Renewing the hosting

SSCBen · Post by **SSCBen** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 9:17 pm

Our current hosting expires July 31st. I have enough money to pay for an additional few months at the moment, but only that due to the fact that I had been overzealous in making homemade water guns for the past few months, that is all I can pay for currenty! This is what occurs when your lawn mowing job hasn't been paying as well as you'd like.

We could downgrade our hosting account so I can afford an additional year, but that would put a strain on space and bandwidth (though I'll do it if I have to). A year is the cheapest option per month, so I'd prefer that.

I don't have a PayPal account, but if you would like to help us out, please send anything you can to my father's PayPal account: mtrettel@adelphia.net

Let me know via PM or email that you have sent something and I could upgrade your account here or give you some small email or web hosting as a token of my appreciation.

Now for the precursor to the SSC store...

I also am considering selling some of my APH water guns. I have two dual-chamber ones much like the one in our guide, and a smaller single chamber one with approximately just as much power. I also likely won't be using my repaired CPS 27000 often. All water guns have at least the amount of power of a CPS 2000. In this thread, let me know if you'd be interested in buying any of those water guns because I'd be glad to get rid of them.

The APH water guns cost at least $50 to make (except for the smaller one which was cheaper), so I'll take the best offer over that. Shipping will be however much you'd like (I'll use the cheapest, slow option if you'd like). As for the CPS 27000, I don't care too much for the pricing as long as it's over $30.

I'll also sell some LRT at this point, but I only have two feet currently if I remember correctly. Prices will be $4 a foot (McMaster lists it currently as $2.62, but I recall getting mine for a higher price). Great deal if you can't buy it online. 6 inches is enough for at least a liter and half of capacity.

Hopefully my money problem will be resolved as quickly as possible with this many options. The SSC store in the future should provide for the hosting in its profits.

joannaardway · Post by **joannaardway** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 10:08 am

Gah. Just another reason I want to get Paypal - but I'm still living in the dark ages here.

DX · Post by DX » Fri Jul 21, 2006 9:48 pm

I so call that LRT, both feet of it. Well, that is if no one else buys it by early August. If so, I'll pay at the Regional War [saves the hassle of shipping] plus a little something for SSCentral's hosting.

SSCBen · Post by **SSCBen** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 10:31 pm

Checking the LRT, it seems I have four feet instead of the two I thought I had before. Seems I bought five feet instead of three. Drenchenator wants a foot, so there are three feet in total. Would you still be interested in all three feet Duxburian?

I also have nine inches of a previously used and thinned tube that I will sell for a cheap $1.50. Good for messing around with and getting used to the feel of the tubing. This tube also was used in the original CPH two years ago, and has shot water over 60 feet (albeit with layering).

There also is a barely used 6 1/2 inch tube that I'll also sell for $1.50.

Right now I'm also considering selling CPH water guns exactly like the one I finished just recently. These are cheap, perform great, are rock solid, and I can push out a lot of them quickly. I'm still thinking about the price however.

DX · Post by DX » Fri Jul 21, 2006 11:15 pm

I'll still take all 3 feet unless someone else really needs that third foot. Or if someone wants to buy before August 12th, as I would really rather make the exchange at the Regional War than through the mail. I'm also interested in the used tube, since I can easily spare $1.50. I was indeed dirt broke until recently, but now I've got the huge windfall from my paycheck.

ZOCCOZ · Post by **ZOCCOZ** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 2:58 am

I would like to buy an APH. I will likely have a full time job soon, so my chances of ever trying building an APH is minimal. Even modding now is no longer very likely. Plus side to that, I will likely have a full time job soon and I might buy 2 APHs. My offer would be $60 each for the two Dual chambered ones. ($120 total).

If the single chambered one has as much PC volume as the others, I might get that APH over one of the dual ones instead. My offer for the single one would be $50. How does the single chamber compare to the dual chamber in shot time and pumps?

[Edit]: Do the APHs come with their hoses?

