I just finished watching the latest episode of Picard so I feel like using a space analogy.

If this RoadTest were a moon, it is currently not orbiting the planet (i.e. technology) I am delving into.

As shabaz alluded to in his post doesn't plug into or interface with technology I am currently playing with. It would require a major mental shift, to shelve what I am working on to take up the project.

I think it also came at a bad time because of competing RoadTest that do fall into my technology road house.

I did read it and do some brain storming but couldn't find the time to commit. To fully understand it would have take some additional time to develop.

Hello,

I wanted to add my two cents even though I've been missing in action for long while now.

Speaking for myself and I think it has been brought up before is the issue of return on investment (ROI). For a kit like this the ROI is very now, but that not the whole issue. I have spent hours on small kits like this to ensure I give the best possible review. I often deal with the company behind the review to resolve issue and help give a better explanation of the product and its issues. I did this recently with the NXP motor Controller I reviewed.

For me the real issue comes with the lack of acknowledgment and progression with a kit like this. When I first started doing roadtests I was happy to just get selected with the idea that I would eventually graduate to bigger better and more interesting kits and even equipment. The concept of show what you can do and then you will be rewarded was how thought of this whole endeavor. This is not to say learning is not part of the adventure, but that learning bigger and more complex products would be in store after showing you can learn and review the smaller ones.

This never really happened. I've applied to a number of the larger more interesting roadtests but never seem to come out on top. Instead I see people selected that seem to only apply to these larger more complex and valuable roadtests winning. The idea then became, why give so much to a community that seems to only reward those that only enter for the good stuff and not those that put in a lot of efforts for the smaller stuff and are willing to start from the bottom. It was the same reason I disliked the "top member" concept, there are a lot of people that contribute here and help out but it seems there was an inner circle that you could not get into even with a  lot of dedication if someone on top felt you were not worthy.

In short, I stopped applying because I felt in some ways like the sucker taking the easy to get stuff and working twice as hard to get a decent review only to be passed over when it came to the more advanced and somewhat interesting gear.

That's my 2 cents

Kas

Yes it's an ongoing problem, which no one seems interested in actually fixing.

A big reason people have for not entering a roadtest is not having the equipment needed to test it.

Randal knows this from a poll he ran recently, yet nothing has changed.

The Tektronix gear isn't going to anyone who actually needs it.

Hey @rscasny how about some Roadtests the 'Top Members' cannot enter/comment on ?

Try it as an experiment, see if more people show interest.

I completely agree, I am a new member, I can see a lot of members in the community with many years of experience, I thought I didn't have a chance to review some products but I was selected to review the Weller WT1 which was a great roadtest.  

- Rigol, now, is going as good as others in hardware, but software part is PASS grade, just OK in my candidate shopping list.

- Nothing to complain about, since each member starts from zero.

- Roadtest is not easy, into which much effort shall be put. Not having enough time, I am still not satisfied with some of my previous report.

Your blog is very informative.  I happen to have some experience with large power generator up to several hundred MW, if there is some e-puzzle to solve, maybe I figure it out.

Scope has been claimed. Posting out tomorrow, packed under a mountain of bubble wrap in a sturdy box marked "Not a Keithley Product" . Safe travels ...

- Gough

hlipka  wrote:

 

Its not for everybody - there are people who like doing this (and I'm always wondering how the top members are able to invest so much time in their hobby, and into E14).

I'd have to say (and I'm not proud of it) that time is limited and a number of sacrifices have been made to pursue my interests. For one, I have practically no social "life" as such, no relationships to speak of (something I'm hoping to change) ... and my health has probably been slightly neglected in the late nights staying up to try something out, stress induced from having things fall apart at the last moment, occasional international time-zone clash for a conference call and marathon sprints to the finish. It can be a chore - sore fingers from typing things up, tired eyes ... but I do it because I enjoy doing it ... and I enjoy learning and experiencing new ways of doing things, new ways of thinking.

It is lucky that my interests have some relevance and overlap with my work, which means that it is easier to justify the time investment as a career investment as well sometimes. But even someone like me needs to take a break - effective as of next week, I'm on a one month hiatus as I travel overseas (for better or for worse) ...

