How do you keep Records of your Projects?

[Bazz4CQJ]

Like G4 Pete, even in 2012, the company I worked for insisted we all used black & red legal note books to record our daily activities.

My longest running project is my HRO, acquired in 1968, and I have a notebook for that from day #1. Since 2008, the Avo VCM has needed quite a lot of attention, so there's a hefty notebook on that. I imagine that Martin (Dekatron) has a library on the Avo valve testers and all the work he has done on them!

I guess that no one system is perfect and that people will just do whatever they feel happy with.

B

[sexton_mallard]

I use this forum as a reference. The KB RV10 TV thread I have referred back to many times especially photos.

[Beardyman]

Some interesting comments & strategies. I tend to take lots of photos before I touch anything, then get the service data (if available), compare what I can see with that to see how closely the two correlate. Then create a parts list in a spreadsheet from the service data which includes part sources, vendors etc. Often the circuit diagram is in two parts in the service data so I take a screenshot of both parts then merge them, after a little tidying up I find it easier to read if it is inverted, mainly black with white outlines. Going back to the spreadsheet I then mark off the parts replaced & what they were replaced with. I usually create a text document for comments or just to remind me where I've got to! The memory isn't what it used to be. Along the way more photos will be taken as the set progresses. Once its finished the set gets a label that goes inside, the label shows the model, manufacturer, date of manufacture & date of restoration. This is pretty much what I do during my day job anyway although that is nowhere near as interesting as a dirty, dusty, beaten up valve radio!

[Diabolical Artificer]

One thing occurs regarding all our master record keepers is where do you find the time to do it all? I'm at the bench most days building stuff or fault finding from 9 AM to 3.30 PM on good days. Up at 5.30 AM after house work, cooking, washing etc I'm done by 6 PM, off to bed for a read and a lie down; not enough hours in the day.

I suppose a lot of it is habit and practice, if your organised from the start of a project, it's just a matter of transferring that info to a PC, but still, PC work takes hours. Another thing occurs though, a lot of members have someone to sort the house work out, which must help. I'm very impressed at the level of togetherness and thoroughness of record keeping, one which I'll never attain.

Andy.

[stevehertz]

Maybe I've got the wrong of the stick with my earlier reply. I understood the question to mean keeping formal, post project records, which I don't particularly do, as in a 'write up'. But.. I do make notes and take phone photos for reference, but I'd never refer to these as anything so grand as records of projects, more 'work in progress notes'. On the occassions that I have done anything more grand, then they're on here, either as completed projects, or requests for help with faults etc.

[ben]

I have a notepad document on PC where I simply note Make, model, fault symptoms and work done, parts used, tips etc.
I also have a directory of photos named by make/model in case I later need to do the same work again on another similar or identical item.

[HowardB]

I keep a folder on my PC for each radio. The folder is replicated onto Google Drive for backup but also to make it easy to pull up info on my phone or tablet.
The folder has subfolders for service sheets, manuals, valves, changes, forum, etc.
Photos are stored in albums within Google Photos.
I store links to relevant forum pages, and sometimes print them to a pdf file.
I keep a 'Changes' spreadsheet with separate tabs for caps, resistors, coils, etc.
Each component is listed with its original value, measured value, % deviation and replacement details.
A bit much, I know, but it works for me