292
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$18,637
pledged of $6,000 goal
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on July 20, 2011.
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
Get a nice, large NASA sticker, until I run out. Also my eternal thanks for helping this get off the ground.
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
For a pledge of $25 I will send you a thank you card and a limited edition ISS-Notify sticker. And you can be proud of helping make space commonplace!
Pledge $40 or more Pledge $40 or more
If you're the hacker type, get the circuit board and all the parts you need, but not assembled. Makes for a great weekend project! I should have this ready before the finished product. If you have a soldering iron you could be the first in your block to have an ISS lamp!
Pledge $85 or more Pledge $85 or more
Be the first to get a finished ISS-Notify desk light! I will also send you a thank-you card and sign the back of the lamp!
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
As a serious backer you will have my undying gratitude. You get an ISS-Notify desk lamp, but I will work with you to customize it! I'll have it laser etched or machined any way you like. It will be one of a kind.
Project By
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I went to Appalachian State University where I studied physics and astronomy. Shortly after graduating in 2006 I moved to Portland, OR. I've been a consultant and am currently a full time rocket nerd. When not day dreaming about being in space I'm helping design and build some of the most sophisticated amateur rockets in the world at Portland State Aerospace Society.
Just keep on trucking Nathan. I think we all just want something nice and polished once it starts to ship. Also, as I can already see it happening may want to start up a support forum once you do start to ship!
Thanks Mark. But I really am behind schedule, which I still apologize for.
Also I tried not to feature creep, but I have to say that I was never happy with the original idea, since all it did was use an off the shelf prototype board to talk over USB and turn on an LED. I worked the design until I was happy with it because I'm not going to make something I don't think is cool (even if other people liked it). So I added battery power, in situ recharging and onboard timing, so it works un-tethered. Now at least I'm happy with it!
I completely agree with Daniel. Anybody that has ever tried to tackle the full electronic design of a device as complicated as this, and to do so without the support of a design team, knows this is a huge undertaking.
Yes, he could have just quickly wipped out the same circuit he used for the 4 day project, but it would not have the polish of a consumer grade product, nor the huge number of features that has since been added.
I will continue to wait happily.
Thank you Nathan, and keep up the good work!
Thanks everyone! I'm on a roll now! Sitting at my door tapping my feet waiting for UPS to show up :)
This project has taken a long time but anyone who has built something like this from the ground up knows how time consuming it can be... It's one thing doing this for yourself but when it's being done for other people it can become a daunting task. Especially if you are a profectionist like me. I know you will come through and will produce something to be proud of. I would rather wait and get a polished product than something that was rushed and full of bugs. I think most backers understand this... Look forward to your next update...
Awesome update!
Good for you. I am behind you all the way. Things happen.
Great Nathan, looks like in the home stretch. Great going! We are real proud of you. Can't wait to get my Notifier and be able to know when the Space Station is over head. Its been over us here in the Baja several times as someone is keeping track of it on line, but will be glad when I will be able to know of its flying over because I own a ISS Notifier made exclusively by Nathan Bergey!!
Hi Audible Smile
I very sorry -- and I mean that as deeply and sincerely as possible. I know I haven't lived up to expectations. I could make a long list of excuses about not feeling well and having other personal and technical trouble, but it doesn't really matter when it comes to the project. It needs to get done, I know. I'm sorry for not being able to get it done. Please send me a direct message or email (nathan.bergey@gmail.com) so I can sort out the backing.
And, to everyone: I'm sorry for the lack of communication and the recent delay. Know that I haven't given up, nor am I going to give up. I know it's taking a [stupid] long time, but I'll finish this even if it kills me. And it wont take years. I promise.
And just to be clear: I haven't spend any of the money on anything except items directly related to the project.
@Mitch Dye, thanks for the encouragement, it does mean a lot to me. I never actually watched the video after I posted it!
Hi Nathan.
"...from here out I'm going to hold myself to short weekly updates."
Nathan Bergey
January 5 2012
Well, that didn't very last long, did it?
It's now 6 weeks since your last update.
In fact, you managed only 1 update on that weekly schedule - then it slipped to a 2 week gap, then a 3 week gap... and it's now 6 weeks and counting since that last one.
And, quite incredibly, it's now 8 months since you received more than 3 times the funding you wanted.
People have been very patient and supportive of you - as someone that's project managed several tech startup companies, I wish I'd experienced even half of the patience and encouragement you've had.
However, even with all that positive support, we're back to the situation we were in several months ago - no finished product, no clear deadline, and most worrying of all, no updates telling us what's going on. Silence.
