How long do you think until we have those SIP sockets in our hands?
Short answer: I have no idea.
Long answer: SIP sockets are going to get ordered the moment I've confirmed the shipment of LEDs has left China so they arrive at roughly the same time. The first thing I'm doing when everything is in hand is sorting and counting out LEDs. Given the size of the LED order I expect this to take 7-10 days of realtime (actual sorting can only happen in evenings or on days off work). Once the LEDs are sorted, I'll start sorting SIP sockets. It shouldn't take much time at all since they come in long sticks.
Once everything is sorted, I'll send the big big order. Then I'll bag international orders for hwood34 to double check and send. After the big order and international orders are out, I'll parcel the US orders as quickly as I'm able. Depending on how well the sorting phase goes, this should take a maximum of 7 days realtime. Tracking numbers will be PM'd to participants when their order is parceled. The post office is close by so I usually get things dropped off the day after they're packed.
So from the LED arrival date the process should be
9 - 12 days sorting
1 - 2 days prepping large and international orders
4 - 7 days shipping US orders
2 - 4 days in US Post
Total 16 - 25 days from the day I receive LEDs. The vendor should be shipping LEDs this week. I'll update everyone with that info when I have it.
Disclaimer: I have made up all the numbers above based on enthusiasm and past experience counting and sorting thousands of coins by hand. They are not a "schedule" and far from guaranteed. You can expect regular updates during the sorting process of similar detail and regularity as I posted during the ordering and collection phase of this group buy.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Wouldn't a gram scale with a piece count feature save you more hassle than what the scale costs? That's just a ridiculous amount of counting to be done by hand.
Ooh yeah, I might just do that. I kinda forgot these existed. As a computer person I'm naturally distrustful of tech that uses side effects to perform a task, but it might work really well. I'll go nab one and test it out.
Id assume it would be pretty accurate. As long as you got one that has resolution to at least the hundredth of a gram.
Do you have any recommendations? There seems to be a lot of different price points.
the piece count feature would just be a luxury option i would assume. I own gram and milligram scales, I'll weigh out some leds right now. it should be as easy as getting the weigh of one piece, 10 pieces, etc and doing the math yourself. a decent gram scale would then run you around $20 from amazon.
Ok, so I just weighed out some LEDs that I have. They are 3mm round flangless LEDs I ordered from China.
The LEDs weigh .156 grams each, very consistent. (weighed with a milligram scale). I also used my gram scale to weigh these out that only has tenths for a resolution. Counting out a known number of LEDs and weighing it with the less accurate scale will produce a +/- 1 or 2 error rate most times. Getting a scale that has resolution to the hundredth will pretty much eliminate the error.
The only problem is when you buy milligram scales, they can only weigh like 20 grams total. So whatever you are weighing the LEDs in will take away from the total weigh-able amount. For example a 9 oz plastic cup weighs 4.5 grams. 200 of my round LEDs weigh roughly 31 grams. You can get away with using a scale that has a resolution to the hundredth and has a capacity of about 100 grams, and they are cheap $10-20 on amazon or ebay, just be sure to get one with a nice sized weighing platform you can place like a Solo cup on that will hold your LEDs to be weighed. Add in an LED or two for good measure on an order if you have a little padding, and it will save you 1 week of counting hell.
Hopefully these will be bagged in 1000 qty, 500, 100, etc by the supplier. I doubt you'll receive a huge sack of each color with the number ordered all together, but who knows. Either way, you have some work ahead of you, and I thank you again for putting this together.