We set out to create the ultimate back light - focusing on performance, safety and simplicity.
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
Hi guys,
Coming to you with a brief shipping update. In my last message we gave backers the option to either A) receive their Burner right away or B) wait for the next iteration with modified control panel. The majority of you responded, which is incredible, thank you! And the results were also very interesting - 15% of you said you wanted your light right away, with 85% opting to wait for the next generation.
Those who opted for option A) should either have received their light or be expecting it next few days. While the charge connection on these lights is slightly more fiddly than on the next modified batch, the rest of the light still performs brilliantly. New customer and retailer feedback on these Burners truly has been extremely positive, and it is this version of the light that is currently in early retail stores.
Meanwhile, the majority of the new modified control panels, which will improve the charge connection for all lights going forward, have now been made and are being dispatched to us over the weekend. These control panels will then be built into new lights (at a rate of 200 a day) and begin shipping from the end of next week. As ever you will receive a personalised dispatch email with a tracker number to keep an eye on your delivery.
If you were in one of the very first batch of backers and would like exchange your light, please hold on to it for a couple more weeks until we have stock to provide replacement. We will be getting in touch when ready! We are also working on a better and easier paid return postage solution for you.
That’s it for now. We greatly appreciate your patience, participation and support with this! I'm extremely excited to begin getting Burners back out into backers hands again!
With thanks as ever,
Emily + Team Blaze.
Hi all,
As you may all be aware, the first batch of 500 lights were shipped two weeks ago and four major issues have been highlighted. I am going to briefly outline what these issues are and then what’s being done to resolve them.
1. Final 3 charge indicator lights not lighting to show 100% charged.
2. On super-bright mode, a few lights are turning off after approx 20 minutes.
3. The charge connection is too fiddly and weak.
4. The light is able to rotate while in its bracket.
1. The final 3 indicator lights are not lighting up on a full charge because this was an error in a line of the code – it is technically near impossible for the light to reach true ‘100%’ charge. In a normal use case the numerical limit of a ‘full charge’ is a lot lower and the code has now been corrected to reflect this. The lights will now show ‘fully charged’ when the battery is functionally full.
2. 20 minute cut out. This was a safety feature built into the light so that if a Burner ever got too hot internally, it would turn off to protect the PCB. In real life use, this is only reached in its brightest, constant setting (and often in warmer environments – Eg. on a desk, not outside on a bike with air flowing over it). The limit for this was overcautious and set too low in error. It has now been changed and raised to reflect the temperature the light can in fact handle. We are now working to change the code so that if the light does ever turn off for thermal protection, it switches into a less power hungry mode, instead of completely off. We have only seen this in a very small number of Burners, which could be due to the sensitivity of these individual lights, but the changes we're making will ensure that it's not an issue going forward in any lights. If you’re one of the first to receive a Burner, we shall be resolving your light too.
3. The cable connection. This is the same cable that we use with the Laserlight, we have increased the strength of the magnet but otherwise it is the same cable. The problem is with the fit with the connectors. Although your light does charge, and even if it hopefully won’t need charging again for a couple of months, we agree the connection on these first lights is too fiddly and the cable is too easily knocked off. We agree this needs changing and have found solutions that involve a rework on the charge pins on either the cable or on the light. Eitehr vastly improve the magnetic connection, allowing you to gently pull the light across the desk by its cable and for the cable to automatically locate itself onto its pins. I do not currently have all the information on the timelines for these reworks but it will be done for all lights going forward. If you’re one of the first to receive a Burner, we shall be resolving your light too.
4. The ‘spinning’ lights – we believe there are two issues here: A light that can rotate and a light that spins freely. The former sees a light which if knocked or taken over very bumpy road, can move from it’s original position by the end of a ride. While we appreciate people find this annoying and the light may need straightening, the light is still firmly held and will not detach from your bike. Compounding this problem is that these first 500 lights had a rework where the magnetic sockets were individually machined further down (as mentioned in earlier update), which makes the connection looser and this rotation more likely. This process is no longer necessary and we fully expect the next batch to have a snugger connection and to see minimal rotation.
