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Our team of Light EV (ebike, escooter) advocates is considering starting a Repair Cafe perhaps just after our monthly meeting. We are seeking feedback on ways to organize this.

Is there a suggested meeting management tool aside from a bit clumsy use of online calendars, to allow people to register their interest and need, so we can match that need at the Repair Cafe?

For a virtual Repair Cafe, which we see would mainly be used for diagnosing problems where special tools aren't required, are there software tools that you all would recommend to assist the Repair Cafe tech in working with a person submitting a problem?  We would like to use Help Lightning for instance.

Thank you for your summary of ideas for continuing Repair Cafe activities during the pandemic.

We have several ideas that have worked with individual members of our Maker Space which recently closed due to loss of funding due to the pandemic. In person sessions were often arranged as Repair Cafes, now we are trying:

• Scheduled virtual drop-in hours. This arrangement worked for several years when a small business was purchased by peer company across the country. For blocks of time advertised in advance a crew of people will be on a web meeting (happens to be Zoom) and assist those who come on with problems. With the paid version of Zoom, we can put people in breakout sessions.
• Use Zoom or other web tools to create an assisted virtual repair session longer than the breakout sessions above. This is mainly for Light EVs (ebikes, escooters, Segway minis, etc) and Light EV batteries, where the person with item to be repaired shows us what they see and how they are proceeding to repair or diagnose problems. Setting a time limit requires some negotiations, and often the person with the problem requires tools that they do not have. We have asked people to buy inexpensive special tools, and do warn in advance about that. If a part is needed, we refer to a source as there are no regional repair centers for any of the above not on a factory warranty.
• For those whose problem is larger than can be handled by either of the above approaches, we do refer to local shops or individuals who will either assist or for a fee can acquire new parts for the person. Then it is up to them to rejoin a virtual Repair Cafe session to complete their repair, or hire the specialist.

Do you all have any further suggestions on expanding upon Virtaual Repair Cafe sessions (VRC?).

Best, Mark