Hey guys
keen on the second drop, was just wondering if the flix is likely to restock at the same time, will it be likely that I'll be able to order both the flix and flite in one order on this second drop? cheers!
What is the timeline looking like for the Flix becoming available again in the store?
Hi
@lemonSkunkie and
@slowandsteady , thanks for your interest! I'll be making more Flix very soon, although I'm going to stay focused on the Flite for at least one more batch.
But since you asked...
... the Flix v2 project is almost done, as I've been updating it in parallel with the work we've been doing on the Flite.
Flix v2 addresses a few issues with the current model:
- it ditches the tactile switch and adopts the Flite's cap-as-switch mechanism, which should make some frustrated Flix owners happy
- it uses a milder capacitor/inductor configuration, which is its own and very different from Flite's. Flix v2 has better tolerance for the sorts of electrical current "inrush" events that it is likely to see from a mains-powered adapter. It should stand up to the sort of common electrical trauma that routinely killed the earliest versions of Flix v1.x.
- the new configuration is less aggressive, and on average increases the heating time by 2-4 seconds per click
- it brings over circuit improvements introduced in the Flite: new MOSFETs, a better thermal fuse, better circuit paths, and a number of other small, parts-level changes we made with the Flite
- it will support an optional PWM module! This module will be functionally similar to the Flite's, but it will look a bit different and use different controls. The final PWM PCB is still in progress, but the current test circuit works extremely well, so this is just about packaging the circuit to best fit the space. I expect to wrap this up within 2-3 weeks (and perhaps sooner if this week's set of PWM PCBs work properly).
The Flix v2 has more components and does more with them, so unfortunately I do expect its price to rise slightly over v1. I'll have more price and configuration details once I finalize the PWM module.
Here are a few pics of the Flix v2 PCB:
It looks largely the same, but almost every significant detail has been studied and revised to be better. To point to just one small example: the bottom MOSFET in the above picture, imediately to the left of the LED connections, has been rotated 90° CCW to create a better electrical pathway. There are a number of other similarly small changes.
This is a view of the Flix v2's cap-as-switch contacts; the silicone bumpers may change a little:
Obviously, I'll have
a lot more info to share once it's ready to go, but at this point the development for Flix v2 is done, and the Flix PWM module should also be done soon as well. If you remember my effort to push the Flite out the door, Flix v2 will need some similar things - a new video, updated web pages, and time for me to build them. So the formal announcements are still a few weeks away, but this is what's coming. It is consistent w/the original but it also improves the things that needed work while
also adding some new and fun functionality.
OK, I have a few emails to answer, then I need to head down to the shop to do some stuff. I'll be back in a few hours with the exact info on when I'll e listing the next batch of Flite tomorrow.
Cheers!