Happy to help wherever I can, also I have a active working shopping cart and distrobution setup and would be happy to do the logistics for orders etc.. I sell parts/components for the TI-99/4a now and colecovision (and arcade games) at my site at arcadeshopper.com
Greg On Mon, Jul 31, 2017 at 8:42 AM, Ken Pettit <petti...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hey Guys, > > Sorry for the delayed input to this thread ... been busy getting ready for > my China trip on Friday. > > If we were going to do another run of NADSBoxes (and possibly REX) via > "group funding", I would want to set it up as an official project with a > schedule, milestones, etc. Particularly expectations on > return-on-investment for anyone contributing to the fund. When it was just > me spening my own money (and even more than that, time), it didn't matter > when or even if I ever got it done. But that changes considerably when > other start to have real money involved. > > When I did the original run of NADSBox, I was effectively single with no > kids (they had moved to a different state). So I had an abundance of time > on my hands. Now I am re-married with two kids ages 5 and 3 and I have a > building full of ASIC engineers who report to me. To me, my time has > become more valuable than money (never thought I would say somthing like > that! :) Deveoping the original NADSBox took 2,200 hours. A second run > wouldn't be *nearly* as much time, but it would take on the order of > 300-400 hours. This is because I no longer have a PADS PCB license and > must re-do the layout in Cadence Allegro. A project schedule would look > something like: > > 1. Check for parts availablity (I know the PIC is obsolete but still > available). > 2. Select a new SD card socket > 3. Redo the PCB layout (this would be identical layout, just in a new CAD > package). When I tried to import to Allegro, it sorta got there, but all > of the net names were lost and it shows thousands of design rule check > (DRC) errors. DRC count should be zero. > 4. Do a small test run of 5-6 PCBs to validate the "new" layout. > 5. Program and test the new boards. Validate they fit in the existing > NADSBox enclosure. > 6. Make any necnessary changes to the PCB if it doesn't work. > 7. If needed, do a second run of 5-6 PCBs to validate the potential > changes from #6 > 8. Make any necessary changes to the enclosure diagrams and have new > enclosures built. These were done by Serpack in the LA area and have a 3-4 > week lead-time. This is largest expense of the project in terms of cash. > The setup fee for pad printing and machining is on the order of $2,500 > alone. That doesn't include actual price of the enclosures or the per-unit > cost of performing the machining (these two together probably add up to > $23). The setup fee is amortized over the number of enclosures you > purchase. > 9. Generate instructions, software and tools so a PCB house can perform > programming and testing of the boards. > 10. Get a PCB house to manufacture, assemble, program, test the PCBs > 11. Provide enclosures to PCB house along with mounting screws, etc. and > get them to assemble the final units. > > With a bit of Steve's assistance I could manage getting the board house to > do assembly and programming of REX also. We would probably want to change > the Gerbers such that the PCB edges are true castellated edges instead of > needing to be hand grinded. There are PCB houses that can do these cleanly > with the proper copper clearance from the edge of the PCB and liquid solder > mask rules. > > Ken > > > On 7/30/17 12:13 AM, Gary Weber wrote: > > With a Woolly, the REX would be obsolete, no? But if there's indeed a > need for all three products, then indeed I would stand beside you on the > sharing of all three. > > On Sat, Jul 29, 2017 at 11:42 PM, ray gordon <ray...@hotmail.com> wrote: > >> Hi Gary; >> >> I'd be happy to have someone share putting up the money for everything. >> If you don't think rex is as an attractive an idea, I'm willing to bear >> that burden alone, and we could split nads and woolly costs between us. >> >> Glad to have you aboard! >> >> ray >> >> >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> *From:* M100 <m100-boun...@lists.bitchin100.com> on behalf of Gary Weber >> <m100l...@gweber.org> >> *Sent:* Saturday, July 29, 2017 3:41 PM >> >> *To:* m...