[ftp]

Steady Kevin, remember that heart! You don't have red hair by any chance? 
I do visit the diy forum occasionally and i also liase with Jeff on here and several others like to discuss ways of making things cheaper like van mounts,poles,brushes etc but strangely no-one gets upset about that. 

[matt]

Ok guys here it is right from the horses mouth!!!!

I have two - yes two camera systems - one from Maplins and the other from Omnipole.

My Maplins camera is a wireless / remote rechargeable Swann camera with a monitor.

The other is a high resolution wired camera with DVD recorder from Omnipole.

Ok firstly on overcast or wet days the Maplins camera is useless because its not waterproof and the resolution is poor- also the monitor can't be viewed in daylight with out providing it with shade. Try doing this while holding the pole / monitor and trying to get a good pic of the gutter whilst watching the monitor - difficult to say the least. On dry sunny days forget seeing the monitor at all.  Also because its a wireless camera it does suffer from interference. If your too close to your own generator or another electrical source the maplins wireless camera / monitor suffers.

Next up the camera system from Omnipole.

Best way to use this is to set it on record pop it in your pocket, walk along with the pole concentrating on the cameras position in relation to the gutter. Record the section of gutter and playback before using vac. It can be used in very low light / when its peeing down with rain and because its wired it doesn't suffer from interference. Because its recorded you can fast forward / rewind to your hearts content and even show your customerthe results after the job or post it to the internet for your customer to view (I charge £250 for an internet viewing and we get that regular)

I use the wired camera mounted to the base sections of the SL2, I prefer not to use the Powerpole only because I already have 2 powerpoles one set up with a spike and one as a pressure washer pole. I have a SL2 doing nothing so now its a camera pole. To be honest the top section has got a bit scratched up where it gets run along the gutter, and I would be better off buying another powerpole as they are harder wearing but Im economizing at the moment after putting another van on the road.

It is possible to use a live camera whilst vacuuming but its a two person operation and to be honest once you get the "feel" with the vac you don't need the camera except to check and re-check your work. Cut the staff, increase the profits.

The Omnipole camera is worth every penny. The Maplins camera is a back up!  I use only when the batteries have run out on my Omnicam. Which is usually only because I forget to charge it.

If you have time to muck about and like the cheap side of life visit Maplins - if you want a purpose built, functional camera system that will make you £££  visit Omnipole. Its really that simple.

Hope that helps 

SHOCK HORROR 

Kevin R in a Omni-fanboy post 

[ftp]

Is it compulsory to fill out a profile? I don't think so. What would you like to know young Kevin?

[ftp]

Funny how this has gone completely off topic don't you think? It's turned into one of those i'm bigger and better than you posts and do you know what? - I couldn't care less! I am giving advice to others how i see it, they don't have to take it nobody has to do the same as i have. Seems some of us aren't allowed to speak on this forum.

[STEVE-UK]

why diy it glyn, when you can save yourself the hastle and go to harrods where its done for you

you can just pickup your christmas pud and take it to the checkout , a snap £99.99

[Moderator David@stives]

Glyn

I think the arguement is about cost.

No doubt you do a brilliant product, but have you considered a cheaper product as well to run in conjuction with your good stuff.

In my eyes you are preaching to the wrong audience, this forum has a good mix of new starters and  long timers.

The New starters havent got £800 to spare on top of everything else they have to buy, maybe one day but not at the moment.

These very same people are your target customers in years to come, they are go getters and will invest in better equipment as they progress.

I was the same Diy everything, now i wouldnt dream of it and spend thousands every year on new equipment.

I dont want to preach to you, but if you dont want to alienate yourself from these people, i would be more helpful and help them on the forums, rather than just pitch "your products"

Also "cheapitup" comments dont help it just winds people up.

Dont think it is just you but i give the same info to all suppliers, think about it from the forum users perspective, we all dont stay Diy forever, we do eventually have hard cash to spend, and we usually spend it with those who have been good to us.

I spend all mine with Alex and WcW.  ALex because he gives free advice about all products not just his own and will help with totally unrelated products which he doesnt sell.

Wcw because they are nice guys and have a huge stock and always deliver within 24 hours, no back orders dropship.

I see your unique position as top notch quality products for the serious players who want no hassle products, ie It does exactly what it says on the tin, not it might work , but it WILL work.

There is simply no need to knock those who build there own, just let your products speak for themselves

[drive surgeon]

anyone really busy doing domestic gutters?

