MKV Yaw String??

[Glen Kelley[_2_]]

Haven't seen any sign of bumper in a while and wondering if the MKx is still available.

[BravoCharlie]

On Mar 7, 9:17*pm, Glen Kelley > wrote:
> Haven't seen any sign of bumper in a while and wondering if the MKx is still available.

I want one too and Bumper's last email address posted here bounces.

[Gary Boggs]

He's taken all that money he was making on the high tech device and
disappeared?

[Fred[_5_]]

Ask him about his new tractor. He doesn't even come to lunch any
more!

If his email bounces try replacing "verizon" with "frontier"

Fred

[Bruno[_2_]]

The major USA gliding retailers all troll this group...Bumper has some
really cool stuff (and is a super nice guy) and if he is now too busy
to keep handling the one-off sales, maybe one of you need to carry his
couple of products more as a public service than as a huge money
maker. I would be happy to purchase both of his most current products
for 50% more from one of you if I could get them from you. Yes, you
won't make a lot of money but you now have a gliding customer on the
phone and all of you are great at the upsell. I love my yaw string
and vent silencer from bumper. So gliding retailers which of you can
help us out? :)

Bruno - B4 (now 12 hours into trying to get the o-ring back into the
back of the pitot tube...)

[Steve Rathbun]

At 22:10 08 March 2011, Bruno wrote:
I love my yaw string
>and vent silencer from bumper.


Me too.

I ordered a replacement one from him just last December.

His E-mail at that time was

bumperjm(at)gmail.com
R5

[Paul Remde]

Hi,

I talked with Bumper about selling his great products at least once. I'd
need to sell them for at least 2x his price because he couldn't offer any
discount, and I don't want to lose money on the deal after paying for
shipping them to me. It just didn't didn't make sense to me. Low cost
items are tough to sell profitably because it takes just as long to process
a $5 order as it does to process a $100 order. It's hard to justify making
a $2 profit for 10 minutes of order processing work, plus inventory carrying
costs... But I'll look into it again. I'd love to sell his products, but
don't want to lose money doing so.

Best Regards,

Paul Remde
Cumulus Soaring, Inc.

"Bruno" > wrote in message
...
> The major USA gliding retailers all troll this group...Bumper has some
> really cool stuff (and is a super nice guy) and if he is now too busy
> to keep handling the one-off sales, maybe one of you need to carry his
> couple of products more as a public service than as a huge money
> maker. I would be happy to purchase both of his most current products
> for 50% more from one of you if I could get them from you. Yes, you
> won't make a lot of money but you now have a gliding customer on the
> phone and all of you are great at the upsell. I love my yaw string
> and vent silencer from bumper. So gliding retailers which of you can
> help us out? :)
>
> Bruno - B4 (now 12 hours into trying to get the o-ring back into the
> back of the pitot tube...)

[bumper[_4_]]

On Mar 8, 9:08*pm, "Paul Remde" > wrote:
*It's hard to justify making
> a $2 profit for 10 minutes of order processing work, plus inventory carrying
> costs... *But I'll look into it again. *I'd love to sell his products, but
> don't want to lose money doing so.

> Best Regards,
>
> Paul Remde
> Cumulus Soaring, Inc.


Soaring is fortunate to have dedicated retailers like Paul (who
specializes in "value added"!). He can strive to provide every product
a soaring pilot might desire, but at day's end he has to turn a
profit. I understand his dilemma and why it makes little sense to
offer a $12 MKIV that costs almost that in quantity.

The MKIV yaw string is just a little thing, and no matter how nice
(way better than tape and yarn), I think there's a limit to perceived
value and what a pilot would pay*. That's balanced against the time
and over two dozen operations required to make one. So far it's been
only word of mouth and the occassional post - - no paid advertizing.
It's mostly to keep it a fun hobby, sharing my inventions while
limiting time demands. I've been thinking of delegating and teaching
my daughter-in-law how to make them, but QC makes it hard to "let go".

