Better Wood Heat: DIY Rocket Mass Heater Videos kickstarter

Fred Tyler wrote:Then i noticed facebook crops the image

I think that's a two part problem.

In the first hour, I used the image that I had, which was squareish. Bryce sent me a better image a few hours later, which I uploaded to youtube. I think facebook cached the first image. And I think youtube cached the first image for some things too.

Lesson learned. Have a perfect image before uploading to youtube.

First time I've backed anything, ever.

Happy to be part of the kickstarter. Sometimes I wonder, where exactly do they kick ya. And to allow people to pay to watch. Watch out Paul, some may pay twice. Hope all goes well. Glad to be involved and looking forward to it. Regards. Rich

Would love to use PayPal but I don't see it as an option. Did I just miss it or is there a reason PayPal cannot be used?

Cassie, on the daily-ish email this is the link you used for Permaculture Playing Cards ebook and the Bonny Rocket Mass Heater plans. Was that supposed to be 2 separate links?

Valerie Dawnstar wrote:Cassie, on the daily-ish email this is the link you used for Permaculture Playing Cards ebook and the Bonny Rocket Mass Heater plans. Was that supposed to be 2 separate links?

Nope. This is the right link. You can get both of those things if you contribute only $2 to the kickstarter.

Thank you for clarifying that.

Rock and roll, Paul!

Had my wife look at the Kickstarter and she bumped you up a few bucks more

Took me a few days to be sure of my funding, but I'm in! Can't wait to see these, good luck with the rest of the funding!

Scott Stiller wrote:Would love to use PayPal but I don't see it as an option. Did I just miss it or is there a reason PayPal cannot be used?

No clue. Kickstarter has their way of doing stuff. If you do a kickstarter project, all of the money fondling is done my kickstarter. I/we have no say in whether to use paypal.

Kickstarter used to have Amazon payments as their only money-handling method; now they apparently allow direct credit card use. Maybe they get better deals than they can get from Paypal... a tiny difference in rate can make a huge difference to ks when taken out of their fee.

paul wheaton wrote:

Dean Howard wrote:This old barrel and flames picture for the Clickable Video for RMH 2015 Kickstarter does not do you justice. You've come so far in making a marvelous Kickstarter 2015 video... I'm sort of cringing. There are so many awesome looking RMH's out there.

We can still change it. You wanna make something?

Paul Wheaton:
I wish I could, but don't have the graphics to play with. I love the fire in the block lettering and overlaying of flames. The rest of the photo is too obscure. After looking at your RMH photo from the Teepee, I would go with something like that. It's light, bright, and in-focus, and shows the subject stove well, and gives a newcomer an idea of what we're talking about. That would be my vote, barring some amazing cob monstrosity creation that really gets the creative juices flowing. I did run across one a while back, but have not seen it since.

I had a couple of new questions come in last night while I was sleeping.

Hey Paul, I got the previous rocket mass heater set and was curious if there was going to be any 'upgrade discount' or anything for the new set?

When choosing the rewards for this kickstarter I wanted to put the people that supported my previous kickstarter on the highest pedestal. So rather than selling just an 8-DVD set, I put a lot of emphasis on the 4-DVD set. After all, you already have DVDs 5-8. And then note that there is an option for getting your name in the videos with buying just 4 videos. This is because I wish to treat the people that supported my previous kickstarter. Plus, I am throwing in heaps and heaps of "candy" for people that support my kickstarters. I hope to set a clear precedent that supporting my kickstarters is the best possible deal.

I purchased the $40 level when the kickstarter began...so does that mean I get the all the extras that you are adding onto the offers? I'm a little confused by all the "candy" offers that you are adding onto the offers

The confusion is my fault. My brain is a cyclone of crazy ideas and once in a while I let a few ideas spew out into meatspace. So while it all makes sense to my bucket of crazy, now that I look at it from your seat it does seem a bit much. So here is my feeble attempt to answer your question: Yes, you get the new candy too.

Just to be clear, at the $40 level, you get:

- The rocket mass heater micro documentary
- 19 rocket mass heater podcasts (25 hours)
- (optional) public thanks
- The Hugelkultur micro documentary
- The Bonny Rocket Mass Heater plans (currently selling for $25)
- The Rocket Mass Heater in a Greenhouse plans (not yet released)
- The Permaculture Playing Cards eBook
- Podcasts 201-280
- Access to the permies.com secret inner circle
- The streaming version of the full DVD "Fire Science"
- Your name listed in the rocket mass heater micro documentary
- the digital download version of the four new DVDs

So if my math is right, that's a total of seven videos plus a bunch of other candy.

And it sounds like there might be some more candy coming soon. I hope to remember to update the FAQ.

paul wheaton wrote:

Mat Smith wrote:
Lets hope you can get the DVDs set for Region9/ALL regions Paul:
PERMACULTURE IN SPACE I TELL YOU!!!

It was just a couple of days ago that I learned about "region zero" where the dvd should be able to play in any region. We wanna do that.

