Serenity BDR - Full Review

[boochydog]

from what i can tell, those that paid with the initial order had theirs made first. i said i would pay after it was built, which is why mine was built after all the pre-paid orders. i had almost thought they had forgotten my build!!!

 

[Yama86]

Boochydog, it's great to hear yours is finally shipping!! I know the waiting is torturous, but once you have it home, and see the details firsthand, you'll be glad you did it.
I had the small glitch with the lights on mine, but they fixed it, and fixed it right. True customer service.
I'm really looking forward to more pics.
I noticed yours was put in a plastic bag like mine was. Earlier BDRs were sort of covered in layers of tissue paper. Also looks like your shuttle #2 was put in a box. Most were just in a plastic bag.

EDIT: I actually posted these three links kinda scattered through the old BDR thread, but I thought I might as well stick them all in one place in this thread. I have two videos. The first is the actual unboxing the day I got my BDR. The second one is a couple days later, after I had a chance to soak in some of the details. The third link is pictures I posted on flickr.

Unboxing QuantumMechanix Serenity BDR
A Closer Look at the QuantumMechanix Serenity BDR
Serenity BDR pics on flickr

 

[theguru1]

from what i can tell, those that paid with the initial order had theirs made first. i said i would pay after it was built, which is why mine was built after all the pre-paid orders. i had almost thought they had forgotten my build!!!

Yes, that's correct. Mines #115 (ordered on the same day, likely around 25mins later), but I paid in full at the same time, hence I got mine rather sooner.

Still, cool to see it's finally on its way.

As for packing changes, mine wasn't in plastic, tho that paper over the cockpit is the same. And yes, if the shuttle is in the box, then that's different too.

 

[Yama86]

boochydog, did you get your BDR yet?
Here's hoping you get her safe and sound.

 

[boochydog]

After all this time, I finally has a chance to open, examine, and take pictures of my Serenity. I must say I am absolutely impressed with it. All the light features work and the paint applications are almost perfect. There are 1 or 2 minor things I would like to touch up on it (one spot behind the cabin where the light somes through the seal, the hinges between the front 2 solar panels), but overall it is very, very nice. I think getting one of the models made later in the run helped with the QC. However, I may request the touch-up kit that Guru received!

Pictures of my Serenity can be see at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/boochydog/sets/72157625255513481/

If anyone sees any differences between model and mine, please let me know. Please note that I had not taken taken the film off of my solar panels when I took the pictures. Looking at the pictures over the past year, I can see slight differences in the details on some. I am curious as to how and when these changes occurred.

 

[Yama86]

Congrats boochydog !!
Your BDR looks like it turned out great. You even got them to correctly do "Inara's Shuttle Departing" as shuttle #1.
I didn't immediately see any glaring differences between yours and mine (except shuttle positioning). Looks like your antenna were even bent like mine . They bend right back into position without a problem.

Are you going to take some more pictures?

 

[theguru1]

That's great news boochy, it all looks pretty much the same to me.


On the other hand, I have some bad and annoying news.
I recently went to show Serenity to a friend and had a little lighting trouble. The main lights come on and as do the reactor and strobe lights, but the grav rotor and main engine lights just wouldn't come on.
So I contacted QMx and we sorted out the return postage and I packed her back up and then phoned UPS for a pick up.

At that point, things got interesting. Due to the recent 'attempt' to send explosives toner cartridges via air mail, the US has brought in new laws. As such, I was told by UPS that since I'm an 'unknown shipper' they couldn't pick-up and deliver the package.

So far, the best I've done, is to be told that if I bring it to a 'drop-off' location or UPS shop then they can send it. Why that would make any difference I have no idea, since it's still the same package, coming from me. So while I'm trying to get that confirmed, it likely makes no difference, since in my state, as far as I can tell, there are no drop-off locations.

 

[Yama86]

Oh guru, I feel for you man.
I know that feeling of clicking that button and wondering why the lights didn't come on.
Sorry your having to go through all that extra crap. That really does defy logic. Hope you get the UPS sorted soon.

So I know of 5 or 6 people who got BDRs, and two of us have had problems with the lights now? Ugh
I was hoping I would be the only one to ever have troubles.

guru, here's a question for you. Do you leave your BDR AC adapter plugged into the wall outlet when you're not using it? I always keep mine unplugged when it's not in use. I wonder if there is any pattern at all to these light problems, or it is just total coincidence.

 

[darthviper107]

I guess it could be possible if you don't have it in a surge protector and you get a power surge it could cause problems--or do those transformers have that built in?

Either something's burned out or something's disconnected, but if you've not moved it then I'd bet something's burned out

 

[theguru1]

guru, here's a question for you. Do you leave your BDR AC adapter plugged into the wall outlet when you're not using it? I always keep mine unplugged when it's not in use. I wonder if there is any pattern at all to these light problems, or it is just total coincidence.