[drive surgeon]

davids are you using a diy gutter vacuum?

[matt]

SHOCK HORROR 

Kevin R in a Omni-fanboy post 

Another Idiot with a full profile -  Its DIY Matt another man with cheap ambitions!!! Too cheap to buy a real wfp pole too - prefers a fishing rod - when will you learn - that window cleaning can make you money if you apply the right attitude and the right tools? Obviously you prefer fishing  why not stick to that and leave the business advise to the professionals?

\\

Oh here we go, a big man with big idea's thinking he can put people down

i can assure you im no idiot, my lifestyle also tells me i am no idiot

the fishing pole, its light, i had a bad neck, so i looked into the fishing pole, my neck problem went, i guess im a idiot for solving a problem ( the problem being, my pole was too heavy which caused me a bad neck ), aye thats idiotic for you  : :

Oh and i really dont get the issue with the profile, is it to show off websites, as i have 3 on the go, different sites with different names ? ? ?? is it so you know where i work ? ? ? ? as i do a little work near you, just outside weymouth, does that help you ? ? ? ?

this perception that some1 who DIY's own kit is not making a go of the biz and is poor is just simple that of rather blinkered unintelligent person ( some may say a idiot )

[Chris Galloway]

Glyn

I think the arguement is about cost.

No doubt you do a brilliant product, but have you considered a cheaper product as well to run in conjuction with your good stuff.

In my eyes you are preaching to the wrong audience, this forum has a good mix of new starters and  long timers.

The New starters havent got £800 to spare on top of everything else they have to buy, maybe one day but not at the moment.

These very same people are your target customers in years to come, they are go getters and will invest in better equipment as they progress.

I was the same Diy everything, now i wouldnt dream of it and spend thousands every year on new equipment.

I dont want to preach to you, but if you dont want to alienate yourself from these people, i would be more helpful and help them on the forums, rather than just pitch "your products"

Also "cheapitup" comments dont help it just winds people up.

Dont think it is just you but i give the same info to all suppliers, think about it from the forum users perspective, we all dont stay Diy forever, we do eventually have hard cash to spend, and we usually spend it with those who have been good to us.

I spend all mine with Alex and WcW.  ALex because he gives free advice about all products not just his own and will help with totally unrelated products which he doesnt sell.

Wcw because they are nice guys and have a huge stock and always deliver within 24 hours, no back orders dropship.

I see your unique position as top notch quality products for the serious players who want no hassle products, ie It does exactly what it says on the tin, not it might work , but it WILL work.

There is simply no need to knock those who build there own, just let your products speak for themselves

Nice post this.. I wholeheartedly agree. I am myself relatively new start up business although i have been in window cleaning over 6 years, im not in the position to be buying the best for a secondary service so i decided to see if i can DIY it and see if there is a potential to use it properly in the residential market.

Obviously in time i will decide if

a) i have the funds to buy a off the self product

b) i have the custom to see the need to buy an off the self product, be that residential or maybe commercial if that type of job comes in..

This not only refers to a gutter vac it also goes with anything i might need in this job, be it a pole, a system etc..

[matt]

sometimes people DIY because they can, they enjoy it, its a challenge, you can stand back and look at what you have made and think " yes i made that ", i guess the thing with window cleaning is you have no real end product, for me, i miss fitting a kitchen and standing back after 1 week and thinking " a damm fine job "

Oh and some DIY because it seems to get on people nerves on here, its been said before, that people who moan / belittle and complain about the DIY'ers feel they should because they know deep down they paid over the odds of a system off the shelf

the DIY fishing pole for me was all about lightness, my neck hurt, i remmbered Jeff B's pole, he said it was really light, thus i had a go, it solved my neck pain

its not allways because it cheaper

[matt]

Matt
But DIYing can also be theft of intelectual property.
If you were DIY a guttervac for example and companies started making  it in a professional workshops then thats one thing.
But not one of you came up with the concept you just copied exactly even down to my design of the original gutterhead and even chose my original choice of Vac.
In the eyes of the law that is theft.
You can deny it if you like , but it is a legal fact and in a law court I could claim substantual damages and would be awarded them.

i can see your point, i honestly can Glyn

the thing is, this has been going on forever, look at motor-cars, some1 decides to have central locking, they spend the money on R&D and bring it out, now every car has central locking

It could be said that compaines did the same with WFP stuff, tucker started it all off, then others ( inc yourself ) decided to follow

[sageorgeta]

Glyn....i doubt that you invented the guttervac.
I can remeber in Australia,over 10 years ago,a company who used to suck leaves out of gutters in properties located in western australia.I can even remember that they used an industrial vac with a long hose...so does intellectual property rights cover worldwide.
I doubt very much that a person putting a hose on a pole and attaching it to a vac constitutes any law breaking.....
I remember you many moons ago you using the threat of legal action against someone who said they were going to make their own system...what happened then,because as far as i am aware there are many that have done so?

