Rules for checking out club equipment (2010)

mikemartinez

New member
MTRC members,



Items available:

6 Large Suction cups
3 different sizes of drill bits for drilling tanks which will all be given when checked out.
1 Par Meter (currently broken)
1 Power Meter



Send me a PM or Email (No need to open new threads) along with what you would like to check out.

I will put you on a list for that item and when your turn comes up I will Email and PM you to let you know it's ready for pick up.

If at the time you are not ready to use that item I can move you down a spot and let the next person available go but keep in mind that the item might not be immediately available to use if you do that and that you will have to wait until the item is returned to check it out.

All items can be checked out for a maximum of 1 week. Of course if you are done using the item before the 1 week it would be greatly appreciated if you could return it sooner and let the next person use it.

For example if I give you the Suction Cups on Monday I will need to get them back by the next Monday or Tuesday at the very latest. It is your responsibility to get what you check out back to me on time.

You have to come and pick up the item and drop it off to me, I will try to meet you out somewhere, since I work in Smyrna and live by the Opryland Hotel I think I cover a decent amount of area to where I can meet up with just about everyone.

I know I already said this but let me reiterate "It is YOUR responsibility to get what you checked out back to me on time". I will not chase you down to try and get anything back or drive 1 hour to your house to get it.

If you check something out and I have major problems getting that item back from you or you give it back to me damaged and dont tell me about it then you will no longer be allowed to check anything out, at least not till the next BOD is elected and they can decide how to handle it from that point on.

You cannot hand that item off to the next person in line even if he/she is your neighbor, that item has to come straight back to me.

In the past there has been way too much of "Well I gave it to so and so and they said they gave it to so and so" and things end up getting lost/stolen (Like the fish trap).

From now on I will know exactly who has it and for how long. Once you have passed that 1 week period I will contact you to get the item back and if I dont hear anything back from you after a couple of days I will make a thread about it to let everyone know who is causing the hold up. Basically I will put you on front street.

I know all of this might come off as harsh and please believe it's my full intention for it to be that way.

The use of club equipment has always been an issue since I have been a member and now that I can actually do something about it I will even if I come off as a jerk.

The good thing is that I know the majority of you will appreciate me doing this more than the ones that are going to complain because I have heard the disgust and anger in people voices when club equipment has been mentioned before at meetings.

The problems with the current club equipment also makes it hard for the Board to want to buy more/better/more expensive stuff for us to use because there is that fear that it will get lost or stolen.

If for some reason you dont like/agree with these rules then dont check anything out... period. I'm sorry but I'm not good at sugar coating anything.

I am open to and will gladly accept ideas on how to improve this process because afterall this is for us to use. Straight up complaints will be ignored as they should be.

Thanks


I think it goes without saying that you have to be a member of MTRC to participate in this but I just want to clear that up right now... I posted this here as well because I know that most of you dont go to the MTRC webiste much or at all (hopefully this will change soon).
 
Have you guys thought about making people leave a refundable deposit or some sort of collateral (like their first born) to check out the equip.? :uzi:
 
Have you guys thought about making people leave a refundable deposit or some sort of collateral (like their first born) to check out the equip.? :uzi:

LOL...

This is something that has been discussed but not with the equipment that is currently available. At the last meeting we had we discussed the possibility of getting a phosphate tester or... I cant remember the name of the other testing equipment that was mentioned that was pretty expensive.

Someone brought up the idea of leaving a check for like 250.00 as a deposit but someone could easily do that and immediately cancel the account.

But this is something that we can further look into to protect the clubs investments for things like this.

I would hate to see the option of borrowing club equipment disappear. Even though I have never used any of the equipment currently available it is nice to know we have the option instead of having to go out and spend the money on some drill bits for example to maybe use just once.
 
I am not sure there is a viable / ultimate solution... Tossing out random thoughts here... None may actually be good or possible:

- $40 CASH deposit. Would not cover the full replacement cost, but is a good motivator for the vast majority of us that are honest but sometimes lazy about returning in a timely manner. This may be applied to only the more costly items?

- Create some type of partnership with an LFS to assist us with check in / out. I believe the Critter is pretty central to most club members... Maybe see if Chris could hold the equipment and act as a return point. Obviously this idea has lots of issues to work out to make happen, but I am throwing it out there as just brain storming (or brain puking) exercise. Maybe even have one or two additional LFS participate if interested. May not be a bad idea two have two photometers and multiples of some of the other key items. We seem to have the $ if the club wants.

Again, just tossing some random thoughts out there. While I greatly appreciate the new and re-stated rules... trying to think of making it more of a win win for everyone.

:)
 
- Create some type of partnership with an LFS to assist us with check in / out. I believe the Critter is pretty central to most club members... Maybe see if Chris could hold the equipment and act as a return point. Obviously this idea has lots of issues to work out to make happen, but I am throwing it out there as just brain storming (or brain puking) exercise. Maybe even have one or two additional LFS participate if interested. May not be a bad idea two have two photometers and multiples of some of the other key items. We seem to have the $ if the club wants.

