Thanks for your reply. Yes I have met with the technician and my supervisor. It all depends if they can find the spare part somewhere else so they don't have an idea how long that could take. They also said they may replace that part and then find that is not the only thing causing the problem.

Does anyone know what the etiquette might be for a student from one uni using equipment at another e.g. would I have to have a co-supervisor at the new uni?

Hi All
I wonder if anyone has any advice for me. The equipment I use to analyse samples for my PhD has broken and apparently the manufacterurs don't make spares for it anymore. A new one is studpidly expensive, way beyond my PhD funding but I am only one of 2 people who use it at the moment (well not use it cos its broken!). I am in my 2nd year and spent all of my 1st year developing the methods I need to use and now can't use them. I have been waiting for it to be fixed for a month already and it now doesn't sound like it will be anytime soon or at all!

My supervisor is quite laid back, doesn't think it matters if I waste a couple of months. As probably is the case with most unis at the moment, money is tight so apparently no chance of them stumping up for a new one. I'm beggining to think of asking to go to another lab somewhere else to do it but how likely are they to accept me given I'm not a student there? Has anyone else had similar equipment issues or advice? Please help.