- Gough

hlipka  wrote:

 

I'm always wondering how the top members are able to invest so much time

This only works if things are efficient - I like to build stuff and experiment, but also try to solve technical problems... and it's a total waste of time when you lead someone down a path with suggestions to get them where they want to be, and it turns out there's no sensible resolution at all - actually, they just wanted a whinge at TMs.

The road test program is no a charity. If you think so, then this is a misconception which you need to correct for yourself. The road tests are a marketing instrument for E14, Farnell and the road test sponsors (the equipment manufacturers). Its intended as a win-win situation: you deliver something of value (a high-quality review and valuable feedback) to the manufacturer (cheaper that it would be otherwise), and in turn can keep the item for free instead of paying for it. There is no 'someone who needs it' part in there, and there never will.

OTOH I think that there is a class of items where the odds are skewed to certain members, which is why certain names seem to appear more often. When we are talking about high-end gear, which might be more specialized (who needs a spectrum analyzer every day?) or indeed needs some special equipment to review it properly, the number of potential road testers shrink quite a lot. And the resulting member are more likely to already own something similar - otherwise, where would they get the experience from to review it properly? (In addition, for items with a high price tag the sponsor surely want to make sure to get a high-quality review, so the selection is skewed towards members which already have proven that they can deliver one. And I think just doing that several times, and being active in the community too, makes you a top member...).

From the perspective of E14 and the sponsors, this is how you run such a program. From the perspective of someone applying for a RT because you really could use the item to be tested, I would hate it, because it really reduces your odds. You really need to put some work into the process - do contests, do smaller RTs to prove what you can do, seek active feedback. This is the only way to work yourself upwards. Its not for everybody - there are people who like doing this (and I'm always wondering how the top members are able to invest so much time in their hobby, and into E14).

The road test program is no a charity. If you think so, then this is a misconception which you need to correct for yourself. The road tests are a marketing instrument for E14, Farnell and the road test sponsors (the equipment manufacturers). Its intended as a win-win situation: you deliver something of value (a high-quality review and valuable feedback) to the manufacturer (cheaper that it would be otherwise), and in turn can keep the item for free instead of paying for it. There is no 'someone who needs it' part in there, and there never will.

OTOH I think that there is a class of items where the odds are skewed to certain members, which is why certain names seem to appear more often. When we are talking about high-end gear, which might be more specialized (who needs a spectrum analyzer every day?) or indeed needs some special equipment to review it properly, the number of potential road testers shrink quite a lot. And the resulting member are more likely to already own something similar - otherwise, where would they get the experience from to review it properly? (In addition, for items with a high price tag the sponsor surely want to make sure to get a high-quality review, so the selection is skewed towards members which already have proven that they can deliver one. And I think just doing that several times, and being active in the community too, makes you a top member...).

From the perspective of E14 and the sponsors, this is how you run such a program. From the perspective of someone applying for a RT because you really could use the item to be tested, I would hate it, because it really reduces your odds. You really need to put some work into the process - do contests, do smaller RTs to prove what you can do, seek active feedback. This is the only way to work yourself upwards. Its not for everybody - there are people who like doing this (and I'm always wondering how the top members are able to invest so much time in their hobby, and into E14).

hlipka  wrote:

 

Its not for everybody - there are people who like doing this (and I'm always wondering how the top members are able to invest so much time in their hobby, and into E14).

I'd have to say (and I'm not proud of it) that time is limited and a number of sacrifices have been made to pursue my interests. For one, I have practically no social "life" as such, no relationships to speak of (something I'm hoping to change) ... and my health has probably been slightly neglected in the late nights staying up to try something out, stress induced from having things fall apart at the last moment, occasional international time-zone clash for a conference call and marathon sprints to the finish. It can be a chore - sore fingers from typing things up, tired eyes ... but I do it because I enjoy doing it ... and I enjoy learning and experiencing new ways of doing things, new ways of thinking.

It is lucky that my interests have some relevance and overlap with my work, which means that it is easier to justify the time investment as a career investment as well sometimes. But even someone like me needs to take a break - effective as of next week, I'm on a one month hiatus as I travel overseas (for better or for worse) ...

- Gough

hlipka  wrote:

 

I'm always wondering how the top members are able to invest so much time

This only works if things are efficient - I like to build stuff and experiment, but also try to solve technical problems... and it's a total waste of time when you lead someone down a path with suggestions to get them where they want to be, and it turns out there's no sensible resolution at all - actually, they just wanted a whinge at TMs.