What test reporting software are you using?

[SecondGen]

We are still on PowerDB 10 and it’s a nightmare, constant problems with getting job history and synchronizing our data. It could be the way we are using it, I’ve tried the new version a few times with rental equipment and it seems OK but our company wont upgrade.

Just curious as to what other guys are using and why you like/dislike it, I’m ready to go back to Word Documents and Excel Sheets.

[phasor]

We are still on PowerDB 10 and it’s a nightmare, constant problems with getting job history and synchronizing our data. It could be the way we are using it, I’ve tried the new version a few times with rental equipment and it seems OK but our company wont upgrade.

Just curious as to what other guys are using and why you like/dislike it, I’m ready to go back to Word Documents and Excel Sheets.

PowerDB 11 Pro here and honestly I can't really complain about it at all.

[SecondGen]

PowerDB 11 Pro here and honestly I can't really complain about it at all.

What kind of setup are you guys using, stock forms or custom? Do you host your own master DB?

[phasor]

What kind of setup are you guys using, stock forms or custom? Do you host your own master DB?

They are custom forms we have a person at our company who takes care of all PowerDB issues for us.

[SecondGen]

They are custom forms we have a person at our company who takes care of all PowerDB issues for us.

We use a mixture of forms and they need work. Our main DB is hosted elsewhere and we are constantly on the phone with support. How many techs do you have working in a DB?

[Kalbi_Rob]

All three of the companies I've worked for have used PowerDB. Each company had a different way of using PowerDB. My first company transferred over from Excel and Word documents to PowerDB. They also made the transition the best with a overall administrator who had a complaint/resolution intranet page dedicated to customizing powerDB pages. The second company printed off the sheets for techs, then hired a temp to input the data into powerDB (they didn't want to pay for multiple licenses). My current company has an administrator that doesn't understand PowerDB. Thus we are left with inadequate default test forms.
One unique way to sync, is to put a database on a thumb drive, sync your database with the master database, then with the thumb drive. You can then pass the thumb drive around a job site when internet access is limited, or you forget to create a job early. My first company did this and it worked great.

[SecondGen]

All three of the companies I've worked for have used PowerDB. Each company had a different way of using PowerDB. My first company transferred over from Excel and Word documents to PowerDB. They also made the transition the best with a overall administrator who had a complaint/resolution intranet page dedicated to customizing powerDB pages. The second company printed off the sheets for techs, then hired a temp to input the data into powerDB (they didn't want to pay for multiple licenses). My current company has an administrator that doesn't understand PowerDB. Thus we are left with inadequate default test forms.
One unique way to sync, is to put a database on a thumb drive, sync your database with the master database, then with the thumb drive. You can then pass the thumb drive around a job site when internet access is limited, or you forget to create a job early. My first company did this and it worked great.

Sounds like we may be in a similar situation, I think the biggest problem we have is lack of a dedicated DB person who has field experience. Our company used to do the memory stick method but now we sync to a central file on the cloud.

I constantly have issues trying to get my data to sync, attaching external documents is a nightmare in itself sometimes and how come they don't show up in the print dialog?! Our forms need work too, just little things like tab order and data field types would make a big difference.

[Mike_Clark]

I have been making test forms in excel since 1995. Tried PDb a couple years ago and did not last. Currently I have countless hours refining about 60 forms over the years with formulas, ect. and use in conjunction with a great TCC 'book' in excel that has been built over the years by a colleague by the initials TS. This all works great with dropbox to sync multiple laptops. Fast and efficient...

For me going PowerDB was much like a PC user trying a macbook. However PDb is perfect for larger firms with multiple offices and remote report building.

Mike


We are still on PowerDB 10 and it’s a nightmare, constant problems with getting job history and synchronizing our data. It could be the way we are using it, I’ve tried the new version a few times with rental equipment and it seems OK but our company wont upgrade.

Just curious as to what other guys are using and why you like/dislike it, I’m ready to go back to Word Documents and Excel Sheets.

[test11]

I have been making test forms in excel since 1995. Tried PDb a couple years ago and did not last. Currently I have countless hours refining about 60 forms over the years with formulas, ect. and use in conjunction with a great TCC 'book' in excel that has been built over the years by a colleague by the initials TS. This all works great with dropbox to sync multiple laptops. Fast and efficient...

For me going PowerDB was much like a PC user trying a macbook. However PDb is perfect for larger firms with multiple offices and remote report building.

Mike

I know TS. I also know of the TCC file you're referencing. I recommend looking at the curves to verify for bigger projects with more eyes. It wasn't just TS that contributed to it.

[Mike_Clark]

I have made many contributions to that as well over the years, but do not need any credit because I am not managing it. I do have a literal office library of just curves all the way back to onion paper overlay days... I know the Entelliguard section in the tcc needs some serious help and a few others, but as you know trust but verify.


I know TS. I also know of the TCC file you're referencing. I recommend looking at the curves to verify for bigger projects with more eyes. It wasn't just TS that contributed to it.

[Kalbi_Rob]

I know TS. I also know of the TCC file you're referencing. I recommend looking at the curves to verify for bigger projects with more eyes. It wasn't just TS that contributed to it.

I also assisted TS in building some portions of his database, but you might want to take a closer look at that database, I just found a large number of the curves have been superceded. His database is getting old as he enjoys his numerous visits to the Philippines.

[mikebdub]

We are still on PowerDB 10 and it’s a nightmare, constant problems with getting job history and synchronizing our data. It could be the way we are using it, I’ve tried the new version a few times with rental equipment and it seems OK but our company wont upgrade.

Just curious as to what other guys are using and why you like/dislike it, I’m ready to go back to Word Documents and Excel Sheets.

We are using PowerDB 11 as well and I personally love it. Little issues here and there but nothing major. We have a field engineer that takes care of all of the issues and our custom sheets / database in house so it definitely makes it nice.

[amlawren]

Using MS Excel for fill-able forms utilizing Dropbox for cloud data services. I was sent to College Station some years back to test drive PowerDB (version 8 or 9) and found it was too cumbersome and lacked the easier customization of a pre-made Excel form back then.

I'm also not a lover of the Megger brand, so that may or may not have helped it's case. :eek: