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FrozenGate by Avery

Contest (feeler): 2-months, to design a NEW community boost driver!

I think we really do need an alternative to the dr.lava drivers.
What if they go out of stock again, or prices go up instead of down?
If anything, at least competition will benefit customers.

I'd love to contribute, but I'm not that electronically inclined, but hey, maybe I should
sign up on allcircuits to get a hint into the right direction (as integrated as possible current regulated DC boost).:whistle:
Then is the issue of experimenting. I might have to look into simulators, if they even
support these (some of them) recent boost ICs.

I like the idea of having a "free for personal use, commerce only with designers collaboration" design.

The adventurous could still make their own ones for personal use, and hopefully someone
steps up and gets them mass produced for a fair (read, no big profit margin) price.
The "LPF code of honour" sounds like a good thing, but will everybody adhere to it?
I doubt it. But there is the competition again, in the end it will benefit customers,
if someone can get it produced for 3$ less than the other guy.

In any case, should someone really come up with a solid circuit and post it, he/she should be
granted hero-status and be greatly rewarded by the community.
Not sure yet as to how exactly.:thinking:
 
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Whenever you guys figure out your driver, I'll be ready to ship it off to have manufactured. MWAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA
 
Never mind me, I'm just dropping a link or two, maybe something good will come from it.:whistle:
http://www.linear.com/products/step-up_(boost)_regulators
Boost Converter

This one looks promising, 1 LiIon in, 5.5V, 1.5A out.... even if that's fixed, many nichia blues would be happy, no?
http://www.maxim-ic.com/datasheet/index.mvp/id/1831

....
http://www.linear.com/product/LT1302
this one is constant current, 1.5~2A capable (internal 3A switch)!:
http://www.linear.com/product/LT1513#descriptionSection
 
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I am completely in on this project. I see no reason why ANYONE should hold a monopoly on something that is supposed to be a HOBBY. IT doesnt make any sense. People say they are helping the community and its just a hobby and yet they are SO eager to monopolize on the members here. Its a capitalistic world we live in. The reason why it works is choices and competition forces sellers to lower prices and improve quality. The end user is at benefit. This project will alow us the ability to CHOOSE. If you dont wanna use a certain driver you can build your own with the design created by this project. If any of the current driver makers wants to sell his stuff, hes gotta do something, better service, better prices, better designs...etc etc. Open source is the way to go. Its an ever evolving product readily available to anyone. This will make better sellers, thus benefiting the community. Its a system that will require the highest standards of any product being sold since there are soo many alternatives.

If one day I need a driver, yet dont have the ability to make one, I can just PM someone here that does, send him the open source design, and bam I got a driver. Whoever does it is gonna think twice about over charging because he knows theres plenty of people able and willing to do it. I mean high profits and hobby dont mix.
 
As said, if you start the contest, I may publish a design I have now. But under something like GNU/GPL, so I can sue JakeGT right away when he finishes his *ahem* my first batch. :eg::beer:
 
As a really general statement - not specifically related to any particular item/seller/device/component:

- I've spent a lot of time building things, creating new driver setups, devising new host setups, etc, and when I've thought it was something others would be interested in, I post it here. Never ever ever, despite any amount of time I've invested, have I thought that it would be a negative or upsetting or unfair move for someone else to take anything I've created, and create it themselves - even sell it themselves. I would just be flattered.

Now that's just my perspective, but honestly, I don't know why my situation should be different than anyone else's. My time isn't worth any less, and I haven't invested any less of it into some of the builds I've done and posted about openly, than say a driver designer who comes up with a new boost circuit.

The difference, I believe, is that a number of members approach their "creations" with the objective of selling them to provide a stream of income.

Here's the thing - THAT ^ IS ABSOLUTELY OK TOO!! There's nothing wrong or evil about approaching an endeavor with a view to profit. That's fundamental to the core of how our culture works. It's ok, it's not wrong, it's 100% fine. I can understand why those people would expect "protection" for the things they create and invent - and they deserve it if they request it. The PROBLEM, is that these people ^ very typically don't acknowledge what they're doing - IE, the stand behind the "hobbyist" title and pretend that they AREN'T running a business.

That's the problem. Making a business of selling stuff in these communities should be 100% applauded, and everyone should pay respect to the creations of those individuals by not cloning/copying their work. However, those people need to TREAT IT like a business. If someone wants exclusivity over XYZ Widgets because their widgets are totally unique and the product of countless hours of ingenuity, then they should get it. But then there's a reciprocal obligation for them to treat their conduct AS a business, and adopt reasonable business etiquette and practices.

That's my rant on ethics. Bottom line: If you're running a business of selling something, you've got 100% right to be pissed off when someone unfairly appropriates your work. But you've also got an obligation to treat your endeavor AS a business, and treat customers and the community with the level of professionalism and reliability that they would expect of the products and services delivered BY A REAL BUSINESS.
 
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Johnyz said:
As said, if you start the contest, I may publish a design I have now. But under something like GNU/GPL, so I can sue JakeGT right away when he finishes his *ahem* my first batch. :eg::beer:
Click to expand...

Bring it biotch, I got my lawyers ready
 
steviedezie said:
Yea i hope you guys are joking. thats exactly what this endeavor doesnt need.
Click to expand...

I think the protection intellectual property and existing designs is fairly well entrenched in the contest rules here. I'm even open to strengthening the wording if anyone feels it necessary. But in terms of them joking, I'm pretty sure they were :)
 
Come on now guys. Of course I am joking. I want nothing more than for everyone that is addicted to this hobby to be able to get their fix, whatever it may be, for the cheapest price possible.
 
steviedezie said:
Yea i hope you guys are joking. thats exactly what this endeavor doesnt need.
Click to expand...

jakeGT said:
Come on now guys. Of course I am joking. I want nothing more than for everyone that is addicted to this hobby to be able to get their fix, whatever it may be, for the cheapest price possible.
Click to expand...

Of course I'm joking too. Now we just need more prizes... Hmm...
 
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What is the consensus on the revised contest rules/guidelines?

Have we adequately address fairness/respect for existing designs/respect for designer's interest?

If so, is this contest something that enough people would like to see go forward? I'm open to opening it up formally, and setting a deadline.
 
Alrighty...if this goes through, i'll throw in a 405-g2 lens assembly as a prize...thats my contribution.
 
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Well, you can't say you can't copy someone elses design because odds are all they did is follow the datasheet and i'll do the same if I build one. =P In addition there only a few ways to do this type of thing so if I make it, one could easily argue I copied it assuming I chose one of the same 3 methods for pertaining voltage gain. (probably a inductor and a cap+ switch) ....

I'm in on building one... will take me 1-3months though and I can't guarantee i'd be willing to share the schematic after all that work. Hopefully though I would be able to pump them out waaaaaayy cheaper then 25 usd or whatever this lava guy sells them for. You guys are kinda getting down right robbed there.... hold up and give me a chance to lower the prices before all your money is gone buying lava's drivers.
 
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