kairos
Well-Known Member
For the Flite, @mr_cfromcali announced around 240 available units; you’ll probably be able to get one even if you react few days after the launch. And I guess you’re still on the Flux waitlist, so no real loss here.
Fluxer Heaters, induction heaters for Dynavap
- Thread starter mr_cfromcali
- Start date
-
- Tags
- induction heater
For the Flite, @mr_cfromcali announced around 240 available units; you’ll probably be able to get one even if you react few days after the launch. And I guess you’re still on the Flux waitlist, so no real loss here.
Hi @swieder711 - Thank you for your comment. One of the lessons I've learned the hard way with the FD is that although a waiting list can manage a queue, it creates it own issues, especially a need for a lot of additional back-and-forth communication for each sale I make. Now, don't get me wrong, I enjoy interacting with folks and am not some antisocial cave dweller -
.It's hard being a budding industrialist, and I wish I were a better at it. Despite the recent engineering and testing help from @TommyDee , Fluxer Heaters is still basically a 'one man band' operation, and I feel a need to point out that my shop shares space in our garage with our washer and clothes dryer. My Fluxer time is spread thin as it is, and I want to spent as much of it as possible making heaters, not managing a database. Fairness is important, but so is output.
My decision to sell the Flite first some, first served (FCFS) is a direct result of struggling with the FD waiting list for the last two years. I have found it challenging enough to manage one waiting list, and I don't have the time or patience to manage two. I want to get these heaters into people's hands as quickly as possible. I know am the bottleneck at almost every stage of this operation, but I've found the waiting list has been a source of additional delay. I want to sell Flite without a waiting list. I'll fall back and re-think things it it's a fiasco, but my sales plan is FCFS, at least for now.
I'll be sharing Flite's feature and pricing info later today.
I plan to begin selling them on Friday, December 18 (the day after tomorrow).
Thanks for responding, @kairos !
I try to be transparent in my build process, as I know people like to know how things are made. So i wantto clarify my numbers, my process, and set expectations for how long it will take to get a Flite once I begin selling them.
I have ~240 Flite cases in my shop at the moment. I recently learned that my vendor has another 100+ similar* cases in his warehouse, and I can p-purchase these if I need them before I'm able to resupply from the factory. FWIW, the factory is very happy to make more cases for me when I'm ready to order. Their turnaround time during the pandemic has been about two months, though, so a re-order isn't instant gratification. If sales get off to a strong start I'll place another order soon, otherwise I'll wait and see.
Now, although I do have the 240 cases, I have 'only' prepped about 75 of those so far. I have 160 to go, which will take some time to finish.
Turning to the Flite's circuit boards, the Flite uses two PCBs: a main heater PCB, and a smaller 'control panel' PCB:
During development, I have been ordering these in small batches as we have worked to stabilize the design, as there's no point in buying 200 of something until you are certain it is correct. We now have a final design (or more properly, an initial release
), so I've ordered more of the final design and have begun soldering them in quantity.I've soldered the ~30 pairs of these I have on hand (heater PCBs below)
I have another 150 of each PCB on the way. The boards arrive bare, so once they get here I'll need to solder them. Soldering is a multi-step process and involves both bake-in-the-oven SMD soldering as well as traditional through-hole soldering with an iron. It takes some time to complete.
As I review the other items needed to make a Flite, I should also mention that I finally found a good source for glass inserts!
I've ordered 350x of the 15mm inserts I will need for Flite and Flix, plus another 150x of the16mm inserts for the Flix. The first of the 15mm inserts arrived yesterday, and I couldn't be happier! I don't mind cutting glass, but others are better at it and there are better ways to use my time.
--------------------------------------
Those are the steps I have been taking pre-launch, in preparation for what I hope is a strong demand for this new portable heater. I won't be able to fulfill your orders instantly, but I have enough parts on hand to make several hundred Flite, and have the supply chain lined up to make more if there is demand for them. That's the best this budding industrialist can do at this time.
I'll be back with some video, some new feature info (
) and the all-important pricing details later this afternoon or tonight, as soon as I can wrap it up.Thanks for your support! More to come!
Updated: Broken images replaced. Sorry I can't resize them.
Last edited:
Sorry to be the source of more frustrations, but I still have quite a bit left to do and don't have a "go live" time planned yet. I will give you as much advance notice as possible.
Glass will be the default insert material, and carbon fiber will be an option. I am working on a FAQ now.
For the folks who have been waiting patiently for a FD: I am very aware that some of you have spent a long time waiting for me to reach you.
