Bitcoin Forum

Hello

Just to get into Bitcoin and try out some mining for fun, I plan to spend a little and see how things work out.

I have settled on Antminer U3 for hardware. But seems like it is available nowhere.

Except that a company in Indonesia seems to be selling it almost for too little to be credible.

See here: http://metrobitcoinminer.com/products/ANTMINER-U3.html

Can I trust them, and order the minimum amount? Does anyone have any experience with them? I know that if I pay via PayPal that I have some protection. But should I count on just that?

Rule of thumb: if it's new and below retail price on other sites, chances are it's a scam. The site even sells Prospero and other miners for almost 50% off what others sell used, chances are it is a scam.

You can barely get a used antminer u3 for 50 bucks even on the forum. New ones are selling for upwards of 100 on other sites; I'd suggest you just go with an undervolted S1.

The U3 is an old, quite outdated design that hasn't been sold new for getting close to 2 years now (perhaps 3, I've lost track).

 The ONLY ones you will find are used from various sources, and they WILL use more electric than they will make in coin unless you treat them as a "lottery" type solo mining device and get VERY VERY lucky.

 They might be profitable if you find one VERY cheap and have free electric, but even that is iffy - depends on if they're likely to survive while mining for a decade or some such timeframe.

I started my original post by stating that I am not interested in profitability.

I am interested in just any nice device to generate whatever, even if small amount of bitcoins.

I have "free electricity" during winters, because I must heat the house electrically anyway.

I don't want anything more powerful or expensive than an U3. I already have a suitable power supply for an U3. It also looks nice. While the more powerful mining devices do not.

But well, it is a sad situation. U3 would have been nice enough, small enough and big enough at the same time.

If I would buy a small miner, let's say a pod (like the Antminer U3 is) or a stick for example, I would buy one from sidehack.

Check out his thread here: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1651958.0

I thought to mention that, but since the pod is currently still just a PCB layout with no prototypes, let alone active sales, it doesn't do him a lot of good. I don't expect they'll be deployed until March, at which point heating the home is no longer much of a factor.

But there's still sticks, yeah.

I bought the minimum amount of U3, which is 10 pieces. Five bucks for one, for a total of fifty will not crash the bank, but it's not a negligible amount either.

I thought I created an account onto the site while checking out, but it doesn't recognize my login details, and the only email I have received is from Paypal. I'll see what happens. But since I went through Paypal checkout, I think I am somehow under their protection.

I took the free shipping, which will take from 4 to 5 weeks.

Will keep everyone updated.

Five for one is pretty fishy... you probably just got scammed. People just don't sell new miners for that cheap. I wouldn't even consider buying anything from them.

Are you saying that I should not trust Paypal's buyer protections?

Maybe the hardest part now is to wait for six weeks and then file a case.

For some completely unfathomable reason, I just got my registration info and order confirmation.

Now we could maybe start a poll or otherwise guess what will happen. Either 1) I will get 10 new U3 miners, 2) I will get 10 used but working U3 miners, 3) I will get 10, of which some or 4) all have failed somehow, 5) I will get less than 10, of which none, 6) some or 7) all are DOA or 8) this is the last thing I will hear from them.

9) any of the above along with a bill for import fees.

Still, you could be waiting a few weeks just for nothing. There's a reason people aren't buying hundreds of these miners for cheap. Even if you get anything it'll probably just be one poorly packed U3. I don't even see used U3s going for 50$ each these days.

Well. For the record. Nothing ever arrived. So I filed a case and that was decided in my favor today.

Nothing lost. An experience gained.

Now looking for some other way of generating bitcash.

Yep, just like I thought. Price was way too good to be true, I think it's odd why people even sell things like this today even though they'll probably lose every single sale if user decides to pay with PP.


Might want to look into GPU mining, could very well be profitable for you.

Isn't there anyone currently selling sticks (or even pods) in Europe?

Bitshopper.de will have stock of my 2xBM1384 stick hopefully before long.

And side hacks new two chip sticks do 23 gh pretty easy.

More with  a proper  USB  hub

Here before long I'll have prototypes of something much more like a U3.

I confirm. I'll have significant stock for EU soon. Please be patient. Sidehack already works his ass off to make this happen.
MacEntyre
bitshopper.de