Another nail in the Elektor coffin? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: CrashBang
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 09:32:06 am
content: I've been a long-time subscriber to Elektor, and even had a couple of articles published. Despite some of the criticism around I find the content pretty interesting. However, it seems that there's a bit of a downward spiral playing out.First they pulled newsstand sales and sold off Circuit Cellar:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/the-start-of-the-end-%28elektor%29/Then I believe the head of their Elektor Labs left - not sure whyThen they ran more special deals and offers over the past month than I've ever seen in my life.Finally, in the latest edition it seems that they're cutting down from 10 editions a year to only 6 - previously they did Jan/Feb and Jul/Aug double-editions (which made sense over the holidays) and then regular monthly for the other 8 months. Now it seems that they will only publish double-editions bi-monthly... without any formal notification it seems, just slipped it into the "What's Next Month" page.Hmmm...

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 09:35:05 am
content: Maybe Elektor should team up with Dave and create content for a paid section of EEVblog.

author: jancumps
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 10:56:09 am
content: It would be a shame. I still buy each (dutch) edition.I know every edition from 1983 till 1989 by heartI made a list of the ones I have at home last December:

author: Wilksey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 11:29:13 am
content: Hmm,I don't recall seeing that about bi monthly issues, I will have to check my magazine when I get back.I must admit, having read some older PDF's there seemed to be some good articles, so I subscribed a few years back, but last year, in particular there was bugger all of use in them, it's a lot of money for a bit of paper.They don't seem to publish the code for a lot of the stuff they use in there, and i'm sure some of the articles are from other peoples' blogs as some seem quite similar to ones I have read on various web sites.They certainly do have a lot of "special offers" on, not sure that they are all the bargain they make out to be though.I have just renewed for another year, which was just shy of £70 for the year after their discount, I might be seriously reconsidering this one next year.Is there any other decent magazine subscription like elektor used to be still available in the UK that isn't going to cost the earth?Thanks.

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 11:38:31 am
content: Quote from: CrashBang on January 07, 2015, 09:32:06 amThere's no note about that in the German edition???Update: The subscription ad mentions 8 normal editions plus 2 double-editions.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 11:45:54 am
content: It is a good magazine. Unfortunately, the climate for their existence doesn't exist anymore.

author: SteveyG
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 02:01:45 pm
content: I didn't ever like Elektor, but EPE is still going isn't it?

author: CrashBang
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 02:13:39 pm
content: Quote from: madires on January 07, 2015, 11:38:31 amI have clarification that it's only the English version that is being changed

author: CrashBang
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 02:17:34 pm
content: Quote from: Wilksey on January 07, 2015, 11:29:13 amI've just bought a Dec back-issue of EPE (www.epemag.com), which is UK published - will read tonight for the first time. Subs for a printed copy, if you're in the UK, is £43.00 for a year.

author: nowlan
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 02:49:56 pm
content: There is a January EPE doing the rounds.http://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Practical-Electronics-January-2014/dp/B00HZA44ZU

author: Wilksey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2015, 06:04:52 pm
content: hmm, I'll take a look at the website see if they offer any "look inside" type views or anything of an older one.

author: aargee
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2015, 01:42:53 am
content: I fear that Electronics magazines are a dying breed in their current format. I subscribe to Silicon Chip here in Australia but have nearly dropped the subscription due to the ranting and raving of climate change denial pushed through the editorial. Not the place for it, especially if you are not qualified to speak about it.The good thing these mags do is let you read about a cross section of ideas and designs. If it is left to the internet you end up being exposed only to the areas you *think* you're interested in and IMHO makes you a less rounded hobbyiest/Engineer.For some reason I've always had the feeling that Elektor produced a lot of over-engineered designs that *seemed* overly complex to do a job. Maybe that's just my simpleton view.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2015, 02:03:55 am
content: -especially if you are not qualified to speak about it.-You prefer self-censorship?

author: SL4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2015, 02:22:49 am
content: Quote from: SteveyG on January 07, 2015, 02:01:45 pmSame here.They were possibly one of the earliest into 'open source hardware' - as long as you bought it throughtheiragents.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 08, 2015, 02:57:54 am
content: Quote from: aargee on January 08, 2015, 01:42:53 amI stopped buying SC years ago for much the same reasons - not specifically the climate-change denial*, but the general practice of one-eyed / uninformed editorial rants**, totally BS whackadoodle articles from a few semi-regular contributors***, lack of source code for uC-based projects#, the endless recycling of essentially similar projects##, and quite a few examples of projects with major errors that were reported multiple times yet took years for an errata to be issued###.From what little I see of it now it's better than it was - but it still suffers the same basic problems. And Leo's playing King Canute with the Internet can't last long...Quote from: aargee on January 08, 2015, 01:42:53 amI agree, and that's probably one of their few remaining advantages. That said forums like this are more wide-ranging, covering more in more detail (& more up-to-date), than SC or Elektor.On the other hand magazines (on almost any hobby / specialist subject) also have the huge disadvantage of having to run frequent newbie-level articles to keep new readers coming in, while having enough higher-level articles to keep the the experienced around. All within heavy restrictions on pages numbers (& # of pages devoted to articles, not advertising).Forums suffer their own problems (e.g. many end up restricted due to social calcification / newb unfriendlyness), but physical limitations on the amount/type of content usually isn't one of them.(* Leo's entitled to his opinion, however uninformed I might know it to be - but the editorial of an electronics magazine is not really the place for unsupported rants ontotallynon-electronics topics.)(** why would I want to pay for Leo's personal soapbox?)(*** a certain person's DTV/DAB/DRM articles come to mind, among others.)(#To be fair, there's other factors there - and I know they've gotten better at this; at least they now sometimes give it to subscribers / sell it to non-subscribers.)(##flashing LED Christmas tree / Christmas star / Valentine's Day heart / Mother's Day heart / Father's Day generic light chaser-sequencer / ...)(###Among others, I particularly remember one "Lab Power Supply" that not only couldn't possibly reach the claimed specs with the components specified, but the component overlay / connection diagram showed the transformer secondary shorted out. I pointed that out at least 3 times, I know at least 2 other people who did the same, and yet it took (IIRC) 2 years for an errata to be issued...)