I am not abandoning the FD, but the FD is very time-consuming to make, and to be frank it requires more craftsmanship to build than folks want to pay for. I intend to improve on its existing performance - which I now know how to do - and also make it easier/quicker to build. Those are still goals, but I have been working on them between other projects, and I will return to them in earnest once the Flite is out the door.I also need to review the waiting list names and prune the folks that are no longer interested.
For now, though, I am fully focused on the Flite, which is the best thing I have ever made, IMHO. If the FD was Fluxer's "model A", the Flite is my "model T". It improves on the FD in many ways, and while it lacks the FD's larger battery capacity, it is much more efficient and also much more capable, things I hope you will soon be able to experience yourselves.
OK, off to finish the pricing info and edit that demo video.
Last edited:
TommyDee
Vaporitor
Best heater I've ever used for sure 
I could be biased
Jeff, GREAT NEWS! I know how much effort you put into this, more than most. Kudos my friend!
I could be biased Meet "Goldie" - A Fluxer Heater Original Flite
The Journey evolved from here some days ago.
Okay, I might have personalized her a little. The Journey evolved from here some days ago.
Jeff, GREAT NEWS! I know how much effort you put into this, more than most. Kudos my friend!
Last edited:
I'm back with a discussion-starter. 
I'm still working on completing Flite's documentation and web site updates, but I do have a new feature I'd like to share tonight, and I want to give folks a chance to talk about it and ask a few questions before Friday's launch.
This idea comes from @TommyDee , who championed it and persuaded me to give it a try: a version of the Flite with a switch at the base the coil, presenting you with no external controls; the only external UI elements are the heater hole and the magnetic lid. What makes this especially interesting, in my opinion, is that we are using the metal vapcap itself to complete the connection between the switch contacts. The metal contacts are very durable and unlike my other coil switches, they are completely unaffected by heat. No bits to fall off or require replacement, either.
In this model, the cap is used to complete a low-current electrical circuit and activate the heater. Very little current passes through the cap - only about 50mA. The heavy current needed to power the heating circuit is handled by a pair of relays in a separate circuit. The cap-as-switch activates those relays.
I have not one, but two video demos for you! Enjoy either my shaky hand iPhone demo or my slightly-too-close, mini-tripod demo:
The shaky hand demo:
The 'slightly too close' demo:
You'll note in both demos, very little downward pressure is required to activate the switch. Note that if your cap's end is cratered like the surface of the moon, you may need to rotate it a bit to find the best position.
Both clips are short and to the point. Both clips also demo the PWM feature, because why not?
There are several big advantages to this mechanism over the traditional tactile switches I've used to date:
Q: Can I order a heater with both the push button and the cap-as-switch?
A: Yes, for a small extra fee I'll install both mechanisms in the same heater, however, I do NOT recommend installing both switch mechanism in the same heater, as explained below.
For both models, the magic happens in the 1-2mm space at the base of the coil. These two models use that space very differently, though, and the presence of the switch contacts prevents you from using "the push button configuration" to its maximum effect. The presence of the switch contacts at the coil base diminishes the "push button configuration's" heating functionality without adding much to the contact-as-switch’s capability.
Having both mechanisms present adds the ability to heat on demand, but it sacrifices the ability to move the tip beyond the bottom loop of the coil. IMO this is a big loss of functionality for the push button method, and takes away one of that method's best tools. You should consider this if you are thinking of asking for both mechanisms. It may matter more to me as the develop than it does to you as the user, but you should be aware that you are giving up some range if install both triggering mechanisms.
That being said, I will install both methods in the same heater if you request it (for an additional fee), but as stated, I feel you may enjoy the heater more if you pick one method over the other.
I'm still working on completing Flite's documentation and web site updates, but I do have a new feature I'd like to share tonight, and I want to give folks a chance to talk about it and ask a few questions before Friday's launch.
This idea comes from @TommyDee , who championed it and persuaded me to give it a try: a version of the Flite with a switch at the base the coil, presenting you with no external controls; the only external UI elements are the heater hole and the magnetic lid. What makes this especially interesting, in my opinion, is that we are using the metal vapcap itself to complete the connection between the switch contacts. The metal contacts are very durable and unlike my other coil switches, they are completely unaffected by heat. No bits to fall off or require replacement, either.
In this model, the cap is used to complete a low-current electrical circuit and activate the heater. Very little current passes through the cap - only about 50mA. The heavy current needed to power the heating circuit is handled by a pair of relays in a separate circuit. The cap-as-switch activates those relays.
I have not one, but two video demos for you!
Enjoy either my shaky hand iPhone demo or my slightly-too-close, mini-tripod demo:The shaky hand demo:
The 'slightly too close' demo:
You'll note in both demos, very little downward pressure is required to activate the switch. Note that if your cap's end is cratered like the surface of the moon, you may need to rotate it a bit to find the best position.
