From our conversations you have a well thought out and designed system, you also take steps to protect it such as soldering connections placing wire in conduit. The systems works well for you because you maintain it and it will go on for years. I welcome your comments because at the heart of your system is a controller that allows you to manage flow as required to the job.
My feeling has always been a system works more efficiently with a controller, The market provides many different options ours is just one. It does things no other controller does such as the electrical safety test. because not everyone is able to build a system as you do.
Thanks for the compliment and I appreciate the highly diplomatic reply. That is sadly something that is often missing on here and I own up, I was perhaps in that misguided style of 'attack the posting' with what I posted. So, apologises for that.
The topic in question:
I like functionality at the minimum cost along with simplicity which often means also, reliability.
Some people like over complicated gadgets and gizmos for the job being carried out. I don't.
Why not do a whole range of stuff like other industries do? I can go out and buy the latest iphone 4 (or is it 5) or I can buy just a basic phone for much less.
Someone above made a good point about flaffing about to turn a remote on and off and the point he made seems to have been missed. How about making a remote with a very large on/off button that hangs off a belt loop that can be operated easily with gloves on?
To my mind, the app thing shown is impractical to use, You need to completely stop what you are doing, look at it and then adjust the settings. Further to that, what if you are like me and cannot see things close up without glasses but can see fine otherwise? Do I then need to always have my glasses with me?
It's fine to go down the technology route but only if that is mixed with functionality and practicality.
Then there is the cost that I sarcastically mentioned. £200 odd quid to what is basically to just turn water off and on at the pole? I don't want to sound rude but is there a bit of the 'Ionic's approach' going on here?
No problem I accept there are many right ways to do something and your comments are appreciated, It is good to for questions to be aired and different points of view explored. The forum should be about people being able to see different ideas and products then picking what best suits them.
To try answer the tech side
Functionality - reliability and ease is an area we work hard on as do others, while the box the controller is in has not changed the electronics inside have dramatically changed over time with many added features that go on in the background with no need for input from the cleaner.
There is market for less feature rich controllers and to be honest we could go down that route and in effect produce a stripped down version of the controller, We don,t for a number of reasons. For example we would have to redesign the PCB to take it back to a different state, Overheads would mean that any reduction in cost would be very minimal at best if not come out about the same.
Plus there is a very diverse market with products already fulfilling that demand, having one company cover all the bases would not be good as in the end prices get driven up. Imagine for example that only Apple made mobiles. Having others in the market keeps us on our toes.
Re the delay in flow stopping that Pete commented on, If the way I replied to that appeared dismissive then I will apologise.
Using a radio remote to stop the pump rather than a tap on the pole or brush will mean the line has to de pressurise and that some of the water in the line will bleed away. On restarting the pump it will take a few seconds for the line to re pressurise.
This is different to use of a tap. In my experience the delay is usually 2 - 5 seconds this will vary based on the factors I mentioned earlier. A higher flow rate for example will mean more pressure and a longer delay. Pressure dynamics of the system dictate this and to a point a similar effect can be observed with a pole tap although the delay is less noticeable.
In part it is also about what we get used to and a change even a slight one can take some time to adjust to.
Radio remote is another option for those who want it with alternatives for those who do not.
I like the suggestion of a larger one button Fob, You are not the first to air this, a popular distributor has already said to me he sees the new fob and radio remote being mainly used to switch the pump. The fob has a loop that can be used to attach to a belt, Going forward though a larger single button is an area to look into.
The Fob is the key to the radio remote and will be used the vast majority of the time in my opinion, The app is an add on which some people will uses and some not, The fob can be used with out the app as a stand alone radio remote. Its factory setting will allow pump stop/start, Flow adjustment and Rinse boost. Some may never use the app but its is there if they want it.
Price as always is a sensitive subject and one we have thought long and hard about, This was all developed in house using considerable time and resources.
The New RF RRP is about 20% more expensive than the previous Three button radio remote. This does not reflect the full cost of development and in reality should be more. However in a competitive market where the unit will be available from a number of sources it is the market and consumers who ultimately drive the price. As such we have to be realistic. I hope with have got it about right.
I am biased but I would like to think people are buying more than just a radio remote controller, I would hope they are also buying support and peace of mind and the knowledge we design with the window cleaner in mind. A number of our controllers are used by system builders and I would hope they add value to those systems and the people using them.