Hey everyone,

Just wanted to drop a quick update on where we are, and also a quick PSA about the new v2.5 ESCCs.

First and foremost, the ESCCs. In the past we've recommended the use of cleaners such as Mean Green or Dark Crystal Glass Cleaner (DCGC) for cleaning the v1 and v2 ESCCs when there was significant char. Because the gold plating is different on the new v2.5 ESCCs, we no longer recommend using any aggressive cleaner on the ESCC such as DCGC, Mean Green, etc. The gold plating is tougher mechanically but is not as strong when exposed to these chemicals. The new mirror polished surface really does not need aggressive cleaners to get clean anyway, so we now only recommend up to 91% isopropyl alcohol and either steel wool (#0000 size) or melamine (magic eraser) for deep cleaning the inside of the bowl. Using the aggressive cleaners can damage the gold plating. We also recommend soaking in isopropyl for no more than an hour or two, and it shouldn't be needed to be any more aggressive than that.

These V2.5 ESCCs (mirror polished with the new gold plating) are in stock and shipping now! They are high quality low ohm ESCCs, ready for TC when the Control Tower launches and wattage mode for all other mods.

Now, on to the mod:

Over the past four weeks we have implemented the changes in the chip we mentioned in our last update, as well as completely and exhaustively tested every circuit, every trace, and every component of this board to make sure this board is the final board and no more prototyping will be needed. We are 100% on this process and production is already underway.

Watching the board come to life and perform well on all of the tests was a big milestone here, and everyone from AVS and CEPD couldn't help but celebrate! We used jumpers to emulate the new layout of the chipset during testing to give us a full picture of how everything is working and we're really happy with it. We know this second prototype was a bummer for a lot of people but we're really happy with where we are right now. 

Here is the control tower board fully functioning and flexing its processing power. Here it is drawing randomly shaped, colored, and positioned triangles as fast as it can. It may look weird, but it's a good demonstration of how quickly the chip is processing, which is actually faster than the screen can refresh or even the camera can capture. We're proud of how advanced our board is, and you'll be able to see for yourself soon. 

Bubblers are still coming in batches. We just sent out a batch at the beginning of the week, and expect the next batch in a couple weeks. So far we're receiving very positive feedback about the new bubblers and we hope you all enjoy them!