Yeah, I messaged you on Kickstarter in the hope of it being region free so that the word can get spread as far as possible!
I'm really looking forward to this, can't wait for the early candy!

It seems like the digital download option is much more popular than the HD streaming option. I wonder if those download people would bump their pledges up a bit for a more expensive HD download. Could that even be an option? Are worries of piracy or limited hosting capabilities keeping that from being offered?

Fred Tyler wrote:It seems like the digital download option is much more popular than the HD streaming option. I wonder if those download people would bump their pledges up a bit for a more expensive HD download. Could that even be an option? Are worries of piracy or limited hosting capabilities keeping that from being offered?

Could? Yes. Will? I don't think so.

For more on this topic, see the kickstarter description section titled "DVD vs. HD Streaming vs. Digital Download" and the FAQ with the question "What resolution is the digital download and the streaming?"

The key is that there was huge piles of internal debate (and by "internal" I mean the flip-flopping that went on within myself) between offering more options and trying to reduce the total number of options. Even the idea of offering multiple options within one reward.

I'm trying to juggle a lot of variables here, including how to host, host features vs. bugs, support and being able to deliver in so many different ways. With the past DVD projects, some ways have been a real hassle and other ways a lovely walk in the park. And then there is the thing where some people get confused and ask lots and lots of questions - which leads to lots and lots of support.

So I settled on what we have listed. It was not an easy decision.

CONGRATULATIONS, Paul, et al!
Am I the first to congratulate you on reaching your goal of $42,500? I think Cassie's latest daily-ish email must have pushed it over the edge ($42,777 last I checked at 8:52pm PST). Looking forward to seeing it all completed!

The download of RMH plans worked perfectly for me just now.

Erica Taranto wrote:CONGRATULATIONS, Paul, et al!
Am I the first to congratulate you on reaching your goal of $42,500? I think Cassie's latest daily-ish email must have pushed it over the edge ($42,777 last I checked at 8:52pm PST). Looking forward to seeing it all completed!

YAYYYY!!!

I would like to get clear about somethin... HD Streaming vs. Digital Download... is digital download lower quality than HD streaming?

"is digital download lower quality than HD streaming?"

That is correct.

Y'all made the goal? It's getting produced? Like, your starting your seed trays on yours right? The mass heater.

I'm glad to hear it. I hope it will be the Video which will allow anyone who want's to build one follow along and do it for themselves.

I think there are a lot of great options out there for heating and cooking, but one of the reasons I like the rocket mass set up so much is that it embodies a certain spirit. It's the sort of project that can be snuck into an apartment corner (legally! In portland perhaps) or be that which the entire house is built around. The mass part can be accomplished sometimes literally with the dirt beneath your feet. It has certain tangible almost gravitational presence. Solid. Real. nearly permanent.

It says to me, 'we built this, this is part of our everyday lives, it's here to stay just like we are.' Or at least that's what it evokes in me. The practical side of me that is.

Of course it's not the ideal solution for every setting. But it does seem perfect for many.

The download version is resolution 480px ? Isn't that quite low?

Finally chipped in my $40
Good to see your goal was well beaten.
I love listening to your podcasts and hope to have some land of my own one day to live sustainably.

Hot dog! we're now funded! This thing is now gonna be made! Editing has begun!

But there is so much more we can do. The world of rocket mass heaters is just getting started. And the innovators are loaded to the gills with lots more ideas. So we have decided that we will do the innovator's event again this year.

$70,000 Stretch Goal - More Innovation

Last year we hosted five innovators. If we reach this stretch goal, we will expand that to seven innovators

$80,000 Stretch Goal - More Plans

Erica has a pretty huge collection of plans that she has drawn up for several of the rocket mass heaters that she and Ernie have built over the years. If we reach this stretch goal, I will pay Erica to create plans for the cob style rocket mass heater in the log structure, plus plans for the pebble style rocket mass heater in the conventional living room. These plans will be for the people that supported at the $40 level or higher.

$90,000 Stretch Goal - Even More Plans

I will pay to have Erica create two more plans (for a total of four plans). The two NEW plans will be one for the tipi and one for the steampunk experimenter's rocket mass heater of science (pebble style). These plans will be for the people that supported at the $40 level or higher.

$100,000 Stretch Goal - More Tools and Materials for Innovators

When the innovators worked hard last year, there was one tool that would have made things much smoother: a really good plasma cutter. There was also desire for a few other things, including an electrical upgrade for the whole shop. If we get funded at this level, I will ask the innovators to make a list of what they would most like to see here for the 2015 event.

New Rewards at $3 and Higher - Full Music Album and "3 Stoves for $3 or Less" pdf

We have a new reward at $3 that includes everything at the $1 reward level, plus everything at the $2 reward level, plus a pdf by Erica Wisner about "3 Stoves for $3 or Less" plus the full album "Permaculture: A Rhymer's Manual" by Formidable Vegetable. And everything at this level is available at all of the higher levels.

