The Mindstream is DEAD!! I'm getting mine soon!
- Thread starter Daniel@R2R
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Oscaror
Back In It
THIS IS THE BEST NEWS I HAVE READ SINCE I JOINED THIS WEBSITEI won the Mindstream at MACNA back in 2015, and the wait has been long, but I'm super excited to announce that Step Ahead Innovation is now sending out the units to those of us who won raffles and backed them on kickstarter! I've got my order in, and I'll be stoked to be one of the first to receive a working unit! The report is that the Mindstream will soon be available for purchase to everyone!
Just wanted to share my good news!
I can appreciate the time and effort put into this. the cost of the research and development must be astronomical.
But I think I will pass.
I don't care for their business plan and Its way to proprietary for my taste.
Cool tech though.
But I think I will pass.
I don't care for their business plan and Its way to proprietary for my taste.
Cool tech though.
bms270
Community Member
What I am wondering about products like Mindstream and Trident is the benefit of continuously testing these parameters. Anyone with a little chemistry knowledge will tell you that none of these parameters are going to change in such short period of time significantly enough that can justify such frequent testing. Even when you dose or change water, still you should wait at least 24 hours for the water parameters to get stable to have an accurate reading. I feel the lack of ability to make these devices perform on demand tests forces them to perform such frequent useless testing which would force consumers to buy reagents or disks. Anyways, unless you are not physically available to check your tank, I do not see much of a point in using them.
As an early adopter I have no faith in mainstream.
Idea was really cool in 2014-15, however far too many things changed since then and competition became much stronger and from reputable companies. Price is quite steep and I dont quite see how they can stay in business for very long since it's the only product they offer and very little to no support.
Their only hope is for some bigger fish to buy them out and streamline the product as I fear the device has a very high potential of becoming a $1000 bricked display puck...
Cool product in theory and I really hope I'm wrong because I really like the competition.
Idea was really cool in 2014-15, however far too many things changed since then and competition became much stronger and from reputable companies. Price is quite steep and I dont quite see how they can stay in business for very long since it's the only product they offer and very little to no support.
Their only hope is for some bigger fish to buy them out and streamline the product as I fear the device has a very high potential of becoming a $1000 bricked display puck...
Cool product in theory and I really hope I'm wrong because I really like the competition.
That is scary when you put it that wayThat is my understanding. After 30 days, they brick your $1000 device.
I would actually prefer a pure subscription “rental” model were both the disk and the unit are included in the price. No upfront risk, bit more expensive long term but good for them as well. At least in my mind that is better from a risk point of view.
Kaba
Community Member
So I've used this technology out in the field before, and over time the sensors will become less accurate because of growth obscuring the light needed for the reading. But that varies greatly. I've put things out in a bay and the next day they are covered in bivalve spat. And I've had things out for 3 months in a spring that come back clean as can be. The rotating part has a wiper and will wipe all the sensors before each reading, but that doesn't stop growth, only slows it a bit. From what I understand (and last I heard explained from them) what that the recommended replacement time is 30 days, but you are able to go longer depending on your individual tank. I don't think it will kick you out after a month. The code is needed because each individual disc is factory calibrated, and those codes correspond to constants and multipliers that much be included in the parameter calculations for that individual disc, so you can get the most accurate reading you can.
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2015
- Messages
- 6,514
- Reaction score
- 6,511
Just looking at Mindstreams product page and noticed this at the bottom, "MindStream Monitor is designed to operate 5 years before needing factory servicing". I couldn't find any other details about that. Anyone know why the servicing is required?
Forsaken77
Valuable Member
It sounds like the printer and ink deal.
Coastie Reefer
Valuable Member
A grand, then $400+ a year in subscription fees. I’m not even remotely that cr... I mean lazy.
Too expensive! I send water to Triton every 3 months at $50./test. $200./year. No subscriptions! More results like iodine and trace. I test alk, ca, mg pretty easily with Hanna testers. Thus again, too expensive for being just a pacifier without providing a fraction of the water chemistry needed to have success in this hobby. Thumbs down!
ZoWhat
7500 Club Member
On disk replacements.... pretty sure their Marketing Dept worked with their Engineering Dept to insure a REVENUE STREAM from every user.
