System Blue Order Status 12. August 2016

[asap]

I see here large queue and somebody waits for a few years . What do you think - is it really possible to order more then one installation kit? I asked because we organized the team to cover our area.

[MisterDiodes]

If I previously entered my information, will it be added to the reservation list, or do I need to enter it again?

Yes. There it is :
http://fr.blitzortung.org/cover_your_area.php

Just put your email in the right place.


JiPaul.

Thanks JiPaul.  I stared at disbelief that my email entry from 18 months ago didn't show up on the newer ranking system...<Sigh> I guess I'll have to wait for 675 units later.  Oh well.  I hope I can get two units, a buddy a couple states away wants to participate also.  I won't hold my breath   When it happens it happens I guess.

[allsorts]

Thanks JiPaul.  I stared at disbelief that my email entry from 18 months ago didn't show up on the newer ranking system...<Sigh> I guess I'll have to wait for 675 units later.  Oh well.  I hope I can get two units, a buddy a couple states away wants to participate also.  I won't hold my breath   When it happens it happens I guess.

675 from 448 a week ago...!  Egon is going to have his work cut out if only a fraction of those expressions of interest turn into orders.

As for not showing up in the new list, did you not get the "preferential treatment" text in the response as per message #234 in here?

[Dale.Reid]

If even a fraction of the interest in getting Blues and Reds not retired (which they shouldn't be) I'm wondering if the servers are scalable, that is with those new stations perhaps doubling or tripling the ability to submit strikes will the sorting and processing of the packets overwhelm the infrastructure? 

Just wondering out loud.

[MisterDiodes]

Thanks JiPaul.  I stared at disbelief that my email entry from 18 months ago didn't show up on the newer ranking system...<Sigh> I guess I'll have to wait for 675 units later.  Oh well.  I hope I can get two units, a buddy a couple states away wants to participate also.  I won't hold my breath   When it happens it happens I guess.

675 from 448 a week ago...!  Egon is going to have his work cut out if only a fraction of those expressions of interest turn into orders.

As for not showing up in the new list, did you not get the "preferential treatment" text in the response as per message #234 in here?

No, Mine response just said I was 675 out of 675.  Same email I've used before, several times, from months ago.  I don't think the emails from a while back are even used - at least mine wasn't.  Oh well.

I just now queried - I'm still 675 out of 812 - it doesn't appear that the line is moving.  Which happens to me every time I'm at the bank or grocers ...

The project obviously has a lot of interest - I still respectfully suggest that Ergon release the board files / firmware - and take some of the manufacturing load off his shoulders.  That way he'll have time to make improvements to firmware and data processing.  This rate of orders coming in will get overwhelming, very quickly.

He'll hit 1000 requests here pretty soon...

[MisterDiodes]

As of this morning it's over 1013 requests, and still expanding quickly. Even if not all of these turn out to be solid orders, this project is rapidly exceeding the critical available parts inventory at several sources.

Still suggesting that board files and firmware be released, so that those if us that are able can just re-produce our own board set. Much easier for Ergon that way. I wouldn't want to be looking at over a 1000 kits that need to be at least partially assembled, programmed, tested and shipped. That is sure to lead to tears for all parties.

[JiPaul B.]

As of this morning it's over 1013 requests, and still expanding quickly.  Even if not all of these turn out to be solid orders, this project is rapidly exceeding the critical available parts inventory at several sources.

Hum !... I think a lot of these will not turn out solid orders. For example, I've just tried with my address, and because of a mistake in it, I've put a false request !...
And I think many people just give their address to be informed. I suggest that after the display of the rank it is possible to confirm or to cancel. For example with threee buttons  : 1)"Just to be informed" - 2)"Preorder" - 3)"Cancel"
JPaul.

[John.Sacrey]

As of this morning it's over 1013 requests, and still expanding quickly.  Even if not all of these turn out to be solid orders, this project is rapidly exceeding the critical available parts inventory at several sources.

Still suggesting that board files and firmware be released, so that those if us that are able can just re-produce our own board set.  Much easier for Ergon that way.  I wouldn't want to be looking at over a 1000 kits that need to be at least partially assembled, programmed, tested and shipped.  That is sure to lead to tears for all parties.

The number of requests do not surprise me given the announcement of over a year ago for System Blue. I suspect that a number of "potential" buyers are going to be disappointed when they find out that the system may never end up being "plug and play".  In truth, this is a system that doesn't need to be plug and play. Why, you ask? Everyone's situation/setup in terms of noise level, location, etc. will be far too great for the systems' ability to overcome and still have the ability to receive decent signals. Plus, this is a hobby, not a commercial business.

The release of the PCB drawings and firmware files will NOT happen, period. That is per Egon and Tobi. I wouldn't if I were in their place.

What most of you don't know is that there are several "home brewed" System Red's running around that were developed by others "hoping" to get access to the servers and databases to reverse engineer the firmware and software to use for their own gain, without giving any credit and/or monetary payment to Tobi, Egon, Richo, and all of the other developers that have put untold thousands of hours into this project, and continue to do so.

Respectfully,

John Sacrey

[rwhalb@verizon.net]

As of this morning it's over 1013 requests, and still expanding quickly.  Even if not all of these turn out to be solid orders, this project is rapidly exceeding the critical available parts inventory at several sources.

