Let's talk about the first one, which I agree would be cool. My gut feeling is that by the time I priced this correctly - meaning to have a fairly high likelihood of recovering R&D and production costs we'd be in the neighborhood of around $500. If we limited the functionality to just some sort of alignment readout without all of the programming, then I might guess more around $250.
Is this worth $250 or $500? How would you handle updates? Free? Cost for each new platform? The microwave alignment tool we did was the equivalent of putting our toe into this market. Our experience there makes me wonder if this is a market which actually has any meaningful, ongoing, revenue stream. I really would like to sell tools, but I'm going to need some convincing (which is what I'm trying to ask for here). We've done about 3-4 prototype designs in house for various pieces of what you are talking about. Some worked better than others. Heck, we displayed one at the first Animal Farm. But none have made it to market just because of the high front-end costs. I suspect that this is also what is keeping several of the prototypes which have been displayed at various times from becoming a product as well. So convince me. In relation to the other item... have you considered clipping the tab? -forrest On Sun, Oct 5, 2014 at 2:51 PM, TJ Trout via Af <af@afmug.com> wrote: > I would really like to see a installation device that has a LCD and > speaker and headphone jack, has it's own internal lithium battery with poe > output AND lan port for a laptop, can speak SNMP or http or whatever with > Ubiquiti and Canopy/Epmp and allows you to do basic configuration in the > field and also has stored config files for fast SM programming, once > programmed it acts like an alignment tool with LCD that's sun viewable and > also audio out of the speaker... Does multiple POE outputs either by > setting or automatically. > > I would also like to see a RJ45 lock in device that allows us to lock > patch cables into the POE/Router/Computer, etc to keep customers from > unplugging Ethernet cables and mixing them up! I know this is already out > on the market but $5 each is crazy. > > > > > > > > On Sun, Oct 5, 2014 at 1:35 PM, Matt Jenkins via Af <af@afmug.com> wrote: > >> Our infrastructure sites look like this: >> >> Shielded Cables -> 8 or 24port shielded patch panel >> -> APC PRM24 with WB Surge Modules >> -> PoE Injectors >> -> Switch / Router >> >> PoE Injectors are attached to a Masterswitch. >> >> >> <pipe dream> >> I know this probably is not feasible but.... >> What I would REALLY like is an active PoE midspan injector (8/24 gigabit >> port). Something that does not require a site monitor (has web/snmp >> function built in). It takes AC power and can output DC to each type of >> device. This device would be software configurable for power type and has >> apc masterswitch functionality. It would need to support up to 150watt per >> port for WiMAX and Licensed Link Radios. It would need to support from >> 12vdc to 56vdc output. If there was a model that also supported power out >> to a few (4) AC outlets I wouldn't even need an APC Masterswitch. The goal >> is to replace all those PoE injectors which don't mount in a rack or on a >> din rail in a box. >> </pipe dream> >> >> >> >> Matthew Jenkins >> SmarterBroadband >> m...@sbbinc.net >> 530.272.4000 >> >> >> On 10/05/2014 01:19 PM, Forrest Christian (List Account) via Af wrote: >> >>> It's been (quite) a while since I sent one of these messages out to the >>> list. >>> >>> With the release of all of our new gigabit injectors, it is time for me >>> to decide which products will be next out the door at PacketFlux. >>> >>> We've got several products at various stages of completion, but almost >>> all of them I expect to be very low volume projects - the type of products >>> we complete just because they help fill out our product offering instead of >>> expecting a lot of revenue from them. A couple of these have appeared on >>> the website recently - I.E. a 2 Relay, 3 Switch module, and the >>> voltmeter/shunt input modules. >>> >>> So, what I'd love to hear is some suggestions for products PacketFlux >>> could build which would help you in your WISP. I'm particularly looking for >>> products which if they existed would go at every one of your tower sites, >>> or even better at every customer location. I know these product ideas >>> exist out there, and I'd love to hear them. Feel free to throw ideas out >>> which are outside of the narrow niche that you think of PacketFlux fitting >>> into. >>> >>> One final note - there is always a query for an all-in-one tower device >>> which includes some mixture of ac power supply, dc-dc conversion, battery >>> charging/management, Ethernet switch, router, power injection, fiber >>> conversion, etc.. I've heard those loud and clear and am aware of that >>> desire. There's work being done in-house toward something like that, but >>> there are many hurdles left to make it a reality. If there's a simplified >>> version of this which would fit a specific, widespread, need I'd love to >>> hear about it, but the idea of a device you put into your rack and it >>> handles everything needed at a tower site is still quite a ways off for us. >>> >>> So, throw your best ideas out there... I'd love to take a couple and run >>> with them. >>> >>> -forrest >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> >
