Logic Ripper EM - The Electro Solution - PreOrder

[CoolHand]

Here's where we sit at the end of the day today.

Bolt-On frame #5 is about 75% done:



Bolt-On frame #6 is also about 75% done:



Here's the whole batch as it sets right now:



That is all until I get the hose barbs from ASP.

At any rate, progress has been made. Huzzah!

[CoolHand]

No joy on the hose barbs today.

The mail didn't run because of MLK day, so it likely won't be there tomorrow either.

Hopefully Wed will have better news.

Sorry guys.

[CoolHand]

Well, the hits just keep on comin' folks.

I figured out the programming software (which was exceptionally easy as it turned out), but a new problem has arisen.

When I bought these boards, Goldie made no mention of the fact that they only output 5V to the solenoid, instead of just switching battery voltage like the Predators used to. I found this out couple of weeks ago after someone on here posted a little "heads up" which prompted me to do some digging.

Well, I thought maybe I'd better check and make sure they were going to actually shift the solenoids before I shipped anything, so I wired up a harness and proceeded to try and energize a coil to see if I could get a click out of the little bastard. Pull the trigger, and I get . . . . . . . silence.

Perfect.

So, I am curious as to if the board is outputting anything at all, so I wire up the solenoid output leads to my multi-meter and switch the board mode to FA so I can get a fairly constant reading of the output voltage. I found that board to be putting out only 2.2V. Uh Oh. So I checked another. 2.21V, and another 1.26V, and another 1.49V, and another 1.38V and so on, until I had checked all 19 boards that were not already inside a frame. The results? One (1) board out of nineteen (19) output even remotely close to 5V (the last one I tested put out 4.75V).

At this point I'm pretty pissed (about 8:30pm last night), and I go over to Goldie's website to put in a support ticket. At least this time his guy responded in a timely fashion.

So here's the deal:

1) The first run of Chaos 2k6 boards they did were built with the incorrect or faulty mosfets, which makes them do what mine are doing.
2) I have to send them back to Goldie, at which point he will either repair or replace them with 2k7 boards.
3) This is going to take more than a week. Goldie is having some sort of surgery, so he's out of action for the rest of this week for sure, and then he has to actually fix the boards (unless he decides they're a lost cause and replaces them), which will also takes time. He ships USPS which means at least ten days in transit (counting both ways together).
4) With that in mind, I am going to try and pressure him into just replacing the things from stock to keep our turn around time as low as possible.
5) If the one close to good board will cycle its solenoid, would you all rather I sent it back with the others, or completed one frame and got it shipped on time? I'd draw the name of one of the six guys from a hat to try to be fair about it, so I want to hear from all of you on that front.

This REALLY sucks. A lot. A huge amount. Like a two dolla hooker.

So, this brings me to a fork in the road.

I cannot deliver all of the frames this coming weekend, as they are useless without a board to drive them. For that I am very sorry, but it's out of my hands at this point. I will do my very best to irritate Goldie into making the turnaround as short as possible.

However, what I CAN do is move on to the first two full markers in line and get their ano started, so at least the project won't stall out totally.

If the wait gets to be ridiculous (like two years isn't ) on the boards, we may have to discuss other options, such as using a different board altogether. But since I have the better part of $2500 tied up in the boards I have now, I'm much rather that they did as they were supposed to.

I guess we'll have to wait and see how Goldie handles things.

For the record, at this point, I pretty much hate all PB electronics (and by association their creators), and wish I'd never gotten you all or me into this mess to start with.

Sorry guys, I just can't catch a break on these things.

[smilestyler]

I vote that you move onto the full markers

As far as the board set back goes, another 2 week delay is not that big of a deal in light of the whole time span of this project. I'm sure everybody will agree that we trust you with this, and you have kept us all updated, and we will keep on trusting you. The last thing you would want to do at this point is deliver a product that has issues, so keep up the good work.

[p8ntbal4me]

Ryan;

I have the SAME problem with all my boards. I bought 2 and they BARELY push a MAC noid,.. wont even come close to driving an SMC 6volt noid with or without a cap.

