Mindstream

[Jeff_H]

The whole testing things IMHO is pretty clear cut. The seven extra tests that you get with the MS cannot be ignored or just so easily dismissed. Even if you already have a controller testing pH, I am pretty sure you also have a backup system to confirm those readings. Same with Salinity and boy with the Apex you really do need a good salinity and temp backup. The mindstream is that backup and it is also remotely accessible.

Then you have CO2 which is something that can plague many aquarium owners and they don't even realize it. Ammonia which is great for knowing how well your tank is dealing with your feeding amounts. Oxygen! Do you know how much a good Oxygen probe costs? I think I spent about $400 on my oxygen probe and module. It is also very useful as it changes drastically if the tank is having issues that don't show up on normal testing. Potassium is another item that you get for your money. How important that is I don't know, but it is there and may be important to people growing expensive SPS corals.

At the end of the day for me it's about all these test and also about the ability to have real time numbers and being able to see cause and effect right in front of me. So those 96 tests a day are worth the extra money versus four.

As for me posting data when I get mine. I am surely going to be doing that as soon as I get a month to play with it and gather enough data to make a meaningful monthly graph.

I wonder how many tanks would have been saved from a crash with the 10 parameters being monitored every 15 minutes. For me, it comes down to an insurance cost that my time, money, and pets are protected from the disaster that will happen at some point.

FWIW: I ordered on July 1st and like others, MS has ghosted me on email and the message I left them today. I hope we hear some good news tomorrow!

 

[Murica]

I wonder how many tanks would have been saved from a crash with the 10 parameters being monitored every 15 minutes. For me, it comes down to an insurance cost that my time, money, and pets are protected from the disaster that will happen at some point.

FWIW: I ordered on July 1st and like others, MS has ghosted me on email and the message I left them today. I hope we hear some good news tomorrow!

Just from everything I’ve read, i don’t think the issue is the actual product, because that looks great. The business itself and product rollout was absolutely terrible, which is why most people are second guessing them.

Believe me, i want to Get one of these things pretty bad. But, there’s a lot of negativity with the company right now which is why ill probably go apex or ghl.

I won’t be buying anything until the spring so I’m hoping the company gets their act together by then because I’m still really nervous ordering one with how things have been

 

[chicago]

July 8th and still no word. Four months.

 

[rushbattle]

July 8th and still no word. Four months.

July 1 orders still not shipped, which I think were from the closed “early order for Kickstarter backers“ period.

 

[robbyg]

July 8th and still no word. Four months.

The Kickstarter orders were done in a private order window a few weeks before the general public could order. I was told that those went out a long time ago. From what I gathered, almost 80% of the public orders came in on July 1st. They got through a chunk of those before things had to be changed. Every ordered filled is another two disks and a commitment to get out another disk each month. They had to focus on fixing the disk production issue quickly.
I was told that once they got past July 1st orders the rest would be very easy to fulfill. I have no idea if that will truly pan out, but I have only have two choices. Wait and keep using my Hanna and Redsea kits or pull out my money and wait until they get their act together and then join the next big line. The money is not an issue for me, but I can understand that for others it might be a problem.

 

[bam123]

The Kickstarter orders were done in a private order window a few weeks before the general public could order. I was told that those went out a long time ago. From what I gathered, almost 80% of the public orders came in on July 1st. They got through a chunk of those before things had to be changed. Every ordered filled is another two disks and a commitment to get out another disk each month. They had to focus on fixing the disk production issue quickly.
I was told that once they got past July 1st orders the rest would be very easy to fulfill. I have no idea if that will truly pan out, but I have only have two choices. Wait and keep using my Hanna and Redsea kits or pull out my money and wait until they get their act together and then join the next big line. The money is not an issue for me, but I can understand that for others it might be a problem.

I am curious if you will get your email update today as you were promised. I know I didn't get my email communication as told last week. Ryan also ghosted me when I asked for a refund.
I am glad you used your Amex card.

 

[bam123]

Ryan from mindstream is in hiding. I am glad I have an email-history. Notified my bank to dispute transaction. Of course, tomorrow I will find out that the mindstream has shipped. THat's how I roll Honestly, I hope mindstream works out. I just can't go along with the ride. The thing I screw up with most is alkalinity as I overshoot frequently. For now, setting up auto-water change with apex and trying the TRITION method (not buying a trident). I don't like the idea of automated dosers based on lab values.

TRITON not trident

 

[TheHarold]

Did anyone get an update?

 

[chicago]

no update yet...silence and questioning when what.. is the situation... can we get at least some honest answers.. I could handle them holding on to the $$.. if they could just post hear and say.. july 1st orders are out. going out ect.. next week expect to ship out July 3rd... I think that would be less of a back lash... if they are revamping to set up for some other means of production on the discs... that is not going to happen over night .. and they need to come forward and let us all know... As more and more weeks go by ... more and more are going to feel that their monies are being used to finance a sinking ship... NOT saying that is going on.. but I am sure it is being thought of..

