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SVA failure database
Findlay234 - 3/10/08 at 08:38 AM

Hey i was having a think about sva failures and how people try to avoid them. One is to religiously use the manual (prbably the best one) but even with so much info in there a lot of people still fail, another is to trawl through the sva threads and see what other people have done.

Then i started to think that there must be a lot of fairly common failures that occur. To this end, would it be a good thing to come up with some kind of database of failures that people can put in what they failed on so that not only can they help themselves but they can help eveyone else in the future.

This may also highlight the areas that the sva seem to scruitinize more. I know that the sva is due to change to IVA but the system would work for both.

If this has been done already then please forward me to it otherwise let me know what you think and have a look into getting one set up.

Cheers

mr henderson - 3/10/08 at 08:40 AM

I think that sounds like a jolly good idea

John

twybrow - 3/10/08 at 09:09 AM

Splendid idea.... The difficulty might come in the detail.

What format (Excel is always favourable)? How can multiple users upload/edit the document?

mr henderson - 3/10/08 at 09:42 AM

quote:
Originally posted by twybrow
(Excel is always favourable)?



For those of us that have it, maybe. Personally I don't. Always difficult to find a program that everybody has, though, maybe something that comes with Windows?

John

bbwales - 3/10/08 at 09:46 AM

Hi,
Open office is a free software package which does have a programme which is totaly compatable with Excel. It is available at cdearth.com, it may be worth consideration for those who dont have Excel.
Regards
Bob

coozer - 3/10/08 at 09:49 AM

Good idea, putting down the failure and which station it occured at would be useful when comparing trends.

Most difficult bit I reckon would be where to put it??

mikeb - 3/10/08 at 10:21 AM

Good idea.

Simplest way would be for someone to voluteer custodian of the database and put the information in, unless there is simple version control system thats free to download and use on the forum???

ravingfool - 3/10/08 at 10:53 AM

As a slightly different solution, how about a sub section in the SVA section of this forum which could be used just for recording details of failures?

With sensible titles for threads it would make it very easy to browse, and you could also stipulate that rather than a new thread for everytime someone fails on a particular point, people could add a note on to an existing thread about whatever that area was. Then when browsing the different fail points you could see from the number of replies how often people fail on that point.

donut - 3/10/08 at 11:11 AM

Why not have it on locostbuilders? Either a thread locked at the top or Chris could doa little database linked to the site that users can add to and view. Also you could have solutions used to get round the fail of certailn things.

[Edited on 3/10/08 by donut]

smart51 - 3/10/08 at 11:42 AM

Does anyone know how to set up a Wiki?

James - 3/10/08 at 11:51 AM

As far as I can tell, people tend to fail on the same daft, simple things almost every time!

Couple of examples:

Radii: things that for some reason people don't bother to cover.

Front Indicator or minimum headlight width: forgetting that the back of the car is wider than the rear, so the lights are too far inboard.

Self-centering: the problems are well known with certain manufacturers!


There's hardly anything else that people fail on as far as I can tell.


Cheers,
James

lsdweb - 3/10/08 at 12:13 PM

A solutions field would be verey useful, e.g. how did users get around the radii problem.

GregSL75 - 3/10/08 at 03:59 PM

http://docs.google.com/

Version control, multiple uploaders, publishable. Fully compatible with Excell in both directions..

Looks like exactly what you need, and works brilliantly in my experience.

MakeEverything - 3/10/08 at 09:10 PM

quote:
Originally posted by smart51
Does anyone know how to set up a Wiki?


Yes, tell him there are a thousand doughnuts on the death star, then phone Darth Vader, and tell him that theyre about to get stolen...

MakeEverything - 3/10/08 at 09:12 PM

The software that everyone has is what youre all looking at now. The internet. Why not "volunteer" someone to collate this info, and post it as a HTML file downloadable???

MakeEverything - 3/10/08 at 09:14 PM

quote:
Originally posted by James

Self-centering: the problems are well known with certain manufacturers!


This is easy. Just keep telling him (or her) how well youve done to build the car, and how fantastic youve made it look - Even when they ask you a question, the response should be "im so proud of what ive achieved in such a short space of time. If only every kit builder was as good as me..." and there we have it. Self Centering.

Findlay234 - 6/10/08 at 08:36 AM

Well i was thinking about being a bit more clever and having an online based form that people would fill in and then the information would be updated in a database automatically so that at any time people could read the results. It wouldnt need anyone to be sent the info to load up themselves.

There would be drop down selections of types of failure and if your exact failure was not available then you could type it in and it would be be added to the drop down menu. it may only need someone to tidy it up every once in a while in case people type in stupid failure types which have already been covered.

Stuart_B - 6/10/08 at 03:49 PM

i think it is a great idea, have not got a clue on how to do it through.

stuart

MakeEverything - 6/10/08 at 08:00 PM

What you need is an ODBC database that inputs its data via a Web Form.
I havent got a clue how this is done, but someone will.

Findlay234 - 7/10/08 at 09:10 AM

my old mans pretty good with all of that, will be having a chat with him soon.