Should a reviewer keep a $20K Oscilloscope?

I have pondered being on the receiving end of expensive equipment.

Part of my struggle is self-depreciation. Why do I deserve such a reward compared to other contributors with more knowledge and experience.

Contributing to the pondering is what value is a $15K scope in my hands compared to a DW, SH, JC or GL to acknowledge some of the meritorious members I admire. The knowledge share alone from what they have or will learn is great. For me it's "Oh look, I got the output of a flip flop to show on the screen."

I have often thought I like to see an "E14 Drop-Off". After completing a review, if the product was surplus, I could release it to another member, say one that pitched an application and didn't make the cut for the review. Logistics would need to be considered.

I have donated a RoadTest product to post secondary institution. The social lockdown from the pandemic highlighted an immediate need for remote leaning in a college course. The equipment I provided was ideal for the program. I still get the occasional note about the benefits as a result of the donation. 

I gave a former student a RoadTest product after a review. He works in the industry that the equipment could be fully utilized in. I love hearing his stories of how the technology has made his life easier. He is still working and I am retired:)

I look to the reviews for quality. Do they give the vendor that supplied the RoadTest value for their contribution. There have a few reviews where I have felt like calling out the person. Turning the equipment on, and taking a screen shot is not a review. I had the thought of a peer review, as part of the RoadTest process. You make your application pitch and get awarded the RoadTest. Your RoadTest submission is reviewed by E14 peers. Was the objectives of your RoadTests delivered.

I have been short on RoadTest application this year. I hope to improve that metric next year. 

Great question.  Since the company providing the equipment really gets to make that determination, I'm going with "Yes".  They've already made that decision.

The e14 review may just be the means to an end.  The exposure of the product on the forum may be the return on investment that they're looking for.  Otherwise... how do they get the word out?  I'm sure that the manufacturer would be interested in hearing other ideas and methods.

It is a good question.  As Mike says, the sponsor is providing the kit and has made the decision - it may well be a 'marketing' unit, one that's done the round and essentially written off for this purpose.  My concern is more about the quality of the review: I couldn't do a unit like that justice and I'm hoping that whoever does get selected puts significant effort in to road test it.  I'd be seriously disappointed if everything reported I could also do with my current knowledge level and cheap scope I own; in fact, I'd like to end up scratching my head about some of it.

Clearly such road tests are good for the person testing the instrument. They also benefit the forum by attracting more members, although perhaps not that many more. There is a question about benefit to the manufacturer, but I am sure all manufacturers carefully evaluate the total benefits versus costs for every road test. There is a potential issue with members who feel disappointed that they don't have much chance of participating in high end road tests, and the bigger picture result that it tends to stratify road testers. The high end road testers end up with more high end instrumentation and more experience, which enables them to better test other high end instrumentation, effectively relegating some members to only qualifying to test lower end instrumentation. Bridging the gap becomes harder and harder.

This is a complex situation that is similar to many other sectors of life. It may not be possible to change this type of situation. Many have tried but the new systems never seem to work. element14 does "take a chance" on some unproven road testers, which helps, but the best way to get ahead within the system is to expend a disproportionate amount of effort.

I feel the term "stratify" is appropriate. My analogy is those that have the skills to swim in the deep end verses those paddle around tin the shallow end. I'm the guy hanging onto the rope separating the two pools.

Professionally, I read the reviews from the deep end and are envious. The skill, knowledge and expertise to accomplish the task is beyond my capabilities. I feel some of the reviews are commercial grade, that would be paid for.

RS and the selection committee has a tough job. RS has made the program even better by focusing effort into improving the selection process. I hold out hope that originality in RoadTests will get me an application win occasionally.

I look for the content from those that win. If those in the stratosphere produce quality, I can say it is not fair but hey I have played sports where I have had to sit on the bench while the more skilled players take to the field. I get the reward of reading their review.

