[sdiy] EFM

[Ken Stone]

What I think happens with beginners is that several times during the
construction of anything, they will be faced with uncertainty. They will
make their choice, right or wrong, then continue with their project. Of
course, when they power it up, there could be several errors. They will not
remember what areas they were uncertain about, nor do they have the
experience to locate or correct these faults. The only cure is to keep
trying, and if possible, get someone in the know to check their work and
explain the problems. I can remember using both diodes and inductors in the
place of resistors when I was starting out - the components in question
looked like resistors, and my lack of experience didn't allow me to find the
errors. I would strip the project down and try again, sometimes using the
same parts, and with the same results. Other times a substitute could have
easilly been used - often any old transistor can be substituted, but I'd
spend hours searching for some device not available in my country. 

Really, many DIY projects are not suitable for beginners. Even kits are a
disaster. I recall fixing other people's projects where they had the zeners
and the power diodes swapped, or similar silly errors. Even the kits with
the best instructions can come to disaster when the builder can't solder
(imagine a stove heated iron and Bakers acid flux - I've seen it.)

Of course these builders who fail sometimes blame it on the kit designers or
providers. They have no idea their skills are as bad as they are, nor do we
have any comprehension of just how much they don't know, as there is so much
experience we have gained, we forget they don't know things we take for granted.

The worst kind of disaster is always when there is a crossing of interests -
the model railroader who decides to try an electronic accessory, the RC
modeller who builds a speed controller, the auto enthusiast who wants the
digital tacho, the musician who wants a synth.... I'd be willing to bet that
a significant number of the successful DIYers started out as I did - where
electronics WAS the hobby, and eventually synth DIY took over as the main
interest.

Ken 

>Tom put it as dodging eggs.
>
>I do think it is somewhat justified when someone discredits the Whole of EFM 
>based on a web schematic put together unsuccessfully.  
>
>for the price, Tom's modules are tough to beat, and for many of us beginners, 
>they are a great way to learn and perhaps the only way we could afford sdiy, 
>raking into account that veroboards can be fucked up easier than a pcb by a 
>beginner.
>
>Ed
>
>
_______________________________________________________________________
Ken Stone   sasami at blaze.net.au  
Modular Synth PCBs for sale <http://www.blaze.net.au/~sasami/synth/>
Australian Miniature Horses & Ponies <http://www.blaze.net.au/~sasami/>
Catgirl Paradise <http://www.anime.net/~kens/>