I have been away for a couple weeks

[Rick Harms]

So, what is happening.  I went to the store, no boards available.  Hopefully, everyone is out flying.
Rick Harms

[Bryan]

I think everything that is happening, is happening over at open9x.

Still no estimate for a next batch of boards. Currently questioning whether there should be a next batch, given all the other developments.

Comments, anyone?

On 4 May 2012 16:09, Rick Harms <rickd...@gmail.com> wrote:

So, what is happening.  I went to the store, no boards available.  Hopefully, everyone is out flying.
Rick Harms

--

Bryan.

[Rick Harms]

I have looked at open9x, and it is impressive.  That is the downside of open projects, duplication of effort and some forks just dying.  However, Open9x does not have hardware, correct?  The ersky9x hardware will be done when I retire, five years from now.  I would be sad if your hardware went away.  Please tell me ain't so.  (bad English, I know).  Although, I will admit, I would purchase, at most, at this time, two more boards.  Hardly worth having a batch run.  Whatever you decide, base it on what works for you.  This must be horribly time consuming and expensive for you, and you need to go fly, drive or float, whatever your cup of tea.

Thank you for all you do.

Rick Harms

[Bryan]

On 5 May 2012 00:19, Rick Harms <rickd...@gmail.com> wrote:

I have looked at open9x, and it is impressive.  That is the downside of open projects, duplication of effort and some forks just dying.

I feel it's an advantage, in the end. Just so long as we don't try to, "flog a dead horse."

 However, Open9x does not have hardware, correct?

No. But it exists because of the original gruvin9x hardware and pledges to always support it.
 

The ersky9x hardware will be done when I retire, five years from now.

Several prototypes are already operational, with at least two sets of firmware, including open9x. (There are some minor bugs and therefore probably one more iteration before the product is fully viable. But these are easily dealt with.)
 

I would be sad if your hardware went away.  Please tell me ain't so.  (bad English, I know).

Well it hasn't gone away. But it costs thousands to do factory assembly batches. I can't help but wonder at the sense or wisdom of sinking money into something that might not recoup costs -- not to mention put purchasers in a position of wishing they had waited (assuming they weren't ware of other options, that is. If they were, then it is of course entirely their own choice.)
 

Although, I will admit, I would purchase, at most, at this time, two more boards.  Hardly worth having a batch run.  Whatever you decide, base it on what works for you.  This must be horribly time consuming and expensive for you, and you need to go fly, drive or float, whatever your cup of tea.

Thanks for your thoughts. I'd like to see another batch. I think another 30 or so boards would eventually sell, maybe. But ever since my crystal ball got knocked off the mantel by the cat ... :P

At the end of the day, I am simply not qualified to make the decision -- especially since it is not my money at stake.

Bryan.

[Bertrand Songis]

Hi all,

About open9x. We will continue to support the current v4.0 and v4.1 boards and the next 4.++x as well! We also support ersky9x revA and revB. And the stock board of course, for which we have a lot of users...

Bertrand.

2012/5/6 Bryan <gru...@gmail.com>

[Michal Hlavinka]

On Fri, 4 May 2012 16:55:27 +1200, Bryan <gru...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I think everything that is happening, is happening over at open9x.
>
> Still no estimate for a next batch of boards. Currently questioning whether
> there should be a next batch, given all the other developments.
>
> Comments, anyone?

I don't know how long does it take, but maybe it'd be a good idea to
use
preorder and only if there is a request for some boards order them from

factory?

[Bryan]

On 8 May 2012 02:00, Michal Hlavinka <mih...@mihlit.cz> wrote:

...

I don't know how long does it take, but maybe it'd be a good idea to
use preorder and only if there is a request for some boards order them from
factory?

It's a good and seemingly logic idea. But in fact, to do it that way, we would require more than $2,000 worth of orders before going to the factory. The time delay would end up being much longer.

I am happy to report however, that we are just now formally entering the pricing / quotation phase for the next batch. All going well, we should have them here within a couple months. (If popularity continues, then we would hope to ensure that we don't run out of stock again for the next batch and so on.)

So far, only two people have sent messages through the store to ask about fully assembled board re-stocking times. I guess for every one that sends a messages, there may be two or three more who were too shy or whatever. So perhaps there's as many as six (6) people actually wanting the board by now. (The batch is likely to be for 30 boards, effectively the minimum economic quantity. Price per board does not appear to improve much until we add a couple zeroes on the end of that number.)

The irony of course is that we could halve the price of the thing, if we had more than a thousand orders. Unfortunately, even if we had that, we'd then most likely be legally required (for the EU and the USA and most the rest of the world) to go through formal certification for safety and RF emissions standards, etc. That in turn would doubtless double the price again -- or worse, for only 1,000 units. ALl of this is simply beyond our present capabilities, so the point is purely academic anyway.

I heard a rumour that 150 ersky9x (ARM based) boards had been manufactured. Using the best factory we know of, that would have to have cost well over USD$9,000. I wish I new the facts around this, but I have no open line of communication with, is it Mike? If he is aware of a more economic factory, then we would love to know about it, too.

By the way, I do NOT personally frequent the various forums. I simply don't have the time. So please do not assume that I know anything about what is going on, if no one has told me through this group. For example. I was not aware that the ersky9x board had even gone into any form of practical production, until someone mentioned in passing, just last week, I think. Apparently, several beta testers now have the boards up and running. But I don't have a crystal ball -- only an brain overloading Interweb. :-P

Bryan.