Hi everyone. For those not familiar with how production manufacturing works …here’s some insight as it relates to shipping batches.
Production factory lines need to be setup to produce, test, QC, and package a single product at-a-time. International communication regulations dictate certain frequency bands in different regions – forcing us to produce both 915 mHz and 868 mHz versions of AIR, SKY, and HUB and deliver accordingly around the world. On the production lines, this creates complications as the devices need to go through a litany of frequency-reliant testing not to mention a different parts spec. Therefore we are producing, testing, boxing, and batching all the 915s first as this represents a vast majority of backers. Then we will reset the production and testing lines to produce the 868s devices.
To make things more fun (read: complicated), we offered to ship AIR + HUB to early backers in a separate shipment last year - paid entirely by WeatherFlow. Given the stretched development timelines of creating an entirely new technology at a dramatically lower price point, we felt it was the right thing to do even if it all but killed out profit margins. This offer to split ship, complicated the final shipping as roughly 1300 backers are to receive SKY only – different packaging, different testing and QC rhythm on the factory lines.
Given the batching explained above, we had a choice to wait until all product types were produced to begin shipping, or begin shipping based on batches as they became available – knowing full well that some backers would complain about their priority. We chose to ship products as they came off the production lines without further delay for obvious reasons. Here are the batches:
915 SKY only
915 Completes
868 SKY only
868 Completes
[Note: 868 is primarily Europe, while most other regions including US, CA, AU, NZ, + are 915 frequency by regulation.]
As explained previously in this thread, once a batch is produced we then organize shipments by country for air freight and customs then prioritize by Indiegogo order number. As of 28 May, over 1300 AIR+HUB packages were delivered in 2017, all of the 915 SKY only packages and roughly 400 of the 915 Completes have been dropped off at our shipper in Shenzhen for air freight. We are currently awaiting tracking numbers from our shipper for approximately 250 915 SKY only and the 400 915 Completes to send out to backers.
While all this is happening, our factory lines are still churning out products and getting new batches ready to send.
Before anyone flies off the handle with conspiracy theories and prioritization gripes, read this line again: we had a choice to wait until all product types were produced to begin shipping, or begin shipping based on batches as they became available.
We are blessed to have enthusiastic and eager customers (who have waited a really really long time). Happy to answer rational questions with rational answers.