[sdiy] Resisting UberDIY

[KA4HJH]

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

Recovery? HA. This is terminal.

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

I have entire databooks from the late 60's and early 70's which I got for
$.25 apiece at hamfests. A couple of them are hardback. I just remembered,
there's another box full of them out in the garage that I've never brought
in the house. I have pictures of the databook shelf to go with those of my
workbench if anyone's interested.

Also have Polyphony, Device, EN (in surprisingly expensive D-ring binders,
etc. (Any sort of points awarded for not being able to find any particular
article when needed?)

>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.

Got a huge PC board full of 2716's!. But I had to pay some smartaleck $18
for that Ohmite cabinet full of Little Devils--at a hamfest!! NO way I'm
tossing that.

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

Suddenly I have only two colors of wire instead of a dozen.

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

Can't find it but I know it's around here somewhere.

>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.

Still have two spools of Ersin multi-core.


>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.

I could use new drawers since I've gained some weight in the last year.

>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.

I have a big box full of electrolytic caps removed from cable TV amplifiers
that were thermally-cycled a zillion times. I was saving them to repair
some medical equipment and a UPS.

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

#1 Some correspondence school thing built from a kit that had the baseline
oscillator all messed up (and no docs). Gaithersburg hamfest before noon,
$5;

#2 A Tek 565 "Uber Boat Anchor" on cart (included probe, sorry).
Gaithersburg hamfest at 7:00 AM, $20

#A Tek 465 supposedly broken but actually works. Hamfest, $50


Extra points should be given for being able to remember precisely where,
when, and how much each particular bargain was obtained. Oh wait, this is
the "don't be Uber-DIY" checklist. Now I'm all confused again.


I do have a Weller WTCP. It was bought when I was flush with cash from my
first job in '84. Everyone told me I was crazy to spend the money and that
a skank iron from Radio Shack was sufficient, but I was wild and crazy and
wanted to annoy my co-workers. Do I get any Uber points if I can't find it?
-- 

Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
"The Mac Doctor"

"If I can't be God I don't want to play"--Aleister Crowley