 

[Oldreefer44]

no update yet...silence and questioning when what.. is the situation... can we get at least some honest answers.. I could handle them holding on to the $$.. if they could just post hear and say.. july 1st orders are out. going out ect.. next week expect to ship out July 3rd... I think that would be less of a back lash... if they are revamping to set up for some other means of production on the discs... that is not going to happen over night .. and they need to come forward and let us all know... As more and more weeks go by ... more and more are going to feel that their monies are being used to finance a sinking ship... NOT saying that is going on.. but I am sure it is being thought of..

I made this exact point to the CEO. Told him that some level of transparency would go a long way towards alleviating some of the angst in the community. He was having none of it.

 

[Silver14SS]

Unfortunately with silence from the company, the public is left to speculate. What are the likely scenarios why a company would refuse to communicate and be transparent with customers who've already paid and potential customers?

Based on how everything has gone over the past 7+ years, how the release has been handled, how the customer service has performed, what is most likely to happen to SAI?

 

[Jeff_H]

Unfortunately with silence from the company, the public is left to speculate. What are the likely scenarios why a company would refuse to communicate and be transparent with customers who've already paid and potential customers?

Based on how everything has gone over the past 7+ years, how the release has been handled, how the customer service has performed, what is most likely to happen to SAI?

Not that I agree with their strategy, but I would say nothing has changed. As you pointed out they only seem to communicate when there is positive news. I'm sure if they were more transparent, some people would just pick apart whatever the issue is and complain about that. I'm not happy about the lack of communication but plan to hold the course given I did purchase July 1st and at one time weeks ago was told mine should ship in the next week. Maybe I'm too optimistic, but I feel like I must be close to the top of the list. That said - It's not like I have an opportunity to buy a Trident today, which was my #2 pick.

 

[rushbattle]

I made this exact point to the CEO. Told him that some level of transparency would go a long way towards alleviating some of the angst in the community. He was having none of it.

Seems like that is common, I made the same exact comments a while ago to Degan, he definitely knows better than the hundreds of people that think they would be best served by and owe to paying customers some more information than silence.

 

[Nacltdog]

My hobby job is design aid and prototype manufacturing. The products tend to come from homegrown/kitchen table, cottage industries. Two of the products I have worked on in the past are vastly different. One product we have in our hobby the other was for the dental industry. With the dental product I have seen firsthand the length of time and the cost associated with receiving a patent, marketing, and then choosing a manufacture for mass production. For this particular product it was a very simple idea that was overlooked that greatly improved the process. For manufacturing there was only a slight difference needed, but it still took months to get right. This was for a simple product . mindStream is a very technical product, production cannot simply be ramped up in a short period of time. Big companies with big budgets have trouble getting new products online and to market, clearly a small company with a much smaller budget can fair no better. My own speculation is that the demand greatly exceeded production capabilities and now there is a mad scramble to rectify the situation. I agree transparency would greatly aid in calming the collective nerves. The problem with transparency is if a company is small, people will lose confidence in their ability to produce. Also if you have a small company it takes many work hours to respond to the plethora of queries that you can receive in one day. Time which could be better spent digging out of a production backlog. For those that have paid money and are nervous, I hardly feel that this is some fly-by-night, vaporware, company. They have invested to much time and probably money. Just keep calm and reef on! We have lasted this long without it, we can last some more. With that said I still want one NOW, heck I have wanted one since they were announced.

 

[adamsfour]

Anyone heard anything from MS. They don’t reply to emails, answer phone or post dead silence

 

[Silver14SS]

[email protected] is an email address that is mentioned in a few other threads, it may be worth trying.

You can try social media as well, pretty quiet over there though...

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[adamsfour]

One person cancels it is 1,000.00. If 10, it is 10,000. 20? You can do the math... I'm not buying the "we didn't expect this much demand" line either. Anyone with half a brain knows the hobby has been anticipating the automated product be it reagent based, disc, or probe. Heck, they could have sat back, ate popcorn, and read all of the trident threads about their demand issues.

They should never have opened orders and they shouldn't have requested money up front if they couldn't fulfill them. That is a executive management decision miscue (and I'm not talking about pool) which very well could have cost them the company. Just my opinion.

Anyone heard anything from MS. They don’t reply to emails, answer phone or post dead silence

 

[SandJ]

I have not received a response for 2 emails I sent in the past week. And those emails were sent when I did not receive a mass email they promised to send out.

 

[adamsfour]

Just tried to call. Got voice mail

 

[User1]

Anyone heard anything from MS. They don’t reply to emails, answer phone or post dead silence

I'm not the right person to ask as I'm not reaching out to them nor ordered one. I can only say based on what few threads I read here on this board that it appears others are having similar issues. They contact via email or phone and do not get a reply or person on the other end of the phone.

I don't know what percentage that breaks down to but a few people have had successful contact. So while I know anecdotal is a trigger word here that is all we have. Few get through, most do not. Take that for what it is worth but I'm really the wrong guy