Group buy for 613 core fiber cable

3 minutes ago, Michael T. said:

not sure Tim. I just got a sample of 10 m (19 Core) and it just went through customs without anything. One day it was in my post box...
But that was just 10 m, not sure what happens if it is an amount of 200-300 m...

Wow, you did well! I don't think I could get a pin through Dutch Customs without getting charged VAT etc. But yeah, huge difference between 10m and 200m!

I may well be going to the the Netherlands a little later this year.....

bvanant: what sort of quantity is wanted by members in the EU? 

2 hours ago, TimG said:

Wow, you did well! I don't think I could get a pin through Dutch Customs without getting charged VAT etc. But yeah, huge difference between 10m and 200m!

I may well be going to the the Netherlands a little later this year.....

bvanant: what sort of quantity is wanted by members in the EU? 

Guess Dutch are like Belgians...can be serious pain in the backside customs wise. Ordered once something to Belgium, that was 26 USD (so 1 USD over the limit)...ended up paying like 30+ Euro customs...lesson learnt and from there on i ship it all to my German address...even 60-70 USD goes unnoticed

As for the the order, I would happily go for the 25m @ 85 USD (if we have 20 people that is), either 1.5 or 1mm, as long as its the solid Asahi 613 core one.

....And I am very close to NL

Depending on the possible package size and weight, I could also get some over mid October - as mentioned, my colleague will be coming back around that time, the question remains re size/weight of the cable package (so she agrees to carry it over...). If small enough could also get a few over, then distribute within EU.

2 hours ago, Michael T. said:

hello makar0n,

i'm in Germany and once the parcel is in EU i think the shipping to others in the EU is not that expensive. 
the size of 10-20m fibre packed is really small: i would say you can make it about 15 cm in diameter , height then 1-2 cm and weight less than half a kilo (i have another brand here packed as a 10 m roll). If you have a 3D-Printer it's like having 10 m of the 1.75 mil cable off the large spool. It's a bit more in diameter, but very similar.

Hi Michael - sorry, somehow missed your post.

Yeah, once its over, its rather easy, German post is definitely one of the cheapest as well. Just getting it over is a bit of a hassle.

But good to know the package is small..then i could definitely "convince" my colleague she needs to take "something" back

@Bevanj

How are we doing on the people numbers? Or is the i-fiberoptics by meter option now a preferred one ?

3 minutes ago, makar0n said:

Hi Michael - sorry, somehow missed your post.

Yeah, once its over, its rather easy, German post is definitely one of the cheapest as well. Just getting it over is a bit of a hassle.

But good to know the package is small..then i could definitely "convince" my colleague she needs to take "something" back

 

@Bevanj

How are we doing on the people numbers? Or is the i-fiberoptics by meter option now a preferred one ?

 

Hi makar0n,

i just took out the kitchen scale and 13 m (that's what i have left) are about 60 grams. The weight isn't really a problem then ;-)
Even 500 m without spool are "just" 2.3 (+ a little) kg then, 200 m less than a kilo.

9 minutes ago, Michael T. said:

Hi makar0n,

i just took out the kitchen scale and 13 m (that's what i have left) are about 60 grams. The weight isn't really a problem then ;-)
Even 500 m without spool are "just" 2.3 (+ a little) kg then, 200 m less than a kilo.

Great, thank you fro the detailed measures..in this case one can really fill in the suitcase with that

The real issue of course is getting 500 Meters of the stuff. A 500 meter spool is $1785 and with shipping here in the States will be about $1900 or $3.80 per meter. I just sent some of the 613 core material to Michael in Germany and 5 meters cost me I think $14 to ship. I marked it as a "sample" to try to avoid VAT/Custom issues. If anyone is coming to the states in the near future I could buy a spool for you to take home, but I am not up for making 50 individual shipments ( I would rather be diving).

Cheers

Bill

1 hour ago, bvanant said:

The real issue of course is getting 500 Meters of the stuff. A 500 meter spool is $1785 and with shipping here in the States will be about $1900 or $3.80 per meter. I just sent some of the 613 core material to Michael in Germany and 5 meters cost me I think $14 to ship. I marked it as a "sample" to try to avoid VAT/Custom issues. If anyone is coming to the states in the near future I could buy a spool for you to take home, but I am not up for making 50 individual shipments ( I would rather be diving).

