Unwanted components wanted for free

[Assafl]

I am sorry - there is nothing BETTER than building a circuit using salvaged components and then figuring out a component was bad. Widlarizing it later is also fun.

Usually a circuit you build is a circuit you understand. When it fails - you sort of figure it out like a puzzle.

I know these techniques helped me 10 years later when my undergrad projects failed and I had to debug my dipole microstrip antenna.

While I agree that his request is sort of unfocused (what is he interested in - audio, lights - I loved LEDs 30 years ago!! - controllers, energy stuff, HV dangerous stuff) - belittling anyone's request for help and assistance doesn't help.

Marketers at Fluke and Rigol and Keysight eat your crumudgeon crap with mustard and relish for breakfast. But kids don't always have the maturity to see adults for the fools adults sometimes want to portray. Please be gentle.

[Cloud]

Last time, I put together a "surprise box" it was about 3kg and had new and used components. This one had a lot of old 4000 logic (unsoldered). It looked something like this:

You have time tell me your decision until 4.5. 

[timb]

I am sorry - there is nothing BETTER than building a circuit using salvaged components and then figuring out a component was bad. Widlarizing it later is also fun.

Usually a circuit you build is a circuit you understand. When it fails - you sort of figure it out like a puzzle.

I know these techniques helped me 10 years later when my undergrad projects failed and I had to debug my dipole microstrip antenna.

While I agree that his request is sort of unfocused (what is he interested in - audio, lights - I loved LEDs 30 years ago!! - controllers, energy stuff, HV dangerous stuff) - belittling anyone's request for help and assistance doesn't help.

Marketers at Fluke and Rigol and Keysight eat your crumudgeon crap with mustard and relish for breakfast. But kids don't always have the maturity to see adults for the fools adults sometimes want to portray. Please be gentle.

It's great once you have some experience under your belt, but when you're just starting out and learning the basics, it can be very trying and very disheartening.

What's almost as bad, if not worse, is major errors in schematics, from wildly popular books, no less. (Forrest Mimms, I'm looking at you! I swear, a good 2 out of the 5 circuits in the Engineer's Mini Notebooks just didn't work as shown.)

@Cloud That actually looks like a pretty good assortment!

[MT]

The charged caps have zapped the IC's in that "box of surprices"!

[zerorisers]

I am in the DFW Metroplex. A little ways away, but when I have a couple of boxes of components I don't need I will keep you in consideration. Probably even drive there myself. I have always wanted to go to houston.

[vze1lryy]

indeed.

You are an absolute idiot.  Try this...
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Thread title:  Does anyone have any unwanted parts or gear they could donate please?  (US / Houston area)

Hi, I'm a school kid who's interested in electronics, I'm wondering if anyone has any electronics related stuff they no longer need and are planning to dispose of.  I'm interested in general jelly bean components, old PCBs which I might learn from (attempting to reverse engineer, salvage components from etc), or basic test equipment that you no longer use?

I'm in Houston, so if I'm lucky enough to find someone local, I'm able to collect.  If not, and someone is kind enough to package some stuff up for me, I'd be happy to pay the shipping charges.  (Although obviously I'm limited in funds, so we'd have to check if it's realistic or not first!)

Thanks for your time, I'm sure you all remember when you were in this position! 

I didn't exactly sound like that when I was 13. I wish I did! But I didn't.

 I don't think he intends to be an asshole. I honestly just think he's 13...

I didn't understand fully how I came off to others at 13 either.

I think a big part of it is that now, as an adult, I have people from all areas of my life constantly demanding I do shit for free, constantly bargaining. Customers bargain, other stores call me during business hours asking for free advice, employees don't want to learn or think they can make excuses for why they can't spell the word fernando. My first boss at an internship had me working 70 hours a week for free, paid for one meal a day, and felt entitled to call me at 2 in the morning. that stuff hardens you.

So I try to phrase things, at 27, in a manner that will not lead others to believe I feel entitled to their time/property,.

I am a little more hair-trigger than I was at 13. At 13 you don't have that "FUCK ENTITLEMENT" attitude drilled into you because you haven't had ten years of being hounded by people for free work. I don't think he feels entitled, but just phrases things without thinking about how it may set someone else of, because he himself has not been through all that frustrating nonsense yet.

I have no patience for entitled sounding grown men and women, particularly the fucktards in their 30s-40s who are decades older than me who call me to waste my time. The reason is that I know that they know just how much it sucks to receive those same phone calls. They have even more experience than I do with their time being wasted on bullshit, so when they waste mine on bullshit, full well knowing how annoying it is - screw them!!!! They know better. However, I'll do my best to mentor teenagers or even 10 year olds that want to learn this stuff if they wanted to . I understand that their life experiences will be such that they are not trying to act entitled, they just don't understand why we perceive it that way.

Maybe I'm just becoming a softie. I made a huge ass out of myself on the internet when I was 13 on a set of sites that are no longer around. I am still in touch with this one woman who was in her mid 20s who really grilled me on what a piece of garbage I was - just chewed me out six ways to Sunday on all my bullshit and it really helped me develop my character. A year later we talked more. I'm 27, she's in her late 30s. She's probably the longest friend I've ever had at this point and we have a decent level of mutual respect for one another. I forget what my point was with this. I know she despised a lot of the immaturity in my thoughts, actions, and postings. However, at the same time, I am happy that it wasn't just superficial disdain. A lot of what I've accomplished to this date I probably never would have if I didn't have someone helping me a little during that crucial time in my life.

[bills]

Be nice guys.
we at one time were young and next to clueless. I am thinking about making a care package I have way too much stuff. BTW I will ship it post paid .
It may be a few weeks before I have time.
Being retired takes most of my free time
I have to fix the wife's new old jaguar ( leaking oil on the driveway)
bill

[bills]

I have done this before and it's a thankless endeavor but maybe someone will benefit, at least some of the stuff may find a good home.
I have to quit hording stuff.
bill 

[alsetalokin4017]

@timb:   That's strange... I have all of the Mims Mini Notebooks and I've built many circuits from them, long ago, and I can't remember a single one that _didn't_ work as stated. Can you give an example or two from your experience that didn't work?

Mims's "Getting Started In Electronics" is still an excellent resource for people in Daniel's position in life.

[Assafl]

What's almost as bad, if not worse, is major errors in schematics, from wildly popular books, no less. (Forrest Mimms, I'm looking at you! I swear, a good 2 out of the 5 circuits in the Engineer's Mini Notebooks just didn't work as shown.

Yes that brings back memories. Over time we all realized that Datasheets "example circuits" usually did not contain all the parts that needed to make a circuit work.

When the book writers (like Mims) then copied them into a hobby book without properly testing we were stumped.

But the real beauty of doing this at 13 is that instead of making you into a cynical crumudgeon you sort of find out what works (Elektor schematics usually did work) and over time developed the instinct to figure out when a schematic is real or "idealized". All without even realizing I should have been upset.