[Elecraft] Manuals

[Ferguson, Kevin]

Heathkit manuals certainly set a high standard....but I made lots of
mistakes on
my Heathkits and none (knock wood) on my Elecraft kits. 'Course I've
accumulated
an engineering degree and a LOT of experience between "working for" the two 
suppliers, so it can't be a fair comparison.

My ONLY gripe with the Elecraft manuals is that the steps aren't numbered
for easy 
reference.

This means the addendum/erratum or the person asking a question of the list
has to
reference (just for example) "the third to the last step on page 58" rather
than just "step 192"

This would also make it easier for beginers to get help from OTs who may not
have 
latest version of the manual, which that moved the problem step 1-1/2 pages
farther on,
if indeed that step even existed.

Steps that remain unchanged between manual revisions should keep the same 
number. New steps added between existing ones could take a decimal format,
and 
changed steps could take on a revision letter. And of course there would
need to be 
notes to effect "Steps 115-117 have been deleted" so you'd know you weren't
missing
a page.

That way if the Newbie asked about "step 123.1B" then the OT would know that
his 
manual was way out of date since it went directly from 123 to 124....and the
newbie
would know the advice in archives was dated if it refered to a step that no
longer existed.

It might well make incorportating addenda into a new revision easier, since
the page 
numbers for later steps shift as earlier material is revised.

Maybe it was done intentionally....Knowing how many steps were involved,
some might not
start the job!  Or was it just losing a format fight with the Billyware?

ciao, ko0b