Hi.

Well, there is good news and more-or-less-good-well-not-really-but-not-bad news.

I have been talking to the suppliers of the tuner modules, and they have told me many things, which are presented below in easy-to-read form:

1) The weatherband module has been discontinued (booo!)
2) The european module has also been discontinued (booo! again)
3) The replacement is a module that has both the weatherband and LW/MW/SW functionality (hurrah!)
4) It's 40% more expensive than the other two modules (booo!)
5) I can probably get some (hurrah!)
6) But I have to buy at least 200 (booo!)
7) Although the lead time seems to be fairly short, at least if I place an order soon (hurrah!)
8) It appears that the supply may dry up completely for all intents and purposes after this batch (booo!) (Although this is subject to interpretation, E&EO)

So, I'm in negotiation with the bank to allow me to spend ~6000 quid on parts, and the supplier to actually supply me with them. I'm also chasing up the other bits that have proven to be difficult to lay hands on, which thankfully are much cheaper.

I have orders outstanding for at least 140 kits, and they're still coming in steadily if slowly. I'm intending to get enough modules to fill current orders plus some extra for future ones, but I can't really justify too many extras. Hopefully with the next 3 months I will be able to ship 200+ kits, which will clear the backlog and allow for some new orders. This may be more than the 60 or so difference between the current order list and the stock situation, since the takeup isn't 100%.

Also, perhaps people here can answer a question that has been vexing me recently - what is a suitable number of times to try contacting someone about their order payment and what is a valid time to wait for an answer before assuming that they are no longer interested? At the moment I am trying three times over about 6 weeks before I decide they are unreachable/not interested/dead and pass their order over in favour of the next in line, unless I have reason to believe there is good cause to wait for longer. Is this reasonable? Too long?

The problem is that I can't issue payment requests for more orders than I have stock for, in case everyone actually follows through, but at times the takeup is fairly low (around 60-70% at the moment, getting larger as newer orders are reached). This means that a lot of orders are severely delayed beyond what would be ideal, since I need to wait for a request to time out before I can offer it to the next in line.

Comments?

pca

I was going to post that 6 weeks was longer than I thought necessary. Then I realised that many people in the UK are on monthly pay schedules, and that 6 weeks might alleviate financial issues. Of course, you might consider that having had months to save the money, that isn't necessary. But even if you did reduce it, you couldn't go below 4 weeks IMO.
With regards to the take up, are able to determine whether US take up has dropped recently relative to the European take up? The exchange rate is not helping those on this side of the pond and I wonder how much that is affecting demand.

Hi Patrick,

I'd say that 3 weeks and 3 e-mails is more than fair. Most people only take 2 weeks holiday at a time, so 3 weeks should cover that no probs.

BTW - Just put in an order (No.300!!!) Looks like I may need it if I want the empeg in the new car.

Cheers

Cris.

I think Patrick was saying that he waited 6 weeks for people to reply to him at all, so it isn't a case of them replying and saying they can't afford.

I was going to say only wait 2 weeks and only contact them twice. But I guess people do go on holiday occasionally, so I think 3 weeks would be acceptable.

> Also, perhaps people here can answer a question that has been vexing me recently - what is a suitable number of times to try contacting someone about their order payment and what is a valid time to wait for an answer before assuming that they are no longer interested?

Hi PCA, I am one of those people that never responded at one point. I was thinking about getting a spare tuner, but I never even use the one I have right now; I haven't even switched it on for something like 3 months. I apologize for not sending you anything back, but I check that email account so rarely that by the time I see your email it is so late that I figured it was too long anyway. If I had known it was vexing you I would have responded anyway. You gave me plenty of time though, i think it was quite reasonable, even excessively nice.

Well, a good vexing occasionally probably doesn't hurt.

pca

> 3) The replacement is a module that has both the weatherband and LW/MW/SW functionality (hurrah!)

Are those features usable on the empeg? If so, sign me up!*

-brendan

*er, I mean, if so, I'll definitely sign up!

Are those features usable on the empeg?

Sure, if you write the software to access them.

Hello Patrick.

I think, it would help, if the actual processed queue-number (+/-10) shows up on your website. Anyone waiting for his tuner could assume better, when his time will come. People, who don't care won't look for it, but they can't blame you this way for putting the "time to wait" to 2 weeks and 2 emails.

comments?

I'd say 2 or 3 weeks at most to wait for a response...
Now I just hope that my order is on my current e-mail addy and my current home addy.
Robert Michael was the name on the order.

wohaa!!! it's been so long since I've been on here! I really wasn't expecting to find news on the tuner, though that's why I'm here. What's the score? what do I sign, who do I kill etc?

Since Tony is conserving his posts today...

Click that 'Tuners' link at the top.