BM1384 Pod Miner plus trade-in/recycling - an interest and feasibility poll

[chiguireitor]

[...]

My end goal is still to build a bigger miner. The nice things about this project are it allows me to use parts I already have so it'll move quickly and cheaply, it does something people apparently want but can't really find on the existing market, and the entire communication and control system would port directly over to a larger board which makes design work for the next thing that much easier.

I think you should keep a whole lineup of products for all the tastes: stick miners, pods, blades and semi-jet turbines. Gekkoscience is starting to be synonym to quality, no wonder you start getting a lot of orders in for the pods.

Regarding the trade-in/$50 dichotomy, i think most peeps that send you a board will happily buy at least 1 pod per board, which would leave at least another pod free for someone else.

As i told you via pm, i think i can find several borked boards.

[sidehack]

Admittedly the sticks are pretty fun. Now that I have a very solid base design, a lot of the hardware work of adapting to a new chip would be pretty simple. I think Novak and I are agreed it'd be good to make the next one software voltage controlled. Honestly that puts more work on him than it does me, but it'll pull a lot from the same controls work being done on this pod so probably won't actually be that bad.

I'm not sure about turbines and the like. It's probable a 300W-max S1-sized board would be the largest single unit I make, which two would make a nice S1-formfactor, and half a dozen could make an industrial miner. I'd prefer to stay away from things with S7 power density, and things which require S5 noise to run. Even with an S5-level peak power consumption, running at that point wouldn't be required because I refuse to build a miner without voltage control.

I certainly don't mind having a varietous product line, but it's going to take more resources than I have available right now. Gonna have to change my plan of attack, I think. Oh also and get some new chips to play with, but that's up to manufacturers whether or not they want to share.

[sidehack]

Bit of updated info. I have a fully-custom 4-chip test board currently running below an S5 controller because it's the only thing I have with BM1384 multi-chip code. Novak's got me a schematic for the entire controls, including volt setting and temperature monitoring. I reckon tomorrow he intends to work on multi-chip code of our own. I'll be out all day tomorrow but when I get back I'm gonna get back to the PCB layout. I have an assortment of schematics on hand which cover node-level parts, the power system, and all the controls so all I have to do is put it all together on one board. My goal is to be ordering a few sample PCBs by Friday.

If everything works, I'll probably make a few so we can run a few for testing and I might raffle off one of them as a way of building interest and resources for the project as a whole.

[AJRGale]

Bit of updated info. I have a fully-custom 4-chip test board currently running below an S5 controller because it's the only thing I have with BM1384 multi-chip code. Novak's got me a schematic for the entire controls, including volt setting and temperature monitoring. I reckon tomorrow he intends to work on multi-chip code of our own. I'll be out all day tomorrow but when I get back I'm gonna get back to the PCB layout. I have an assortment of schematics on hand which cover node-level parts, the power system, and all the controls so all I have to do is put it all together on one board. My goal is to be ordering a few sample PCBs by Friday.

If everything works, I'll probably make a few so we can run a few for testing and I might raffle off one of them as a way of building interest and resources for the project as a whole.

I'm all in for a Raffle! I'm just trying to thing how one can accomplish this on here, these forums don't have a raffle ticket system, hey?

[chiguireitor]

...

I'm all in for a Raffle! I'm just trying to thing how one can accomplish this on here, these forums don't have a raffle ticket system, hey?

I'm no expert, but random.org has a nifty raffling system with true entropy....

[Meech]

I won a R290 on a Dogecoin pool raffle - it was a "twitch type" setup where everyone in the raffle watched their Streetfighter character battle match after match to win.  Was actually quite fun.

I think it would be a cool touch for the pod to have a slow pulse led, one that started dim and got brighter (not like Night Rider but similar effect). 

[quakefiend420]

I'd participate in that raffle.

[philipma1957]

I don't do raffles, but I will run it if someone is needed to run it.

[sidehack]

A slow pulsing LED like the constantly annoying one on my sister's Mac laptop? I think I prefer not that idea.

I think a raffle would be pretty easy. Set up an address specific for the raffle that folks dump coin into, say 0.01BTC per ticket. Signed message to verify your entry. I could do it the old-fashioned way and put a bunch of labeled balls in a bucket, shake it up and see which one falls out; I could also do a direct drawing with labeled slips of paper out of a shaken-up bucket. That'd probably be a bit easier to conjure up. One grand-prize winner gets a pod, two or three runners up get a free Compac each? I'd probably determine how many free Compacs go out based on how many tickets get sold, seeing as if I give away too many I'd be losing money. Probably have some publicly posted thresholds, like for every 10 tickets sold after the first 25 tickets I add one Compac as a runner-up draw. That'd probably be alright.

[jekecoin]

I'm interested in the project for remove my olds 4 bitburner fury, the raffle sounds interesting, but I don't know how the messages work

[kilo17]

What about auctioning it.  People get crazy bidding for stuff that is unique.  I would start off the bidding at .35 BTC (if it becomes an option)

[AJRGale]

What about auctioning it.  People get crazy bidding for stuff that is unique.  I would start off the bidding at .35 BTC (if it becomes an option)

One could potential get more out of a raffle over auction, look at a raffle at a fate, each ticket is worth $5, and its for $50 of meat for a BBQ, but the people running the raffle could end up with thousands.

where as people will only bid on an item upto the cost they are willing to obtain the item, so the $50 of meat could only go for $75.

[VirosaGITS]

What about auctioning it.  People get crazy bidding for stuff that is unique.  I would start off the bidding at .35 BTC (if it becomes an option)

One could potential get more out of a raffle over auction, look at a raffle at a fate, each ticket is worth $5, and its for $50 of meat for a BBQ, but the people running the raffle could end up with thousands.

where as people will only bid on an item upto the cost they are willing to obtain the item, so the $50 of meat could only go for $75.

I think Sidehack's way is better, it will come off by as less trying to exploit people and making a profit and more promoting his gear in a more gamble-y/fun way. He get to raise awareness and stimulate a few sales of Sticks instead of trying to turn up a big profit.

I think thats pretty clever/long term vision oriented.

[Mikestang]

Raffle idea gets my vote, too.  I'd buy in a couple "tickets" for a chance at the first pod.  Plus the runner up of another compac would be almost just as cool.

[toptek]

I'm interested in the project for remove my olds 4 bitburner fury, the raffle sounds interesting, but I don't know how the messages work

http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/3898/how-does-sign-message-work


http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/3337/what-are-the-safety-guidelines-for-using-the-sign-message-feature/3339#3339

[notlist3d]

What about auctioning it.  People get crazy bidding for stuff that is unique.  I would start off the bidding at .35 BTC (if it becomes an option)

One could potential get more out of a raffle over auction, look at a raffle at a fate, each ticket is worth $5, and its for $50 of meat for a BBQ, but the people running the raffle could end up with thousands.

where as people will only bid on an item upto the cost they are willing to obtain the item, so the $50 of meat could only go for $75.

I think raffle will bring most money, which will hopefully help on pod dev.  I'm sure it's costing some cash and time so I view it as kinda a neat way of supporting it.

You could double dip in a way.  Do a auction and a raffle.  My suggestion is don't do them at same time do raffle then auction, I think you will get most this way.   It allows people to try for rafffle then who knows what crazy bid you get on bidding.

So combination of two should get some dev money flowing.  And I still am willing to pre-order as I'm sure many others would if you need any money for dev, I'm willing to trust you on it.

[philipma1957]

As always I can front 2btc and not pester you about payment or gear.

[notlist3d]

As always I can front 2btc and not pester you about payment or gear.

I don't trust many companies but I would agree deepening price I also would be interested in pre-order of pod.  And also same no pestering about delivery knowing it would come when it's done.  So no trying to rush you.

I think a lot would pre-order with no pestering a lot interested if you need money up front.  But I know you don't really like to pre-order.  But if you change mind ever just let us know.

[sidehack]

I was out of town all day Wednesday for a funeral so I think ordering a prototype board by Friday is out of the question - probably Monday. Two funerals in one year is pretty bad, but this one was 94 years old so not as rough as my 25-year-old cousin this summer.

Anyways. I intend to have the layout finished and order some prototype PCBs come Monday. If I can get a couple working (which will depend on Novak's code as much as my hardware, since this is a device requiring firmware and drivers) I'll probably run a raffle and maybe then look at pre-orders for an initial batch. No money yet.

[notlist3d]

I was out of town all day Wednesday for a funeral so I think ordering a prototype board by Friday is out of the question - probably Monday. Two funerals in one year is pretty bad, but this one was 94 years old so not as rough as my 25-year-old cousin this summer.

Anyways. I intend to have the layout finished and order some prototype PCBs come Monday. If I can get a couple working (which will depend on Novak's code as much as my hardware, since this is a device requiring firmware and drivers) I'll probably run a raffle and maybe then look at pre-orders for an initial batch. No money yet.

Some things are more important out there then bitcoin or money.  My condolences on your situation. 

No need to even worry about updates in times like that.  I wish you and your family the best.