3v0 said:
I think you intended to say prizes.
Fair Judging is the problem. Without some easily measurable criteria like the fastest widget or the smallest PCB, judging becomes subjective and that can be unfair. If it is not fair you will generate conflict. We do not need that. More harm then good sort of thing.
Members have a wide range of skill levels. Is a level paying field desired. If so how, will it be achieved?
For the rest start a thread. Have contestants state their intention to enter in the thread. Any info needed by contestants can be posted, as can contestant questions.
Money makes it interesting but I would suggest running the first contest or two without monetary prizes. Less ugly if things go wrong.
Hi 3v0,
here are some points of your post which I try to handle one by one:
Judging: The participants will put in their suggested project without any schematic or PCB layout. (Just a describtion of the purpose of the circuit) Members of the community will judge the project according to the following criteria: (double voting impossible due to control)
- fairly new design
- the idea and consequently
- practical use or fun effects
- energy consumption considerations (must be readable from the describtion)
- complexity of the design (a good community also takes care of newcomers to make them electronic freaks)
Unneccessary to say that all members will judge. There is just a handful of members posting regularily and I guess if 1.000 of all members vote for the project with 70% who give a "GO" it will be a "GO"
No limitation on the number of projects to be suggested.
After the "GO" the contestants will put in their design which will be evaluated by a jury consisting of the moderators, and if possible, third persons, either authors or engineers on a free basis.
Since the preselection was already done by the forum members it shoud be easy for the jury to do the rest. Here the following criteria will apply:
- clearness of the schematic
- dimensioning of components (the moderators will have to dig out their math)
- PCB-design (waste of PCB space will reduce points)
Each project will start out at 100 points which will be reduced by mistakes, e.g. resistors have to be marked the same way, name on top or left and value at the buttom or right side. One out of order markings will reduce points.
Projects having the same number of points will either be re-evaluated or the price will be given lottery-like.
These are just a few suggestions. Of course I want the moderators to run around and look for prices.
It is so easy and done with a finger snip. E.g. Texas Instruments puts out several evaluation boards including a CD, free. To get one of those it really doesn't take more than a finger snip.
Everybody is asked to put in his share of suggestions to get a super duper contest running here in this fantastic community.
Regards
Hans