FW: [sdiy] Radfio Shack

[phillip m gallo]

Is this the general feeling?

I think it's easier to proto today than at any time in my experience.  Most
major manufacturers sample easily, and also have small order desks or ensure
their part are available at Digikey/Mouser.

Adapter boards for SMD's are available at my local electronics shop or from
Jameco/Digikey.  I have my choice of monolythic transistor pairs instead of
having to use cosmetic rejects that my friend would give me from Keithly
salvage.

Tools are more available and less expensive in real dollars.  Meter's are
inexpensive and pack a lot of functionality compared to the old individual
meter per function days.  Analog 'Scopes are everywhere from Ebay to the
local swap meet and handy little digital LCD scopes are not as pricey as an
old Tek "economy" scope was.

The power of the PC on your desk is a wonder to behold, and by 1995 i had
more capability in my garage than the old Apollo schematic/layout
workstation we all queued up to use.

Then there are all those micro & DSP eval boards desperate to sell @ or
below $100.00.

The internet is a wonderful research arena that compacts what was several
weeks of research into a few hours of "googling".

>From my experience it sure beats pressing "flea clips" into phenolic and
soldering the parts i waited three weeks to get from Newark or Allied.

regards,
p

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
[mailto:owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl]On Behalf Of Glen
Sent: Friday, October 08, 2004 1:05 AM
To: The Old Crow; synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
Subject: Re: [sdiy] Radfio Shack


At 04:36 PM 10/7/04 , The Old Crow wrote:

>  Of course, electronics hobbyists are all set to be left out in the cold
>when through-hole parts are no longer made.  The intermediate/advanced
>(and more determined beginner) hobbyists can of course adapt to
>surface-mount, but for the beginner, the new and much steeper learning
>curve it is going to suck.  They'll probably end up going to Radio Shack
>and buying a cell phone.

At that point, I think the sort of people who used to become electronics
enthusiasts will quite possibly become computer programming enthusiasts
instead. At least it's still possible to write your own software, and it
probably will be for awhile longer. Even DIY software development *could*
eventually dry up. You know, the world will really suck if you have to have
the resources of a large corporation to be able to make anything more
complicated than a hole in the ground.


later,
Glen
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