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2015, 03:45:33 am
content: I gave up my multimillion dollar trust fund for the same reason, my family kept on raving on climate change denial so I didn't want anything to do with them.Of course I'm kidding on having a trust fund or them even caring about the climate change

author: LukeW
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2015, 04:51:47 am
content: Well old Leo has got the right idea on nuclear energy, you've got to give him credit for that.I think Silicon Chip is valuable, and its niche is not being replaced by the likes of Hackaday or Adafruit or whatever. When was the last time you saw something published on Hackaday which was an electronics project with the same level of explanation, documentation, same level of design details and complexity in a relatively finished, useful polished product, of a comparable level to a Silicon Chip project?SC is also good because its electronics projects, in many cases, show people that electronics doesn't just mean microcontrollers, and this is missing from the generation of people getting into electronics today through Adafruit/Sparkfun/Hackaday/Arduino. I recently had a talk to somebody who believedall ICswere programmable microcontrollers with firmware inside them.Unfortunately I suspect that one of the reasons SC might not be sustainable in the future is that (I can't think of a nice or politically correct way to say this) it's run by a bunch of old blokes. And they have trouble adapting to the "new ways", eg. embracing Internet media in a way that is not crap and locked up behind proprietary formats and paywalls for every bit of content. Their "improved" website from a couple of years ago is crap.To compete with all the other people out there on the web, they could perhaps put up some open-access website articles with serious electronics projects which they're traditionally pretty good at, and most other websites aren't, and get their magazine advertisers on board with website advertising.

author: Rory
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2015, 05:07:57 am
content: Wilfred, you would never have subscribed to 73 Magazine for the same reason, Editor-in-Chief Wayne Green had a regular column spouting whatever fancied him at the time. As the years went by and the life of the magazine came to an end, his "Never Say Die" column got to be a bigger and bigger part of each issue.

author: electrophiliate
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2015, 05:47:45 am
content: There aren't many magazines to choose from so it would be a shame to see either Elektor or Silicon Chip go.I've never subscribed to any electronics magazine, I'm more of a casual reader and just check out the recent issues at the local newsagent store when I am in the area and only buy them if something specific peaks my interest. I might start buying the PDF versions more often instead but I do sometimes prefer to have paper versions.Re Leo's off-topic rants, I haven't purchased a SC magazine for over a year and usually skim or gloss over the editorials, but the last issue I have (May 2013) Leo is talking about whether micro-controller projects have too many features, at least that is on-topic. I agree that the SC website is poor, compared to the websites of Elektor and EPE.It is difficult to say whether all the free internet content discourages me from buying magazines. I have only ever bought them occasionally anyway. The internet is good for self-directed exploration of the specifics of a broad range of electronics topics, but the magazines provide a round-up which I would otherwise miss. As a casual hobbyist there is only so much information I really need anyway, with the occasional news or updates. I already have dozens of old magazines, project books, text books, etc, not to mention digital files and paper notes.I think the magazines will have to adapt to compensate for the changes in the interests of their readers and for what the internet offers for free, but there is still a place for them and the old model of providing a monthly roundup. I can still see myself purchasing the occasional issue of SC, EPE, or Elektor, in the foreseeable future.

author: Colin55
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 11:56:04 pm
content: I offered my 250 kits to Silicon Chip AT NO COST. They weren't even interested. Then Leo complained about one of the designs because the coin cell holder was slightly OVER the edge of the board!Then he made a comment about one of PIC micro designs that was totally FALSE and I started to realise he had absolutely no understanding of the basics of electronics.I have sold over 300,000 kits to beginners and SC has not presented a simple project in their magazine for years.Then I emailed Everyday Practical Electronics and they said they get ALL their projects from SC - one year LATER !!!They then admitted sales had fallen from 43,000 to between 8,000 and 11,000.I stopped producing my magazine when sales fell to 12,000.Both magazines are just surviving on advertising and it's only because they are sharing the expense of producing articles, that they are still in existence.Elektor is a wonderful magazine but sales for it were always less than EPE and that's why they have gone for combined issues. It's a form of halving your expenses, in the hope of surviving for another year.The web is much more convenient than printing a magazine and is much cheaper. It has the advantage of providing instant corrections, feedback from readers and adding a link to Paypal so you can buy the kit INSTANTLY.That’s where Ebay is succeeding. Just two clicks and you can buy anything POST FREE for 30% of the cost from an electronics supplier.You cannot beat the Chinese. eBay is expanding at a prodigious rate.You can buy just about anything and you have competing suppliers.You can see the rise of one and fall of the other. It’s just a matter of time for both.That’s the power of the internet.