Readership interest in hardware related posts - Poll - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 21, 2019, 10:46:34 am
content: I thought I would create a Poll to see what types of hardware related posts most interest the readership. I have set the vote limit per person to 4 to enable readers to vote for all of the topic types if they wish to. One vote per topic type though pleaseI sometimes post details and pictures of repairs or ‘tear-downs’ plus some discussion of the technology used within the cameras. Not everyone is that interested in hardware though as some users are more focussed on using the technology. It would be good to know the balance in this forum to better serve the readership.Fraser

author: 2N3055
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 21, 2019, 11:00:51 am
content: I just wanted to thank you for sharing your knowledge on this topic. Your posts are always pleasure to read and interesting..We are glad to have you here.Regards,Sinisa

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 21, 2019, 11:15:48 am
content: Sinisa,It is my pleasure to help others, where able.I am trying to better understand what the forum membership like to read and what is most useful to them. Hopefully the posts in this forum already cover the areas of interest to all, but it can be useful to see which topics are of greatest interest to the majority of readers.I am a hardware tech and a Thermal Imaging hardware Collector, so I can all too easily end up posting what interests me, rather than what would be of most interest to the readershipFraser

author: taydin
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 21, 2019, 11:36:40 am
content: I think you will find that people will check off all 4 choices, because I can't see how you would want one and not the other.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 21, 2019, 11:49:54 am
content: It will be interesting to see what happens.Some readers may be more ‘use orientated’ rather than ‘how does it work’Not everyone will share my broad interest in everything Thermal Imaging relatedSee my other Poll that dives a little deeper into reviews etc.Fraser

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 21, 2019, 01:44:53 pm
content: Even if we don't all share exactly the same interests, we can all understand enthusiasm and might learn something along the way!

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 21, 2019, 05:21:50 pm
content: This poll is already providing interesting data for me. Only 16 responses after over a hundred views but plenty of time for people to make their thoughts known in the Poll and, if they desire, in the comments.Fraser

author: bap2703
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 21, 2019, 06:26:09 pm
content: Make an episode with Dave?

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2019, 08:04:57 am
content: This poll and the annex delving deeper into hardware related posts has provided the information I needed.Thank you to those who votes and commented. The polls were actually a device to measure interest in general as well as specific topic types. Hence why I was unconcerned about the possibility that people would vote for all four entries equally. It was the total views vs total votes that were of key interest to me.Only 27 people voted out of over 200 views, and even fewer for the deeper dive into hardware post content. I know views are not a good measure of interest, but the total votes are a reasonable indicator. It does make one think about the size of the regular readership with an interest in hardware posts.Before this poll I suspected there were a ‘hard core’ of readers who shared my interest in the design of thermal cameras and, to some extent, what resides inside different models. It is through my curiosity that I have learned much about thermal cameras and their repair. I have also learnt about the common practice of ‘manufacturers’ buying-in a core to integrate with their controller electronics. Those wanting a cheap decent performance core can often find such hiding inside a camera that might otherwise appear of little use or interest to them. Fire fighting cameras being the perfect example as I have previously detailed.I will let the readership draw their own conclusions from the two polls on the level of interest in hardware related posts in this sub forum. The two polls are set to run all week but at this point in time the ‘core audience’ for such posts is surprisingly small. This could be representative of the specialist nature of thermal imaging or the modern desire to buy ‘black box’ turn-key solutions with the owner not being particularly interested in what resides within...... just like modern amateur radio equipment ?It was an interesting little exercise and thanks again to all who took the time to vote. Much appreciatedFraser

author: bap2703
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2019, 11:06:29 am
content: Another factor is cost, not everybody can afford to collect thermal cameras :/

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2019, 11:34:33 am
content: Collecting thermal cameras is a niche hobby I admit, but that has little influence on people wishing to learn about the thermal camera technology, design and repair. People are often asking me where they can obtain a cheap thermal camera with decent resolution and frame rate. Those people are not collectors but often first time buyers looking for ‘insider’ hints and tips on how I obtain some of my ‘bargains’. I am often happy to share my knowledge, where permitted, but I have long suspected that I am one of a small group who like to learn about thermal camera design and hardware used.For good reason, I suspect many thermal camera users wish to purchase the best ‘bang per buck’ turn-key solution that they can find. Removing an imaging core from an obsolete fire fighting camera and re-purposing it is a more niche hobbySadly some people regret their camera purchases after discovering that a £250 camera cannot produce the imagery found in a £5K camera. I try to offer information on how to get £15K camera technology for a few hundred pounds. Being a collector, I know a fair bit about what is common on the used market, the cameras to look for, and the ones to avoid.I hope the readers will understand that it is not really sensible to post in depth detail of obsolete cameras and their design if there is no significant audience for such. If the readership only want to know about modifications, hacks and accessories for modern, current model, cameras maybe that is where I need to focus my efforts ? Hence my production of the Poll’s. That said, The response to the polls does suggest to me that there is only a passing interest in the topics that I normally post on so I will take that on board.To enjoy thermal imaging you need just one camera that fulfills your personal needs, whatever they may be. There is absolutely no need to become a crazy collector of the technology like meEach person has different needs and expectations when it comes to thermography. I only hope to enlighten some readers about the technology so that they can make informed purchasing decisions or expand their knowledge of the topicFraser

