Today I bought a Varian Unity-400 console with three channels, solids amps, gradients, magnet leg assembly, HAL box and monitor panel for $2200. In the mid 90’s that spectrometer would have cost $300,000 +. NMR equipment seems to depreciate quicker than a Pontiac. My pack rat mentality is in full swing.
We operate a Varian VXR300S for liquids analysis and a Varian UnityPlus-200 for solids and liquids analysis. Sitting in the adjacent space of our of our office I have 2 full VXR-300 consoles as board swap for my liquids system, a VXR-400, a Varian 300 MHz R2D2 magnet, two 60 MHz process NMR spectrometers, and two boxes full of acquisition control board, ADC boards, sum-to-memory boards, etc.
I question why any small company would buy a new spectrometer when you must pay through the nose and watch it depreciate at a terrific rate. Then you have to deal with the fact that you are held hostage by the spectrometer manufacturer as failed components are only available through them initially at high exchange rates, and they will not ship you a board unless you have taken their maintenance course.
If you buy 10 year old spectrometers, either third party, or from ebay and other auctions, you can support yourself for pennies on the dollar. People actually laugh when I say I support the spectrometer service aspects of my business by surfing ebay and the internet.
One great third party supplier is Triangle Analytical who install and service spectrometers and take the worry of Cryogen refills away with their Helium (and Nitrogen if you want it) fill contracts. The perception of NMR as an expensive instrument to buy or mainatain is simply not true any more.
If anyone has old NMR spectrometers, probes, magnets, or amplifiers laying around let me know…I can probably find a home for them.
