Solar or Wind

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Oct 22, 2008
3,502
- Telstar 28 Buzzards Bay
Looks like neat stuff... but a lot has to happen before we start seeing solar cells coated with it... :)
 

Phil Herring

Alien
Mar 25, 1997
4,924
- - Bainbridge Island
I made a point to stay out of all that ruckus and I certainly don't post much on other forums :) but I've done business with Brian and found him to be a 100% stand-up guy... even in situations where he could have -- justifiably -- made different decisions.

My hat is off to anyone who launches a start-up business that actually makes something of value, and even builds it in the US. IMHO, that is very tough to do here in this day and age.

And now that I've got my two cents in I'd really like to leave the past in the past. Whatever took place on that unnamed forum I suspect Brian learned something from it.
 

Ross

.
Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
Dog, I agree, Not refuting some one's statement gives it tactic approval. Letting someone tell mean spirited jokes and laughing with the crowd gives the mentality of the joker silent support for the meanness.
 
L

Liam - Santa Cruz

Okay... Alright!!!

At first I was going to say that I was sorry I even brought this up. It seems that there are some people who, for reasons beyond me, are really angry about this product or the people who designed it.
I was at my boat today and I will say again that I really think that this is a fantastic way to address the addition of solar in a unique and effective way.
Sure there may be all new technology in the future. There could be a lot of things in the future...
As far as speaking for Brian, I don't even know him. I have never even spoken with him. I am almost offended that there are people here who accuse me of pandering.
As far as all the negativity that I have read here, I will leave you all to stew in your own crap. I choose to associate with positive humans. I am deleting this website from my list of favorites.
Signing off with best wishes to all.
Good luck and fair winds.
Liam.
 
Jun 5, 1997
659
Coleman scanoe Irwin (ID)
Liam,

Not having spelled out every word of every message in this rather contentious thread -- and without wanting to take sides in any discussion regarding the technical merits (or lack thereoff) of SolarStik's particular design implementation of what is essentially Ohm's law -- it is not clear to me whether you did realize that your solarstik can readily be equipped with a wind generator as well.

If you check out their website you will see that the so-called "SolarStik Breeze" setup utilizes the unused (use-it-or-lose-it?) center pole to support a small windgenerator.

In short, it is no longer unavoidable to bring up the SolarStik in future discussions of the longstanding solar vs wind dispute as the shtick appears capable of playing both sides of the violin!

Have fun!

Flying Dutchman
 
Dec 19, 2006
5,832
Hunter 36 Punta Gorda
Who cares how you spend your money if he buys American he has my vote.
Where is the Boat Babe with her new line of swim suits,a sailboat is not a boat
with out a Boat Babe.
 

Ross

.
Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
I suggest that if Brian and Steph had marked their system as an energy support system with the following accessories available (here follows a long list of solar panels, charge controllers, wind powered electrical generators etc.) There might not be such a divisive argument about the idea. But how many of you have written a business plan and committed time, money and energy to an entrepreneurial enterprise? How many of you have tried and failed to bring an idea to market and how many have succeeded? I have been in business for thirty years and I have a very good idea of what it takes to successfully bring a product to market. Good ideas are a dime a dozen. Obtaining a patent, defending it and bringing a product to market has broken more people than have ever become wealthy trying. I took a relatively easy path, I identified a niche and filled it. It hasn't been easy and it hasn't made me wealthy but my bills get paid on time and my kids went to college and we get the health care we need.

Don't scorn Brian and Steph because they saw a niche and endeavoured to fill it. They are the only ones that know the cost of production, the rate at which they must amortize the development cost and the profit they need to make in order to make a living. Personally I salute them for their pure grit to stay with a product that they believe in and have nurtured for several years. I have no need for a system such as theirs but for those that do I am inclined to think that they have a product that will meet a need as surely as wind vane steering systems meet a need
 

Ctskip

.
Sep 21, 2005
732
other 12 wet water
I feel a need to apologize to Liam

And here I thought the War room in the basement (bilge) was tough. It's nothing like what takes place up here (topsides) in the "civilized" part of the forum. I'm not sure what it is, but some here can't leave well enough alone and feel they must get their two cents in one way or the other. What ever happened to the concept of , if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing. For those who feel the need to rattle off their personal feelings about something ,anything, I welcome y'all to the war room where ]we can chew on each others butt till the cows come home and still be in our chairs in the morning. All you guys accomplished here was to turn a sailor off to this forum. For that I would like to thank each and everyone of y'all. And you know who you are, just as we do. And I thought this was the civilized side of the site. I guess I was wrong in my thinking.
Why can't Liam speak his mind without being chastised for it? Are y'all jealous? what? does Brian and his success threaten y'all? Why the need to turn someone off from a sailing site? Just how does one accomplish that anyway? I just don't understand anyone here. And I thought is was a seagoing brotherhood. Thats a good one. I thought we had something in common, our love of sailing and playing with our boats. Here this guy who fixes up his boat and helps the world/enviroment while doing it and some here can't let that happen without turning it into something bad and remorseful. And I thought the guys in the basement were a bunch of twisted sickos. I must rethink my position. I think I'll go back and make a few additions to a few reputations. Thanks for the eye opener.
I normally close by telling everyone to, Keep it up.
But for this post I just can't do it and feel good about it, never mind, mean it.
I must apologize for the behavior of a few, Liam. I am truly sorry for the rude behavior of some. We are not all like this, trust me. Most are kind, courteous, helpful people. Maybe it's the hard times most are being faced with today and tomorrow and a few feel the need to vent. Vent in the bilge , please, we have the stomach for anything down there.
 
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Sep 25, 2008
2,288
C30 Event Horizon Port Aransas
I'll tell you what my products cost. www.maxrepbenchcrafting.com cost about $80,000 to develop, start patents and set up a fabrication shop. That one was popular in Japan last year, but I had them made in the US in Houston by a terd of a company so I did't get any more orders from Gold's gym Japan. Oh yeah and trade shows are $15,000 minumum a pop.
www.body-spin.com is a home market product that is still in development. This one will cost 100,000 to 500,000 depending on how much marketing the marketing company can come up with to charge my investor. Patents start at 5,000 and go up to 20,000.
Since they are making the solar stick in the US and going to trade shows, they need to sell it at a premium to stay a float. (boat pun)

Ideas are the free part and easy part. I have been working on ideas for 3 years now full time and I am not rich yet. I thought my weight bench was an incredible idea, but the universe needs to come together at once to make an idea go big.
 

Phil Herring

Alien
Mar 25, 1997
4,924
- - Bainbridge Island
I think this one has run its course

I'm going to close this thread, as the content-to-BS ratio has gone negative.

Sorry to see Liam go and I hope he reconsiders. He's been around for several years and has contributed quite a large number of posts.

It's important to me that this forum remain a safe place for novice sailors and anyone else who chooses to post here. It takes just an extra moment to check your post for comments that can viewed as personal attacks. It's one thing to take issue with an idea, another to take issue with the author. There's very seldom any reason for the latter.

Feel free to move the solar technology topic to a new thread.
 
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