I talked with Andy from Warped Airsmithing and he has the same problem.

Goldie told him it was the MOSFET for sure. <------ Link to the conversation on the white boards

The only offer I got was:

1. A new letter to the developer of the board (Richard) to see if it was a design flaw or a bad part. <---- he thinks its a bad part but who knows

2. Send in my 2k7 boards and get 2k4 boards for replacements <--- which wont help me since I have metal work to fit the 2k7 and not the 2k4

3. Wait till hes done his surgery and get a response back from his developer Richard.



I havent been on the "wait list" for as long as some of you guys,.. but Id say:

Build everything to the point where you need to wait for boards, get new boards, install new boards, ship frames and guns,... give yourself a Huzaaaah

~ P8nt

[going_home]

I vote that you move onto the full markers

As far as the board set back goes, another 2 week delay is not that big of a deal in light of the whole time span of this project. I'm sure everybody will agree that we trust you with this, and you have kept us all updated, and we will keep on trusting you. The last thing you would want to do at this point is deliver a product that has issues, so keep up the good work.

AMEN.

[manwe33]

Full markers. that is my vote.

[CoolHand]

Alrighty then, that's where we'll go.

I will set down and compile my list-o-parts that I need to gather up for the full markers and start getting ano choices nailed down.

The hose barbs did not come today either, big surprise, but at this point that's the least of my troubles.

And seriously, thank you guys for being so patient with this obvious debacle of a project.

If I've learned nothing else from this experience it has been this:

If you cannot make it yourself, you cannot count on it. Period.

My two biggest stumbling blocks have always been anodizing and electronics. I've finally found a good anodizer (I hope, cross your balls on that one), but I cannot for the life of me find a reliable supplier of control boards.

I really wish the WAS Viking boards were not so damned big. Those things were perfect, easy to work on, easy to program, dependable, and cheap. But they're huge.

Oh well, it is what it is. Life rolls on.

[CoolHand]

I've spoke with Goldie about the boards, and it looks like I'm going to send them all in and let them test and replace the components to get the output up to battery voltage instead of just 5V.

This is a very good thing, but it might take more than two weeks. I would settle in for at least a month wait on the boards.

But that give me plenty of time to get at least two and maybe four of the complete markers at least off to ano, if not back from ano.

We'll get it, one way or another.

[CoolHand]

Hose barbs came today.

Nothing else of importance to report.

[smilestyler]

Coolhand,
Are we supposed to email you about choice of ano colors on the whole guns? Or will you be contacting us?

[CoolHand]

Coolhand,
Are we supposed to email you about choice of ano colors on the whole guns? Or will you be contacting us?

I'll be contacting the first two guys shortly.

I got tangled up trying to troubleshoot these boards last week and didn't get it done.

I have found two new ways to not make the boards do what I need them to. Goldie and Defiance are working on a third and maybe a fourth currently.

Sorry for the news blackout, I've just been busy.

[Papa_Smurf]

I'll be contacting the first two guys shortly.

I got tangled up trying to troubleshoot these boards last week and didn't get it done.

I have found two new ways to not make the boards do what I need them to. Goldie and Defiance are working on a third and maybe a fourth currently.

Sorry for the news blackout, I've just been busy.

So they did get a few done?

[p8ntbal4me]

I'll be contacting the first two guys shortly.

I got tangled up trying to troubleshoot these boards last week and didn't get it done.

I have found two new ways to not make the boards do what I need them to. Goldie and Defiance are working on a third and maybe a fourth currently.

Sorry for the news blackout, I've just been busy.

A few new ways???

Oh please tell me that the ones I got dont have even more problems

Hmmm,..... I think your going to hate paintball once these things are done Ryan!

~ P8nt

[going_home]

I'll be contacting the first two guys shortly.

I got tangled up trying to troubleshoot these boards last week and didn't get it done.

I have found two new ways to not make the boards do what I need them to. Goldie and Defiance are working on a third and maybe a fourth currently.

Sorry for the news blackout, I've just been busy.