[Elecraft] A modest proposal...

[Phil Hystad]

Actually, although the manuals are all available in the most recently updated versions as PDFs on the web site, I think another format would even be superior (in addition though, not replacing PDFs or printed).

The other format is a nice interactive web site -- not merely a PDF called up with your browser but an interactive structured web "application" that includes the technical material and descriptions as well as cross linked to related items.  Color of course is valuable in this kind of thing along with lots of diagrams and schematic parts.  Maybe even background electronics or radio theory to deepen our understanding.

Of course, this is hard to do and takes quite of design and effort to carry out -- but, we have done this in our own business for the big complicated wholesale energy markets we build.  I would point you to these sites but they require logins and unless you are a registered market participant you can't get access.

Or, a much easier to accomplish system is one where the technical information of the manuals is decomposed into shorter one page (target this size at least) bits of information and then you use the power of HTML linking to create the access paths needed to discover information and read material.  This is a popular method for software documentation of large systems such as Microsoft or Apple.  Actually, I like Apple better but maybe that is my Mac fanaticism showing through.  Here is a pointer to the Mac developer pages as an example of what I mean: http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/navigation/

73, phil, K7PEH


On Aug 21, 2011, at 9:46 AM, David Gilbert wrote:

> 
> 
> Personally, I don't see how that suggestion saves anyone anything.  The 
> great majority of those who order anything in kit or modular form are 
> going to want a printed manual, and I'd bet that at least half of any 
> buyer of an assembled item is going to want one as well, especially if 
> it is free.  So all you get is a small reduction in printed manuals at 
> the cost of more hassle and opportunity for error on the part of 
> Elecraft.  From a purely manufacturing point of view, variability and 
> the need for a decision (do I send a manual with this order or don't I?) 
> represent complexity and opportunity for error.  How happy are folks who 
> wanted a manual going to be when their item arrives without it by 
> mistake?  What is it going to cost Elecraft to expedite the shipment of one?
> 
> Eliminating paper completely may or may not be a bad thing depending 
> upon the situation, but if you can't do it completely it is rarely even 
> a good thing.
> 
> 73,
> Dave   AB7E
> 
> 
> 
> On 8/21/2011 1:14 AM, Alastair Couper wrote:
>> I would like to suggest that the good folks at Elecraft consider making
>> paper manuals an optional item at check out time. It could save a little
>> money and paper, and some like myself are more inclined to download the
>> info in any case. Especially with radios that are evolving, like the K3,
>> one ends up doing this when new firmware makes the old paper manual
>> incomplete. So just being able to eliminate the paper completely would be
>> a fine thing, IMHO.
>> 
>> NH7O
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