1st Lynx Express v5 COOP for 2013 - ** No longer accepting orders **

[kgustafson]

No new news for this week.   I am awaiting a confirmation from Paypal prior to my order for Mouser.

[kgustafson]

Update 005 -- 02/11/2013

Major Activity:
 - Received all Payments
 - Finalized Membership
 - Ordered PCBs and Heatsinks
 - Ordered parts from Mouser

Awaiting:
 - Order USPS flat rate boxes
 - Order shipping supplies
 - Receipt of all items
 - Sorting
 - Shipping
 - Close out COOP

Notes:
 - None

If at any time you need to contact me for any reason, please PM me.  I will attempt to get back to you as soon as I am able!

Thanks,

Kurt

[kgustafson]

Update 006 -- 02/18/2013

Major Activity:
 - Ordered USPS flat rate boxes
 - Ordered packing materials and shipping supplies

Awaiting:
 - Receipt of PCBs
 - Receipt of Heatsinks
 - Receipt of Parts from Mouser
 - Receipt of Packing material
 - Receipt of USPS boxes
 - Sorting Kits
 - Shipping
 - Close out COOP

Notes:
 - Happy Presidents Day! I know we are all anxious about the COOP.  It is going along nicely.  This is the time where your patience is appreciated as we await everything to come in and allow me the time to organize and sort it all.  It is also about the time my wife begins to stress about the things coming in and taking up space in the house, so trust me, I will do my best to turn this stuff around quickly.  If you have any questions or concerns please send me a message and I will try to answer the questions and concerns as soon as possible.

If at any time you need to contact me for any reason, please PM me.  I will attempt to get back to you as soon as I am able!

Thanks,

Kurt

[kgustafson]

Just a quick note.  Began receiving parts from Mouser so I am starting to sort parts.  I have all the manifests printed (BOM listings with all the parts for each member) and will be printing all the labels for the baggies tonight.  I have an outstanding order for silver lined anti-static bags and additional small baggies (2"x3"), however, I have enough to begin.  PCBs and Heatsink order is still being worked (ordered but not fulfilled yet).  I will be ordering the padding material and packing tape tonight as well (for shipping).

Progress!

Kurt

[rdebolt]

Thanks for the updates Kurt!

[kgustafson]

Update 007 -- 02/22/2013

Major Activity:
 - Recieved parts from Mouser
 - Received packing material
 - Begun sorting parts

Awaiting:
 - Receipt of PCBs
 - Receipt of Heatsinks
 - Receipt of backorder (218 remain) of 8 segement LEDs from Mouser
 - Receipt of USPS boxes
 - Sorting Kits
 - Shipping
 - Close out COOP

Notes:
 - I am going out of town for a week for business so it will halt my abililty to sort this next week.  I am supposed to come back on Friday, which is also Sequestration day for the government. It is possible that flights will be cancelled due to TSA shortages and FAA shortages.  Let's all hope and pray that either a) congress and the president can work to break the deadlock and avoid the sequestration, or b) the sequestration happens but does not affect the airlines! I truly do love this country and the system of government our forefathers created, but sometimes, it drives me completely bonkers!

If at any time you need to contact me for any reason, please PM me.  I will attempt to get back to you as soon as I am able!

Thanks,

Kurt

[kgustafson]

All,

Not much to report.  Just continuing sorting the parts I have. I am still waiting on the Mouser backorder, PCBs, and Heat sinks.

Good news is that when the PCBs and heatsinks get in, I can begin packaging and shipping those orders that I could fulfill with the non-backordered parts.

Will continue to keep you all abreast of what is going on.

Kurt

[sabie]

thanks for all the hard work and updates

[kgustafson]

All,

Still awaiting PCBs and Heatsinks.

Still awaiting backorder of terminal blocks from Mouser (due in next week)

Still awaiting backorder of LED displays from Mouser (just pushed from this month to next month! Grrr)

I have about half of the kits sorted (can't complete more due to the backorders).  I am averaging about 6 kits an hour for sorting.

I am headed to the Shenandoah Mountains for a Men's Retreat with my church so I will not have access to phone or internet until late Sunday.

Thanks,

Kurt

[rdebolt]

Thanks for the updates Kurt. Have a fun weekend!

[kgustafson]

Update 008  - 03/17/2013

Major Activity:
 - Recieved all USPS boxes
 - Completed sorting of half of the kits

Awaiting:
 - Receipt of PCBs
 - Receipt of Heatsinks
 - Receipt of backorder of 16 port terminal blocks from Mouser (due 3/21)
 - Receipt of backorder (218 remain) of 8 segement LEDs from Mouser (now due April)
 - Continue sorting Kits as orders and backorders come in.
 - Shipping
 - Close out COOP

Notes:
 - Once I get the PCBs and Heatsinks from RJ, I will be able to ship out the first half of the members orders (based on payment order).  My best guess on this is that I will be able to ship them out this next week.  The family and I are going to be out-of-pocket during holy week (week after next), so the shipping may actually begin in the first week of April (assuming the PCBs and heatsinks arrive).  The second half of the members will be taken care of once the backorders come in which is looking around mid April.  So -- HOPEFULLY -- all kits will be out and arrive by the end of April.

- I will be posting pictures of the electronic layout that I used for shipping.  This is so you guys know your way around the various chips, as these are being placed in high-density foam to prevent the pins from bending.  To maximize use of foam, I grouped the chips into logical areas, however, the chips are not individually labeled.  I will use the pictures, with arrows to explain the layout so you know which chip is which on these foam blocks.  I have worked hard to make sure the labeling and packaging are both logical and easy and I am fairly certain the layout on these foam blocks will make sense as well.

If at any time you need to contact me for any reason, please PM me.  I will attempt to get back to you as soon as I am able!

Thanks,

Kurt

[rdebolt]

Thanks for the update Kurt! Sounds like you have every detail covered (no surprise).  <res.

[kgustafson]

One side of the foam components look like this (these will be in a silver lined anti-static bag.  Note that there should be ONE per LynxExpress kit you ordered):



This will have:
 -  3 X 8 position LED displays
 -  16 X MOC 3023 (optocouplers) chips
 - 1 X PIC chip. 

The MOC chips are 6 pin (not to be confused with the H11A1 Optocoupler transistor input - which is also 6 pin and on the other side).  If in doubt about a 6 pin chip, look for the tiny print on the chip itself.  it will either have 3023 (MOC) or H11A1 (the Octo trans input chip).

The other side will look something like this:



This has the following chips:

- 1 X LED Display driver chip (big chip)
- 2 X ST485BN line driver chips (8 pin chip)
- 1 X H11A1 Optocoupler transistor input chip (6 pin chip)
- 17 X 6 pin IC Sockets

I really think the only real area that could trip you up is if you mix the MOC chips and the H11A1 chips (as they are both 6 pin).  Be careful.

Kurt

[rdebolt]

Nicely done Kurt!

[kgustafson]

Quick update.  Got shipping notification from the PCBs and Heatsinks today.  They should be in a few days.

I also just got notification that the backordered headers are shipping today as well.  They should ALSO be here in a few days.

The only outstanding (backorder) I have is the 8 position LED displays.  They are due in early April (grrr).

Kurt