 

Cheers

Bill

Fair point, Bill!

How many EU customers are there? And how much cable is involved? Do you have a broad idea?

Hi guys would love to join this, but shipping/customs in India is one big major headache, therefore can't. 

Did manage to get 20 meters of cable 10 meters 213 core and 10 meters 19 core. They still charged me duty even on this ! With duty cost of cable and shipping, it cost me about USD 90 in total. of which the cable cost was just USD 21

Have just made two cables of the 213 core (coiled though) and they work perfectly. 

Rolled the cables on a wooden pencil and kept a rubber band on each side to secure the coils so they don't unravel. Then dipped the pencil in warm water, just getting to boiling point in about two minutes holding the two loose ends of the cable. Kept it in there for about 45 seconds. After that with the cable still in the water, put the entire vessel with the pencil still dipped in, under a cold water tap. Let the water pour till it became the same temperature as the tap water. Be careful that the dry part of the cables don't touch the vessel, cause they will start to melt.

It worked really well, thanks to all you guys at WP.

Here is an image of the cables. One with the ends without any connectors and one completed.

Thanks to Tim, got the connectors from the place suggested by you on this thread,

Nice work, Diggy. They look great!

On 9/1/2021 at 4:51 PM, TimG said:

Nice work, Diggy. They look great!

Danke Tim...:-)

Hmm as it seems that the iFiberoptics place is now a preferred way to order, guess I am gonna go with that.

Just FYI if any of the EU folks (or the wretched brexiting islanders) would like to have some (and not already going via Tim for example), do let me know but ideally this week please....My colleague aka personal camel will be coming back around mid October so could then send things around via Germany/Belgium...based on the Michael T. findings weight shouldn't be an issue, so can get another 10-20m for whoever wants it.

I will repeat my offer to buy a spool if someone wants to hand carry it back to the EU/GB. I suspect most folks would like the 1.5 mm cable.

Bill

Bill, any idea on the weight and the volume? Approx?

I would like to join the group buy if the delivery issue to the UK is somehow sorted. 

Just FYI - seems the 1.5mm is no longer listed for sale per meter on the i-Fiberoptics website, its 500mm spool only now. No clue why, I have emailed them to ask.

1mm version is still available.

i-Fiberoptics has responded pretty quick, and 1.5mm version is now back on sale!

The i-fiber guys have had the 1.5 on and off by the meter. My guess is the spool is like 10 inches in diameter (254 mm) and about 5 inches thickness. Less than 5 kG total.

BVA
 

9 minutes ago, bvanant said:

The i-fiber guys have had the 1.5 on and off by the meter. My guess is the spool is like 10 inches in diameter (254 mm) and about 5 inches thickness. Less than 5 kG total.

BVA
 

I'm now heading to the UK and then on to the Netherlands in mid-October. I'm happy to take with me whatever folks in the EU or UK want and I can package it and mail it from whichever to whoever.

I've got a mailing address in Miami so it could be shipped there and it's then forwarded to me in Sint Maarten. It really needs to get to Miami before 7 October. 

So we need a quick sum up of who in the UK or EU wants some and then how much.

Hi,

i'm interested

i'll join the group for 10m. EU - Italy.

Hope not too late..

Thanks

Cris

16 hours ago, TimG said:

I'm now heading to the UK and then on to the Netherlands in mid-October. I'm happy to take with me whatever folks in the EU or UK want and I can package it and mail it from whichever to whoever.

I've got a mailing address in Miami so it could be shipped there and it's then forwarded to me in Sint Maarten. It really needs to get to Miami before 7 October. 

So we need a quick sum up of who in the UK or EU wants some and then how much.

So we should all order it to Miami then? Does anybody know how long the shipping inside the US takes?

As it seems we don't buy a whole spool i would go with 16 m (for Germany) then.
The cables i made now are made of 1.2 m and i could have used some more in length for one cable.

Cheers,

Michael