And for all the folks reading this thinking "Hey, it's a complicated project, cut the guy some slack!", just remember, this is a project sold to us as "This started as a simple weekend project because I thought it would be cool. I finished it in only 4 days!" Weekend project? 4 days? It's now 255 days since the funding date, when around 260 people handed over $18,000 to get the "weekend project" gadget that took "only 4 days".
Four months ago people were questioning whether they'd "invested in vaporware". Four more months on, and we still don't have anything in our hands - not even the cards and stickers. (Seriously, just how difficult is it to send a card? Even if you'd only done 1 a day, you'd be finishing the 260 this week!)
Now, I've no doubt that there will still be many of those backers who'll be kind enough to support you no matter how long you take, and I'm sure some will believe me to be hard-hearted because I appear to be looking at this unemotionally and going against the notion of supporting "the little guy" - so let me balance that with an emotional view of this project.
Just after we married, my wife became disabled in a car crash and has had to change her interests to suit her changed capabilities. She's enthusiastically taken up astronomy, something she can do from home, and from a wheelchair. Given her restrictions, it's great to be able to get her something that encourages her or makes any sort of appropriate gift now. The way I see it, thanks to the way this project is operating, I'm still waiting on the Wedding Anniversary present for her that didn't get delivered that became her Christmas present that didn't get delivered that became her Birthday present that didn't get delivered that's likely to become the Anniversary present that didn't get delivered for the second time.
So yes, emotionally (like most other folks) I do love to support "the little guy" - but never to the extent where it conflicts with treating my family right.
You cannot trade on the patience and goodwill of your backers indefinitely.
Now, returning to the project, there comes a time when that we do need to remember that Kickstarter has guidelines such as "A project will eventually be completed, and something will be produced by it. A project is not open-ended" and "No 'fund my life' projects". I fear that this project has already become open-ended, and is a "fund my life" for you.
Could it get back on track? Of course it could, with a clear plan, stated deadlines, commitment to regular updates, and appropriate and consistent effort.
Will it get back on track? Well, we've been told that it would before, and it only took weeks to slip back to refusing to commit to a delivery date, stopping the regular updates, and not replying to questions. With my PM hat on, I now have very serious doubts.
Therefore, with regret, I'd like to notify you that I wish to withdraw from backing your project. I no longer have any faith that you can actually deliver it, now or in the near future.
Hi Nathan. I just watched your intro video again… it IS a cool project and I'm glad I invested. How are things going?
I am looking forward to giving this to my daughter for her B'day in April... Keep up the good work and notifications!
Way to go Nathan, sounds like you are almost home free. We are all so proud of you!!
@Sylvia I hesitate to say a date now, but it's not _that_ much longer! Most of the complicated electrical design parts are done. Whats left is filling in details and coding (something I can do much faster and with less outside help). Most definitely before summer.
Looks pretty complicated to me, glad you are the one with the brains and hope you are finished with this project before too long. I am sure there are some who understand exactly what you are doing and enjoy your updates or at least understand them. Good luck and lets hope that this New Year will bring you to a finish date and we can all enjoy our own ISS-Notify. With you so much over your goal we should be enjoying our ISS-Notifyers this summer?!
Nathan, Thanks for the open and honest assessment. Keep in mind that your backers want you to succeed and that we can also be a great source of support, ideas and encouragement. We are here to help with more than just money.
Many of us may have skills or ideas that may help solve a problem, provide an insight or a valuable opinion. Don't be afraid to tap us a resource. It's your project but feel free to ask for help, advice or hell, anything. It's been my experience in backing projects that an open dialog vents pressure, keeps the project fun and moving forward and often comes up with ideas for new projects...
Okay. Thanks for the feedback. I'll try to make updates more often.
Time keeps getting away from me! I will try to explain some:
I'm not sure, without someone telling me, what level to explain things. My kind of default assumption is that just to post the good things (when they happen). So let me then balance that with some of the not so good things:
The main thing holding me back at the moment is my lack of confidence. Which is a little difficult to talk about, especially publicly. I'm pretty sure I've got everything together, I've sourced parts I have a design, etc. But I can only pull the trigger once (and it has to be right)! I've had a lot of sleepless nights recently regarding this fact.
Then a couple of weeks ago I got sucked into an important project for someone that took all of my time. That's finished now, but it stopped my forward progress. This has been very distressful and I looked back and realized how far behind I am now. This put me in to a sort of downward spiral of I need to get back on track, but making feel that much more overwhelming. I really thought I would be shipping by now. So a combination of guilt and the weight of the project itself has made it hard to really get moving as hard as I want. If that makes sense?
But, it's not all hope lost or anything. I'm more than halfway though. I've not lost any of the enthusiasm for the idea. I still have a keen sense of what I want this to be.
