Who else reads manuals?

I have always had a great interest in how things work. From the time I was a little kid I yearned to understand "why" and "how".
As we are now just months away from the new boat, I am beginning to read every manual I can find for equipment used in our boat. From drivetrain to electronics I am collecting manuals and reading them.
Often, this answers questions I have regarding setup and use of the gear. Even if I forget much of what I read between now and the day we step aboard, I will remember having seen it and know where to look for it.
I just finished reading (skimming?) the Magnum inverter charger manual, the Magnum remote manual and the Magnum battery monitor manual this morning.
Now I understand how the system is designed and I will know what to look for in terms of set-up when we take delivery. The manuals are all saved to my reading lists so that I can get to them quickly if I need...
Am I the only one who does this?
Bruce

Nope, I just downloaded the Clearwater Series US Watermaker manual and read it. And I don't even have one, but it helps with the purchase decision.

Greetings,
Mr. BrB. I, unlike a lot of males I know, DO read manuals to some extent. Isn't it a "male" rule that the first thing you do is throw away the instructions? That being said, there are some manuals that are quite beyond me. The SSB radio manual I have is totally incomprehensible whereas the stabilizer and engine manuals have been a great help in troubleshooting.
I would also note the ambiguity of some Asian manuals that appear to be written in Jenglish or Chenglish. "Please to be pushing the button you wish to push"...(JRC radar manual from many years ago).

Are they delivering the manuals before you get the boat or are you finding them on the web?

Former military pilot so reading manuals is drummed into me.

Have read every one for everything I have ever purchased.... even my last $8 drip coffee pot (mostly looking for the wattage for inverter use...).

It is kinda strange when people come here and ask tech questions before they read the manual...kinda supports that "nobody ever reads the manual" mentality.

Almost as strange as those that say read the manual before they even know that you did and the manual doesn't cover everything under the sun.

Donsan said:

Are they delivering the manuals before you get the boat or are you finding them on the web?

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I have been finding them online.
I have a pretty comprehensive list of the equipment in the boat so finding them is easy.
Bruce

psneeld said:

Former military pilot so reading manuals is drummed into me.

Have read everyone for everything I have ever purchased even my last $8 drip coffee pot (mostly looking for the wattage for inverter use...).

It is kinda strange when people come here and ask tech questions before they read the manual...kinda supports that "nobody ever reads the manual" mentality.

Almost as strange as those that say read the manual before they even know that you did and the manual doesn't cover everything under the sun.

Click to expand...

I try hard to figure it out on my own first. The only exception might be calling Apple for support. I'll give it a go but at some point, I'm on the phone. Thankfully, Apples stuff works pretty well so the answers are typically quick to find and easy to execute!
Bruce

drb1025 said:

Nope, I just downloaded the Clearwater Series US Watermaker manual and read it. And I don't even have one, but it helps with the purchase decision.

Click to expand...

I do the same thing...it often has swayed my decision as one product would be totally unsuitable or another a breeze to install and operate.

I'm a manual reader. Read the manual that came with each woman I married. Apparently I'm not real good at following the instructions in the manual.

Ted

I've been through most of our manuals at least once. And then over and over as issues surface, often sometimes a simple as when deciding I want to try something new and wonderful with existing electronics.

For new stuff, I usually read product manuals before purchasing. Partly to guide the purchase decision (especially determining compatibility, if the product needs to co-exist with existing equipment), partly to prepare for installation or use.

Our boat came with a big valise of paper documentation, but I've been able to recreate most of that with a soft copy library... augmented by soft copy manual for anything new we've added... all accessible from our home desktop, the boat laptop, and both tablets. Keyword searches, easier; less storage space; etc.

-Chris

I read the manuals. I have even written a couple back in the day. It seems lazy for someone to not read the manual for something they own and then just ask people who have read the manual how it works or how to fix it.

Hey fellas, some of us bought old boats that did not have manuals with them. And worse, some of the companies have gone belly up and there is no documentation on the web.

True...but many times somebody posts a link to the manual in mere minutes...


....but sure...no manual, the manual is unclear or doesn't cover it....that's a big part in my mind why these forums exist.


An even bigger part why these forums are great to me...is that when you FOLLOW the manual and manufacturers telephone instructions and it still isn't working or working well.


It's downright great that the internet exists.

I have an observation about modern manuals.
It seems that the more complex the software the less information contained in the manual. This is especially true of Garmins electronics manuals.
I typically have more questions after reading a Garmin Manual than I did before reading!
Sheesh
Bruce

Yes I do read as much manuals as I can. As a newbie I learn a lot by reading manual.
Read maintenance manual about similar engine, which was very informative to me, read JRC radar manual, Raymarine chart plotter manual, seastar manuals for helm pumps and rudder cylinder, and many more.

However I do not for very simple things.

I also read as much book as I can about diesel mechanics, onboard systems, DC electricity etc etc and try to think about differences and similarities with what I have and how it is applying in my boat.

I keep a stack of manuals next to my bed to read before retiring. They help me get to sleep. Same way my wife reads the same 6 novels of Jane Austin over and over again.

But I never read assembly instructions.

Donsan said:

Hey fellas, some of us bought old boats that did not have manuals with them. And worse, some of the companies have gone belly up and there is no documentation on the web.

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That's where knowing how to search the Internet helps. Even when the company is gone, the manual may still be on the Internet somewhere.

Bruce B said:

I have an observation about modern manuals.
It seems that the more complex the software the less information contained in the manual. This is especially true of Garmins electronics manuals.
I typically have more questions after reading a Garmin Manual than I did before reading!
Sheesh
Bruce

Click to expand...

