SSC & Hub COOP info that closed Jan 14, 2011 - Kit #3

[rrowan]

Hi Folks,

Not sure everyone read this from RJ or not so I will repost it here.

Be aware that I was asked the other night about having the optional 12v parts on the Hub and using the computer power supply. I mistakenly said it was ok. Mike (N1ist) woke me up and reminding me that the regulators would act like current sinks.

The designs intent was to have the place to add these parts for someone that was not going to run a computer power supply but only a 12v power supply. I never planned you would install them and then use a computer power supply.

If you are using any of the power supply connectors other than the 12V optional connector then you must not have the optional parts on the pcb.

I expected maybe 5% - 10% of the hubs to be ordered with the optional parts so the large amount of optional kits has had me wondering. This is why I posted that you did not need it unless you were using a 12 volt only non computer power supply.

RJ

Just want to make sure as many people as possible saw the info.

Cheers

Rick R.

[moronoron]

Anyone know why it closed so early?  I was planning on ordering tonight once I got my final count tallied (goin' back & forth a lot), but woke up to realize it closed before 1/3 of it's life was done   4 days to decide is not a lot for some of us who are fairly new...  Oh well.  Guess I have a few grand in my piggy bank and no new lights this year

[wbuehler]

The Co-Op closed due to the Qty the controllers reached.
Several posts were made stating that the Co-Op would be closing early.

[moronoron]

I never saw the original post updated with the closing early info...looking at it now I see the posts you speak of, but I never thought to look at the end of the thread for important info when it's so easy for you to update the initial post.  Maybe you did and I never noticed...oh well.

[knguyen916]

I'm sorry you missed it. However, Bill had it in the headlines where he noted it was closing, then noted when there was 15hrs left til coop closed, and then when there was 7hrs, etc...

I never saw the original post updated with the closing early info...looking at it now I see the posts you speak of, but I never thought to look at the end of the thread for important info when it's so easy for you to update the initial post.  Maybe you did and I never noticed...oh well.

[RJ]

I am also sorry but let me explain to the users since we had to close two coops early and not everyone got in or enough and some were not happy.

Coops are not just we order it in and stick a label on the box and mail it to you.

For example the Express coop had 600 units. This is about 10,000 units each of like 5 of the parts just to start. This means JJ will by hand, sort way over 100 thousand parts to create the kits that you users receive. It is a load of work that he will as normal do working 10 - 12 hours a day for many weeks. He will do this for the forum out of love of his son and the joy of others. For this he will receive what is left of the coop fee after all the little things that come up take a bite out of it. I think we figured once on a big express coop he got around $.25 a hour for his labor if you want to put it into perspective. As always this and per the coop rules is considered a tip for the effort.

You can not if you have never done it understand the work involved for these people that do large coops.

How does this matter to the question?  There is only so much the volunteers of our forum can handle. It is great that the forum has exploded in growth in more than one way. We open coops with time lines we think make sense and gives the people time to order. We can only assume how many will be ordered.

When we open a coop for four weeks thinking we will get a few hundred and we have 1000 units in 8 hours then the next thought is "What amount can the coop manager handle"  in the case of the express coop we decided 600 unit was as much as was doable and therefore closed the coop at that. Why make the decision and close it so fast? Why not deceide earlier? Because coop managers hate to close coops when more people want them. They tend to feel bad that other people want them and did not get them. So they look at it and often think it will tapper down and run out. And if it is only another hundred "I will do that for the team"  But then it does not and the next thing you know another 500 hundred are on order!

In the case of the SS controller Bill has his hands full with the number we are looking at. Like most of out coop managers hes has a full time job and family so there can be no 12 hour sorting days for him.

And had other coop managers not offered to help if needed I really doubt it would have been open as long as it was. Who could anticipate almost 3000 controllers in 4 days? We use to have coops we did not hit enough to get a price break on and had to cancel them not that long ago.

So I am sorry not everyone hs made it into the latest coops that wanted them but we will have additional coops as long as the help is there to do them. I recommend that you get into any coop you want early as you can anymore. Although maybe that is why Bills hit 1000 in 8 hours. and almost 3000 in 4 days. Maybe we only had 3 more people that wanted them??? It is just impossible for us to know.

So let me say to all of our volunteers "Thank you for the amazing amount of effort you put in so other can save money and have blinky!" If this was a paying gig I would give you all raises!

RJ

[batdive]

Well said RJ and have to agree with the above.  I saw the count down for the COOP close and was able to adjust my order accordingly.  

I agree I have seen the numbers ordered and how RJ/JJ, and Bill all complete the sorting and packaging of the items with basically extremely minimal error rate.  I still dont want to think about Bill having to count the "dots" for the Aether coop.  LOL.


Anyway thanks and it is all appreciated.


RJ dont leave yourself out  .  Finally packed everything up for the season and had a zero fail rate on everything (5 aethers, 4 LEs, 2 Aeons (Cant forget those).  I always attribute that to the engineer behind the product as a user always tries to find new ways to "test" the original product (Yep been there done that).


Again thanks,


-JS

[fbinthesouth]

I personally think it is an awesome service and VERY GENEROUS. I missed the LE coop as a new board member not really understanding how it worked.
I'll hit it next time.....
Thanks for the work!
RW

[moronoron]

 Thanks for the thorough explanation RJ.  I know how much work it takes and appreciate all of it.  Just didn't realize the ssc limit would be so low or go in 4 days.  Was really looking forward to playing with SS's this summer, but was too slow for that . Hope everyone else has fun though.

[loveroflife96]

Moronoron,

When I finally decided to build my own controllers, it was well into the Christmas season.  I PM'd RJ and he got me the boards I was interested in starting with.  I then ordered parts through Mouser to complete everything.  Now I know that RJ has run out of some PCBs but I know with these coops going that his stock will be replenished.  I would say you have to gauge your "want" of the item.  I know I always jump on coops quickly and then re-evaluate to higher quantities as needed.  If you think that the SSC are something you want, I'm sure there will be additional PCBs out there to complete your own order through Mouser and build them.  I can't imagine what Bill is going to go through to sort through all the stuff.  I even looked at how far away I was from him to maybe drive up for a weekend to help sort, but a 10 hour drive isn't so much fun just for a weekend!  I haven't totally decided what I'm doing with all 16 of my controllers, so I might have some extras (I'll let you know after my final plans have been drawn up).  Have a great weekend!

[csf]

I missed the coop too... I thought it was going to last to Jan 30th and was waiting on the device prices to see how many controllers I will be needing. Then I was away from my computer for 2 days do to work and school not seeing the closing notice...

I do have to say it's amazing to see how much has been sold so fast, I am sure it's going to be a great year for displays. Thanks for all the work you guys do for us!

Do you guys think there will be more boards / kits / coops latter in the year or should I look else where if I want to use RGB nodes in 2011?

[mmulvenna]

With the numbers that have been ordered, I suspect there will be users who have extras. I think I will, but wont know until things start to go together.

[rrowan]

The SSC coop is reopened

Enjoy

Cheers

Rick R.

[CaptKirk]

Three cheers for the COOP managers (and JJ)!!

Hey RJ, if JJ gets $.25 and hour, can you please send him to my house, I have a bunch of chores I would be willing to pay those rates to get done! 

Kirk