Wait a minute, Brad: you're criticizing something that isn't on the table. Mario
proposed
For a $300-400 item & installation cost, if the client balks at the price of the item (and it's markup), have them supply it.
I guess my reply to Mario was too gentle: that's a stupid idea. Anything that comes along with considering that approach will be equally ludicrous. And it's not going to happen.
What company not in the installation industry would, for the sake of some price differential in a project this size, even want to consider designing, sourcing parts, and obtaining parts for this project? Yup. Ludicrous.
Why would I lift a finger to design anything if they were going to source the parts and I was only going to get installation labor? Yup, ludicrous.
Again, it's about philosophy, my DIY versus off the shelf parts. Off the shelf parts are the way to go.
There are various cases where new ideas were implemented using off the shelf technology. These include 455 kHz and 1.125 MHz IR carrier frequencies for consumer audio/video products as well as some missile guidance technologies in the 70s. Those companies chose to use stuff that already existed rather than strike out in a new direction and have to invent all the hardware along the way.