Still suggesting that board files and firmware be released, so that those if us that are able can just re-produce our own board set.  Much easier for Ergon that way.  I wouldn't want to be looking at over a 1000 kits that need to be at least partially assembled, programmed, tested and shipped.  That is sure to lead to tears for all parties.

The number of requests do not surprise me given the announcement of over a year ago for System Blue. I suspect that a number of "potential" buyers are going to be disappointed when they find out that the system may never end up being "plug and play".  In truth, this is a system that doesn't need to be plug and play. Why, you ask? Everyone's situation/setup in terms of noise level, location, etc. will be far too great for the systems' ability to overcome and still have the ability to receive decent signals. Plus, this is a hobby, not a commercial business.

The release of the PCB drawings and firmware files will NOT happen, period. That is per Egon and Tobi. I wouldn't if I were in their place.

What most of you don't know is that there are several "home brewed" System Red's running around that were developed by others "hoping" to get access to the servers and databases to reverse engineer the firmware and software to use for their own gain, without giving any credit and/or monetary payment to Tobi, Egon, Richo, and all of the other developers that have put untold thousands of hours into this project, and continue to do so.

Respectfully,

John Sacrey

The PCB drawings can be found here: http://de.blitzortung.org/Compendium/Hardware/

I do not believe that the source code for the firmware is available for station participants.

[MisterDiodes]

Egon & Co. don't need to release source code - Firmware binaries would be nice though. Just an idea: Egon supplies a bootloader that only works when a customer completes a board set that passes basic tests, and is keyed to general Lat / Long of the GPS receiver destination. Once running, the bootloader "phones home" to Egon's server to grab the real running firmware ONLY when whatever sign-up fees etc. are paid, and the receiver's basic functions are up and running. Egon is always in complete control of the network, and what software is running, and on whose receiver. He hasn't given up control of anything. The best part is he doesn't have to try and build every board himself.

The technique is used all the time for enterprise-class data radios, LTE trancievers, etc. Nothing new. Those radio systems usually never ship with final firmware loaded up - that process only happens when they have passed inspection remotely at customer's site, and GPS coordinates are verified in order to set FCC transmitter power levels and receiver gains.

Building boards is almost trivial if you do it correctly as a large batch, and as many SMT parts as possible (HINT: You DON'T want to do these on your own one at a time - good grief let a Pick and Place bang them out by the hundreds!). If I were supplying these in the US it's a lot cheaper and easier for everyone to supply completed - or nearly completed - board sets. The labor time that that goes into making a "kit" is always much more expensive than letting the robot stuff the board. The end result is the easily manufactured board is virtually guaranteed to work once the first few protos are banged out - but you never know what is going happen when you send out a "kit" of parts to a customer. The skill level will be all over the map - however on a project like this the customer is probably already pretty savvy.

I've done it both ways, and believe me it's far easier and far cheaper just to get the boards assembled en-masse. Don't get me wrong - Heathkits were great fun also .

These are just suggestions though. I know it's Egon's project, and I wish him success - but at the moment I get a sense of struggling going on. He's got quite a project ahead of him if even a percentage of the some-thousand requests turn into orders. There might be easier ways to lighten his workload, that's all.

[RichoAnd]

Don't worry, Egon has local helpers

/Richo

[MisterDiodes]

Oh - I'm not worried. <Laughing> Like I said I've been there before. There's maybe some easier ways to do this, maybe on a future revision.

I just noticed: On the "Cover your Area" page where you enter email address - that Captcha where you enter "TSqrb" is just static and not changing the challenge every time you submit the form - which is the whole point of a Captcha. At least not in my browser. So it's trivial to write a quick script that enters as many random emails as one wants, as fast as possible. For instance every random-generated email address string you want is perfectly valid at mailinator.com, and other services like that. So one could fill up that list as fast as Egon's server could respond to form submits, probably.

Somebody might want to see why that Captcha isn't working right - probably something simple in the page script.

So it could be that Egon isn't really closing in on 1100 requests after all, depending on how often that list is spoofed. Just a thought.

[KY5G]

935 out of 1151... Well, at least my forum account was activated.

Here for the long haul to put a station in Louisiana, USA (Northwest LA)

[WØTDH]

My number In-Line for a Blue Kit is 1170......but, we really could use a receiving station closer than Tenn or Asheville, NC.....

73,

Tom - WØTDH

[Junebug]

Be thankful you have a station in Asheville NC!  

[kd5byb]

Good morning all - looks like I'm number 503. Very excited about getting a system blue up and running.

thanks,
ben, kd5byb

[SilvioSc]

I understand the order list in any way. Some time ago I registered myself and had the place number 456 , approximately . Today I again entered my e-mail and start the request to obtain a current status , lol at once the rank 1215. Is there a reason for this . Email I have unfortunately not received from lightning detection .

Greetings Silvio

[Egon]

.

[SilvioSc]

Hi Egon , now the ranking is ok again . My mistake was probably the order e-mail I sent to Nervana .

Thanks for the quick fix .
Greeting Silvio

[IK1TTD]

Hello Everybody, this is Gianpi IK1TTD from North West Italy,  ! Just back from my holiday and I get the good news that detectors are now available. Looking at the map I see nobody in my area is still in the net, so very glad for that.
By the way, how I can know my rank ? Is there  list available to check ? Very excited to start this new adventure in the lightinng world !
Best 73 de IK1TTD Gianpi