Sad News: Passing of Peter Crowcroft DIY Electronics (kitsrus.com)

15-Jun-2005 We have just received sad news from DIY Electronics Hong Kong regarding the passing of Peter Crowcroft in Melbourne Australia.

Peter was the owner of DIY Electronics

formatting link
and resided in Asia for around 25 years.

Born in Tasmania Australia, he wrote many recent electronic kit articles for magazines like Silicon Chip, and in conjunction with his good friend Frank Crivelly

formatting link
designed many new kits and sold them world wide. Frank also designed many of the kits that Peter was selling.

Details from Hong Kong are given at:

formatting link

Don...

--
Don McKenzie
E-Mail Contact Page:       http://www.e-dotcom.com/ecp.php?un=Dontronics
 Click to see the full signature
Reply to
Don McKenzie
Loading thread data ...

While I had only limited contact with Peter, I found him a friendly helpful and very forthright person. He sourced some "special" PCB work for me from one of his PRC contacts, which helped me over an awkward situation.

A loss that many will feel.

Reply to
budgie

Thanks for passing on this news, Don. I never dealt with Peter, but I got the impression he was a decent bloke who sold good gear. I hope someone will let Leo Simpson know, so something suitable can go into SC.

Bob

D>15-Jun-2005

world

Reply to
Bob Parker

Thanks, yes Leo is aware.

Don...

--
Don McKenzie
E-Mail Contact Page:       http://www.e-dotcom.com/ecp.php?un=Dontronics
 Click to see the full signature
Reply to
Don McKenzie

I'm sorry to hear that, He seemed a good bloke from the little contact I had with the guy.

Condolences, Mark Harriss

Reply to
Mark Harriss

Sad news indeed.

I worked with Peter for about a year or so here on Oz when he was working for Talking Electorincs (circa 1989, or thereabouts), where he learned "the craft" that eventually led to him setting up kitsrus.

Peter was a nice enough guy, even though he was a ruthless businessman (many of the early numbered kitsrus kits are direct copies of Talking Electronics designs, ruthlessly stolen by Peter, untouchable due to the intricies and cost of prosecuting a case of international Copyright law violation). The 'Southern Cross 1' is a direct copy of the TEC-1 (Published in Talking Electronics issues 10-15), for example.

Never the less, I note his passing with sadness. Cancer is never good, but perhaps it represents some measure of natural justice.

Craig

.
Reply to
Craig Hart

I always wondered about that one and various other kits. He did the same thing with my 20MHz Function Generator, which never really bothered me, but after some prodding he did at least credit me in the end.

Sad to hear of his passing though, I hope the bussiness can continue at least.

Dave :)

Reply to
David L. Jones

I've still got some Talking Electronics magazines, I used to buy them when I was a teenager. I prefered Talking Electronics to ETI back in those days mainly because I could understand it better as it was more aimed at the beginner/hobbiest. Did Peter make much money with kitsrus, what I mean is what is the market like for kit businesses. Dean.

Reply to
dean

"the

(many

Electronics

A pretty mean person to take a swipe at Peter at the time of his passing. He usually attributed his designs exactly where they came from. Mostly the manufacturers data sheets! Some of the designs were reworked from other kits, often improved in the process. This is a common practice throughout the industry.

The world is full of real pricks, IMO Peter was not one of them.

MrT.

Reply to
Mr.T

He was by no means a rich man, and I think it is getting much harder now that it is cheaper to buy Chinese ready made electronics than what the parts cost.

MrT.

Reply to
Mr.T

"Mr.T" = Mr Turd

** Since the defamation laws that charlatans hide behind no longer applies it is also first opportunity most folk "in the know" get to speak out.
** Which says he often didn't as well - ie when he plagiarised them.
** Naturally - since there is no problem with acknowledging them.
** If you do not attribute the original author of a published design - it is plagiarism.

One of my published projects was derived from a short WW article, another was a re-design and de-bug of an ETI project - both of which I was careful to fully attribute.

** You oughta know - f*****ad.

** He was no saint either.

............ Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

Sure do, I've seen enough of your antics.

MrT.

Reply to
Mr.T

(many

I believe he had sold at least several thousand of my 20MHz Function Generator kit, and that was a few years back. There is always a niche market there for the right kits. DSE still sell them because there is a good profit margin in it.

Dave :)

Reply to
David L. Jones

call a spade a spade

but also

never speak ill of the dead

Reply to
Ed -|-

(snip)

If I can take the liberty of quoting a section of an email from Peter to myself on the topic of that cliche "chinese copy": "chinese will copy anything they can to make money. At the Toy Fair each january there are usually fights as the 'original' owners fight literally people who have copied them. I met the girl from Taiwan a few years back and she said they were having trouble copying my kits because mine were so cheap. They already went to cheaper PCBs but basically I think they have given up"

If the mainland "Chinese copy" types couldn't match his prices, I'd suggest there wasn't a particularly high margin.

Reply to
budgie

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.