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TouchDRO Adapter Lineup (and Price) Changes
- Thread starter ycroosh
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2013
- Messages
- 925
I'm no dropping probe support. I'm actually expanding it (the app, and the Plus board will support two probe inputs).
I'm moving the hardware support to the Plus board.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2013
- Messages
- 925
I got a few emails regarding this thread, and I think some people misread what is happening.
Just to be very clear: if you have a TouchDRO unit, you will not lose any functionality. I.e. no existing functionality in the app is moving from free version to paid, and everything that works in the hardware will keep working. The change is to the new hardware.
In fact, you will get more functionality for your existing system. There will be new features in the free app, and I will offer a way to get the Plus version of the app for people who purchased a unit from me before the new hardware is launched. For many (of not most) people it will be free. After the launch, the only way to get the Plus version of the app will be to get the Plus board that comes with it.
The spirit of the change is as follows:
1. I want to get away from the "DIY" aspect of this project. My experience (and data) clearly shows that I almost never hear from people who bought a pre-made unit (I.e. they don't have problems, units work reliably, etc.). On the other hand, the number of issues I have to deal with when it comes to the DIY kit is horrendous. The kit (as it sits) barely pays for itself, not even taking into account my overhead cost, R&D, etc. Long term, I can't keep spending 10+ hours per week walking people through basic soldering techniques.
I'm not planning to pull any of the plans, firmware, circuit schematics off the site, so it will still be possible to scratch-build a DIY adapter, but I'm also not planning to make the new firmware awailable for download.
2. I want to offer hardware that does everything a top-tier unit from one of the "legacy" brands can offer, and then some. One of the gaps has been the support for reference track and non-linear error correction mapping. The new hardware will have those options (except the kit, which is comparable to the old board).
3. To this point I have not been including my "R&D" time in the cost calculation (by design). For the last few years I've been spending upwards of 1000 hours working on the app, firmware and hardware design. The new board took me good 5 months of working a couple hours each evening, and most of the weekends to design, test, update the firmware. etc. I need to recoup this cost going forward, and the board prices reflect this.
Yes, if you get the "Plus" board and a decent tablet, it will cost 3-5 times more than a Chinese DRO display. I'm not trying to compete with those anymore. I can't. This is not an apples-to-appels comparison:
1. I don't know of any DRO on the market that offers all of the functionality that you get from TouchDRO (the new Acu-Rite tablet DRO might at some point, but they are very early in their development, so it's very raw still). The Plus version will push the envelope even further.
2. The hardware is built to the standard of a name brand unit. It uses name brand components, ISO9000 manufacturing, strict QA, thorough functional testing etc., and I have to pay US prices withough subsidies from Chinese government
3. The system is under constant development, so you keep getting free upgrades for the life of your TouchDRO setup.
4. You are not locked into any proprietary scales, sensors, etc.
Yes, I realize that if this is too expensive, nobody will buy my adapters. I am willing to take this risk.
Hope this makes sense
Regards
Yuriy
Just to be very clear: if you have a TouchDRO unit, you will not lose any functionality. I.e. no existing functionality in the app is moving from free version to paid, and everything that works in the hardware will keep working. The change is to the new hardware.
In fact, you will get more functionality for your existing system. There will be new features in the free app, and I will offer a way to get the Plus version of the app for people who purchased a unit from me before the new hardware is launched. For many (of not most) people it will be free. After the launch, the only way to get the Plus version of the app will be to get the Plus board that comes with it.
The spirit of the change is as follows:
1. I want to get away from the "DIY" aspect of this project. My experience (and data) clearly shows that I almost never hear from people who bought a pre-made unit (I.e. they don't have problems, units work reliably, etc.). On the other hand, the number of issues I have to deal with when it comes to the DIY kit is horrendous. The kit (as it sits) barely pays for itself, not even taking into account my overhead cost, R&D, etc. Long term, I can't keep spending 10+ hours per week walking people through basic soldering techniques.
I'm not planning to pull any of the plans, firmware, circuit schematics off the site, so it will still be possible to scratch-build a DIY adapter, but I'm also not planning to make the new firmware awailable for download.
2. I want to offer hardware that does everything a top-tier unit from one of the "legacy" brands can offer, and then some. One of the gaps has been the support for reference track and non-linear error correction mapping. The new hardware will have those options (except the kit, which is comparable to the old board).