So I'm starting again by meditating on some more ancient sources of wisdom. A very roughly translated and paraphrased parable from the Analects (written by Confucius' pupils around 300 BC) suggests that when concerned with building a mountain not to expect it to be finished immediately. Even throwing one basket of dirt on the ground is an advance. Extrapolating further: It's less important how fast you go as long as you do not stop. I'm not stopping.
Much more practically: I'm meeting with some real electrical engineers next week to reassure me I'm doing the right things and to get me going at full speed again.
That was a ramble, but hopefully insightful?
Okay. Back at it.
-Nathan
Regular update would be nice... We backers are in this with you and we love hearing about the challenges, triumphs, failures and successes. It's the journey as much as the end product.
Hi.
Any chance you could commit to a regular update, maybe weekly, to let us know what progress (if any) has been made and what the current problems and delays are?
Also, since the Christmas deadline is.. well, dead, do you think you could at least send those card & stickers out so that we can use them as an IOU for the presents we were going to give?
Lastly, the most obvious questions - what's the current state of the project, and when do you expect to start deliveries of the completed lights?
Thanks in advance!
@Judy, Sadly no, I think at this point I have to admit defeat on the Christmas shipping deadline. I just won't have everything in hand by then. I'm sorry.
Will this be shipped before Christmas? Counting on it!
@John no worries, sorry it's taking so long!
Nathan looks like some very good progress. Sorry for grumpy comment I missed my coffee that morning.
The project seem to be moving extremely slow. I starting to think i invested in vaporware !!
Wazzup?
http://www.youtube.com/watch…
Anything?
@Doug yes, October update coming out soon.
Any updates for October?
I think more blue LEDs would be very nice, classy looking. I am good with you taking your time and doing it right rather than hurrying through to get anything out the door.
Hey Nathan glad its coming along. I can't wait to get my ISS-Notify, and now with the map you showed I see it will work outside the United States, also. Thats great! I think a nice soft white blue light would be nice as well as healthy. Do you think you would be sending out the Notifiers out before Thanksgiving? That would be awesome. Thanks, Sylvia
Hey everyone, not much to update on this month, I've been out of town for the last few weeks. I'm back now and making progress!
Any updates for September?
How are things going?
Hey Nathan, way to go! Glad you found the part to our finished ISS Notify Desk Light. I am excited and can't wait to get my light. I live part time in the Baja of Mexico, and wonder if it will light up while I am down there for most of the winter. Well, hope you are excited to have reached so many people who are just as excited to get this Notify Desk Light. Sylvia
@Anna the code will be available digitally. If you need I can send a CD with the code on it, just send me a message!
Random question (kinda): when the lamps get sent out will the download files for Mac/Windows for the program be included or is that getting sent out digitally?
@Craig not yet, but I'm going to start sending them today.
Has the survey been sent out? I'm sorry, I can't remember! Thanks all.
You're welcome, now get after it!! ISS is already making a week long run over my house starting just after Atlantis lands!!! Great project. Looking forward to getting mine.
Patti Barrett
@Chris Thanks!!
@Atley That would be cool, but perhaps overkill :) There are a bunch of ISS apps for iOS and Android already!
Nice glad this project was successful. Now just a randomness rant now. What would be wicked cool if you/someone could make an iOS app and this thing with a program running on the MAC that it's on would push a notification to your iDevice when the ISS flies over. Ok back to reality!
I'm a ex-PDXer myself... but miss the place dearly.
Rock on, awesome idea.
@Sylvia Yes, the time is almost here! But I still have to wait until they process all the pledges and then I have to order parts, put things together and get everything shipped. I have a lot of work to do :)
Does it mean that I will receive my finished ISS-Notify desk light! I will also send you a thank-you card and sign the back of the lamp once July 20th arrives? I am really looking forward to receiving it, and I see you went way above your goal. Way to go Nathan!!! Sylvia, Sedona, Arizona!!
Hey Nathan, love this project, looking forward to plugging it into my desk at work and telling my colleagues what it means when it starts to flash! I'm in the UK so let me know about post and packaging arrangements, I'll give you the adress etc when you contact me. Also, thanks to the Higginbothams at Spacevidcast for bringing this little marvel to my attention! :-)
@Jamie Great suggestion! Thanks. I don't have plans to add a 7-segment display, but maybe a future version! Maybe I can have the light blink the number of people in the ISS when it goes overhead? Hm.
Thanks everyone for the great feedback! Keep making suggestions and asking questions!
This would be twice as cool if it also had an LED showing how many people are currently in space!
http://www.howmanypeopleareinspacerightnow.com/
One word: Unresistable!
This is such a cool project, I look forward to having one of my own!
Hey Mountaineer. I'm a Furman grad, but this project is awesome enough for me to back it anyway. Congrats!