MOTM

As to pre-stuffing parts, I'd scream an emphatic "NO". MOTM kits are
therapy for me. As a completely anal person, it would make measuring
the value of each resistor and cap much more difficult. I demand my
right to know the EXACT value of that "100K" resistor I'm stuffing
into a spot reserved for a "10K".

To make error detection easier, I stuff all resistors and other non-
polarity sensitive devices in a uniform direction. That is, the gold
bands of 5% resistors all face the same way. This also makes for a
more pleasing appearance. (Hey, I told you I was anal!) Don't try
to tease me by saying "yeah, we can do that".

10 dollars or 10 cents, I don't want it. Just stuff the parts in a
baggie and I'll be happy. Sequencing the parts on tape? (Old
question.) Nay from where I sit. Same anal perspective.

I realize though, this would make life easier for Paul. He could
just wave a number of units and that would speed up his assembly time
for those ordering assembled units. I don't care if the price of
assembled units dropped to the price of kits... I still want to do it
myself... I'd order kits.

O/T request... how 'bout putting MOTM chips up for sale on the
website? Like the low offset op-amps, NPN and PNP pairs, and
other "special" items. I'd like to order a few of each for repair
purposes... You know, when through-hole parts disappear and a 2210
cannot be had for any price, I'd sure like to have a small number in
my parts cabinet to service my own needs. Paul?

Cheers!
Tom Farrand

I realize that Paul has already banged the gavel, but since we're all still
venting...

I, too, vote "No" to proposition 'Stuff-it.' It's not that I'm in love with
sorting resistors (did enough of that crap as a college job... I'm surprised
I still want to see the things), but it doesn't bother me either, and takes
very little time for most modules. In fact there were only two of them where
I found myself wondering, "Is there no end to these things!?!" I have an
illuminated magnifier and I can sort and order them while watching TV even,
sticking them in a block of Styrofoam in order, then use the handy
lead-bender, and before you know it that step is done. And now that the
parts may come sequenced on tape, that part is even easier!

Then there's the pride factor, and the death-defying 'I could make a fatal
mistake at any time!' excitement of doing it oneself... and then there's
money. Not that $12 is a lot on its own, but considering that it would only
remove an hour's worth of the work, if even that, it hardly seems worth it
to me. Eight modules with a $12 markup... well, heck, there's an extra
Envelope Generator kit & shipping right there.

And if you think of the venerable EG kit, adding that $12 puts it over the
$100 mark (a psychological impediment?) and now instead of being able to
build one in 90 minutes, I would be able to build one in... 81 minutes? That
doesn't add up for me.

Now, if Paul were to announce that his rich uncle Beelzebub got him an
automatic insertion machine and wave solder pot for his birthday, and he was
sick of bagging and tagging parts, so all of a sudden pre-assembled modules
would be $10 *cheaper* than kits, well, heck, I like to solder as much as
the next guy, but I'll take that deal in a flat minute! But to raise the
prices solely to skip a few pages of the assembly manual doesn't seem worth
it to me. As has been pointed out, prices may go up for other reasons, such
as manufacturers' costs going up, so why rush it? Someone this morning
mentioned stocking some common MOTM parts and squirreling them away for the
future when they aren't available anymore... that's a good idea! If I were
to set aside an extra $12 per module, I might think about spending it on
stocking up on extra MOTM semiconductors rather than speeding me through the
assembly process.

Bottom line: I will always vote to keep prices down unless that sacrifices
quality of the final product or its features. In this case, adding that cost
doesn't seem to me to add quality or features.

Obviously if I were assembling these for a living, day in and day out, I
would feel differently, but after building four VCOs, four EGs, etc., I'm
not sick of making them yet!



All this said, I would like to express this: I'm so very glad that Paul is
constantly looking for options and ways to make the whole MOTM experience
better for us, and that he lets us vote like this! While we all vote "Yay"
or "Nay" on these issues, I think we're all implicitly grateful that Paul is
always looking for creative solutions and allowing us to help analyze their
value. I may be casting a negative vote today, but I'm still happy that
issues like this come up!

I would prefer that he kept the whole resistor thing as-is. I think that $12
per kit isn't bad, but not necessary. Sorting resistors is part of the whole
experience - one of the only times when building a kit where you can sit down
without the soldering iron on :P. I wouldn't say it's my favorite part of kit
building, but it's not a big pain to do either.

-Chaz

--- In motm@y..., imorpheusl@a... wrote:

> I would prefer that he kept the whole resistor thing as-is.
> I think that $12 per kit isn't bad, but not necessary. Sorting
> resistors is part of the whole experience ...
> I wouldn't say it's my favorite part of kit
> building, but it's not a big pain to do either.

Having built two -320's (the one module that definitely qualifies as
RESISTOR HELL), I'd have to say that resistor sorting IS a big pain
to do, and I would *love* to see MOTM axial components correctly
ordered/sequenced on a tape/reel format. Like someone else said, if
you enjoy the sorting, you can always pull 'em off the tape and
throw 'em in a pile first ;^).

As for pre-stuffed boards, I have very little opinion one way or the
other ... either way is 100% fine with me ...

-Doug
ceres@...