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Author Topic: The item that seems to be missing  (Read 6214 times)

roycv

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The item that seems to be missing
« on: December 18, 2008, 01:29:39 am »

Hi all, I have looked with interest at the kit contents but not seen much reference to the quality of the instructions, which are really quite important.

May I put forward the best set of instructions I have ever read.  They were the instructions for constructing an electronic circuit for a servo slow down unit by the late Craig Talbot (ACTion kits).

They may well still be available, as the unit is excellent for slowing down an arm winch for sailing boats.  They are concise, simple to read and virtually foolproof and require only the ability to solder.

I would also like to commend Graupner and Kyosho, especially for the cross indexing of parts which must take time to produce.  But I am sure there are others I have yet to meet.

regards Roy
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tigertiger

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Re: The item that seems to be missing
« Reply #1 on: December 18, 2008, 01:42:25 am »

My Thunder Tiger Victoria had good instructions. 10/10

My Mary J Ward, I would give them 6/10

Monsoon 900 4/10 for bad Chinglish (Chinese English)


Seems the big players use professional technical writers.
The small guys do it themselves. But their strength is in making models, not writing instruction books.  ;D
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FullLeatherJacket

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Re: The item that seems to be missing
« Reply #2 on: December 18, 2008, 09:00:18 am »

May I put forward the best set of instructions I have ever read.  They were the instructions for constructing an electronic circuit for a servo slow down unit by the late Craig Talbot (ACTion kits).
They may well still be available, as the unit is excellent for slowing down an arm winch for sailing boats.  They are concise, simple to read and virtually foolproof and require only the ability to solder.
Roy
The P32 Unit is no longer available for two reasons; it became very 'jerky' at slower speeds, and I fell out big-time with the supplier of the PIC chips when he sold me £150-worth of duff chips for another module.
It has been replaced with the P96. The Instructions are there on the website for anyone to see and judge - all nine pages of them:-
http://www.action-electronics.co.uk/pdfs/P96.pdf
I think we're still true to Craig's style but I use more pictures than he did. BTW you don't have to buy the kit!

TT
Remind me to growl at you next time I see you for making such a sweeping statement as your last remark   >>:-(

FLJ
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Martin (Admin)

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tigertiger

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Re: The item that seems to be missing
« Reply #4 on: December 18, 2008, 10:12:42 am »


The small guys do it themselves. But their strength is in making models, not writing instruction books.  ;D

I didn't know you made models Dave.

But let me rephrase. For many of the smaller guys, making models is their forte. It does not always follow that they can write good instructions on how to assemble the boat they have produced.

By contrast many of the hi-tech specialists do know their way around a technical manual and know how producing instructions should be done.

Some are exemplary. Like Dave at ACTion Electronics.


Will that do you?
 :}
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roycv

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Re: The item that seems to be missing
« Reply #5 on: December 18, 2008, 11:16:53 am »

Sorry FLJ, its just that I don't remember a time before I was taught how to solder!
 I do enjoy putting electronic kits together, my first major undertaking was a transmitter and receiver kit from Micron (PL7D).  Still works!

The most interesting was working out the circuits for the first published boiler water level controller (Radio Control Boat Modeller 20 years ago jointly with a friend doing the mechanical part) and then writing the assembly and setting up instructions.

regards Roy
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FullLeatherJacket

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Re: The item that seems to be missing
« Reply #6 on: December 18, 2008, 12:50:21 pm »


I didn't know you made models Dave.

But let me rephrase. For many of the smaller guys, making models is their forte. It does not always follow that they can write good instructions on how to assemble the boat they have produced.

By contrast many of the hi-tech specialists do know their way around a technical manual and know how producing instructions should be done.

Some are exemplary. Like Dave at ACTion Electronics.


Will that do you?
 :}

 :kiss:
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tigertiger

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Re: The item that seems to be missing
« Reply #7 on: December 18, 2008, 01:08:05 pm »

As an aside

The British manufacturers do seem to have a bad rep in the USA regards the quality of our instructions for kit building.
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dougal99

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Re: The item that seems to be missing
« Reply #8 on: December 18, 2008, 05:38:09 pm »

As an aside

The British manufacturers do seem to have a bad rep in the USA regards the quality of our instructions for kit building.

Not complaining about the spelling I trust  :}
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