* I've had pilots order several MKIV's, and when asked why so many,
they often say they are gifts for others at their club or field.
Sometimes they allow as to how they're spares in case "something"
happens to me - - that always makes me smile . . . I mean, how do they
KNOW I live on the ragged shakey edge?

Gavin told me there's an enterprising young lad selling a copy of my
Quiet Vent in NZ to help pay his way through school. And, he's selling
them for more that I do . . . even with the extra dollar I charge for
shipping overseas! Marketing is clearly not my forte.

Thanks for the complements!

bumper

the gmail address will work, my main email is

bumper m at frontier period com

[Dan Marotta]

On Mar 8, 11:51*pm, bumper > wrote:
> On Mar 8, 9:08*pm, "Paul Remde" > wrote:
> *It's hard to justify making
>
> > a $2 profit for 10 minutes of order processing work, plus inventory carrying
> > costs... *But I'll look into it again. *I'd love to sell his products, but
> > don't want to lose money doing so.
> > Best Regards,
>
> > Paul Remde
> > Cumulus Soaring, Inc.
>
> Soaring is fortunate to have dedicated retailers like Paul (who
> specializes in "value added"!). He can strive to provide every product
> a soaring pilot might desire, but at day's end he has to turn a
> profit. I understand his dilemma and why it makes little sense to
> offer a $12 MKIV that costs almost that in quantity.
>
> The MKIV yaw string is just a little thing, and no matter how nice
> (way better than tape and yarn), I think there's a limit to perceived
> value and what a pilot would pay*. That's balanced against the time
> and over two dozen operations required to make one. So far it's been
> only word of mouth and the occassional post - - no paid advertizing.
> It's mostly to keep it a fun hobby, sharing my inventions while
> limiting time demands. I've been thinking of delegating and teaching
> my daughter-in-law how to make them, but QC makes it hard to "let go".
>
> * I've had pilots order several MKIV's, and when asked why so many,
> they often say they are gifts for others at their club or field.
> Sometimes they allow as to how they're spares in case "something"
> happens to me - - that always makes me smile . . . I mean, how do they
> KNOW I live on the ragged shakey edge?
>
> Gavin told me there's an enterprising young lad selling a copy of my
> Quiet Vent in NZ to help pay his way through school. And, he's selling
> them for more that I do . . . even with the extra dollar I charge for
> shipping overseas! Marketing is clearly not my forte.
>
> Thanks for the complements!
>
> bumper
>
> the gmail address will work, my main email is
>
> bumper m at frontier period com

Having been away from the sport for 10 years (out of my control), I'm
unfamiliar with these products but since you don't appear to be
working with a profit motive, would you consider publishing drawings
or directions for making these products? Maybe someone else would
make them or anyone wanting one could make it for himself.

[Cliff Hilty[_4_]]

Got to say Bumper really is a class act! I ordered one a few years ago with
a quiet vent and I almost imediately got it caught on the canopy cleaning
rag and pulled it off twice. It wasn't sticking very well after that and
blew away on the next flight. I suggested to Bumper that he might round
the front point on it so it wouldn't get caught in the rag so easily. He
thanked me for the advise and sent me a new one for no charge! Well
Bumper, I rounded that one slightly and its been on now for several years
:) and the white one is great! Thanks!

