(2017-04-22, 00:20)N0BGS Wrote: [ -> ] (2017-04-21, 23:49)waysta Wrote: [ -> ]Hi,
I signed up for the blue system waiting list at over 1,500. How many kits do you manufacture at one time?
Can you estimate the wait time months?, years?
Looking forward to joining the network if possible. Looks like I might help to fill-in an open area in my state (NY, between Rochester and Albany).
Thanks!
Welllll...I added my email address to the System Blue list on August 9, 2016. I received notification that there was one available for me on March 26, 2017. I received the package from Germany on April 10, 2017.
I hope you won't have to wait that long.
--Kurt
Please follow this thread:
System Blue Order Status //forum.blitzortung.org/showthread.php?tid=1656
I'm not sure that question can be answered simply. So let me reply generally, and with some experiential background and information:
Depending on your list position, and how many folks on that list actually order a kit, I'd suggest Weeks to Months, to be baldly honest. Probably weeks. At one point, after the whole world started talking about Blitzortung, the list exceeded 3000, with probably that many more 'inquiries'. You'll note that certainly not that many were added in the network.
Also, there are some priority situations that may 'bump' ahead of you:
1. Green system upgrades or replacement of a defective or dead system. Some stock always reserved for this.
2. Orders destined for regions with very low, or no station density.
3. The occasional current operator who wants to replace or add another system
Blitzortung is NOT a commercial operation. It also is not quite a 'run off kitchen table' operation, but in some ways it might compare to that.
For any number of very practical reasons, Blitzortung is defined as a non-commercial 'restricted access' 'experimental', 'educational', 'hobby' system, though there are very serious and valuable safety, scientific and research intentions. It is NOT for the faint of heart, or those with no or very limited background. It has evolved from a kit requiring extensive electronic skills and background, to a largely pre-assembled kit, but some skills and background is still necessary.
Board production is financed by 'rollover' of finances returned from movement of the previous run assemblies. There is also quite a bit of background activity that may occur between production orders.
Before a new run is generated, the currently available kits on hand will be exhausted -or near exhaustion, any modifications or design changes desired or required are made, which happens often as the project evolves and field operations mature.
Delays in production from that status are usually due to parts availability... e.g. production on one lot was delayed many weeks due to some critical controller parts shortages. If I remember correctly, one component availability situation required a redesign in between production sets. Factory production of the boards and SMD factory component assembly may take about 5 - 12 weeks, depending on vendors' schedules and capabilities.
Rarely, a firmware glitch, improvement, what have you, has been discovered, and kits won't be released until that is resolved.
Before shipment to the operator, each board must be examined, each controller initialized with firmware, basic operation checked and confirmed. Then each order variation assembled and shipped...and that might sometimes run into brief delays in availability of a few optional components. Typical production runs in the past have been on the order of 100-200 kits per run, as much for logistics and component availability as for funds rollover.
So while it might appear 'simple'... it isn't. As mentioned, this is NOT a commercial enterprise, thank goodness.
System BLUE has pretty much stabilized in design changes, so movement of BLUE would normally follow a predictable schedule, if it were not for the variables mentioned. Also under consideration, initial design stages, is a 'stripped down' BLUE variation which may or may not enter actual operation.
So I'll close this thread for you after a short time, and suggest folks follow the main
System Blue Order Status thread mentioned above...
//forum.blitzortung.org/showthread.php?tid=1656
Cheers! Looking forward to seeing you aboard soon!
Mike