Hi Scottiebabe - I admit to being a bit of a cynic , a $20k listed scope is likely the MSRP. The product likely has a fractional customer dependent multiplier.

I'm not saying the product cost is trivial, but also imagine the value of a Road Test expert.

I often put in 100 - 150 hrs or more in experimenting and documenting a road test. I'm usually in it for an adventure and have self motivation to learn new stuff, so the monetary value doesnt change the time I spend on a test much. I go into bulldog mode.  

A Road Tester with the expertise needed to evaluate a $20k scope (or more) is a rare bird and that quality has great value in itself.  The vendor has their own designers, quality control, marketing, etc, don't need the E14 community for that. The vendor often needs a fresh face to try it out to give them feedbacks and also fresh marketing ideas. It has great value. They may prefer to find stuff out before they get a load of customers providing similar feedbacks. The Road test gets published, also a good marketing tool. Potential customers may even upgrade, and buy better models that yield better margins. 

You have alot of deep insights and design experiences, don't sell your self short.  :-)  The vendor doesn't.    Your time is worth it and more. 

I smiled at your response. Who are we (E14 community) to question the motives of a donor ?   :-)  Its a mutual thang or applicants wouldn't be selected. 

Hi!

It's totally worth it, I think I can explain why, and can probably persuade a change of mind, to easily make people wish to adjust the value higher than any figures mentioned.

This sort of question can be approached in a way that requires understanding the work of marketing and putting a value on that. The understanding of the impact of that goes to the heart of valuing certain things like reviews.

I can explain it, and I can almost guarantee every engineering director (i.e. someone who isn't part of marketing!) will also agree on the value and will probably ask it to be adjusted upward too, but all this needs a bit of time to write a longer comment. Happy to write in more detail if there's interest, with zero "woolly" or "fluffy" marketing words (I know some engineers look down on it, sometimes slightly for right reasons, but often for wrong reasons, because it's a discipline with solid objectives and results).

Hello, thank you so much for your reply. I’m not suggesting I have the answer but I am happy people are at least taking a second to think about it.

Don’t get me wrong I believe the element14 community as whole has an extraordinary if not “priceless” value. The financial overhead just to operate this website (that we maybe complain about a tad too much) is incredible, not to mention the dozens of other great programs they run. I sincerely hope they take the sponsor to “cleaners” to run the program. I don’t believe element14 should undervalue themselves in any way.

Collectively the element14 has to be the most diverse and collectively talented group of nerds on the planet!

To suggest that there is only 2 community members that make element14 possible is a bit of a stretch.  

Not everyone may agree with me. I think you may appreciate my assertion that it is a gray area. There must be a dollar value where you go really? Perhaps that’s 30K, 40K, 100K USD to you, I don’t know.

The instrument under review is by no means a dead asset after a 2 month review, there are dozens of secondary test and measurement equipment retailers that rent or loan equipment that would happily purchase the unit.

In a perfect world I’d love play with unit for a little bit. Then share something I was extremely impressed by and then send it down the road to dw and so on and so on. Of I understand there are some significant logistic hurdles to making something like that possible, so I am not suggesting that is the obvious solution.

scottiebabe  I love the question because it DID make me think about the value versus reward consideration.  Personally, I didn't think that your question was more than one of those thoughts that come to mind and you felt safe enough voicing it in the community.  I feel confident that many others feel the same.

I think it's good to be introspective sometimes.  I look at an oscilloscope like that and have to be honest with myself.  I own two oscilloscopes and have access to a third.  Do I use them?  Am I willing to pay the pay the taxes on a $20k prize like that - that I wouldn't use (if I'm honest)?  Could someone else put it to more use?

All in all, again, noble question.  Even if I'm way off in left field - wandering aimlessly - it made me stop an ponder.  Thanks for asking.
<smilely emoji>  <thumbs up emoji>
My internet is really slow tonight and I got tired of waiting for the box with the emojis to pop up.  Ha! Ha!