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Lessons learned shipping 500 units of my first hardware product

simonberens.com

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Re: Lessons learned shipping 500 units of my first hardware product

#411

Post by SPICLK2 »

ortusdux wrote: post #400
SPICLK2 wrote: post #352

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't imagine the customer base for people who want a ~600W metal disc suspended at eye level is very big.

Q: Does it get hot/how is it cooled? A: It's cooled through our large heatsink and ultra quiet Noctua fan. The fan only turns on above 75% brightness. At max power, the heatsink is cool enough to put your hands on it for a couple of seconds.

It's still dissipating near 600W. "I can put my hands on it for a few seconds" tells me it's dangerously hot and would not pass any kind of safety certification. How many other objects do you have in your house that heat up to a similar degree? How many of those objects would you like suspended at eye level with no particular safety guards?

Re: Lessons learned shipping 500 units of my first hardware product

#412

Post by SPICLK2 »

shadowpho wrote: post #222
sberens wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We use constant current reduction dimming so there's zero flicker!

Isn’t that less efficient in power and can have different color?

It has to be an SMPSU in constant current mode, not a linear power supply. I'm sure it does still affect the colour, though.

Re: Lessons learned shipping 500 units of my first hardware product

#413

Post by SPICLK2 »

sberens wrote: post #45
christkv wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whats the expected life for the leds at that power draw level?

LEDs are pretty insane these days - the ones we use have an L90 (time until they hit 90% brightness) of >50,000 hours (17 years if you use it every day 8 hours a day).

How does the operating temperature of the LEDs affect your projected L90 time?

Re: Lessons learned shipping 500 units of my first hardware product

#414

Post by SPICLK2 »

Y-bar wrote: post #383
genezeta wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Q: Does it get hot/how is it cooled? > A: It's cooled through our large heatsink and ultra quiet Noctua fan. The fan only turns on above 75% brightness. At max power, the heatsink is cool enough to put your hands on it for a couple of seconds.

CENELEC Guide 29, referenced in EU harmonized standards sets burn thresholds: For brief contact (e.g., 1-3 seconds on adult-accessible parts), temperatures should stay below ~48-55°C depending on material; longer reflexive contact requires even lower limits (e.g., 43°C for extended exposure). A surface hot enough that hands can only tolerate it for "a couple of seconds" implies it's above this (likely 60°C+), risking…

Honestly, this lamp seems very dangerous just because of this. You'd have to warn guests not to trip and fall onto it, and keep kids away from it.

Re: Lessons learned shipping 500 units of my first hardware product

#415

Post by SPICLK2 »

MaxikCZ wrote: post #229
BrenBarn wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's way more than just pushing timelines back. The person took $400k from people without knowing anything about how to provide what those people had already paid for.

I especially liked the "we tested the lamp we sold as 50k lumens to find out it only did 39k". Like, how do you even go setting up a product page for a product whose main selling point you didnt even test before?

It's almost certainly because they believed the datasheets of the chosen LEDs.

Re: Lessons learned shipping 500 units of my first hardware product

#416

Post by SPICLK2 »

sberens wrote: post #39
srtw wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just curious about the frequency of the diodes and do they pulse simultaneously? Quite often I can perceive flicker in moving objects indoors.

We use constant current reduction dimming so there's zero flicker!

Have you measured the ripple on the SMPSU output when dimming?

Re: Lessons learned shipping 500 units of my first hardware product

#417

Post by pizzafeelsright »

nomel wrote: post #396
pizzafeelsright wrote: post #360

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lying. It is called lying, deceit, or bearing false witness. In my house I do not permit "yeah", or "okay". It is "yes" and anything else is interpreted as a 'no'. Once you press someone to speak a "yes" as a solid commitment, for example to an understanding of an instruction. If this puts the person on the defensive then you are dealing with someone who is not interested in being held accountable. Let your yes be ye…

This isn't fair, because it's misunderstanding the problem. It's not that they're lying, it's that, in their culture, the meaning of yes is something different, meaning "I hear you" rather than "I understand you". If they're not strong with english they might not have a grasp of this, so (in the case of Mandarin as primary language) you have to usually think of it as an empty "uh huh" type filler word, not a word wit…

I live in a different world than most where the expectation is we speak the truth, stand behind our word, and in the event of failure we maintain the relationship after resolving the conflict.

As for saving face, I provide opportunities to walk back, restate, or take back something that was said. People get angry, misspeak, or respond with fear and that is understandable.

Re: Lessons learned shipping 500 units of my first hardware product

#418

Post by NooneAtAll3 »

Joel_Mckay wrote: post #408
NooneAtAll3 wrote: post #309

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wander what's the cost of (renting) metal 3D printers nowadays

Word of advice, never tool up unless you absolutely have no other options left. https://jlcpcb.com/3d-printing/?gad=1 But if you must: https://iro3d.com/#products Metal printing has been available for awhile. =3

you sound like a bot

Re: Lessons learned shipping 500 units of my first hardware product

#419

Post by Joel_Mckay »

NooneAtAll3 wrote: post #418
Joel_Mckay wrote: post #408

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Word of advice, never tool up unless you absolutely have no other options left. https://jlcpcb.com/3d-printing/?gad=1 But if you must: https://iro3d.com/#products Metal printing has been available for awhile. =3

you sound like a bot

Text makes sound in your universe?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia

Have a glorious day =3

Re: Lessons learned shipping 500 units of my first hardware product

#420

Post by MaxikCZ »

SPICLK2 wrote: post #415
MaxikCZ wrote: post #229

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I especially liked the "we tested the lamp we sold as 50k lumens to find out it only did 39k". Like, how do you even go setting up a product page for a product whose main selling point you didnt even test before?

It's almost certainly because they believed the datasheets of the chosen LEDs.

I know, so they didnt event test a single prototype before starting taking orders...
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