How Much Time Should Project14: Monthly Project Competitions Last?

Hi

I think two months or more is great for entry level projects.

Usually during entry level you should learn allot and debug allot (and fry things allot).

So what a pro will do in few hrs can take a newbie weeks.

Also not all countries have fast shipping. For me 3 to 4 weeks to get a component is common.

Until you figure out what you need and order, the contest can already end...

Idan, by a general point of view, just for newbies, this kind of projects should be a challenge. And fighting against time it is a challenge too. With longer time for project completion means that these become less "light" and too similar to the sponsored big challenges (that have some months deadlines).

By the other side instead as you point also for many other users four weeks or more are a "normal" wait time for products shipping.

Maybe that some extra time will be added for those countries where components are not so easy to buy?

Enrico

Idan, by a general point of view, just for newbies, this kind of projects should be a challenge. And fighting against time it is a challenge too. With longer time for project completion means that these become less "light" and too similar to the sponsored big challenges (that have some months deadlines).

By the other side instead as you point also for many other users four weeks or more are a "normal" wait time for products shipping.

Maybe that some extra time will be added for those countries where components are not so easy to buy?

Enrico

Enrico, I think you raised a good point that fighting against time should be included in the equation.

However I think everybody should play on same rules. Simple competition rules is also something to consider. Imagine yourself somebody who live where components are easy to buy but have other problem, he would say why them and not me?

I see the major of the votes are between 6-8 weeks. So I guess every number in that area will be acceptible on most of the people.

Regards

Idan

Idan, I know this is a complex point. In the sponsored challenges all competitors have the same time; this is easy because it is E14 shipping the kits so when there are delays in transport this time is considered. In the case of these short challenges, community driven, this is not possible at all. To be honest my consideration is that time is a component of the challenge and we should think that the option to have no time to get the material just in time it is part of the risk not to complete the challenge itself. It seems not correct or not so democratic, but it has a sense in my opinion. In cases (it's just an example) it is impossible to have in time a TP120 transistor to complete a project, why not to choose a plan B adopting a cascaded circuit with 2N2222 ones?

Enrico