[sdiy] Uber-DIY

[greg montalbano]

At 11:58 AM 9/19/02 -0500, Paul wrote:

>I am thinking there needs to be a separate "Uber-DIY" category for folks. 
>Here are some rules,
>feel free to add others.
>
>a) All wire used must be retrieved from dumpsters or the side of the road.
>b) All ICs must have date code beginning with the number '8'. Bonus points 
>if they begin with
>'7'.
>c) No single part can exceed $5 in cost.
>d) The only allowed test equipment is a tube-base scope (without probe) 
>and a DVM bought at a
>flea market for $10.
>e) Soldering irons cannot be temperature regulated, must plug directly 
>into the wall (no
>"workstation" types) and be at least 5yrs old. Extra bonus for pet teeth 
>marks on cord (+1),
>partial burn/melt on 1 conductor (+2) or melting to expose wires, then 
>wrapped in black
>electrical tape (+3).
>f) All resistors must be tossed into 1 old box. Bonus points if ALL parts 
>are tossed into the
>same box. Penalty of -1 per drawer used. +2 bonus if no box used at all 
>(all parts in piles on
>the workbench).
>g) Workspace points as follows:
>
>+2 if the primary surface is cardboard
>+1 if the primary surface was never intended to be a workbench
>-1 if the chair is the correct height
>-2 if the primary surface exceeds 1sq meter
>-3 if it REALLY IS a workbench

Hey, you been spying on me, or what?

Seriously, I have to admit, having attempted home-built electronics both 
then and now,
that NOW is vastly superior (nostalgia notwithstanding);  and that all the 
really
CHEAP moves I made in those days came back to bite me, more often than not.


>Remember, every beer is 10 4558 op amps :)

Yeah, I used to drink that really cheap beer, too -- stuff I drink now is 
more like one really good precision DAC per sixpack!

~GMM