Cliff Hilty (CH) Ventus B




At 14:21 09 March 2011, Dan Marotta wrote:
>On Mar 8, 11:51=A0pm, bumper wrote:
>> On Mar 8, 9:08=A0pm, "Paul Remde" wrote:
>> =A0It's hard to justify making
>>
>> > a $2 profit for 10 minutes of order processing work, plus inventory
>car=
>rying
>> > costs... =A0But I'll look into it again. =A0I'd love to sell his
>produc=
>ts, but
>> > don't want to lose money doing so.
>> > Best Regards,
>>
>> > Paul Remde
>> > Cumulus Soaring, Inc.
>>
>> Soaring is fortunate to have dedicated retailers like Paul (who
>> specializes in "value added"!). He can strive to provide every
product
>> a soaring pilot might desire, but at day's end he has to turn a
>> profit. I understand his dilemma and why it makes little sense to
>> offer a $12 MKIV that costs almost that in quantity.
>>
>> The MKIV yaw string is just a little thing, and no matter how nice
>> (way better than tape and yarn), I think there's a limit to perceived
>> value and what a pilot would pay*. That's balanced against the time
>> and over two dozen operations required to make one. So far it's been
>> only word of mouth and the occassional post - - no paid advertizing.
>> It's mostly to keep it a fun hobby, sharing my inventions while
>> limiting time demands. I've been thinking of delegating and teaching
>> my daughter-in-law how to make them, but QC makes it hard to "let
go".
>>
>> * I've had pilots order several MKIV's, and when asked why so many,
>> they often say they are gifts for others at their club or field.
>> Sometimes they allow as to how they're spares in case "something"
>> happens to me - - that always makes me smile . . . I mean, how do they
>> KNOW I live on the ragged shakey edge?
>>
>> Gavin told me there's an enterprising young lad selling a copy of my
>> Quiet Vent in NZ to help pay his way through school. And, he's
selling
>> them for more that I do . . . even with the extra dollar I charge for
>> shipping overseas! Marketing is clearly not my forte.
>>
>> Thanks for the complements!
>>
>> bumper
>>
>> the gmail address will work, my main email is
>>
>> bumper m at frontier period com
>
>Having been away from the sport for 10 years (out of my control), I'm
>unfamiliar with these products but since you don't appear to be
>working with a profit motive, would you consider publishing drawings
>or directions for making these products? Maybe someone else would
>make them or anyone wanting one could make it for himself.
>

[Grider Pirate]

On Mar 9, 7:40*am, Cliff Hilty > wrote:
> Got to say Bumper really is a class act! I ordered one a few years ago with
> a quiet vent and I almost imediately got it caught on the canopy cleaning
> rag and pulled it off twice. It wasn't sticking very well after that and
> blew away on the next flight. I suggested to Bumper that he might round
> the front point on it so it wouldn't get caught in the rag so easily. He
> thanked me for the advise and sent me a new one for no charge! Well
> Bumper, I rounded that one slightly and its been on now for several years
> :) and the white one is great! Thanks!
>
> Cliff Hilty (CH) Ventus B
>
> At 14:21 09 March 2011, Dan Marotta wrote:
>
>
>
> >On Mar 8, 11:51=A0pm, bumper *wrote:
> >> On Mar 8, 9:08=A0pm, "Paul Remde" *wrote:
> >> =A0It's hard to justify making
>
> >> > a $2 profit for 10 minutes of order processing work, plus inventory
> >car=
> >rying
> >> > costs... =A0But I'll look into it again. =A0I'd love to sell his
> >produc=
> >ts, but
> >> > don't want to lose money doing so.
> >> > Best Regards,
>
> >> > Paul Remde
> >> > Cumulus Soaring, Inc.
>
> >> Soaring is fortunate to have dedicated retailers like Paul (who
> >> specializes in "value added"!). He can strive to provide every
> product
> >> a soaring pilot might desire, but at day's end he has to turn a
> >> profit. I understand his dilemma and why it makes little sense to
> >> offer a $12 MKIV that costs almost that in quantity.
>
> >> The MKIV yaw string is just a little thing, and no matter how nice
> >> (way better than tape and yarn), I think there's a limit to perceived
> >> value and what a pilot would pay*. That's balanced against the time
> >> and over two dozen operations required to make one. So far it's been
> >> only word of mouth and the occassional post - - no paid advertizing.
> >> It's mostly to keep it a fun hobby, sharing my inventions while
> >> limiting time demands. I've been thinking of delegating and teaching
> >> my daughter-in-law how to make them, but QC makes it hard to "let
> go".
>
> >> * I've had pilots order several MKIV's, and when asked why so many,
> >> they often say they are gifts for others at their club or field.
> >> Sometimes they allow as to how they're spares in case "something"
> >> happens to me - - that always makes me smile . . . I mean, how do they
> >> KNOW I live on the ragged shakey edge?
>
> >> Gavin told me there's an enterprising young lad selling a copy of my
> >> Quiet Vent in NZ to help pay his way through school. And, he's
> selling
> >> them for more that I do . . . even with the extra dollar I charge for
> >> shipping overseas! Marketing is clearly not my forte.
>
> >> Thanks for the complements!
>
> >> bumper
>
> >> the gmail address will work, my main email is
>
> >> bumper m at frontier period com
>
> >Having been away from the sport for 10 years (out of my control), I'm
> >unfamiliar with these products but since you don't appear to be
> >working with a profit motive, would you consider publishing drawings
> >or directions for making these products? *Maybe someone else would
> >make them or anyone wanting one could make it for himself.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I have also benifitted from Bumper's customer service. He replace TWO
that were damaged, even though they were in no way defective. Which
reminds me, it's about time to buy some more for gifts. I DID
actually wear one out, but it took some 300 hours of flying spread
over 2 1/2 years! It was an old tech Mk II or III. I have high hopes
for the MKIV!

