The humongous Sandy Electronics thread...

[Dave]

I got felt pad orders current on Monday and today. Other orders that came in while I was on vacation are being prepped to ship out tomorrow (Thursday) or Monday.

While I was away, the new batch of prototype SuperRAM PCBs came in and this time they look good.

I'll be on a road trip to Missouri and back from tomorrow evening (Thursday) until Monday, and likely won't have access to email.

[bagpuss22]

Dave,

Could I have an update on order 75 please? I have emailed, but no reply.

Thanks

Russ

[chriskgnr]

Hello Dave!

An update too for order 66 please? No news for three months now and no replies to my emails.

Regards,
Christos.

[Dave]

Let me dig into that mailbox and get you both a reply

[Dave]

http://sinclairql.com/wp/?p=59

Summer’s end….and back to work.

I decided to fill my summer instead with pursuits that were a) free, b) healthy for my mind and c) healthy for my body. This involved much hiking, kayaking and visiting with friends. I’m several pounds lighter, more tanned, and have more energy and stamina than I have had in many years. I found the effects so beneficial, I have decided to do this every summer from now on – I plan to vacation from June 1st to September 1st every year.

Anyway, back on topic.

Earlier in the year I took on many side projects – some not even QL related. They consumed my entire development fund to the point where I had to take on a second job to just make ends meet. It was a terrible misjudgment on my part and it has caused me – and my customers – much inconvenience. I even had to drop the makerspace membership over the summer to make ends meet.

I ordered a small run of prototype PCBs but there were differences between the files and what I received. This was doubly disappointing because I was using software provided by the PCB manufacturer – they can’t even interpret their own files properly. I am still in search of a new PCB design program for all future work, because it has caused me unnecessary expense – but maybe that was their plan.

I have looked at where I stand with outstanding orders. I am going to concentrate the next few days on getting all orders current. I will not take any new orders AT ALL (except felt pad orders) until SuperRAM is finished, assembled, packaged and ready to ship. I have decided to assemble a full run of 100 SuperRAM. This is far more than I can sell right now, but it makes the assembly and unit cost low enough to be sensible. I expect to sell around 30 SuperRAM right away, but the remaining 70 SuperRAM will be on hand to sell to any returning QLers or upgraders for many years to come.

I really need to change shipping method. I currently stand at over 15% failed delivery rate due to losses in shipping. I have issued over $600 in refunds but still have all the unrecoverable expenses. I understand that my local USPS office is notorious for losses like this – UPS and FedEx are simply too expensive to be economic. It’s a business destroyer that has deeply harmed my relationship with many of my customers. I need to work that out before the SuperRAM is ready to ship – even if it means driving 35 miles to another area to use a different USPS branch.

I have learned to be much more cautious and conservative with my promises and timelines. Resources are very limited, and they do not magically appear when needed. There are upsides and downsides to this:

Upsides: The UltimIDE is mostly designed, logically speaking. Most of the thinking is done on it, also some testing. A lot of that feeds in to UltraQ.

Downsides: UltraQ is going to be HARD. Doing UltraQ will take longer than thought and cost more. I can’t solve some problems by just throwing money at them. For example, I originally hoped it would be a 6-layer PCB. I am now going to instead do the work to make it a 4-layer PCB, because my time is cheaper than the increased cost of a 6-layer PCB.

So, what’s the new timescale? I don’t even want to give one. I know I can get SuperRAM done in weeks, but I won’t commit to anything closer than “this year.” I think I can get UltimIDE out by the beginning of next summer’s vacation. UltraQ? Late 2015 or early 2016? I don’t even feel comfortable guessing.

So, that’s the state of play. It’s depressing to say. It must be depressing to hear, too.

Ok. Back to work.

[Dave]

Hello Dave!

An update too for order 66 please? No news for three months now and no replies to my emails.

Regards,
Christos.

Hi Christos,

I checked on this and you have email waiting for you. Your order has already been re-shipped with my apologies.

Dave,

Could I have an update on order 75 please? I have emailed, but no reply.

Thanks

Russ

Russ, I haven't got down to your email yet (going through thousands of unfiltered spam messages by hand) but I am looking at what happened with your order and will email you privately as soon as I have an answer.

Anyone else: I am reviewing ALL orders and checking EVERYTHING, so if you have any outstanding deliveries I will be in touch with you in the next couple of days.

[chriskgnr]

Hi Dave!

Yes, i read the email you sent.
Thank you for the re-shipping!

[Paul]

http://sinclairql.com/wp/?p=59
So, that’s the state of play. It’s depressing to say. It must be depressing to hear, too.

Ok. Back to work.

Hi Dave.
I don't find it depressing to read. It's good to know you are well.
I would love to take a long break too, so I can totally understand you.
I am only concentrating on QL-SD production. And I am very glad I decided against any contract or (pre) ordering. Even now I am regularly mailed by people asking when the next batch will be available and if I could just build one for them instead of a batch.
Building one costs me about six to eight hours.
Building ten cost me about ten to twelve hours.
So I am only building in batches. And if I have some ready I sell them on SMR.
That way I can easily ship within a day.

Dave: take all the time you need to keep your life easy.
We are hobby enthusiasts, not a factory and definitely no global players.
It's good you are concentrating on single aspects now.

I think I even need a second account here in order to be able to ask questions about topics without making people ask "when will you be selling the new ..." When I am only thinking loud and not planning a new production.
Kind regards
Paul

[Peter]

No chance, we'd detect your smurf account by the questions you ask.

But maybe you could add a standard disclaimer to your messages.

[robheaton]

Glad to have you back Dave!