i've bought a blue lens,
but the eges aren't clear and didn' fit really in the front-panel
look here:
http://mitglied.lycos.de/bvcxcvbdfg/Filter.html

i thought it was made by an CNC router, why are the eges not clear???

That's indeed not pretty.

Strange, I've bought 4 lenses myself from Darkstorm and none have this problem. All have smooth edges.

Maybe you should email Steve about it?

That looks like a lens with raised edges, my neon one looks the same. A normal blue lense looks fine because it's flat. Mine needed a little wiggling to get it to fit just right, but looks absolutely stunning.

I'd be careful what you say about steve's work. He's done us all a favour by making these lenses, just the same way patrick and stu have done with their products.

Because of what Andy posted I've re-checked my neon lens and I've noticed that it also has those edges you mention. I hadn't noticed this before and it sure doesn't bother me.
I imagine that the big zoom factor of that pic you've posted seriously exaggerates the phenomenon.

I doubt you'll even see it from normal viewing distance. (I don't)

I'd be careful what you say about steve's work. He's done us all a favour by making these lenses; just the same way patrick and stu have done with their products.

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I paid for my lens, it was not a favor, loan or gift. It may have been a good deal but I'm sure he made money.

Same for patrick, it's good they are available however if I wanted one I would not spend that much money to wait months with no response or idea when it would show up.

Steve was also not that polite when emailed about issues with his web site. Of course he doesn’t have to be since he is the only game in town and no one wants to offend him.

In reply to:

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i thought it was made by an CNC router, why are the eges not clear???

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A CNC router still uses a rotating blade (a bit) to do the cutting. The edges aren't clear because of the tiny scratches and imperfections left behind by the bit. To make it clear would require an additional stage of polishing. The blade does not (cannot?) leave a perfectly smooth finish behind due to vibration, heat build up and other factors.

Stu

440fopar: if you are on my docking station order list, then please email me so I can remove you from that list.

Cheers

You seem to misunderstand the community into which you've wandered. We aren't strangers, therefore do not look for much sympathy if your going to get personal or generally be a pain. The gentlemen you mention have always been good to correct any errors. The idea they are making any real money off the stuff they have worked so hard to create is laughable considering the number of units we're talking about. Politeness will get you a lot closer to what your looking for than stumbling into a forum and slanting people you don't know.

I thought the lens' with the raised edges were in fact an option to give a different lighting effect ?

I paid for my lens, it was not a favor, loan or gift. It may have been a good deal but I'm sure he made money.

Supply and demand is definitely not what drives this community. All of these people are donating time and effort toward making this stuff, and “donating” is the right word as probably most of it goes uncompensated, especially at the rates some of these people can likely bill their time out at. There’s a reason these guys are the only game in town: this isn’t exactly a booming market here. It’s fairly clear than all of the people developing hardware for this EOL’d product are doing it because they want to benefit the community, not their pocketbooks.

In reply to:

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Steve was also not that polite when emailed about issues with his web site

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Well if your email to him was anything like the post you just made, then there's no wonder his reply was less than friendly.

As the good reverend said, we are a close knit community who feel it's far better to be positive and give constructive critisism than to simply berate someone because they don't agree with you or abide by the same high standards that you yourself have.

Looks like you bought one of the lenses designed to glow around the edges - the only way to do this is to mill this edge. Otherwise you wouln't see much. Do you have backlit buttons? If not, there probably wasn't a good reason to order this one - the completely flat one would be fine - although you'll get some glow anyway.

But it has to be said, creating a publicly available web page for the sole purpose of criticising a product is not a good way to make friends.

(Edit) Unless that product is from Microsoft

I have 2 of his lenses and I am 100% satisfied. In fact I will be ordering another soon.

Looks fine to me. I've seen a lot of the Darkstorm lenses on repair players and I have to say that considering the process used to manufacture them, the results are consistently very good.

I believe the gap around the edge of the screen is intentional. For the glowing effect to work, there needs to be a ridge. The gap is necessary because the black plastic panel can warp depending upon how tightly it is screwed to the unit.

Everyone just chill out. sheesh. it's not like he made personal attacks on Steve. It's his right to not be happy with the work and he created that web page to showcase what he thought wasn't right to us. Its sucks how hesitant i am to even reply to this thread so as to avoid pissing anyone off. I know of a few others who aren't happy with the way Steve has handled things that are to scared to speak up. That said,we all know Steve has had a hard time lately, so he is due some slack. But can't any of you understand being unhappy about paying for something and not recieving it for many many months despite being promised it's delivery, or being unhappy with it's quality? The understanding and slack has to go both ways.