author: Vipitis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2019, 01:29:15 pm
content: I don't see the bigger need for the polls. Even if there is just one or two active readers, it is still worth it to post. Share your knowledge and experience, for if you wouldn't it would be wasted.

author: Cat
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2019, 02:30:14 pm
content: Quote from: Fraser on September 24, 2019, 08:04:57 amThe view counter is logging views without an account as well so the "read only" readership could be much bigger. Even I used to roam the eevBlog-Forum for years without an account because everything is accessible without logging in.Quote from: Fraser on September 24, 2019, 08:04:57 amMy personal opinion: Your past topics are awesome and it would be sad if the poll would limit the kind of topics you want to share with us.I can only agree with Vipitis:Quote from: Vipitis on September 24, 2019, 01:29:15 pmIn hopeful anticipation of all sorts of topics,Cat

author: IwuzBornanerd
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 27, 2019, 08:25:51 am
content: It's not just that, there is how much to say & how to say it, and "I don't have the time to type now." I voted a few days ago, but didn't find time to type until now.Before that there is the question "Do I really want to make yet another account?" And sometimes, yes, there is even the question "Does anybody care about what I have to say?" The only reason I signed up with this forum is that I thought I had something to contribute that others had not discovered yet, so I could "give back" to the group who enabled me to use a cheap thermal camera without a stupidphone. If not for that I would still be just reading and not posting or voting.We all have higher priority things to do most of the time. I'd say if you feel like posting something and you have the time to do it, have at it. You get a good feeling when you see that someone found it useful--what the Dilbert guy calls a "dopamine hit".Lack of views might also be an indicator of lack of interest inpolls, not the hardware.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 27, 2019, 09:20:02 am
content: Iwuzbornanerd,Many thanks for the excellent comments.For me, this was just an experiment to assess the interest in topics that I tend to post on. Whilst I do understand that there are a few on the forum who share my interest in what goes on inside thermal cameras and the deeper technical detail, I was uncertain how broad the appeal of such posts was. I am not looking for thanks or praise in my posts, but any ‘author’ likes to know whether they are ‘presenting to an empty room’ as such is poor use of time and energy. As a self confessed thermal imaging ‘nerd’ it would be easy for me to post lots of stuff that interests me but not that interesting or relevant to others. Take my Fire Fighting cameras as an example. These are thermal cameras that are tuned to a specific purpose so little in the way of features found on your common E4 is present in them. Then there are my cameras that are very rare so forum members are unlikely to get one for themselves. If there is little interest in these topics I thought it better to focus on others that have a broader appeal. My time for creating posts is limited so focusing on what people really want to read seemed sensible.If I am honest, I was also interested in how many people would voteI know a lot of people read the forum as guests but it was still interesting to see only 39 votes in a week. Your comment on Polls is well taken, hence how I worded the title of the post with the topic front and centre to avoid people skipping past when they saw ‘Poll’.The ‘guest’ viewing figures may also interest Dave. This is a great forum. The Thermal Imaging sub forum is the best and most detailed on the topic in the world. Yet people still do not want to sign up for an account ? Interesting.Anyway, the Poll closes tomorrow and the data I was seeking was createdBest Wishes to all and thanks for taking part in the PollFraser

author: Ultrapurple
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2019, 04:31:19 pm
content: I remain very interested in info about hardware new and old.Today's new hardware is tomorrow's cheap surplus equipment.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2019, 06:30:48 pm
content: I have just created a thread on the ISG E380 rugged thermal camera. Whilst it remains a specialist camera, it will eventually appear on the used market when fire brigades refresh their gear. It is still current tech in many Fire Brigades though. It was released in 2012 and I have seen units made in 2015. Mine is from 2013 but pretty much ‘as new’. I was not going to post anything about it due to its specialist nature but after reading some comments in this thread I thought it worth doing. The E380 produces an excellent image even in low thermal contrast scenes. Sadly this £15K camera still costs around $1500 to $5000 on eBay. I just got lucky with mine (again)https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/isg-e380-rugged-modern-qvga-lawfiresecurity-camera-a-look-inside-by-fraser/Fraser