[matt]

Matt
Actually we were there with using purified water before Tucker Pole.
Craig Mowlam originally OTT and now Ionics started in 1997 was using Tucker Poles from the USA for his own window cleaning business whilst at the same time we were using poles from Omnico Inc  with my own  systems.

 Tucker up to that point was being used with soap dispensers.

In February 1998 some  Nat fed members asked me to build some van mounts for them and the rest is history.

Ok Glyn

but you get my point, Ionics were using Tucker poles, now look at them,  and you were using Omnico Inc poles ( who i see you purchased the patents and patterns from them )

from your site though ( i know its not a secret )

yet it seems that  Mr Tom Sedgemore was a little fond of DIY

WATER FED POLE HISTORY

The first water fed pole was built by Tuckerpole almost 50 years ago and is still today a quality product. The Omnipole was created in the mid 1990's by Tom Sedgemore of Seatle Washington USA a lifelong window cleaner who adapted Tuckers original design to suit window cleaners needs using the same high quality aircraft aluminum. Following Toms death Omnipole UK Ltd purchased the Omnico Inc patents and paterns from Tom's wife Bonnie. Omnipole continue to use the aircraft aluminum heavy duty gooseneck and through the brush twin jet system designed by Tom and these have never been surpassed. August 2002 The new PowerPole incorporates the very best of all the poles we have built. together with unique patented multi purpose accesories. Use with the Hot Pole system for the Ultimate in cleaning performance.  Copyright © Omnipole(UK) Ltd.

[henryroberts]

glyn

I know u supply the loncin genny but do u also supply the stephill genny as an alternative  cheers

[sageorgeta]

Sageorgeta
You have the advantage so far as no one could possibly know who you are because you use this name.
You can doubt what you like but  facts are facts.

Also Guttervac operators in Australia and New Zealand walk on roofs and use a blower or a hand held vacumm hose to clean gutters.

Glyn ,maybe some do but i can assure you that a company from Mundaring that were doing gutters on sports halls and other school buildings were using a system based from the ground.Now that was well before your system came about,so as i say i wonder how you can profess to have intellectual rights.
How do i know they were doing this,well i lived there,sawyers valley just outside perth.They were a professional setup with a good looking system for the job...much the same as yours.

[lovewindows]

nessessity is the mother of invention
I would like--- a guttervac/omnivac  with a camera system-- an SL2 60ft-- a jetwash system-- a generator--  etc etc. i cannot afford them all , so i pick and choose and look at all the options available and decide what is best for me and my wallet . I think that is sensible.
the cost of the camera system relative to the vac is high and if i can get a reasonable result from a "maplins" camera for 5% of that cost great ,if not i've lost £40 WOW,
I like others think Glyns "people skills" are not his strongest fort'e and i hope as a potential customer that they do not come between us in the future.

 

[sageorgeta]

Now that was well before your system came about,

Are you saying before 2001? Which is when I developed the system to clean high level ledges on London Underground Stations.
One of the engineers that used us with the system at London Underground returned to Australia in  2003, maybe he took our idea back and developed it into a business.

Yes...i lived in Western Australia in the late nineties.I was living in sawyers valley in 1998 so it would be around that time.
Glyn i am not having a go about your ability to develope products that others want,good on you for that,all i am really questioning is the fact that i have seen this type of system developed before yours and therefore you cannot possibly go on about intellectual property rights.
Maybe the guy you had working for you put the seed of an idea into your head,as he came from OZ he may have seen it or heard about it before,and you developed a system for your company...as i say good on you for your development.

[cleanandshine]

as anyone brought one of the POLE-MOUNTED WEATHERPROOF WIRELESS CAMERA & WIRELESS HAND-HELD MONITOR/RECORDER COMPLETE

[trevor povey]

not yet ...but i,m going to see the man,and have a day out in Southport