Gertboard availability?

I have just had this reply from Farnell:

" Thank you for your enquiry. Unfortunately we are not taking any new orders for the Gertboard at present as this one is going discontinued. We have a new Gertboard that will be launched shortly updates on this will be available through the element14 website."

AFAIK it's only just been released so are Farnell right, or are they behind the times ?

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danringer over 13 years ago

http://www.change.org/petitions/farnell-newark-element14-sell-the-gertboard-as-gert-van-loo-intended-as-a-kit-for-education

Let's tell element14 we want to build it ourselves!
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danringer over 13 years ago

http://www.change.org/petitions/farnell-newark-element14-sell-the-gertboard-as-gert-van-loo-intended-as-a-kit-for-education

Let's tell element14 we want to build it ourselves!
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wallarug over 13 years ago in reply to danringer

Dan Ringer wrote:

http://www.change.org/petitions/farnell-newark-element14-sell-the-gertboard-as-gert-van-loo-intended-as-a-kit-for-education

Let's tell element14 we want to build it ourselves!
Gert did say that later on in the Gertboard's life it would be sold as both a kit and a fully assembaled product. The Petition is not really necessary and will probably achieve nothing.
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michaelkellett over 13 years ago in reply to danringer

I don't personally want a Gertboard:- kit or built, but I can see that for a great many people who do want one that a kit is no use since they have neither the tools nor the experience to build it themselves.

If you really want an in depth home build experience then make a Gertboard on stripboard (perfectly feasible)

Michael Kellett
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danringer over 13 years ago in reply to wallarug

Reports are coming back that farnell will only sell fully assembled. Time for the petition. :)
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johnbeetem over 13 years ago in reply to danringer

Dan Ringer wrote:

Reports are coming back that farnell will only sell fully assembled. Time for the petition. :)
Will they sell the bare PCB? I can see why they're not selling both kits and fully-assembled, as the logistics for preparing kits in relatively small quantities would probably make them more expensive than fully assembled units. It this hadn't become the case decades ago, Heathkit would still be in business.

However, it does make sense to sell just the bare PCB and allow customers to get their own parts, some of which they may already have and some they may omit if they don't need the functions.
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bodgy over 13 years ago in reply to johnbeetem

The bare board has also disappeared from the Australian website.

I had earmarked it to purchase when available and it has just vanished.
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cityswift over 13 years ago in reply to johnbeetem

Can anyone for definite say why they have withdrawn the kit from sale ? If you were to buy the bare board, then I believe it uses a microcontroller which will have embedded software which could only be puchased from Gert, unless you were prepared to write your own code.
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michaelkellett over 13 years ago in reply to cityswift

From a quick skim of the Gertboard manual and some references I do not think that you need any software for the on board atmega processor. Check the manual and

https://projects.drogon.net/

for some more information.

Subject to copyright there is enough information on the web for you to make your own.

Michael Kellett
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