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DVD TOPIC INDEXES?

If you are looking for a topic index for a particular DVD, click on the DVD Guides link, find the specific DVD, and there will be a link for the topic index at the end of the description of the DVD.

Recent News (Dec. 2019)

Without any warning, back in December 2019, the FAA announced that it was publishing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for "Remote ID" for unmanned aircraft. This proposal probably ruined several Christmas vacations as it contains some jaw-dropping presumptions and assumptions by the FAA. Even the giant Chinese company DJI's response was "We're in favor of Remote ID, but not like this..."

Over 34,000 comments, mostly very negative, were submitted. Let's see what the FAA does...

News (January 2020)

Rather Good Guide for Programming the Spektrum DX9 Transmitter

After a year of research, writing, head scratching, more research and more writing we're please to announce that we have completed our first major technical manual: A Rather Good Guide® for Programming the Spektrum DX9 for Fixed Wing Aircraft. The manual is currently undergoing review by several local RC pilots and Spektrum's own Andy Kunz. If it survives that process we hope to start licensing copies of this 600 page, in-depth manual in early April.

Welcome to the Home of

Rather Good Guides®

"Rather Good" is an underused example of British Understatement. It really means "jolly good." And that is what these guides, be they DVDs or written materials, are all about. The idea behind them was to document one or two specific subjects really well, without making assumptions about what you, the reader or the viewer, might know.

Rather Good Guides were born out of frustration with existing documentation that was "distinctly suboptimal." And that is another example of British Understatement. It means "not provided," "inaccurate," with a tinge of "total crap."

The goal is for you to watch or read a Rather Good Guide®, and, when you reach the end, for you to turn to a friend or significant other (total strangers can also serve) and spontaneously exclaim, "Wow! That really was a rather good guide..." Of course, if you are not British, said friends, SO's and TS' will give you grief because now you sound like you are putting on airs and graces and trying jolly hard to sound like you are British (or at least related to someone who is). Them's the breaks.

You may stem the flood of accusatorial language by drawing yourself up to your full height and uttering, "I say! I do think that is rather uncalled for. I think I shall have a cup of tea to steady the nerves, what?"

In the event this does not work, start humming the tune for O Canada. Nobody gets upset with Canadians.

But seriously, this web site is devoted to providing one quiet corner on the cacophonous, bizarre bazaar called the Internet, where, if you find a document on the topic you're looking for, then we hope you will find it a rather good guide.

A Small Rant

Have you noticed just how bad user manuals for high technology products really are?

Usually what documentation might have been created (sometimes it feels like by accident), just walks you through the various menus of a product, or tells you the basic features of the product, and pretty much leaves you to spend hours -- frustrating hours -- trying to figure out what such phrases as "the fundamental concepts of the IPSI mode" really mean (if anything).

This kind of documentation drives us nuts, bonkers, around the twist, and off our rockers. As a result, computers, potted plants, and passers-by were getting shouted at, and perfectly innocent things in our office were getting smashed. It was getting ugly.

And then one beautiful crisp morning, the sun was out, and the birds were tweeting happily in the trees. This was very odd because this was deepest winter and all the birds had buggered off South for the winter. But, no matter, it became clear that it was time to strike back. And strike back we did.

The idea for Rather Good Guides® was born. Why not show the world that it was actually possible to write good documentation the way it ought to be? Documentation that didn't make you want to put obscenities in the margins of the manuals or put your fist through your computer screen. No longer would your significant other have to cower when you said, "I have been reading the manual, dear... ." No longer would you, the end user, have to be the end loser.

So welcome. We did this for you. Well, our bank manager will one day appreciate you too.