From this point the redesign and manufacturing and supply chain changes and testing necessary to reintroduce the pins is likely going to be too lengthy to include now, however we are exploring if this is an option. As background, the decision to allow the light to rotate beyond fixed vertical or horizontal, was in part to allow it to work with the saddle mounts that we had created due Kickstarter backers' request.
The second issue under this title sees a light being able to ‘spin freely’ in its bracket. We are only aware of two lights like this. We would ask these people to send their light back to us immediately. This affected a couple of the very first lights out the door, due to the connecting screw not having the specified amount of Loctite glue. This was immediately flagged and was corrected going onwards into production. So if your light is also doing this, please get in touch via [email protected] straight away.
- The light turning off in car headlights. This is only possible if a headlight is directly shining onto a Burner for a drawn out period of time – likely stationary at traffic lights (as there is an extended lag time before switch off). As soon as the car moves away and the light is returned to ‘darkness’, it will switch back on. In the above mentioned changes to the code, we have also taken the opportunity to amend the length of time required for the light to turn off, preventing this from happening.
- We fully appreciate how irritating this is for those awaiting their lights, please do not believe this is due to any lack of respect, but an uncomfortable yet necessary business decision. We never envisaged shipping lights this late in the season, we had conversations with retailers back in March and are now contractually obliged to deliver them lights. However, we delivered the absolute minimum we could get away with – one or two per store, so they could at least see the product and allocate shelf space for a few weeks’ time, once the bike light season had started and Kickstarter had been delivered. These lights are 20-40% more expensive (depending if you’re an early bird) in retail and now that obligation has been fulfilled, our complete focus is back on sorting the above issues and making as many lights as possible.
We will be offering a replacement light to all backers who have already received their Burner and are seeing one or any of the above issues. If you have not yet received your light, we are committing to resolve these issues and sending you a fully functioning light. We are working around the clock to fix these issues and deliver you a light with problems resolved and have come a long way in 2 weeks. The software changes have largely already all been made, it is the mechanical issues will take longer and we are working on a revised time line for this now.
For those of you who already have a light, we ask that as long as you’re not riding with it in ‘Bright Steady’ for lengthy periods, to keep riding with it if you want to. It does still work, it will charge fully (if fiddly), it will stay in its bracket... and so we ask you to hold onto it for now. We will be in touch with you all once we have new lights with problems solved. We will then ask if those with existing lights want a replacement and will pay for return postage. Just to reiterate, please do not return your light back to us, unless we have explicitly asked you individually to do so.
That’s it for now. I am so sorry these issues have occurred. Believe us we are doing all we can to resolve them as quickly as possible and we will be back in touch later this week, as soon as we have more detail on timelines.
Emily + Team Blaze.
Hello hello our trailblazing Burner backers!!
The day hath arrived. Thank you for your patience.
The first batch of 500 Burners LEFT THE FACTORY last week, they’re now also leaving our kitting and fulfilment partners and should start arriving on peoples’ doorsteps from Monday!! Our assembly partners in the UK can assemble and test 1,000 Burners a week – we’re now drafting extra resource and working to increase that considerably. But from Monday through October, your lights will start arriving!
Last minute hurdles:
Anyway, we got there in the end, thank you!! We are so excited that after MONTHS of such hard work, lights are finally now beginning to wing their way to you!!
Many of you are asking which batch you are in and specifically when you can expect your light.... As there are well over 2,000 of you, unfortunately this is impossible to do… You will all receive a personal dispatch email, with a tracking number when your light is on its way.
As a ROUGH rule of thumb: UK backers can expect their lights first, as obviously have the least distance to travel and then otherwise they are going out roughly in the order people backed. Exceptions to this rule are the less popular colour choices (greys), as these casings were made last, the more complicated special bracket choices, people living very far away and those people being grumpy on the comments page (joking!)
Next time you hear from me, many of you should already be receiving your lights, and then I CANNOT WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU!! Although this has been a complicated process, we are still SO proud of this product and we are so excited for it to finally be in your hands.
Thank you for your patience while we endeavour to get the very best we can possibly create to you.
Enjoy! And thanks and love as ever,
Emily & Team Blaze
