things.