Both clips are short and to the point. Both clips also demo the PWM feature, because why not?
There are several big advantages to this mechanism over the traditional tactile switches I've used to date:
- very low profile, allowing for maximum coil height inside the case
- no switch covers to manage - huzzah!!!
- it's all metal, so it has a very high heat tolerance.
Q: Can I order a heater with both the push button and the cap-as-switch?
A: Yes, for a small extra fee I'll install both mechanisms in the same heater, however, I do NOT recommend installing both switch mechanism in the same heater, as explained below.
For both models, the magic happens in the 1-2mm space at the base of the coil. These two models use that space very differently, though, and the presence of the switch contacts prevents you from using "the push button configuration" to its maximum effect. The presence of the switch contacts at the coil base diminishes the "push button configuration's" heating functionality without adding much to the contact-as-switch’s capability.
Having both mechanisms present adds the ability to heat on demand, but it sacrifices the ability to move the tip beyond the bottom loop of the coil. IMO this is a big loss of functionality for the push button method, and takes away one of that method's best tools. You should consider this if you are thinking of asking for both mechanisms. It may matter more to me as the develop than it does to you as the user, but you should be aware that you are giving up some range if install both triggering mechanisms.
That being said, I will install both methods in the same heater if you request it (for an additional fee), but as stated, I feel you may enjoy the heater more if you pick one method over the other.
TommyDee
Vaporitor
Choices! There is logic to all 3 options.
1) There is the classic choice of shunting the contacts just like a switch does. You make the call on pressure.
2) Remote switch. Always been a favorite of mine. Works particularly well with hand held devices so you can heat while drawing. Flite is particularly comfortable firing with the switch while holding your VC in the other.
3) Both options - seems cool but not so fast. If the cap touches the contacts, the heater is active. Primary default switch mode. I did run into one instance where having a 'night light' was handy to find the chamber in the dark. Laugh if you must but it happened.
For those who like the classic switch, enjoy a shaved simple heater that does what is should - heat a cap.
For those with a pension for control, two hands are better than one, don't you think? I normally have either unit in my hands anyway.
For those who just need it all, go for the the "NightLight Mode" Just know that you will confuse yourself until you get a routine down.
I would be hard pressed to decide today knowing what I know now. On the one hand, I love the Fluxer Flite Tommy Dee Shaved Edition! A red Fluxer Flite without a switch nicknamed FireFlite. On the other hand, Goldie is a first love and uses the remote switch. I honestly have no preference. The super-low pressure contacts changed the game to a stale mate.
I am pretty sure Jeff will accommodate any reconsiderations in your choice if you work with him. It is hard to reverse a switch hole in the side of a case but contacts and switches can be added after the fact.
Thanks for the reveal Jeff. Something to think over for sure. Forewarned and all that good stuff.
There is logic to all 3 options. 1) There is the classic choice of shunting the contacts just like a switch does. You make the call on pressure.
2) Remote switch. Always been a favorite of mine. Works particularly well with hand held devices so you can heat while drawing. Flite is particularly comfortable firing with the switch while holding your VC in the other.
3) Both options - seems cool but not so fast. If the cap touches the contacts, the heater is active. Primary default switch mode. I did run into one instance where having a 'night light' was handy to find the chamber in the dark. Laugh if you must but it happened.
For those who like the classic switch, enjoy a shaved simple heater that does what is should - heat a cap.
For those with a pension for control, two hands are better than one, don't you think? I normally have either unit in my hands anyway.
For those who just need it all, go for the the "NightLight Mode" Just know that you will confuse yourself until you get a routine down.
I would be hard pressed to decide today knowing what I know now. On the one hand, I love the Fluxer Flite Tommy Dee Shaved Edition! A red Fluxer Flite without a switch nicknamed FireFlite. On the other hand, Goldie is a first love and uses the remote switch. I honestly have no preference. The super-low pressure contacts changed the game to a stale mate.
I am pretty sure Jeff will accommodate any reconsiderations in your choice if you work with him. It is hard to reverse a switch hole in the side of a case but contacts and switches can be added after the fact.
Thanks for the reveal Jeff. Something to think over for sure. Forewarned and all that good stuff.
Yes, basically. You will be able to choose this as an option when you purchase. This and the push button model will be priced the same. Push button and cap-as-switch models are 95% the same, the only differences being the presence or absence of the switch + hole and/or shunts (aka switch contacts).
I’ll have a number of both chassis types ready, and will drill cases for switch holes as necessary when I do the final assembly.
