Cuprajake personally wouldnt be buying any first gen acs machine -
It’s not a 1st gen machine….the 1st gen was at Host 2023, this is 2 years later. I’ve been using it for months and had zero problems. Just software needs tweaking to my recommendations and the code around auto on/off scheduling needs to be checked…although I use a smart switch.
So it’s proved to be very quiet, quick to warm up, about 16 minutes and lots of potential, as the software is user upgradable,
As for flow control, I use it mainly to set the flow rate I want and leave it…then I use the Bloom phase/preinfusion to get what I want at the beginning of the shot…you can even use a combo of both and define which one starts first by setting the priority.
I am always quite transparent about things and these are the main software changes I would like to see. I am adding to the list as I think about more things.
One of the more interesting things is the ability to have actual useful low power standby modes, rather than the mess most manufacturers give us which doesn’t actually work in the prosumer “real world”. My software solution to Falcon I, would have the boilers turn off and the group drop to a temperature where it can be warmed up about as fast as the brew and/or service boiler can come up to temperature. The user being in control of the entire process and all 3 times and temps.
So it might look like this. After n minutes (user definable), boilers turn off, group drops to 60 or 70C, heat loss reduces massively (as it’s a 4th power law). But when you return and touch a control, the unit can be back up to temperature in a few minutes.
The other key thing: The Falcon is using the same boilers, pumps etc. as in all other ACS machines, so they are known reliable components. However what it dopes loose is all the Gicar electronics, which are often a cause of problems in all manufactures machines. Gicar are also very, very, very, slow to respond to requests for change, or to problems!
Falcon is using a SoC (system on a chip) main board which is very standard in terms of interfacing with stuff, which means screen connections etc.. are standard and it contains memory, processor, Wi-Fi etc.. It will eventually become the standard board for all ACS machines. Not a different board for each machine…the same board, but with different machine specific programming. e.g. In Vostok, Minima, Evo2, Falcon I and a few new machines coming. This reduces costs in spares holding, development and programming.
P.S. I should mention the Falcon I supports over the air software updates, by creating a phone hotspot, similar to the Evo2 etc..
P.P.S I also didn’t mention the power management side of the Falcon I, max power draw can be limited by up to 50% and the active elements never turn off/on (full power no power), they receive gradual increases and decreases in power…similar to some induction cookers, but more sophisticated. This is better for control and element life.