@bitchin100.com >> *Subject:* Re: [M100] Model T upgrades >> >> Ray, >> >> If you feel compelled to contribute to another production run effort, I >> guarantee you that you are not the only one interested in sharing in that >> contribution. >> >> Here's my take on things: >> >> NADSBox -- I think there probably is quite a bit of interest in this >> product even today. I'm willing to bet there would be at least 10-15 >> immediate pending sales on this given the interest I've seen on this list >> alone. >> REX -- This might be interesting as well, however it sounds like WOOLLY >> would likely be a better place to put engineering effort & dollars. >> WOOLLY -- I'm betting the majority of folks on this list would likely >> want one of these. If I had to pick only one product alone to focus on and >> bring to market, I'd pick this one! REX functionality, RAM expansion (for >> CP/M), and WiFi capability. All of that would be amazing to have in one >> piece of hardware that can fit into an Option ROM socket. We're talking >> about a potential replacement for all of the ReMem and REX variations that >> existed previously, and then some. >> >> I'm willing to contribute significantly to the effort to bring any and >> all of these products to life (for the second time for REX & NADSBox of >> course). And when I say contribute, I don't just mean encouragement & >> testing & labor. I'm talking about financial. :) Probably the areas I >> can best help in would be fronting a good chunk of the costs for sourcing >> of parts & production, and then also on the eventual fulfillment. (Either >> hosted on Club100.org or on Web8201.net or some other central hub, doesn't >> matter. I can definitely assist on the eCommerce end.) >> >> Gary >> >> >> >> >> >> On Sat, Jul 29, 2017 at 3:26 PM, ray gordon <ray...@hotmail.com> wrote: >> >>> Hi Ken, >>> >>> That's all fine by me. I would have to get a cashier's check and mail it >>> to you, because I can't pay that much by paypal all at once. Maybe I could >>> paypal it to you over the course of a week. >>> >>> Let me know when you're all set to move. >>> >>> ray >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------ >>> *From:* M100 <m100-boun...@lists.bitchin100.com> on behalf of Ken >>> Pettit <petti...@gmail.com> >>> *Sent:* Friday, July 28, 2017 8:50 PM >>> >>> *To:* m...@bitchin100.com >>> *Subject:* Re: [M100] Model T upgrades >>> >>> Hi Ray, >>> >>> When I did the first run of NADSBoxes in 2008 / 2009 timeframe, my >>> up-front cash expenditure was $13K for 240 NADSBoxes. This is when I was >>> having them built and assembled in China. I probably still could have them >>> built and assembled there, though it is a bit more challenging since I no >>> longer live there. >>> >>> Turns out I am traveling to China next week and will be visiting >>> Shenzhen for 5 days! YEA!!! Maybe I could visit my old haunts while there >>> (in fact I am looking forward to it). >>> >>> One of the concerns with NADSBox is that I need to update the layout a >>> bit to select a different SD card socket ... the socket used in the last >>> round of NADSBoxes was acquired from a Chinese source with no real part >>> number or way to track it. So the footprint is specific to that part which >>> is no longer available. >>> >>> I am working actively on Woolly which would replace REX and in a way, >>> NADSBox, via TPDD access to a host via WiFi. But this is still a big >>> development effort, both in terms of hardware and software. >>> >>> If you still wanted to put up the cash after reading this, we probably >>> wouldn't need to build 240 NADSBoxes as demand isn't what it was in 2009, >>> but it would still be in the $8K - $9K range I would guess for NADSBox >>> alone. I don't know for REX. >>> >>> Ken >>> >>> On 7/28/17 7:05 PM, ray gordon wrote: >>> >>> I'm willing to put up the cash necessary if Ken & Stephen would be >>> willing to do another run of NADS & REX. >>> >>> Ray g >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------ >>> *From:* M100 <m100-boun...@lists.bitchin100.com> >>> <m100-boun...@lists.bitchin100.com> on behalf of Gregory McGill >>> <arcadeshop...@gmail.com> <arcadeshop...@gmail.com> >>> *Sent:* Friday, July 28, 2017 11:50 AM >>> *To:* m...@bitchin100.com >>> *Subject:* Re: [M100] Model T upgrades >>> >>> nope.. it seems we go through this weekly, rex is open source, you are >>> welcome to make your own if you are up to it,. i have two i am meaning to >>> build but surface mount is not my thing so they keep getting put off.. >>> boards are on oshpark and the instructions are googlable nadsbox is not >>> available.. you can use a pc and laddiealpha or other tools there's one >>> for android too with a togo cable >>> >>> Greg >>> >>> On Fri, Jul 28, 2017 at 11:06 AM, Robert Prather < >>> robert.s.prat...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> >>>> Hi All, >>>> >>>> Just got a Model 100 off of eBay. If I'd known of the Club 100 site, >>>> I'd have purchased one there. There's some yellow on this one, but the >>>> memory appears maxed out (installed internally), so wasn't a bad find >>>> overall. >>>> >>>> I've used a color computer 2 for years, and love it, and decided to try >>>> out the Model 100. Love it so far. >>>> >>>> From the Club 100 site, I saw that there used to be NADSBox's available >>>> as well as REX modules. >>>> >>>> I'm emailing to find out if it's still possible to purchase these? I'm >>>> also trying to track down the little legs that can prop up the Model 100. >>>> >>>> I'd really appreciate any help anyone can provide. I didn't want to try >>>> ordering from the Club 100 site, because I wanted a confirmation before I >>>> did. >>>> >>>> thanks, >>>> >>>> Robert >>>> >>> >>> >>> >> > >
