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How Do You Solve RoadTest "RoadBlock" ?

rscasny

This past weekend I began a discussion about RoadTests called A Conversation about RoadTests, Missing Reviews, and the Future. The post received 66 comments to date and was a great discussion. I appreciate everyone who took the time to contribute.

 

One of the most informative comments I read was from someone who explained that he was excited to RoadTest the product yet when he actually sat down do to the RoadTest, he found it overwhelming. Then, when he saw he was not meeting his goals, he got discouraged and put off writing the review. To me, it sounded like he had what I call RoadTest RoadBlock. It can happen to anyone. You think you know what you want to do or you know what you want to do, but then you find out the RoadTest was a bigger job than you had imagined.

 

Technical work can be mind-bending at times. You could be staring at it for hours, and you know the solution is at the tip of your tongue, but something is blocking you. While it may be painful when the roadblock is occurring, it can also be a learning experience. Perhaps even a natural part of career growth.

 

There are a couple of easy things you can do if you experience RaodTest RoadBlock. First, leave a comment about your problem on the RoadTest page. Be as detailed as possible, If you need to post a schematic with your readings or scope shots, go ahead. Members will read your comment and often will offer suggestions or help you troubleshoot. The other thing you can do is contact me at . While I am not as hands-on as I was in the past, I do have access to suppliers and may be able to get you some support.

 

So, what do you do to solve RoadTest RoadBlock?

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  • Before I even submit my application I like to brainstorm what I would do with it, usually fun things and a bit out of the ordinary. The results of this would then typically form part of my application, as the application does ask you to provide an outline of how you would review the product. for instance, look here 33622A arbitrary waveform generator helps Batman with a new "Bat Signal"  or t33622A used to measure Capacitors and Inductors - Curve method , if you want to see something simpler then how about this U1461A Insulation Resistance Meter - Torture Test to test some IP67 ratings ok... maybe I go a bit overboard but the point is, make it interesting and fun rather than just repeat marketing blurb.

     

    Your reviews dont always have to be positive either, if you think the product needs improvement then say so, this is not a bought endorsement, we want you honest opinion. Here is one that did not get a good review from me and in fact I fed back how the manufacturer should fix it TI Fuel Tank BoosterPack & MSP430F5529 Launchpad - Review

     

    This then is an easy start to the review process, do what you promised in the application, then go on to add more things as you think of them. I will typically think of these while I am doing the easy wins (The things from the application). I am not a person who like to write a lot so my chosen media is typically Video and most of the time I dont mind being in the video but this is not always for everyone's comfort level so you need to also consider how you want to present your review.

     

    If you have a fairly modern cell phone or tablet then that's all you need, that is how I started, though now I have an HD Camcorder but this is not necessary (Just check out these two youtube channels, they're both done on cell phones or tablets if you dont believe me  bigclivedotcom     Julian Ilett  )

     

    The biggest hurdle is getting started but once you do, things will start to flow.

     

    This all starts BEFORE you apply for the road test. If you can't think of how you're going to review the product or dont have the capacity to do so (Some products do need other test equipment to be able to review them, and some can be quite specialized) then DON'T apply, you're just taking a review away from someone who does have a plan and can do it justice. This way when it comes time to deliver, you just need to do what you said in the application. This will keep you on the road test Favorites list if you get my point. Then if you want to add other supporting posts about the product you can, but dont need to worry so much about meeting the requirements of the review itself. You will see this in many of the reviews I have done in the past. For the more expensive products I will often post more than a few 30min to 1Hr videos, while this is not a strict requirement, I personally feel it is the least I can do as I get to keep the product and I can help other members based on my experience with it. Oh and it does not hurt your rep when it comes to the next road test

     

    Anyway, enough ranting from me, I have videos to make 

Reply

  • Before I even submit my application I like to brainstorm what I would do with it, usually fun things and a bit out of the ordinary. The results of this would then typically form part of my application, as the application does ask you to provide an outline of how you would review the product. for instance, look here 33622A arbitrary waveform generator helps Batman with a new "Bat Signal"  or t33622A used to measure Capacitors and Inductors - Curve method , if you want to see something simpler then how about this U1461A Insulation Resistance Meter - Torture Test to test some IP67 ratings ok... maybe I go a bit overboard but the point is, make it interesting and fun rather than just repeat marketing blurb.

     

    Your reviews dont always have to be positive either, if you think the product needs improvement then say so, this is not a bought endorsement, we want you honest opinion. Here is one that did not get a good review from me and in fact I fed back how the manufacturer should fix it TI Fuel Tank BoosterPack & MSP430F5529 Launchpad - Review

     

    This then is an easy start to the review process, do what you promised in the application, then go on to add more things as you think of them. I will typically think of these while I am doing the easy wins (The things from the application). I am not a person who like to write a lot so my chosen media is typically Video and most of the time I dont mind being in the video but this is not always for everyone's comfort level so you need to also consider how you want to present your review.

     

    If you have a fairly modern cell phone or tablet then that's all you need, that is how I started, though now I have an HD Camcorder but this is not necessary (Just check out these two youtube channels, they're both done on cell phones or tablets if you dont believe me  bigclivedotcom     Julian Ilett  )

     

    The biggest hurdle is getting started but once you do, things will start to flow.

     

    This all starts BEFORE you apply for the road test. If you can't think of how you're going to review the product or dont have the capacity to do so (Some products do need other test equipment to be able to review them, and some can be quite specialized) then DON'T apply, you're just taking a review away from someone who does have a plan and can do it justice. This way when it comes time to deliver, you just need to do what you said in the application. This will keep you on the road test Favorites list if you get my point. Then if you want to add other supporting posts about the product you can, but dont need to worry so much about meeting the requirements of the review itself. You will see this in many of the reviews I have done in the past. For the more expensive products I will often post more than a few 30min to 1Hr videos, while this is not a strict requirement, I personally feel it is the least I can do as I get to keep the product and I can help other members based on my experience with it. Oh and it does not hurt your rep when it comes to the next road test

     

    Anyway, enough ranting from me, I have videos to make 

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