On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 23:12:53 -0500, Mike Coslo
wrote:

Leo wrote:
snip

1. hmmmm. Your engineering projects must have an unlimited budget

I wish!

Professionally speaking.......

My projects have to meet very detailed specifications and industry
standards (CCITT, EIA, IC), and are designed to be commercially and
economically viable - with as few as possible 'surprises' for the end
user to discover. If a business case cannot be prepared to justify
adequate funding for this level of quality in the end product, it dies
right then and there. This is how things are done in the professional
world - unless you enjoy recall programs, product liability suits and
loss of market share due to the poor reputation that follows......not
to mention the negative impact this would have on one's career.

For an amateur level project, the rules are obviously *far* less
rigorous - many tradeoffs can be made, as the end user is you - you
decide the level of quality, time, costs and losses that you can
afford, and go from there. One thing that cannot be traded off,
however, are the realities of physics as they apply to the project -
which leads us back to the original discussion point.....


2. In engineering projects, all problems are never satisfactorily
resolved. In fact, most are not. You accept, you are not satisfied.

Wow! I'm sure glad I don't work where you do! This explains the
erosion of the North American manufacturing sector pretty well.....

This philosophy may hold true in a Chinese power tool plant making
$5.00 battery powered drills - in my field we use the Six Sigma
protocol (a form of total quality management, originally developed by
Motorola) to ensure that folks who subscribe to that philosophy don't
sneak something crappy out the door!

snip

There is a world of difference between someone like Jim, who questions
and looks at my answers, and one member that says what I am considering
is impossible, and yet another that calls me incompetent.

Not really - he frequently uses posts like this one to play off his
own political agenda with several of the other posters here in RRAP.
Look closer - and read between the lines......

You are most definitely not incompetent, though - not sure why someone
would infer that! You're thinking, and you have done your homework!

And what you are planning is most definitely possible - it's been
done, many many times before!

So, if you posted your ideas in a discussion group, and someone
commented that it is not possible to do what you plan to do, yet you
have researched it and know that it can - why not try to rationally
explain the solutions that you have discovered to each of the
show-stoppers raised? Rather than get angry with them and fire off a
pile of web references and indignant comments, that is. Or ignore
them entirely - after all, you know it can be done - right?

Discussion groups are for discussions, aren't they....?

snip

Of course, Jim, you could step up to the plate and use your vast
knowledge of engineering

Sarcasm doesn't become you , Leo.

Not necessarily sarcastic - I see no real technical comments at all,
just cheerleading, platitudes, and pooh-poohing of the comments made
by others.....which would be considered half vast (sorry -
couldn't resist!)



to articulately respond to each of the
problems and issues raised, educating us all as to why they do or no
not have a bearing on this project........

Jim raised some good questions. One does not need to be versed in all
the disciplines involved to be a good sounding board. What is needed is
critical thinking. he can think critically, and that is a good trait.

If there's one thing we can always count on, it's Jim raising
questions. Even direct questions to him are usually answered with
questions! Not much in the answer department, though.....and none so
far in this thread!

But you can always bet that, if the possibility exists to springboard
off a post and take a shot at one of his adversaries (or those dreaded
'professionals'!), he'll jump on it.

Bwahaahaa indeed.



Many do *not* like that trait of course.

Yep



.....Didn't think so.

Why the lawyer mentality? One must be an acknowledged expert in any
field to comment on anything?

? You missed the point here - please reconstruct the original
paragraph and reread.....


- Mike KB3EIA -

73, Leo