Sold/Expired !!! All Aviatrix and GlowFob Customers Please Read !!!

[mspeterson]

Don't you think that's a bit extreme? People here are adults (mostly ) and can judge for themselves, based on reputation, etc. how much of a risk they're willing to take. Just because people are upset at the current situation, doesn't mean they aren't entitled to pre-order other products in the future.

I also disagree with you that this "fits nicely within the 'confidence' scam model." I believe it's more about irresponsibility than anything intentional.

Obviously I don't think that is extreme. If people here were equipped as you posit this conversation wouldn't be happening. If you think mine and other reactions are only about this situation, please educate yourself before you post. You can have all the "opinions" you want, that dosen't change the fact that this situation fits into the profile of a "confidence scam" perfectly; there are multiple examples of the exact same thing on CPF if you don't believe me. Please, read the first post in this thread, where the 'ole bird basically tells us he is a scammer. Sure, I think he was kidding. But what the heck do I know. He said he was a crook, and then proceeded to act like a crook. That is what scam artists do. Please, again, educate yourself about the topic before posting "opinions". It dosen't matter what I think, it dosen't matter what you think, it matters what A.C. DOES. Intent is pointless and meaningless unless followed by appopriate action. Get It, ACTION.

Irresponsibility is acceptable to you?
It's only "bad" if its intentional?

For the record, I have never been scammed on CPF (or any other forum for that matter). I have pre-paid for items that I have recieved in good (or even great) faith. I have never purchased anything, nor do I own anything, made by bawko. I do happen to make and sell things myself, for a living and fwiw. I also care about CPF. It is my belief that the good faith atmosphere established by the Honest and Trustworthy members of this forum is being abused by crooks and scam artists. They may be the best intentioned scam artists, they may be nice people if you get to know them. I'm not saying that I know A.C. is a crook, because I don't know anything about the guy. Except for his ACTIONS. And judging by his ACTIONS, not speculation or fantasy, things don't look good. It is irresponsible for those of us that have seen this happen time and time again to continue to sit by and watch gullible or trusting members get fleeced repeatedly. Please, quit enabeling crooks and scam artists., that is all that you're accomplishing.

Hope I am wrong, I'll go crawl back under my rock and wait for my gloriously overpriced Titan to arrive!!!:tinfoil:


:devil:

 

[this_is_nascar]

Wow - a lot of hostility going on around here... ...and a lot of accusations resulting from an abundance of speculation and assumptions. Of course all this posturing and venting won't do anyone much good, so my suggestion is for everyone to just relax until one of us can get some solid information and post it here.

Aviatrix rings were produced and some lucky folks have them (including myself), so this is obviously NOT a case of vaporware being promised and nothing actually delivered.

I still have cash out for product to Bawko, and I'm not worried. Sure it's been, what, 4 months or so? I've waited longer for less.

One FACT I can supply is that my last communication did receive a reply on 10/11/07. This is it, verbatim:



Getting caught up with production in "2 or 3 weeks" brings us to this week. So IF he was able to stick to the schedule AND they are being shipped this week, Aviatrix's should start arriving in mailboxes NEXT week, right? So it's no big surprise if you havn't seen anything just yet based on this information. Note that I'm not making excuses for the man, but I am working with the information I have been given.

I'll try to get in touch again today to find out where things are at.

I can't help but laugh. Your post + the addition of your signature (The default position on any claim is disbelief until credible evidence is presented.) is pretty ironic to me. You ask for folks not to jump to conclusions, but your signature characterizes how the majority are feeling.

Since no "credible evidence" has been produced by the accused, the only option to those who have been stiffed is a "claim of disbelief".

 

[Phredd]

If people here were equipped as you posit this conversation wouldn't be happening. If you think mine and other reactions are only about this situation, please educate yourself before you post.

What I said was that people have a right to take a risk if they want. You sound a bit pompous telling me that I need to educate myself before I post. Are you the ultimate authority? ROTFL

You can have all the "opinions" you want, that dosen't change the fact that this situation fits into the profile of a "confidence scam" perfectly;

If it was such a perfect scam, why would he be following up with [rare] updates, answering people's e-mails, and maintaining contact with some people here? And why would it be so easy for me to get in touch with his business partner? (see next post) Wouldn't the perfect scam artist just disappear?

Irresponsibility is acceptable to you?
It's only "bad" if its intentional?

