A Forum at Sky's Edge

Hello everyone,

I’m well past the point of owing everyone an update. I’m confident everyone on the forum is aware of the blog, but if not, here’s that: https://skysedge.com/blog/

Apparently, I’ve been an absolute fool to believe we could ever successfully manufacture the RUSP in house in Riverhead, NY. Our quality-control “pass” rate has been like 20%, although we can get that up to about 60% after manual re-soldering. It’s just not a tenable way to fill orders. Anyone reading this will surely say “newsflash” in sarcastic tone, but I now realize that manufacturing was not something I ought to have taken on so lightly.

Also, I’ve been trying desperately not to appear to use this as an excuse, but I have to admit that my husband’s cancer diagnosis and subsequent death obviously had a significant impact on my ability to manage the company, do engineering, and actually try filling orders. I don’t want to dwell on that topic any more than to say that my mental health is doing much much better for the past couple months and my productivity and energy are quite good again.

SO, the new plan (for the past few months now, really), is that we simply need to outsource manufacturing. There’s a business team now, thank God, and we’re engaged with two separate PCB assembly facilities abroad, one of which will fill the current backlog of orders. I know everyone will want to know “when”. My track record for this response has been so abysmal that I will decline to predict here, but knowing that an actual manufacturing company will be doing all work from here on out should, I think, give anyone reading this slight reassurance that it’s still going to happen.

We’re also working on getting proper investor support for a “box-built” (ready to use) product with a hard re-release in the future. Some new requirements exist now, though. For example, bluetooth compatibility for the hearing-impaired is now a requirement for handsets sold in the US. So, this also becomes the natural time to fix some engineering/manufacturability and durability issues to make it a more robust “daily driver” phone as well, also while having a less daunting assembly process, which will be needed for assembly line manufacturing in any case.

Lastly, anyone who’s been emailing info@skysedge.com lately had been getting a response from my cousin Jackie. She’s been doing great but she just took an internship out of state that she couldn’t refuse, so I wish her well while looking for someone local (eastern Long Island) to come help us at the office with customer service and with helping write updates, etc. I say this in case anyone knows anyone who might be a good fit. Actually, anyone local who has skills of any kind to offer (electrical engineering, software development, and business-types are still in demand) should reach out.

As always, we do our best to process refund requests as they come in.

~Justine

Hi there Justine, I was also very worried for your mental health but I really have had no words that could begin to be sufficient at a time like this... so I can only say that I am so very happy to see that you are back in the saddle again. Take one day at a time, we are all here for you!

Good news on the outsourcing because to be fair, the Samsung Pick and Place was really meant for rapid iterative prototyping. You may have slightly exceeded its volume threshold for home-brew/home-builds.

Regarding the BT requirements for the ready-to-use devices in the future, I have been looking for BT support for some time on the RUSP but with a hardware RF kill switch that would fit the theme. Would this new direction of travel make the exploration of BT support a bit more of a priority now?

I would be pleased to have BT support in my kit if this is something that can be added to the current build before the boards go to mass-production with the manufacturing partners (if not too late already).

Ironically, I had actually just recently asked about BT support in this post.

Hi Justine,

Thanks for the update. Happy to see that you are getting better.

I am eager to put my hands on my kit, but I can wait a little more until everything is up to your taste.

François

I've been reading through this forum, and I think the efforts Justine that you are putting into the project is remarkable despite everything you have been through. My condolences to you and your family for your husband. God Bless.

I am interested in one of these phones, and I will be patient until you are ready.

/Ace

Hello, Justine and team.

I did see your update in January about your husband's death and send you a short codolences note; I imagine you've been sorting through a ton of stuff though. So I'll reiterate here what I wrote in January: I'm very sorry to learn of this, and you have my complete sympathy. I lost both my parents six years ago and grief still catches me unawares at times. I imagine yours is still knife-sharp.

I was an Option B order (global) and I'm happy to wait for it. I do have a question about the "prebuilt" mentioned and perhaps one of the staff can field it. For those of us on option B, would getting a prebuilt be an option? Related to that, I noted that there's a requirement for Bluetooth connectivity now; does that apply only to pre-builts or to the "finish assembly yourself" kits as well?

Look after yourself (all of you on the team, not just Justine), and thank you.