Well some of you may of been at the Academy and where involved in the class "Lynx past, present and future"
If you were then you know what an Express - C is and likely gave you opinion and input and have few questions.
If you were not in the class then you likely do have questions.
For many years I have been asked again and again to allow the use of the lynx equipment, primarily the Express to be used in commerical uses. The fact is it has become and issue where I keep finding out that people are doing so. The message back and forth can get heated and they always end up wit them saying "what did you expect me to do you gave me no option" and I reply "Use one of the commerical controllers is what I expected."
Others will never solder and just want to be able to use the express. They want them but are not DIYer's and just never have been able to understand why they can not just buy them.
I have always said no way and moved on. But as the years have went by there seems to be less and less reasons why not to allow this and more and more reasons why I should.
Over the years many people have appoarched me about licensing or just selling prebuilt expresses. I have always turned them down, but in the last few months I have started to reconsider my position on this.
So I started working with the idea and it has become time to make a decision. So I bought it up to the group at the Academy and let everyone have they say.
Some where against it before all the info was on the floor but I believe changed their minds as the info all got out. I left the session feeling I was being told I should do it by almost everyone in the room. If you were there and did not feel this is true please speak up.
The import things to understand before you form you opinion and post it, are these facts:
1 - The Express - C would not be offered on DLA nor would it be allowed to be advertised on here as with all other commerical operations.
2 - it would have its own site, support, ect. and would have nothing to do with DLA.
3 - I believe it would bring with it benifits to DLA. Having a big brother has its benifits.
4 - most of the parts on the Express - C are different part numbers (surface mounted) so it will not compete with us for parts for the most part.
5 - We believe it should reduce the pressure on the coops from people who are not so much DIY users but just want cost effective controllers and are hanging out waiting for coops to get them. We believe these people would just get them built.
6 - there would be a DMX dongle available also for them to purchase to run the express with from their computers.
7 - This is all old tech for us now, This has been around for years for all of the DLA users to use so it is not like the latest and greatest.
8 - This could be a great gateway to bring people more into DIY. Once they make a small step to a DIY based design they may chance building there own. In that case they come to DLA and get into coops.
The pricing on the Express -C was being targetted very low. While not locked in I understood the target to be $89 each. the plan was to make it a very cost effective chioce for those that want to use it. It would be a for profit operation but as you can see by the price profit will not be large.
The choice has not been made, it is being bought up to the members of DLA for their opinion which I value. I then will make a choice.
Whatever your opinion is remember to act DLA like in that everyones opinion is valuable even if it differs from yours and we must show respect to each other at all times. weither you like/dislike the idea just say so, but be respectful as always.
RJ
p.s. I had a number of members at the academy say to me that I shouldn't ask everyones opinions as it is my stuff do as I like with it. I do understand that point but I feel DLA is more a community that that, and I would like everyones opinions.