Along those lines, my Garmin 5208s have been upgraded by software several times. The upgrades are great but of course, the new features are not covered in the original manuals.

Yes, it's possible to download the new manuals but who wants to print out two hundred pages, staple it together and carry it on the boat?

I usually read them. Often as part of pre-purchase to see exactly what I'm getting, and to confirm it will do what I want. This has saved me from some very costly mistakes. And for anything complex that needs to be installed correctly, operated correctly, and maintained correctly, I'll pour over the manuals. For major equipment like engines, generator, etc. I'll always buy the service and parts manuals. I usually find the parts manuals the most informative because they really show how everything goes together. And all this is especially important on a boat where you need to figure out what spares to carry, and will eventually need to carry out some maintenance or repair procedure on your own. I think the more you know about your boat and how it works, the more in control you are of your own cruising. Not everyone has the interest and aptitude to do this, and that's fine - we are all different - but I think it's a great advantage if it's a fit for you, especially if you cruise to more remote destinations.

I take an iterative approach. Try to learn as much as I can hands-on before reading the entire manual. I might start by looking up the most obvious questions I have, first. Only after I start to "get it" do I sit down and try to absorb the whole thing. Admittedly, the more unfamiliar I am with the equipment, the more I read before I "fiddle."

RT Firefly said:

...I would also note the ambiguity of some Asian manuals that appear to be written in Jenglish or Chenglish....

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You're being WAY too kind. And it's not just poorly translated manuals. Even manuals in the native tongue can be confusing or downright incomprehensible.

Bruce B said:

I have an observation about modern manuals.
It seems that the more complex the software the less information contained in the manual.

Click to expand...

I think it's a trend across all equipment. While they increase the space given over to legal disclaimers, safety warnings and multiple languages, the actual content of the manuals seems to be shrinking. When every troubleshooting step suggests the resolution "see your installer or dealer," the manual becomes somewhat useless.

Makes me appreciate the old manuals that actually contain helpful information for a reasonably skilled DIY'er.

RT Firefly said:

Isn't it a "male" rule that the first thing you do is throw away the instructions?

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I used to handle a lot of manuals at work. Almost all had dire warnings on the cover about what would happen if you didn't read and follow the manual exactly.

Except one. Big letters on the front cover:

"WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, PLEASE READ THIS MANUAL."

Now THERE was a manufacturer who really understood how these things would be used in the field!

I read all manuals and file them in a expanding file. While I do have many of the manuals electronically saved, I prefer to have a hard copy. As a rule, I take out the manual and reread the servicing instructions almost every time I do a service.

Bruce I am like you - always wanting to know how stuff works. When I was a kid, if you gave me a radio I was more interested in taking it apart than listening to it. So of course as soon as I was old enough I got a ham radio license. Fifty years later I don't automatically take everything apart, but I do read the manuals. Besides, I have been in the software development business for 32 years, and most of our client's problems are because they did not RTFM!

David

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
I would also note the ambiguity of some Asian manuals that appear to be written in Jenglish or Chenglish. "Please to be pushing the button you wish to push"...(JRC radar manual from many years ago).

Click to expand...

Ah yes, Chenglish. I have a French Boat, so I suppose its Frenchglish. Their manual is terrible.

I am also a manual reader, but not cover to cover. I try to read different sections as they apply to what I am working on, so long term my goal is to get through the whole book.

It is nice to know that people take the time to do this, in the sound bite/instant gratification world we live in. Along with newspapers, manual reading will also eventually go away.

I bought a "smart phone". I got it home and tried to figure out how to do things with it. I looked for the manual. There was none. I got on the Internet and found a manual but it was over two hundred pages and when printed, it was booklet sized on full size. There was a phone number to request a manual so I called it. The person who answered the phone said there was no manual.


I went to the store where I bought the phone and asked for a manual. The guy at the store asked me what I wanted to know. I said I wanted to know how to do everything the phone could do so I needed a manual.


He said there was no manual but I could take a class.


So I have a phone that makes noises from time to time for no apparent reason and I have things I cannot get rid of.

CaptTom said:

...I think it's a trend across all equipment. While they increase the space given over to legal disclaimers, safety warnings and multiple languages, the actual content of the manuals seems to be shrinking. When every troubleshooting step suggests the resolution "see your installer or dealer," the manual becomes somewhat useless.

Makes me appreciate the old manuals that actually contain helpful information for a reasonably skilled DIY'er.

Click to expand...

Ahhhh yes... the safety disclaimers. Those things are so dumbed down that I no longer give them any consideration at all!
I do sometimes wonder what would happen if something important were slipped into that section.
Bruce

David Rive said:

Bruce I am like you - always wanting to know how stuff works. When I was a kid, if you gave me a radio I was more interested in taking it apart than listening to it. So of course as soon as I was old enough I got a ham radio license. Fifty years later I don't automatically take everything apart, but I do read the manuals. Besides, I have been in the software development business for 32 years, and most of our client's problems are because they did not RTFM!

David

Click to expand...

I love reading stories told by tech support.
I'm sure I could not work in that capacity, I'd end up saying something offensive for sure!!!
Bruce

Not sure about other MFDs, but my Raymarine has the manual in it and has a search function.


This allowed me to skip over much of the manual except the critical needs functions.

I think they all do that now..

Bruce B said:

I have an observation about modern manuals.
It seems that the more complex the software the less information contained in the manual.

Click to expand...

The Steve Jobs/Apple paradigm. You get only one button, and if everything is supposed to be completely intuitive.

Right.

WesK said:

Yes, it's possible to download the new manuals but who wants to print out two hundred pages, staple it together and carry it on the boat?

Click to expand...

Softcopy works pretty well for us. Makes keyword searches possible, etc.

-Chris