[bumper[_4_]]

On Mar 9, 6:21*am, Dan Marotta > wrote:
> On Mar 8, 11:51*pm, bumper > wrote:
>
> Having been away from the sport for 10 years (out of my control), I'm
> unfamiliar with these products but since you don't appear to be
> working with a profit motive, would you consider publishing drawings
> or directions for making these products? *Maybe someone else would
> make them or anyone wanting one could make it for himself.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Dan,

Back when I was inventing tools for the alarm and electrical trade, I
didn't bother with a patent if a tool was easy to make or, if in my
often wrong opinion, wouldn't sell well. If you keep price reasonable,
most will just buy one rather than fiddle trying to make their own.

The MKIV yaw string has over a dozen years of development and
improvements (even writing that sounds incredibly silly. . how can a
yaw string be complicated to make)? Also, there are several
specialized tools, punches, dies, thermal molds and assembly jigs used
to make the MKIV. I'm almost as proud of all the little doo-dads used
to make it as I am the actual MKIV!

So . . . if someone desires to copy them, they have my
permission . . . and can reverse engineer it. Unless you are trying to
work your way through school in NZ, profit should not be a prime
motivator when marketing small toys for gliders!

bumper
zz Minden

[Walter[_2_]]

Hi Bruno,
did you read this?
http://www.esa-systems.com/esa-systems/en/service/download/100714%20esa-systems%20instructions.pdf
much luck with your o-rings
Walter


"Bruno" > schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
> The major USA gliding retailers all troll this group...Bumper has some
> really cool stuff (and is a super nice guy) and if he is now too busy
> to keep handling the one-off sales, maybe one of you need to carry his
> couple of products more as a public service than as a huge money
> maker. I would be happy to purchase both of his most current products
> for 50% more from one of you if I could get them from you. Yes, you
> won't make a lot of money but you now have a gliding customer on the
> phone and all of you are great at the upsell. I love my yaw string
> and vent silencer from bumper. So gliding retailers which of you can
> help us out? :)
>
> Bruno - B4 (now 12 hours into trying to get the o-ring back into the
> back of the pitot tube...)

[Larry Goddard]

"Dan Marotta" > wrote in message
:
>
> Having been away from the sport for 10 years (out of my control), I'm
> unfamiliar with these products but since you don't appear to be
> working with a profit motive, would you consider publishing drawings
> or directions for making these products? Maybe someone else would
> make them or anyone wanting one could make it for himself.



To quote Richard Pryor in "Silver Streak"...

"Just pay the man!"