[sdiy] Resisting UberDIY

[Paul Schreiber]

Paul's 8-step recovery program from the UberDIY plague.

1) Throw out all data books prior to 1999. If you need a certain datasheet, tear it out, then
toss the entire book.

2) Throw out 95% of all old parts, especially that big "junk box" of resistors and switches you
cut out of the mainframe with the wire still hanging off them. Keep the uA726, CEM/SSM, and the
occasional older EPROM.

3) If you have wire that's not on a spool, out it goes

4) If you don't have a regulated solder station, toss it (doesn't have to be variable temp).

5) Throw out all you cheap-ass handtools. Get the Techni-Tool catalog and get nice cutters and
serrated 5 1/4" chain nose pliers. Get the $2 lead bending tool from Mouser. Buy Kester 245,
0.031dia no-clean solder. Toss out all rosin core solder.

6) Get nice sets of drawers. In the UK, the best ones for the money are made by Raaco. 18
drawers, nice sized. I bought 7 from Farnell and shipped them over.

7) Throw out all your "generic" crap ICs from the 1980s/1990s. Get the Mouser/Digikey catalogs
and look at the Linear Tech, Burr-Brown, Maxim and Analog devices chips. Look at the Atmel AVR
and 18Fxxx series PIC chips. Throw out all caps not bought within 2 years.

8) Save $130, get a nice used Tek scope. ITT Pamona sells individual 100Mhz probes for $39,
sometimes the 60Mhz ones are $29.

It's tough. Some folks tremble at the THOUGHT of #1 ("You never know when you may have to look
something up!" Err...www.google.com is amazing!)

Instead of spending $300 on beers and smokes the next 2 months, decide to focus on getting a
great DIY setup.

Paul S.