Lastly, as Tommy said, if you decide you want to add a pushbutton at some point, I can convert a non-push button model to push button. I can also add shunts to a push button model. The only thing I can’t do after the fact is undrill a hole.
mecrobs
Member
Ok sounds awesome, been following your work silently the past few months. Tommy was helping me with a project of my own where we were trying to get the switchless thing working but it looks like you are miles ahead of where I was at. I just learned how to solder and everything a few months ago though lol. Tommy was a great help but I got to frustrated and gave up. I will happily purchase one of your amazing devices Friday as my apollo 2's button just crapped out and I refunded it!
Thanks! The price info is ready and I’ll be sharing it tomorrow. I wanted to get the new model info out today, in case there were questions or concerns about it.
TommyDee
Vaporitor
FireFlite - 'Taking a Charge'
More personal enhancements ;]
Fluxer Flite incorporates a full 10 amp BMS for protection and charge management. This package is another shoehorn-creation by Jeff. It is a work of art! Included is a simple charger that gets you on your way while your husting to get out the door. Don't let a charger stop you from dipping on your way to coffee either. Nothing keeps you from using your Fluxer Flite while it's charging. Just convenient that way
Some will want to change batteries for various reasons. There is convenience in just swapping cells. Fluxer Flite will let you do that. For a day on the go, convenience is everything. With 3 recognized li-ion cell makers in the wings with mature technology, spare power is not out of reach. One charge will suffice the majority of you for a day or more, I too have tough days - I have spare cells always charged ;]
And there are purist that will never trust a BMS. Fluxer Flite was design with an 'intuitive' cell status. You'll have to experience it to discern this cryptic meaning. If you indeed are a purist, I am saying you will know instinctively when to charge your cells.
Notice that I am using a digital charger set to 12.60V exactly! ...at 1.5 amps charge rate no less. That's an hour to 11wh of charge. These KeepPower cells, as well as the eFest cells, are staying perfectly balanced even though these cells are slated for abuse. And I've killed 14500's that were spec'd for the task. The power plant's duty cycle for Fluxer Flite was engineered to use these cells for all they're worth. 10+wh of usable power is very achievable providing usable clicks until a charge is needed. Remember, these cells are about 11wh capacity. That says a lot to techies.
FireFlite is Goldie's little brother. FireFlite has been testing the contact circuit for several months now. I know Jeff went through several iterations of circuit boards to make the most of every feature. As to working with Jeff on Flite's design, I can say Jeff is a pleasure to work with. I can't wait for Friday! Wado my friend.
Note - eFest cell link is a trusted supplier. I have tested their cells for capacity and durability. These are legit cells and the supplier is legit.
Last edited:
mecrobs
Member
Did you print a custom case for that supply? That looks awesome!
More personal enhancements ;]
Fluxer Flite incorporates a full 10 amp BMS for protection and charge management. This package is another shoehorn-creation by Jeff. It is a work of art! Included is a simple charger that gets you on your way while your husting to get out the door. Don't let a charger stop you from dipping on your way to coffee either. Nothing keeps you from using your Fluxer Flite while it's charging. Just convenient that way
Some will want to change batteries for various reasons. There is convenience in just swapping cells. Fluxer Flite will let you do that. For a day on the go, convenience is everything. With 3 recognized li-ion cell makers in the wings with mature technology, spare power is not out of reach. One charge will suffice the majority of you for a day or more, I too have tough days - I have spare cells always charged ;]
And there are purist that will never trust a BMS. Fluxer Flite was design with an 'intuitive' cell status. You'll have to experience it to discern this cryptic meaning. If you indeed are a purist, I am saying you will know instinctively when to charge your cells.
Notice that I am using a digital charger set to 12.60V exactly! ...at 1.5 amps charge rate no less. That's an hour to 11wh of charge. These KeepPower cells, as well as the eFest cells, are staying perfectly balanced even though these cells are slated for abuse. And I've killed 14500's that were spec'd for the task. The power plant's duty cycle for Fluxer Flite was engineered to use these cells for all they're worth. 10+wh of usable power is very achievable providing usable clicks until a charge is needed. Remember, these cells are about 11wh capacity. That says a lot to techies.
FireFlite is Goldie's little brother. FireFlite has been testing the contact circuit for several months now. I know Jeff went through several iterations of circuit boards to make the most of every feature. As to working with Jeff on Flite's design, I can say Jeff is a pleasure to work with. I can't wait for Friday! Wado my friend.
mecrobs
Member
Not really. I was gonna ask you if I could use it with the apollo, or if that's even possible/necessary but I never got it back lol. I still have it though! Edit* the adjustable power supply that is, not the apollo lol
mecrobs
Member
Awesome! You're the man! Thanks Tommy!