3. To this point I have not been including my "R&D" time in the cost calculation (by design). For the last few years I've been spending upwards of 1000 hours working on the app, firmware and hardware design. The new board took me good 5 months of working a couple hours each evening, and most of the weekends to design, test, update the firmware. etc. I need to recoup this cost going forward, and the board prices reflect this.
Yes, if you get the "Plus" board and a decent tablet, it will cost 3-5 times more than a Chinese DRO display. I'm not trying to compete with those anymore. I can't. This is not an apples-to-appels comparison:
1. I don't know of any DRO on the market that offers all of the functionality that you get from TouchDRO (the new Acu-Rite tablet DRO might at some point, but they are very early in their development, so it's very raw still). The Plus version will push the envelope even further.
2. The hardware is built to the standard of a name brand unit. It uses name brand components, ISO9000 manufacturing, strict QA, thorough functional testing etc., and I have to pay US prices withough subsidies from Chinese government
3. The system is under constant development, so you keep getting free upgrades for the life of your TouchDRO setup.
4. You are not locked into any proprietary scales, sensors, etc.
Yes, I realize that if this is too expensive, nobody will buy my adapters. I am willing to take this risk.
Hope this makes sense
Regards
Yuriy
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2016
- Messages
- 4,024
First I applaud this transition toward a more sustainable business model. And I emphasize business. I am thankful that you have spent all this effort and energy to bring to a limited market such a groundbreaking system. It is good enough that the concepts are being brought to market by someone else - either as imitation, or by natural evolution, I won't say...
I have been expecting to implement one of your systems on my big lathe. I've been fabbing electronics since the 70s, but would far rather buy your system as a prebuild -- Building it myself is not worth my time, and risk that I do something stupid like put a diode in backwards or create a tiny solder bridge.
Hopefully your day-to-day time goes down by having the bulk of the fab done by pick and place, and that your support efforts can focus on more important things other than fabrication mistakes.
I've been talking with John Mann about the magnetic versus glass thing, partly because I'll be implementing magnetic scales on my lathe. I see no good path to using 65" glass scales on my lathe. After I get experience on that front, it is likely I'll change over my other DRO systems to the Touch system as well.
I think it is a great step forward! Congrats!
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2023
- Messages
- 258
Thanks for the clarification - I missed that in your original post.
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2023
- Messages
- 258
I'd rather pay a bit more and have you stay on the project than get it a bit cheaper and walk away.
Hopefully you can make this a full time (and paying like a full time job) at some point, if that's your goal.
Hopefully you can make this a full time (and paying like a full time job) at some point, if that's your goal.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2013
- Messages
- 925
Thank you for the feedback and encouragement. It is much appreciated.
On a related note, I'm consistently pleasantly surprised with the crowd that hangs out on this forum
I got a few emails after posting this thread, and all but one were either encouraging, or just politely asking to clarify if I'm taking away functionality. etc. Only one was a bit confrontational.
I have accounts on some other machinists forums where if you look at someone's post crooked, you get your head bitten off, so I'm really enjoying the community on this forum.
Regards
Yuriy
On a related note, I'm consistently pleasantly surprised with the crowd that hangs out on this forum
I got a few emails after posting this thread, and all but one were either encouraging, or just politely asking to clarify if I'm taking away functionality. etc. Only one was a bit confrontational.I have accounts on some other machinists forums where if you look at someone's post crooked, you get your head bitten off, so I'm really enjoying the community on this forum.
Regards
Yuriy
Any update on when the new boards will be available. I am looking at the plus board in particular.
Also I presently have the glass scale v2 board and am planning on moving that one to my lathe. Will I have a Issue with the plus app when using the old board?
Also I presently have the glass scale v2 board and am planning on moving that one to my lathe. Will I have a Issue with the plus app when using the old board?
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2013
- Messages
- 925
Rob,
The boards are pretty much ready. I'm working on the documentation, and moving the store to a proper e-commerce platform (from the PayPal "Buy Now" buttons). If things go perfectly well, I should be done in about a week.
The Plus app is still a few weeks out (need to finish the "activation" part). Not sure yet how I'll handle this. Might end up doing a "pre launch" pricing for the boards until the app is ready. Don't know yet...
The app is backwards compatible, but the Plus version of the app will be tied to the board.
Regards
Yuriy
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