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What Changes Would You Like to See Made to Project14?

tariq.ahmad

Its been a long time since we've made any kind of changes to the format of Project14 but its due for an upgrade.   Its natural for programs to evolve overtime and things can't stay the same forever. We've experimented with different things with the program and some have been received more enthusiastically than others.   I'm starting this thread to see what kind of changes you would like to see us to make with this program.  What shouldn't be touched,  what would make things more exciting, and how do we grow the program without turning it into something different?  Should it be something different?   Where does Project14 fit in with the larger community?  Before getting this conversation underway, I would like to stress that the goal is to improve not diminish the program.  My managers have been very supportive from the beginning of this program and I want to reward their confidence.   Some of these changes are workload related.  Others are business related.  I'm open to all ideas and suggestions.

 

Topics on the Table:

 

- Launch Themes Every Other Month or Keep them Monthly?

- Shorter Contests or Longer Contests?

- If we have fewer contests Is there Stuff We Can Do In-Between?

- How Can We Make It Easier For More People to Participate?

- Should We have Bigger Prizes?

- Should we have a giveaway before we launch every contest?

- Most Importantly How Do We Make These More Fun?

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  • Reading some of the comments made me think of a different style of Project14 that could be mixed in-between the existing ones, perhaps this undertaken only every other month. The idea would be for Element14 to put together a low-cost component bag that all applicants could ask to receive, the contents themselves could be up for discussion each month as we now discuss the theme. However this Project14 would be to make something interesting using 2+ of the items. The low-cost 'surprise bag' of components that sponsors maybe have donated - new product lines in the IC field are always interesting. It would be a bit like the Experimenting with Polymer Capacitors and Experimenting with Inductors challenges but with a much more random approach to the parts. For the fun and again low-cost Element14 could always draw on the bargain components that are already being sold off at reduced rates?

     

    As I thought this through some more I wonder if the parts aren't carefully chosen it could prevent some prospective builders from taking part e.g. inclusion of mainly SMT parts

  • in reply to 14rhb

    Well, luckily I just had 50 SOIC8 to DIP adapters come and the 16 pin ones are coming image

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  • in reply to hugohu

    Nice, with those adapters are you able to solder the edges down onto another PCB or stripboard without having to add 0.1" headers? I like SOIC packages for SMT, they are just right to allow me to think I'm building things with current technology whilst still being easy to hand solder.

  • in reply to 14rhb

    I don't know what I am allowed to say but this sounds eerily similar to something that is being discussed internally somewhere in the community.   image

  • in reply to 14rhb

    You require 0.1 headers, no castellated pads(or whatever those are called), they're pretty cheap, around 3-4ish dollars for 50.

     

    I'm planning on buying a ton of these-

     

    I'm realizing newer chips are all in SMD>

     

    I've usually used SOIC8, 16, (or TSSOP), there's also TQFP32, 44, 48.

     

    SOIC is really easy to solder tbh, and I'd usually prefer it but some come with TSSOP which is *still* pretty easy, even with a SP25.

     

    I can probably send you a few of the adapters if you'd like to try them out.