Re: Black Arrow 28nm 100Ghash Bitcoin ASIC from $0.49/GH/s

[DebitMe]

For some reason I can't take my eyes off this train wreck in progress. I am among the lucky who managed to salvage something through a refund (kudos to Minersource). Is there any other business where this level of incompetence can keep on trucking with customers still remaining, except in the world of crypto currencies?

No, because it is illegal and BA would immediately be brought up on charges on fraud.

[DebitMe]

And there is the update they would not tell us!

Alright, lets talk about compensation, you planning to send everyone 2.5X miners when this is all said and done or since you "offered" to give people unfinished products you assume its our fault we didn't take it, even though thats why we paid you to do it?

[DebitMe]

So just for clarification there is no plan to increase the current compensation plan at this time? If the X1 Does not ship starting next week will we told (by tuesday?)

You can get 7 Thash in ASICs instead of 2Thash in miners. We can ship tomorrow.

[/quote]

We paid you to deliver completed units, not chips that we cannot do anything with.  Are you increasing compensation?

EDIT:  Why not ship all caseless X-1's now, then ship the case when they come in next week?

EDIT2: How many caseless boards and  2 chip boards are currently hashing for you?  How many are currently hashing and the btc will be spread among everyone during this time.  You can't expect us to believe you have everything but the cases and the backplanes and everything is just sitting doing nothing during this time?  So how much is plugged in?

[DebitMe]

BA are you going to comment on how your planning to make this right?  Certainly you cant expect many if any customers will take the bare chips, we hired you to build an ASIC, if we knew how we wouldn't need the chips.  So if you tell us because you offered this option that there will be no higher level of compensation then I have a few choice words that will be arriving even quicker at your doorstep.

Where does this leave your customers?

Will everything be doubled at this point with free PSU's and anything else needed to run?  Can you send barebone X-1's tomorrow and then get the cases to us?  even if its our expense?

Is the LCD working now for God's sakes?

[DebitMe]

And they are gone and back to not giving a $hit about us.  No helpful information for anyone besides more delays and waits.

EDIT: I think its time you reveal what your surprise was.  At this point I doubt it will do anything to make anyone happy and is probably more of a fancy feature than anything, but give us something...anything...

[DebitMe]

Bitcoin Miners progress update – 22 May 2014

Prospero X3
We experienced a few serious technical issues with the backplane PCB which unfortunately delayed the completion of the Prospero X3. Our engineers spent the whole week debugging the problem without finding yet a working solution. We solicited expertise from 3rd parties and we are now having 3 different teams working on the issue around the clock. Please note that we are not in the position to estimate a completion time. It is possible that the fix could be solved as early as tomorrow or as late as next week. We decided as a safety measure to start redesigning 2 extra versions of the backplane PCB. The first complete bug free version will be used in production.
Deadline delays are never welcome news therefore we decided to offer the following optional packages available immediately which might be suitable for a minority of anxious customers who are able to build their own miner based on the Minion chip:
Option 1: Replace each Prospero (2 Thash) including the compensation package (1Thash) with 50 Minion ASICs (up to 7 Thash)
or
Option 2: Replace each Prospero (2 Thash) including the compensation package (1Thash) with 20 Hashboards (each PCB includes 2 x Minion ASIC, heatsinks, power chips, inductors, capacitors) – 4.5 Thash. Note that due to the lack of a backplane these boards have not been intensively tested therefore further rework might be required (e.g: add some capacitors); should this work be required we will only provide documents on what needs to be done. The customer will be responsible of executing it and purchasing the parts.
Note: Opting for any of these options will not cancel your 25% discount for your next Minion orders.
We would also like to ask from help from the technical community to help speed up solving the issues that we have encountered or to design a new backplane. The solicited work will be rewarded accordingly (money, products, etc.)

Prospero X1
Prospero X1 miners are not affected by the issue mentioned above and we should start shipping next week once the cases will be delivered.
Note: To avoid any further delay we have the option to deliver the case-less X1 if any of the customers will choose so.
Please contact out customer support should you choose any of the options above.

SERIOUSLY ?! I just realized i paid 12k for a DIY project (2 units of X3)   
Well, this is the second deadline and i was hoping you guys can somehow fix it up, but its clear now that you can't fulfill your promises and  I really appreciate if you send me back my money, how can i start the refunding process??

* i ordered directly from black arrow website and paid through wire transfer.

Technically, this is more along the lines of the 3rd date they missed, even though there was so much personal vouching going on that they would be ready.  But whose counting?

It has been clear as many have stated that something was wrong and a delay was imminent, a company, who wants to drum up more sales, doesn't all of a sudden go quiet for 3 weeks after the chip is received.

They will not give your money back either in btc or in USD, as they have previously told customers, your unit is in production and cannot be unproduced.  As such, you will get your miner when it is ready and can resell it yourselves (presumably because they will be worth a lot less when you actually get them).  So I saved you some headache going through the "refund request" process, notice it is a request because you will not get anything.

Speaking of when you get them, well we F'ed up and we cannot even tell you how long until you'll get them.  But I assume still no refunds as why would they buy your bought miner back off you when it isn't worth the 12K it was when you bought it?

[Pistachio]

Anyone have an idea of how hard it would be to hook up and run 20 hashboards? I would guess their design is fine, but I don't know how difficult it would be to set this up yourself. 4.5th for an X3 order is the best deal we will probably get at this point.

Edit: If BA could give a bit more info on how this setup could work, I would think most people would just want to go with the hashboards option. No need to worry about cases or fancy LCD screens. Hashing power is what matters now.

[notbatman]

A quick Google search on SPI indicates you need to terminate both SCK and MOSI with 1K resistors.

[Craige288]

Preordered 10 X1 from BA back in December.

When u first failed to deliver in February i asked for the possibility for a refund in march.