I have no respect for people who intentionally twist my words to make a point they know they can't make honestly. I didn't say it was acceptable, just not intentional. And it's not AS bad if someone's irresponsible compared to someone who scams people intentionally.

I'll go crawl back under my rock and wait for my gloriously overpriced Titan to arrive!!!:tinfoil:

Fine with me!

 

[Phredd]

Update!

Hey everyone,

I just spoke with James at Digital Design. He is (or was) a business partner with Jason (Bawko). He knew all about the Aviatrix and even helped him with the first round of production, and with the updates when the first release didn't work with rechargeables. He didn't seem to know as much about the glow fobs, but he thought he was done with everything.

He said that Jason has been out of town, but will return today. He really doesn't have convenient access to the internet, but I suggested that he urge Jason to come on somehow and give us an update. I told him the natives are getting restless.

I also gave him my phone number, so hopefully I'll get a call back and report here. I feel a little better already.

Phredd

 

[Bravo25]

Wow - a lot of hostility going on around here... ...and a lot of accusations resulting from an abundance of speculation and assumptions.. "snipped".

Nope. It is because of the total lack of communication. And if there are mitigating circumstances, I will be the first to make a public appology. I really hope that I have to.

 

[this_is_nascar]

Re: Update!

...... He really doesn't have convenient access to the internet, .....

Phredd

Not directed at you, but this is bull****. This is 2007, not 1997 where is may have been difficult to find/get/obtain internet access.

 

[fnmag]

 

[Lips]

Re: Update!

Hey everyone,

I just spoke with James at Digital Design. He is (or was) a business partner with Jason (Bawko). He knew all about the Aviatrix and even helped him with the first round of production, and with the updates when the first release didn't work with rechargeables. He didn't seem to know as much about the glow fobs, but he thought he was done with everything.

He said that Jason has been out of town, but will return today. He really doesn't have convenient access to the internet, but I suggested that he urge Jason to come on somehow and give us an update. I told him the natives are getting restless.

I also gave him my phone number, so hopefully I'll get a call back and report here. I feel a little better already.

Phredd

Nice work on the phone number :wave:

Bawkos info is also posted somewhere....



I think allot of us who put up money on this felt something was wrong early on. Bawko was a stand-up guy in the communications I had with him and lack of communication or refunds seemed out of character and wrong.


Lack of refunds in the interim with sporadic communication and No forum updates point to a financial business/personal crisis. It would be understandable to circle the wagons in certain situations and return at a later date. Hope for the best to all!

No internet access for months and months, oh please! He's probably seen the thread more than we have...


I still think he's a stand-up guy who made some mistakes on this and will refund or produce.


2 cents

 

[nzgunnie]

I'm not sure the talk of AC being in the game of scamming people is entirely fair.

I organised a trade with him, my A2-BK for a mint A2-WH with Aviatrix. It turned up on my doorstep faster than the package I sent arrived in the US. If he was scamming people, he could just as easily taken my A2-BK and never sent me a thing.

The Aviatrix turned up with a well written set of instructions, again hardly a sign that there was any plans to scam people.

 

[Quickbeam]

I can't help but laugh. Your post + the addition of your signature (The default position on any claim is disbelief until credible evidence is presented.) is pretty ironic to me. You ask for folks not to jump to conclusions, but your signature characterizes how the majority are feeling.

Since no "credible evidence" has been produced by the accused, the only option to those who have been stiffed is a "claim of disbelief".

Lovely! More posturing and venting.

Did a lot of good, didn't it...

Does anyone think these snide comments A) Got anyone a lot closer to getting this resolved or B) Just alienated someone trying to help the membership get this all resolved?

 

[gjg]

I for one will buy a ring once Bawko gets his business back together. Will I prepay? No Way. And I don't think he will TAKE prepays when (and OK, if) he gets back in buisness. I REALLY just think Bawko got in over his head - His product wasn't working right with RCR123's, maybe some personal issues, cash flow, etc. Plus didn't he move? Anyway, whether we like it or not, he just clammed up, and probably chose not to post or to read the negative posts he knew would be out there. Self-protection of one's ego... That being said, if he doesn't post or come up with some successes soon, he WILL get lumped in to the scammer category, but he just doesn't seem to be the type. Plenty of enthusiasm about his product, and maybe not quite enough business sense. But he will be back, my gut says.