I always knew that the lighting would likely go at some point, but I assumed it would take 10, 15 maybe 20 years..... not 6 months.

It's never plugged in, only when I go to show someone or have a look myself do I plug the power in.

I guess it could be possible if you don't have it in a surge protector and you get a power surge it could cause problems--or do those transformers have that built in?

Either something's burned out or something's disconnected, but if you've not moved it then I'd bet something's burned out

Funny how just a little bit can stop working but not all the rest, somehow the grav rotor/engines must have a separate part that's gone. It couldn't be a power surge, on top of not being left plugged in, mine goes through an extra stepdown transformer (due to totally different voltage), so any surge would have to go through two of them.

Makes me somewhat worried about the Viper now, any purchase will have to be based on no lighting system, even if it does have one.

 

[darthviper107]

Yeah, that's weird.

But actually, I would think it would last your whole lifetime. LED's have 100,000 hour lifetime which translates to like 13 years if you keep it on all day every day, so they really should last quite a long time

 

[theguru1]

Yeah, that's weird.

But actually, I would think it would last your whole lifetime. LED's have 100,000 hour lifetime which translates to like 13 years if you keep it on all day every day, so they really should last quite a long time

Yeah, but it's not the LED's that have failed, it's the logic board (mini computer) which has developed the fault. Yama had the same problem, just his completely failed, were mine has just broken in one section.

As Yama can confirm, every time you turn on a lighting option, you can hear a 'click' inside Serenity and the lights come on. That's still all the same for the working lights, but there's no 'click' for the grav rotor/engines. I have no doubt the LED's are still all fine, they just aren't being told to turn on.

Even so, I have 10 year old PC's that still work just fine, as such, so should this, it would be less complex then a calculator.

Personally, I now think these sort of things should be made different. Rather then send a power plug into the model, have all the power and logic board, etc outside, maybe in the base and just use some sort of plug that connects to the LED's. Would be way easier to fix/replace a base, then pulling apart the whole ship.

 

[darthviper107]

Yeah, but it's not the LED's that have failed, it's the logic board (mini computer) which has developed the fault. Yama had the same problem, just his completely failed, were mine has just broken in one section.

As Yama can confirm, every time you turn on a lighting option, you can hear a 'click' inside Serenity and the lights come on. That's still all the same for the working lights, but there's no 'click' for the grav rotor/engines. I have no doubt the LED's are still all fine, they just aren't being told to turn on.

Even so, I have 10 year old PC's that still work just fine, as such, so should this, it would be less complex then a calculator.

Personally, I now think these sort of things should be made different. Rather then send a power plug into the model, have all the power and logic board, etc outside, maybe in the base and just use some sort of plug that connects to the LED's. Would be way easier to fix/replace a base, then pulling apart the whole ship.

That's still pretty complicated though, I'm still working on my serenity model kit that I've added lights to, and it has a ton of wires from all the lights, and I think the QMx one has more lights than what I'm using which would be a lot to run into the base

 

[theguru1]

That's still pretty complicated though, I'm still working on my serenity model kit that I've added lights to, and it has a ton of wires from all the lights, and I think the QMx one has more lights than what I'm using which would be a lot to run into the base

Yeah, just wondering if it's possible to pull all of the lights into a central point and then place the main remote functions, etc outside. I don't know, maybe not, moot point at this stage.

 

[Yama86]

Hey Guru, did QMx get your BDR all sorted out and fixed? I've been wondering if your 'flying at full capacity' again.

 

[theguru1]

Hey Yama, yeah, after a month or so of just trying to get it posted back (new US postal rules and other crazy stuff), it went over and has come back all safe and sound and fully operating.

Other then time, none of it cost me a cent.

 

[Yama86]

Hey Yama, yeah, after a month or so of just trying to get it posted back (new US postal rules and other crazy stuff), it went over and has come back all safe and sound and fully operating.

Other then time, none of it cost me a cent.

That's great news. Glad to hear your back in action.

 

[theguru1]

O' and I got a stand with the logo on both sides, since I like to display her around from both sides. I figured I may as well, since it was being posted back anyway.

 

[hairlesswookiee]

Price for the kit is around $250 which isn't bad, here's a paint job from someone else which shows the model is smoother than in the other one: https://www.modelermagic.com/?p=18008.

Dude, that's an awesome site!! Thanks for that.

~~Does anyone know when QMX is going to release the Viper??

 

[darthviper107]

Dude, that's an awesome site!! Thanks for that.

~~Does anyone know when QMX is going to release the Viper??

They've got some really fantastic model stuff there. Also check out resinilluminati.com which is a great forum for model stuff.