SSCBen · Post by **SSCBen** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 2:18 pm

I've decided only to sell one of my dual-chamber ones, mainly due to the fact that I intend to keep one for use in the article on the website. I will sell the first one I made - the one featured in the APH guide. While it does have some personal value to me, I'd rather see it get used. Since I made my one with slightly larger PCs, I haven't used the original.

The single chamber one has approximately half of the PC volume as the others. That should mean it has half the shot time and half the pumps. However, you must realize that this is still far from a small PC - about 800 mL.

You will get the tube to connect to a backpack and a few threaded nozzles I'll prepare for you. The pump has been removed to be used in another water gun, so I will have to construct a new one (no problem, just a trip to the hardware store). The new pump will be constructed from wood. Years ago I didn't think wood would be able to work well, but in reality wood is the perfect material. Strong, light, cheap, and expands when wet to create a great seal.

No backpack will be offered. I can however look to see if I can make an adaptor to connect to another Super Soaker backpack.

$60 and $50 sounds good too. I'll wait a bit for a better offer however. That and another offer underway should be more than enough to pay for the hosting.

ZOCCOZ · Post by **ZOCCOZ** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 8:58 pm

Sounds good. One thing with the wood pump, wouldn't the wood eventualy rott from the water? Or is it similar to the saulted dry wood that is usulay at a beach?

SSCBen · Post by **SSCBen** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 9:44 pm

The wood shouldn't rot because there's not any real way for air to get to the wet part.

Admittedly, I don't know too much about wood rot. If the rod breaks though, simply ask and I'll send you another one.

DX · Post by DX » Sat Jul 22, 2006 10:02 pm

I've used wooden rods from the beginning. They only rot if your seal is not perfect. AKA, if you use duct tape instead of an o-ring. Being very brief because there's another huge storm coming in, the last one knocked out my power for an hour. I was at Home Depot during the first one and had to wait for all the lightning to stop before running across the parking lot to the car.

The lightning was so close that it shook the house, and it is again now.

ZOCCOZ · Post by **ZOCCOZ** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 10:18 pm

Duxburian wrote:I've used wooden rods from the beginning. They only rot if your seal is not perfect. AKA, if you use duct tape instead of an o-ring.

Ben wrote:The wood shouldn't rot because there's not any real way for air to get to the wet part.

Admittedly, I don't know too much about wood rot. If the rod breaks though, simply ask and I'll send you another one.

In that case, wooden pumps sound alright by me

. Well, I guess at this moment I will now have to wait if there are other offers. If not, $60+$50 it is then.

On a sidenote, any chances in the future that there will be a custom APH store on SSCentral?

Spinner · Post by **Spinner** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 3:59 pm

What is the target figure and how close to reaching that target are we?

SSCBen · Post by **SSCBen** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 5:37 pm

For a full year of hosting, we'll need $107.45. Six months is $55.49. When I started this thread, I had $30 spare left.

Right now I have $80 total including a $15 donation someone has made (at least that's what my father has told me). Thanks to whoever sent that donation (I'm sorry about not being able to respond at the moment as well - that's not my email address!). We're over the six month point right now and another six months is not substantially more expensive than a full year would be. We're doing well at the moment.

One I get ZOCCOZ's two water guns ready, we should have plenty more as well.

SSCBen · Post by **SSCBen** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 1:31 am

Right now I've decided to just do the 6-month hosting plan until we get some more money. Thanks to those who donated.

Store plans are looking good now. My original price for a powerful CPS water gun was around $80 - 90, but now I think I can sell one for $70 and still make a good profit. A few things, such as the PC casing I used, are far too expensive and cheaper options are definitely available. Replacing the PC case with ABS pipe saves about $10 and weighs less as well. That's the only change I made to the design so far for mass production.

Silence · Post by **Silence** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 2:17 am

But let's not forget that a *$70* price tag on, for heaven's sake, a water gun could still provide a ton of cold sticker shock for customers hearing about or just passing by this site--and I believe we're still trying to appeal to those people. Much work can still be done to reinforce the initial thought that homemades are more powerful than conventional soakers are.

Anyway, good luck with the store when it goes online.