[Elecraft] K3 - New Radio Excitement

[Jim]

All,

I kind of agree with Paul on the overall document management process.

I have just a comment on the process for system updates and the overall
configuration management of operating manuals / user manuals.

I work extensively with a variety of user manuals for USAF aircrew and
maintenance personnel on a variety of complex systems that are currently
used on a variety of the US Special Operations Forces (SOF) aircraft.

Our technical order publishing division uses a variety of document tools for
building and publishing these operator manuals: Microsoft Word, Adobe
Pagemaker, Adobe Framemaker, and conversion tools to take Word documents and
create final PDF versions of the documents where necessary.

Any more, with these tools that are used and available, it is much easier
for a company to roll in the upgrades or changes into a Word document with
the "Track Changes" for edits or additions that are made by different
technicians, engineers, or staff employees. However, after the final review
and when the "Track Changes" are saved into the document, pending an
internal review of the document for accuracy, an updated new version of the
document is then generated for distribution.

Gone are the days of the incremental page changes (change 1, change 2, etc;)
appended at the end of a document. It is much easier today to just provide
updated revisions of the entire document as opposed to the manpower and
configuration management for a bunch of incremental addendums or updates
that have to be manually entered into a document.

When it takes less than five minutes to download a document from a corporate
site, it does not make any sense to create a bunch of work for the company
staff in the areas of Tech order management.

You can either get an updated version of the entire document from their tech
order document library or have them mail you a CD ROM.

The other problem with the nature of TO writing is that it is manpower
intensive as far as hours per page development and has a tendency to become
a cost factor that can end up getting reflected into the cost of the product
or the price you pay.

Just my thoughts.

Each company can handle their technical documentation in their own fashion,
however, it can get expensive, if not done efficiently.

Thanks,

Jim Dunbar
K4PV
Principal Engineer
Senior Technical Staff
MTC Technologies (BAE Systems)
Crestview, Florida

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Paul at N4LCD.com
Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2008 2:35 PM
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 - New Radio Excitement



Jerry Keller (K3BZ) wrote:
>Downloadable manuals are fine... a good way to stay up to
>date.  However, it shouldn't be necessary to download the entire
>manual every time a change is made.  Any change should be in the
>form of a series of either "added pages".... or "changed
>pages"...with each page dated and numbered, perhaps with an
>alpha-numeric system.  A page numbering system should be used that
>allows added or changed pages to be printed and inserted in the
>user's manual to keep it up-to-date. Changed pages should indicate
>the page number and date that is being replaced.  This may seem
>cumbersome, but if well executed will result in the user being able
>to maintain an accurate, constantly updated paper manual.
>
>There's no reason why this same system cannot be used to maintain an
>on-line, downloadable manual.... so a user can choose which system
>to use. This also enables a paper-manual user to enter the system
>and download a full-up-to-the-minute manual at any time. Some of us
>are very uncomfortable without a paper manual and are willing to do
>the work necessary to keep one updated.  Others can happily live
>with an on-line manual.  Both deserve to be served, and can be.....
>if Elecraft uses a well-designed page numbering system.
>
>73, Jerry K3BZ

I prefer Elecraft simply updating the same manual, over and over,
then converting it to a PDF then posting it on the web page each time.

Then just send an email to the mailing list stating that the manual
has been updated.

I don't particularly care for errata or addendum sheets unless
they're in addition to the manual update, dated and added at the end
of the updated manual.

Paul N4LCD





_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com