Seconded, on all counts.

Thank you, spoken much better than I. You conveyed my exact point.

I tend to use a sledgehammer when a paintbrush would work better.

I agree that HansFranz should be able to speak up if he thinks things haven't been done right. I know I'd probably speak up if I had a problem with something. Not all of the posts have been directed at him, though. My reaction was to Fopar, who (it appeared to me) seemed to be discounting a lot of the work that people have done for the community.

I'm having a bad week... I don't really disagree with anything that I said, but Loren makes a good point... Everyone just ignore me for a few days.

Actually, i should have referred my points to both Fopar and HansFranz. They apply to both as far as i'm concerned. This thread is creepy... it's like some cult that has been invaded by an "outsider".

HansFranz, you might be able to make the lens fit more correctly by loosening the fascia bolts and adjusting the position of the fascia and the lens. Click here for tips on adjusting the fascia. You can also adjust the position of the entire display board and fascia assembly independently of the case and handle, as described here. Perhaps after you've adjusted things a bit, it will look more "even" and the frosted edges will line up with the face a little better.

I was looking forward to this year Euro meet (my first), but I'm having second thoughts after reading this thread.

I always thought we would welcome one and all to this community.

Well said loren, a true diplomat.

New members will always be welcome. It's just a little tact can go a long way....

Personally, I think those lenses look like a bunch of crap...
with crap on them... and crappy crap at that.
I mean seriously, I'm having to cover The Cheat's eyes just so he doesn't puke all over my 386.
Although, that might make the lenses look a little better.
You know, by having puke on them.

Those Dawk Stom lenses aw bad foh yew!

Actually I did find a few of the set I have seem to have the bolt holes slightly misaligned for my empeg; I used a file and widened the holes, and then I got the edges to be more uniformly inset from the fascia.

Didn't bother me much.

Hey, Strong Bad, get Homestar to give you his password (it's probably just "fondue" anyway) and then set up an avatar for him.

I third that.

My avataw went missing, sewiously

I ordered my smoke lens back in the day, only took 4 days to come, but had a little chip in the corner. No big deal since it isn't seen.

I think your photo is grossly exagerating the problem. I have a green neon fitted to my player, and a few other neons which get swapped around. I'm looking closely at one now and I can see that the edge is not completely smooth but in a year of having it on my player this is the first time I've noticed. The whole point of those lenses is to get a "neon" glow around the edge of the fascia, for which you really need the backlight buttons and knob set as well.

I think it looks stunning. If you lit up your player and took another photo - at a more realistic zoom level - it would be a totally different story. If you want a smooth finish, don't use a neon lens. I also have Darkstorms smoke lenses and the finish is perfect.

Rob

Same for patrick, it's good they are available however if I wanted one I would not spend that much money to wait months with no response or idea when it would show up.

Actually you don't spend a cent until there is a tuner available for you. If you don't want to wait that's fine, you can pick up tuners on eBay every now and again and pay for the added convenience. You have to accept that empeg add-ons are not the mainstay business for these guys, and the price definitely does not compensate the time taken to produce the products. A community market is NOT the same as a regular retail channel.

Rob

Mmm.. I don't have one of these, but my bet is that, if the edge was very clear and smooth, then it probably wouldn't work as well for giving that neon glow effect.

Having a "dirty edge" here probably helps with the necessary light diffusion, improving the overall effect when backlit.

We've got a very similar discussion somewhere about backlit buttons, where the clear and smooth leds and buttons are NOT what is needed to make them glow nicely!

Cheers

I was looking forward to this year Euro meet (my first), but I'm having second thoughts after reading this thread.

I think you misunderstand the dominant factors at the Amersfoort meet:

- Beer
- Ultimate Geek Out
- Ribs
- Some More Beer

I've never known any politics to make it onto the agenda. That's reserved for the BBS, and for years I was on the receiving end (as the public face of the company with the two year long queue). I still love you guys though

Rob

and for years I was on the receiving end (as the public face of the company with the two year long queue)

I bet you don't miss that !! I am glad I missed it the people waiting for the tuners and remotes was enough to drive me crazy.

as the public face of the company with the two year long queue

Oh, come on, we all know you Brits love queues.

Oh, come on, we all know you Brits love queues

[censored], you mean the whole world knows,..... runs to queue up for something / anything

runs to queue up for something / anything

I believe a hip replacement would be traditional..

I believe a hip replacement would be traditional..

Baaah, it's only an 18 month wait, ....... when I was a lad.......