Maybe not, but this could be a potential conflict of interest for the store I would think. :)

Great job on the rules, Mike!

Brandon
 
What are the plans to replace the PAR meter? I'm curious to see what my new lights are pushing. I seem to have burned a ric on the sandbed.

Zef, I think you said you found the Apogee's for relatively cheap somewhere. Any idea where to find those? I could just buy my own otherwise, as it may be easier in the long run.
 
I am not sure there is a viable / ultimate solution... Tossing out random thoughts here... None may actually be good or possible:

- $40 CASH deposit. Would not cover the full replacement cost, but is a good motivator for the vast majority of us that are honest but sometimes lazy about returning in a timely manner. This may be applied to only the more costly items?

- Create some type of partnership with an LFS to assist us with check in / out. I believe the Critter is pretty central to most club members... Maybe see if Chris could hold the equipment and act as a return point. Obviously this idea has lots of issues to work out to make happen, but I am throwing it out there as just brain storming (or brain puking) exercise. Maybe even have one or two additional LFS participate if interested. May not be a bad idea two have two photometers and multiples of some of the other key items. We seem to have the $ if the club wants.

Again, just tossing some random thoughts out there. While I greatly appreciate the new and re-stated rules... trying to think of making it more of a win win for everyone.

:)


Thanks for the input Mike... The $40.00 deposit might not be a bad idea and is something to think about. 40 bux sounds about right.. not too much and not too little..


Maybe not, but this could be a potential conflict of interest for the store I would think.

Great job on the rules, Mike!

Brandon

Yeah I thought about that as well as them maybe not wanting to take the risk of something getting lost and being responsible for it.

Thanks Brandon



What are the plans to replace the PAR meter? I'm curious to see what my new lights are pushing. I seem to have burned a ric on the sandbed.


This is something that I need to bring up to Jason and decide what we need to do because the par meter was always one of if not the most wanted item by the members to try on their tanks so it only makes sense to either get it repaired (if possible) or replaced if need be.

As soon as we finalize something on the meter I will post an update to let everyone know.
 
The LFS idea definitely has some potential for controversy but I do think it is worth discussion. Some additional points:

As for conflict of interest, I agree that it needs to be discussed, but the items we have available for loan are really not items that we as individuals are likely to ever get from a store anyhow. If the LFS agrees with this, they just get the up side of good PR and a little increased traffic in the store. If I go in to borrow the Par Meter, chances I will buy something while I am there. (I am a bit impulsive :) ) This is a win win.

As far as risk by the LFS, this is definitely a roadblock. A well defined agreement could possibly mitigate responsibility. I have some ideas on this if the overall idea is worth looking into further.

Overall the LFS idea was just meant to try to simplify the pickup/drop off of equipment. In theory making it more convenient would lessen the chance of things going missing and make them more available. For me personally, the thought of trying to coordinate my schedule two ways with Mike to get something is much more complicated and less desirable than swinging by the LFS after Mike has approved my checkout.

Again... Just my two cents for discussion.

--

That being said, I am also interested in the replacement for the par meter as I had a request in for it. My new bulbs are due to arrive in a few weeks and was hoping to get some before/after readings. Also wanted to take some readings off of a Ecoxotic LED fixture during my borrowing week. :)
 
Well said. :)

I think most of it, more than anything, would be up to said LFS (obviously).

As far as the PAR meter, I'd love to see some numbers on my DIY LED fixture once I get it built, too! :) I also find it odd that its not working. I know Zach had it recently and we took some PAR readings in my nano and it seemed to be working great. I also think its fairly old and has been around the club several times.

Brandon
 
Well said. :)

I think most of it, more than anything, would be up to said LFS (obviously).

As far as the PAR meter, I'd love to see some numbers on my DIY LED fixture once I get it built, too! :) I also find it odd that its not working. I know Zach had it recently and we took some PAR readings in my nano and it seemed to be working great. I also think its fairly old and has been around the club several times.

Brandon

It was working, just the number is false, hence, not working.
 
I've tested it with sunlight supply one. That they have at the warehouse. And the number way off.

Zach I'll have to find the websit again.
 
Did we iron out the par meter situation? I would be interested in taking some measurements under LED's only.
 
Did we iron out the par meter situation? I would be interested in taking some measurements under LED's only.

Zach let me get a hold of Jason and/or Zef and see what we're going to do regarding this... I know we talked about replacing it but I dont know if it has been ordered yet or not.

As soon as I hear something I will let you guys know.
 
Zach let me get a hold of Jason and/or Zef and see what we're going to do regarding this... I know we talked about replacing it but I dont know if it has been ordered yet or not.

As soon as I hear something I will let you guys know.

Thanks. Zef had mentioned a cheap source somewhere but he had to look for it again. If he finds said cheap source let me know where it's at and I will likely buy one of my own. Heck, let me know either way and I may still buy my own. I want to keep track of my light quality along with my water quality.

Thanks!
 
I'm glad your doing this mike!!! I have never borrowed any equipment. At one point I wanted to but no one seem to know who had the equipment nor when they were bringing it back.
 
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