After really slow support on the tickets you asked for my wire details etc and made me believe that you would finally proceed refunds.

Then again weeks later you tell me that refunds aren't possible till May, which also was the next promised shipping date.

Prefering hardware over late cash i choose to stick with you folks in good faith and opted for the hardware in May.

Now, again almost a month late you still have no working & complete hardware and you telling your backers that a refund isn't possible anymore. This is ridiculous and i smell noone ever got a refund from you guys :/

So Black Arrow it is clearly your duty to provide your backers with fully assembled and working miners and a fair compensation.
Offering compensation in the form of paperweight hardware is a joke. 50% hashingpower after this long delay is a joke too. And to top all this, making your backers pay for additional parts and shipping to get their compensation units work is total bulls!?#

Deliver what your customers payed for, FULLY WORKING AND ASSEMBLED MINERS.
Give us a real compensation, 200% of ordered hashingpower, while still not that great would be acceptable.

Ofc free shipping and with PSUs…
I'd rather get one or two less compensation units then having to send you folks more cash.

Are you serious?  Do you really think they're going to agree with any of your compensation suggestions.  Get real mate....  You pre-ordered and knew the risks like the rest of us.  Life's a gamble, all your chips went on black and it's landed in the red.  I wish we all went green and scored but we didn't!  Sad... but stop asking for compensation...  You should be happy with your order because that's all  you ordered knowing fully that there could be delays or problems and if you didn't then....  I'm not gonna say what I think.

If they offer compensation then I'll be happy but I'm not going to be stupid enough to demand anything because 'I' made a wrong decision!  

You did ask for a refund and then changed your mind again.  Maybe you'd have your refund if you didn't take the gamble and stay with the hardware.  Hmmmm... who's fault is that?

I'm sorry but I've lost a crap load with this deal, I didn't order 1 x X3 or 1 x X1 like the majority probably would have but I'm a realist and take full responsibility for my own actions... I've even kept the wife and five kids updated so they know exactly what Dad is going through right now because they give me strength.  Another reason I don't want to see pathetic whimpering on here about how hard done by people are because of their own actions.

I'm confident we will have the completed systems within the next few weeks.  Bitcoin is doing well right now so we all may still have some chance, who knows but I'm sticking with it and crossing fingers.

[BitCoin Operated Boy]

Black Arrow:

Under recent circumstances causing the delaying delivery of my order #1810 even further, I would like to request the refund.

I have sent requests for the refund and I have also woken up early and tried to call you on few occasions using your english number (at the afternoon hours of Bejing time) but no one has ever picked up the phone. I even tried the Hong Kong number too with no reply whatsoever.

[notbatman]

so, did the termination resistors work or not?

[DebitMe]

Blah... Blah... Blah...  Compensation...  Blah...  No Refunds...  Blah... Blah... Angry Blah... 

500 posts of that crap is enough.  I'll check back on Wednesday and see how things are going.

Ill tell you now...here is my prediction of what BA will have said by next Wednesday

NOTHING

[DebitMe]

Well I guess we need the arbitrary question again.

BA can we get some news on the X-1?  What does a single chip run at?  what power consumption does it use?  Can you show us a board hashing?  What date are the cases supposed to arrive?  How quickly will they start shipping out?

[DebitMe]

I have requested 1 of my X-1 units sent without a case.  They said that they would do this, so if it is sent, we have nothing to worry about, if this request is ignored...Well that opens another can of worms.  I will keep you all posted.

[DebitMe]

I have requested 1 of my X-1 units sent without a case.  They said that they would do this, so if it is sent, we have nothing to worry about, if this request is ignored...Well that opens another can of worms.  I will keep you all posted.

Awesome, did they give a ship out date?

Well, I got a reply from Minersource.  They will not break out my order of multiple X-1's and have just a single X-1 sent for testing purposes.  I have asked if I could order another X-1 (even though they are super overpriced and it would be a great loss to me but I'll do it to test if they are real), and have it immediately sent without a case.  Will see what they say.

[DebitMe]

I have requested 1 of my X-1 units sent without a case.  They said that they would do this, so if it is sent, we have nothing to worry about, if this request is ignored...Well that opens another can of worms.  I will keep you all posted.

Awesome, did they give a ship out date?

Well, I got a reply from Minersource.  They will not break out my order of multiple X-1's and have just a single X-1 sent for testing purposes.  I have asked if I could order another X-1 (even though they are super overpriced and it would be a great loss to me but I'll do it to test if they are real), and have it immediately sent without a case.  Will see what they say.

Did they give you the option to take ALL your X-1s without cases?

yes, but I would rather not risk anything with all of them.  just want 1, plus the extra shipping for my whole order of cases would be too much.

[Craige288]

I have an early order number #207 at BA for a single X1. I have asked to send mine caseless ASAP

Let us know when/if you get it.

[DebitMe]

Well I have received no reply either from Minersource or from BA.  (I understand if Minersource can't do anything, but I would think BA would want the free good publicity).

Either way, others seem to have requested the barebone X-1 without a case, and in usual BA fashion, been told nothing.  So it doesn't surprise me that I was also ignored.  I would say I am a couple of days away from requesting a refund for the other orders I have.  This is passing ridiculous.

[sorehammer]

[imghttp://ecointalk.net/topic/995-prospero-china-trip-update-stuart-from-logic-ethos-ltd/][/img]

[notbatman]

"X-1  without case and lcd.  Having it's Android OS installed via USB"

A quote accompanying a photo of a caseless X-1 from Logic Ethos Ltd allegedly in China at the BA factory.

LCD, Android OS??? WTF are you guys smoking crack?

Next you'll be telling us the unit is delayed for another 3 months due to bugs in the iOS dual boot feature. We don't fucking need itunes on this thing.