Johnfaceman
New Member
First post here. I like it. Getting ready to return the orion and I've been following along here. Now I may have missed it somewhere in this thread, but can you tell me how loud that click is when the heater cycles on and off? Always hard to tell from a video.
Would regular ambient sound drown the click out or is it noticeable? In a quiet room would you hear it from 5' away? 10'? You get my drift. Thanks!
Would regular ambient sound drown the click out or is it noticeable? In a quiet room would you hear it from 5' away? 10'? You get my drift. Thanks!
Zoltani
Well-Known Member
rvarick
Well-Known Member
So are there any downsides/cons to the new cap-as-switch option discussed above, especially in comparison to the remote switch option? Or is it just a matter of personal preference - i.e. whether someone likes having a button to push when ready, or prefers inserting the cap to activate?I'm back with a discussion-starter.
I'm still working on completing Flite's documentation and web site updates, but I do have a new feature I'd like to share tonight, and I want to give folks a chance to talk about it and ask a few questions before Friday's launch.
This idea comes from @TommyDee , who championed it and persuaded me to give it a try: a version of the Flite with a switch at the base the coil, presenting you with no external controls; the only external UI elements are the heater hole and the magnetic lid. What makes this especially interesting, in my opinion, is that we are using the metal vapcap itself to complete the connection between the switch contacts. The metal contacts are very durable and unlike my other coil switches, they are completely unaffected by heat. No bits to fall off or require replacement, either.
In this model, the cap is used to complete a low-current electrical circuit and activate the heater. Very little current passes through the cap - only about 50mA. The heavy current needed to power the heating circuit is handled by a pair of relays in a separate circuit. The cap-as-switch activates those relays.
I have not one, but two video demos for you!
The shaky hand demo:
The 'slightly too close' demo:
You'll note in both demos, very little downward pressure is required to activate the switch. Note that if your cap's end is cratered like the surface of the moon, you may need to rotate it a bit to find the best position.
Both clips are short and to the point. Both clips also demo the PWM feature, because why not?
There are several big advantages to this mechanism over the traditional tactile switches I've used to date:
Just to be clear, you now have a choice: choose either the push button model, OR the cap-as-switch model.
- very low profile, allowing for maximum coil height inside the case
- no switch covers to manage - huzzah!!!
- it's all metal, so it has a very high heat tolerance.
Q: Can I order a heater with both the push button and the cap-as-switch?
A: Yes, for a small extra fee I'll install both mechanisms in the same heater, however, I do NOT recommend installing both switch mechanism in the same heater, as explained below.
For both models, the magic happens in the 1-2mm space at the base of the coil. These two models use that space very differently, though, and the presence of the switch contacts prevents you from using "the push button configuration" to its maximum effect. The presence of the switch contacts at the coil base diminishes the "push button configuration's" heating functionality without adding much to the contact-as-switch’s capability.
Having both mechanisms present adds the ability to heat on demand, but it sacrifices the ability to move the tip beyond the bottom loop of the coil. IMO this is a big loss of functionality for the push button method, and takes away one of that method's best tools. You should consider this if you are thinking of asking for both mechanisms. It may matter more to me as the develop than it does to you as the user, but you should be aware that you are giving up some range if install both triggering mechanisms.
That being said, I will install both methods in the same heater if you request it (for an additional fee), but as stated, I feel you may enjoy the heater more if you pick one method over the other.
The one possible thing I could see would be if there's a slight delay with the new cap-as-switch option in activating the heater - like what was seen with the Orion, where it took ~a second to start the heating after inserting the cap, thus preventing being able to pulse the heater. Based on the videos this doesn't appear to be the case though.
And is there any difference in the heating profiles? Or is the coil adjusted differently in the cap-as-switch option to compensate for the height required for the contacts - making it the same as the remote switch option? Also, can the contacts get bent/damaged? Thanks in advance, and kudos on the constant innovations!
Last edited:
Dopeydad
New Member
Which VHB did you have?
swieder711
Well-Known Member
I had the original battery powered VHB, not the newer carbon one. It worked great, just a bit bulky compared to the Orion.
vapormachina
Well-Known Member
I think I can subscribe almost all of this message
Blessings jeff!I have been a bit disconnected for work but I think I have returned just in time to this thread! I really like the new functions, especially the buttonless activation, I still had some doubts about Orion vs Flite but this certainly leaves the balance clear
I have been on the DF waiting list for several months, but I think that if there is stock tomorrow I will go on Flite