Just to be clear, at the $40 level, you get:

- The rocket mass heater micro documentary
- 19 rocket mass heater podcasts (25 hours)
- (optional) public thanks
- The Hugelkultur micro documentary
- The Bonny Rocket Mass Heater plans (currently selling for $25)
- The Rocket Mass Heater in a Greenhouse plans (not yet released)
- The Permaculture Playing Cards eBook
- Podcasts 201-280
- Access to the permies.com secret inner circle
- The streaming version of the full DVD "Fire Science"
- pdf "3 Stoves for $3 or Less"
- album "Permaculture: A Rhymer's Manual" by Formidable Vegetable
- Your name listed in the rocket mass heater micro documentary
- the digital download version of the four new DVDs


So if my math is right, that's a total of seven videos plus a bunch of other candy.

Big Ticket Items a Bit More Accessible

Since we had no takers for folks to stay in the tipi or to be a producer, I cut the reward prices on those. I hope we get some takers!

Hallo all,


I've been reading a lot on permies and I am fascinated by the rocket stove idea. I am experimenting a lot with building rocket cores out of Ytong blocks (AAC). I built my j-tube and tested it succesfuly. I'm building a batch box now and will test it very soon. But what might be very interesting for you guys is that I am a professional engineer, used to design stuff, draw in 3D. And I've been tackling the rocket stove core the same way. First design it in 3D, then build it, then learn from what I build and update the model. I also have a nagging idea that the technology should be used commercialy to tackle the environmental problems, caus rockets burn clean!!! I'm 100% convinced that the rocket technology can be used in commercial boiler technology, it's just a matter of redesigning in my opinion. I have absolutely no clue if anyone ever has thought about this.

To make a long story short, if you need someone to make professional drawings or something, I can always look what I can do if you guys would be interested. If you guys can help with ideas on how to get the synergy going between rocket stove technology and "outdated/polluting" current boiler technology I'd be massively thankful.

Regards,

Ivo S.

I am so looking forward to receiving all the wonderful stuff at the $70 level : )

For those of us who bought the 4 DVD RSMH set a couple of years ago: Is this an update to that? Is it an all new deal? Is there any relationship between the two? Is there any kind of break for having bought the first set, and still needing the second one?
Thanks
Thekla

Thekla McDaniels wrote:
For those of us who bought the 4 DVD RSMH set a couple of years ago: Is this an update to that? Is it an all new deal? Is there any relationship between the two? Is there any kind of break for having bought the first set, and still needing the second one?
Thanks
Thekla

This is an update. Sort of.

The new DVDs are all info that is not in the old DVDs. The old DVDs will be numbers 5, 6, 7 and 8.

The long term product might be the 8-DVD set.

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the personal reply. I always feel so special when you write an answer to a question of mine. I've got a couple of days to decide, and I see you are way over your target. Good job!

Thekla

YEAAAH Got my backing in on time! It's not the same as dragging Ernie and Erica back to Canada but it will do....for now

Paul, what is the resolution of digital download video?

Good Day Paul!

I live in southern Utah near Zion Nat'l Park and am very interested in building a rocket stove for my wee off grid home.
I just received an email from you about relaunching a kick starter for dvds and plans etc. I found the pledge page with some difficulty and then my pledge would not go through due to "page error" or something like that....well. I don't want to just keep on pressing "pledge" and end up pledging more than I meant to but would still really like to contribute and receive the info SO...could you maybe check it out please and get back to me on whether or not it went through. Thanks!

I am planning a very modest "simple living workshop" at mine for the future. www.zionyogaretreat.wordpress.com

You do formidable work, I love it. Carry on!

Best Regards,
kak

Is there supposed to be a conformation? Created a Kickstarter account, entered my CC info but when I click the actual pledge button it returns to the same page.

So I may be in twice for $5 or not at all...

Thekla McDaniels wrote:Hi Paul,

Thanks for the personal reply. I always feel so special when you write an answer to a question of mine. I've got a couple of days to decide, and I see you are way over your target. Good job!

Thekla

I tried to set this kickstarter up to favor the people that already have the 4-DVD set from a couple of years ago.

So, for now, for $40 you get the four new videos as digital download, 99 podcasts, public thanks, two micro docs, the bonny plans, the greenhouse plans, playing cards ebook, access to the secret inner circle, "3 stoves for $3 or less" pdf, the formidable vegetable album and your name listed in the micro doc.

After the kickstarter, for $60 you get the four new videos as digital download.


Every day I see icky people being icky and their icky-ness leads to them getting more candy. So icky people get more candy than good people. When people support one of my kickstarters, they are showing faith in me. I've decided that I want to make damn sure that the people that support my kickstarters get far more candy than the people that simply buy this stuff off the shelf.

Aljaz Plankl wrote:Paul, what is the resolution of digital download video?

I don't know. We are a long ways away from making that decision.

I do know that I wish for each of the downloads to be less than a gig. Maybe even half a gig. I like the idea that the digital downloads don't take up too much space.