OK I'll probably take a beating for this, but our two biggest issues, DSpeck and Andrew Wynn, had no intention of becoming scammers either. They had the talent to come up with a good product, and the salesmanship to sell it. But again, issues came up, personal and business, and they dealt with it in the worst possible way. They got in WAY over their heads, didn't realize what it took to run a successful business (a good business plan, and the time and cash flow), and they just bailed. Acute LACK of ethics and integrity. That's why they're #1 and #2 on our s*** list.

I don't feel Bawko wants to be #3 on that list. And we have to realize bad things happen to good people, and give him the benefit of the doubt for a little while. How long? That's the million dollar question. If another 4 months goes by and no communication, he's probably #3.... but I think we'll hear from him sooner than later.
Just my $0.02,
Greg

 

[Bravo25]

I would probably hang it out until then if I only had one personal communication asking me to do so. Shoot, I would settle for one public communication to this board.

Just my $30.00 worth.

 

[js]

I too agree that Bawko isn't a scammer or con man. He wouldn't have limited his first run to 30 units if he were.

As for the issues with the Aviatrix rings, it was simply an error in his spreadsheet that led him to undersize a resistor power value. In any complicated design such things happen. Bawko realized the problem and knew how to fix it right away. I sent him back my ring and he changed out the resistor and sent it back in short order. This was before he had to move his shop, however.

I do suspect that all of this is all due to him having to move his entire workshop to a new location. It is a SERIOUS workshop, with serious tooling.

I believed him when he emailed back to me explaining what a nightmare moving his shop has been. I can easily imagine it ending up taking 4 months (or more). He has a "real" job on top of all of that anyway, along with a "life" and so on.

So, once more, that's not the issue. The delay isn't the issue. The explanation for the delay isn't the issue. The Aviatrix itself isn't the issue--it's an amazing piece of mod work! And I expect Bawko will be back to make more and to complete the orders he has already taken.

The issue is the near total lack of communication. I believe the delay and the reason for it. I do not believe that he has no way to post to CPF at least one or two times a month. That I don't buy. I may be wrong, but it's hard to believe.

Anyway, I'll report back here on Monday or Sunday night. I'm going to try to call Bawko between now and then and see if I can reach him and see what's up.

 

[Phredd]

I just wanted to update everyone, even though I have no news. I spoke with Jason's (Bawko) business partner (or previous partner), James, on Friday, and even though he told me that he would be seeing Jason that night, Jason never called me back. Obviously he didn't take my suggestion to get on the internet to post an update here either.

Sorry, but I tried. I hope someone else has better luck.

 

[mspeterson]

:shakehead:thumbsdow

 

[js]

I haven't called Bawko yet, sorry! But I will do so tomorrow (Wednesday) for sure and see if I can reach him. Been a busy couple of days (or week, actually) lately.

 

[Optik49]

I wish someone else would just make something similar to the Aviatrix. I know this would not help the people who prepaid but I'm sure they would have people that would want them.

 

[bfg9000]

I wish someone else would just make something similar to the Aviatrix.

Someone did: Milky.

It is almost ridiculously easy to mod the stock ring with SMJLEDs or THC3 LEDs if you are willing to live with the stock 33 ohm resistor values. Those result in ~70mA delivered to each LED (due to the lower vF of those LEDs), which is well within their 100mA rating so unlike the stock Nichia CSes they are not being overdriven on primaries. About 45 bulb lumens (!) from the twelve dies in exchange for runtime being about half that of stock at ~10 hours. Not bad at all.

I didn't even need to remove the anode ring, but just stuck the iron in-between the board and ring, so it took like 10 minutes.:shrug: Plus LEDs cut to the right length for a Minimag are the perfect length to "recycle" for this mod too. But it's still only a 1-stage setup like stock, so if you're waiting for a 2-stage or bloodhound version, then you've got more waiting to do...

 

[Codeman]

Except Milky's mod doesn't provide 2-level LED output.

 

[lowatts]

Someone did: Milky.

It is almost ridiculously easy to mod the stock ring with SMJLEDs or THC3 LEDs if you are willing to live with the stock 33 ohm resistor values. Those result in ~70mA delivered to each LED (due to the lower vF of those LEDs), which is well within their 100mA rating so unlike the stock Nichia CSes they are not being overdriven on primaries. About 45 bulb lumens (!) from the twelve dies in exchange for runtime being about half that of stock at ~10 hours. Not bad at all.

What would be a good place to get these LEDs? Thanks.