arfandbark Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Wags for Fini.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwinr Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Hey, Rick. That's not a kit. That's a pic of your 'old' defibrillator! No wonder they changed it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Good Morning, Z4!: "I should ask the same question of Erik; how long have you been building amps, Erik?" My 'electonics' building experiences (please notice the quote/end quote there) didn't really begin with audio components, but 'sculpture' (another set of quotes). I used to sit with my dad on the weekends, watching him build tube receivers and transmitters, which he had been doing from about the age of 10. It actually bored me to death, but I wanted to spend time with him. When I was 5 or 6, I guess he decided I was old enough to learn to solder, and so I used to solder together little imaginary creatures made out of piece of tin. I remember the iron I used to use seemed like the size of a baseball bat. I would make eyes and other details out cut-out pieces of black electrical tape. My older brother took to it must faster than I, and was building guitar amp kits and radio receivers when he was in middle school, which is when he got his radio operator's license. This all came back to haunt me again in the 80's, when I started reading everything I could about speaker building and crossover design. I subscribed to every DIY publication I could find, and started making my own speakers and crossover networks (some of which sounded really horrible) in 1990. I was already forcing myself to learn to read audio amp and preamp schematics, and started the amplifier stuff a couple/few years later. The theory and algebra aspects were a pain, since I never enjoyed math. I continually have to refresh formulas and so forth, because they just don't stick for some reason. Having rebuilt some very, very old radios from the 20s and 30s, I have started to become more interested in building short wave recievers. A friend's father built for me the most beautifully designed and completely hand-crafted regenerative short wave reciever I have seen, and it's really been an inspiration. The schematics are a little more involved than some vacuum tube audio amps, and require careful attention to detail, wiring, appropriate shielding, etc., but they are challenging to me in a way that's fresh and new -- and tons of fun. ...and so it goes. Erik edit: Z4! Compared to some people I communicate with, I am still very much a newbie. What I tend to find more in more these days is not how much I have learned, but rather truly how little I know. Keeping an open mind and having a willingness to try new things has been helpful in terms of increasing my education and experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Erik-- You'd dig the duct tape projects my daughter (15) makes. Wallets, ties, top hats, purses. She takes orders from the kids at school! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hwatkins Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Mark, I had my defibrulator box replaced last Monday. Rick Yeah - I couldn't lift anything heavy for quite sometime after I had my box replaced[] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Give me a break..........I was making a joke!!!!!!! But I still say working on amplifier is not for everyone. For instance I rebuilt a EICO HF87 last night. This is a kit power amplifier. I found no less then 4 blatant wiring errors inside that were obviously part of the original build. This amp has been floating around from owner to owner for some time running way out of specification. There were many signs of someone trying to fix the poor performance. This would be a absolute case of people that should not pickup a soldering iron. So I would imagine this amp left a few people with a poor impression of the HF87 or possibly tubes amps in general. But really with all I have seen on the internet it probably received some glowing review! Not everyone can or should work on electronics. Yes things can be taught but basic skills and traits make a difference. Not everyone should be a carpenter, preacher, hooker or drug dealer either!! Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 How long have you been building amps NOSValves? Professionally building amps about 2 1/2 years. Proffesionally rebuilding vintage about 4 years. I picked up a soldering iron for the first time about 38 years ago. I was 8 years old. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 "Propeffesionally" ?????????? I left my English/Craig dictionary somewhere - can anyone translate that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 One of these days I will learn to proof read before I hit post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hwatkins Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 One of these days I will learn to proof read before I hit post. Please don't Craig - this is like our own personal authentication - a properly spelled post would make us think someone had stolen your avatar![] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted April 6, 2006 Author Share Posted April 6, 2006 I miss the spell chester too.[] Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 "Yes things can be taught but basic skills and traits make a difference." Basic skills are things that can be taught, and compared to MANY virtually involuntary or second-nature sorts of skills that require a certain amount of manual dexterity and coordination, soldering is very easy to do. If one can hold something in on hand, and simultaneously hold something in the other, that person will also learn to be able to solder rather easily. If you go through the steps required to tie a shoe, the actual fine motor movements are actually more involved than what's needed to solder. It's NOT as demanding, but (for a certain reason) is often made out to be an elusive thing, reverved for the serious guys who build amplifiers and crossovers. I build both myself, which is why I know that it's within reach of a great many people. If you had such a tough time learning, than I respect your tenacity and commitment. A scary challenge: Hold a pencil in one hand in the usual way, while holding another pencil in the other hand. Depending on individual handedness, touch one of the tips of those pencils to some object -- say a dime or a quarter -- and hold it there for a few seconds. Keep that pencil there, and then take the daring plunge and challenge yourself to direct the tip of the pencil in the other hand to the same place, just not touching the other pencil. Hold it there for a second or two, and then remove the pencils at about the same time. Pretty tough stuff, right?! So the person who built the Eico made a mistake. Learning anything new takes some time to get it right -- just as you, Craig (yeah YOU!) have made mistakes in the past and might not have caught them. So have I. That doesn't mean someone should stop there, anymore than someone should give up on cheese omelettes just because they overbeat the eggs the first time around and turned out a dubious piece of floppy yellow rubber. One person's lack of interest is a completely different thing. If someone would rather have another who is more familiar with the process do the work, what could be more logical than that!? I know bunches of students who learned to solder for installs of car audio equipment, and talk about it in a very matter-of-fact sort of way. Soldering!? One of the easier aspects of the job. If someone is told they 'CAN'T' or 'SHOULDN'T' long enough, the chances that such a person never will are pretty good. If someone really wants to learn, that person can learn. If they don't, it doesn't really matter. Erik The dark art and eli (please disregard this) It's where I was referring to the amazing act of soldering as a dark and elite -- something or other. Can't remember what it is now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 "Yes things can be taught but basic skills and traits make a difference." Basic skills are things that can be taught, and compared to MANY virtually involuntary or second-nature sorts of skills that require a certain amount of manual dexterity and coordination, soldering is very easy to do. If one can hold something in on hand, and simultaneously hold something in the other, that person will also learn to be able to solder rather easily. If you go through the steps required to tie a shoe, the actual fine motor movements are actually more involved than what's needed to solder. It's NOT as demanding, but (for a certain reason) is often made out to be an elusive thing, reverved for the serious guys who build amplifiers and crossovers. I build both myself, which is why I know that it's within reach of a great many people. If you had such a tough time learning, than I respect your tenacity and commitment. A scary challenge: Hold a pencil in one hand in the usual way, while holding another pencil in the other hand. Depending on individual handedness, touch one of the tips of those pencils to some object -- say a dime or a quarter -- and hold it there for a few seconds. Keep that pencil there, and then take the daring plunge and challenge yourself to direct the tip of the pencil in the other hand to the same place, just not touching the other pencil. Hold it there for a second or two, and then remove the pencils at about the same time. Pretty tough stuff, right?! So the person who built the Eico made a mistake. Learning anything new takes some time to get it right -- just as you, Craig (yeah YOU!) have made mistakes in the past and might not have caught them. So have I. That doesn't mean someone should stop there, anymore than someone should give up on cheese omelettes just because they overbeat the eggs the first time around and turned out a dubious piece of floppy yellow rubber. One person's lack of interest is a completely different thing. If someone would rather have another who is more familiar with the process do the work, what could be more logical than that!? I know bunches of students who learned to solder for installs of car audio equipment, and talk about it in a very matter-of-fact sort of way. Soldering!? One of the easier aspects of the job. If someone is told they 'CAN'T' or 'SHOULDN'T' long enough, the chances that such a person never will are pretty good. If someone really wants to learn, that person can learn. If they don't, it doesn't really matter. Erik The dark art and eli You shouldn't post because you can't take a joke. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 You shouldn't post because you can't take a joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 You shouldn't post because you can't take a joke 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 You shouldn't post because you can't take a joke 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Did you hear it enough yet??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 You should buy a dictionary and learn to read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwinr Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Did you hear it enough yet??? LOL!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z4! Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 I think you miscounted - that is the 4th time you typed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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