A biz will not survive if all you sell is a one time purchase hoping your customer returns for their 2nd purchase in 5yrs.
Why do you think Neptune Apex is now pushing HARD, their own line of consumables??? R e v e n u e S t r e a m
Every biz looks for a consumable where their customer is tied into a monthly revenue
I'm SHOCKED all Salt Mix Mfgrs like IO, Red Sea, Fritz havent all colluded together to put 12MOS EXPIRATION DATES on their salt to force Reseller and Consumers to have to sell / use the salt within 9-12mos before some ADDITIVE they added to the mix makes the salt ROCK HARD and unusable after a year. That would move some salt.....while increasing their profits
To Mfgrs its all about moving "Units" backed by a consumable revenue stream.
Not hating on Mfgrs for that.... it's just the reality of biz.
.
Last edited:
reef_ranch
Well-Known Member
I just ordered mine! Super excited to use it to monitor my tank!! It's not cheap, but considering the money I've spent on 1" frags, pumps, lights and other equipment, the buy in and 35/mo. is worth it to me. It should be the easiest of all the monitors to run and hopefully will replace my ph and (horrible) salinity probes, monitor the big three and for the first time monitor CO2 potassium and ammonia.
I've been waiting for this since the kickstarter campaign and have been following it since then, including getting updates at each MACNA. They had to solve a number of issues, including effectively cleaning the disk with a little rubber brush (I don't think algae growth is an issue at all, the disk is protected from the light and is cleaned either before, after or both with each test). The toughest nut to crack was the CO2 measure which allows the carbonate alkalinity calculation. Perfecting that test is huuge.
I've been waiting for this since the kickstarter campaign and have been following it since then, including getting updates at each MACNA. They had to solve a number of issues, including effectively cleaning the disk with a little rubber brush (I don't think algae growth is an issue at all, the disk is protected from the light and is cleaned either before, after or both with each test). The toughest nut to crack was the CO2 measure which allows the carbonate alkalinity calculation. Perfecting that test is huuge.
doodledreads
Active Member
Well, time to start saving up again :|
Yes I agree with you, all manufacturers need the after market sales. The difference here is the ability to brick the device and render it useless. The rest can't and so far have not done such a thing.
lexinverts
Well-Known Member
They state that a monthly subscription is part of the deal when you buy it.
It's kind of like buying a dish and then paying for a subscription for dish network or direct tv. If you stop paying your subscription, they will cut you off.
The difference with this (other than what it is being used for) is that the initial purchase is much more expensive. Given that they invested $7 million into developing the product and it's new technology, they apparently can't give you the device itself cheaply.
https://www.vermonttechnologyallian...undbreaking-Water-Technology-to-Consumers.htm
Like others here have stated, I hope that once this has been out there for a while the price on the device itself, or that of a competitor, brings the price down for this kind of service. As an example, I believe that Seneye has been talking about offering an alkalinity monitor with a subscriptioon
Yes I agree with you, just like a satellite service, except that with satellite you don't purchase the box and turn it in when you cancel.
If the box has a problem then its replaced.
Will this be the same? or do you need to buy the next unit at $1000.00.
Or when the next generation comes out will we be buying a second unit, and the first sits uselessly on the shelf?
I will not say never here but until I deem it a bit more fair to the consumer its a no go for me, especially on a new virtually untested device.
I am a business owner myself and understand the need of having to recoup the capital spent bringing a product to market, and paying that debt back before profit is obtained. This is a small market and the consumer base will have to pay that price.
I am thinking that in this case the outlay of capitol versus the potential return is way out of balance.
When its that far out of balance well we know what happens.
I don't know how many reefers are out their on the whole, and what percentage of them would or will ever purchase such a unit.
7000 plus units would have to be sold to break even. Sounds like a small number, but in this hobby and for this product that's a very large number.
Opus
2500 Club Member
Don't expect them to do that. Other than trade shows and the occasional post about how great their product will be they have been non existent since announcing their product. Hope their CS is better after launch.
As has already been stated in this thread, they have a lot of money to recoup and who knows how much time to do it in. If Australia is shut down in the next year or 2 as many expect then this hobby could be be shrinking and getting even more expensive.
Similar threads
