General > General Technical Chat

Is the electronics hobby dead?

<< < (12/15) > >>

Red Squirrel:
Wow quite impressive.  Imagine the manual work that went into something like that. 

strangersound:

--- Quote from: Red Squirrel on July 19, 2016, 04:59:14 am ---Wow quite impressive.  Imagine the manual work that went into something like that.

--- End quote ---

Yeah...I was expecting to be impressed, but it exceeded any expectations by a long shot. I was also pleased to see it ended up in the hands of somebody that would appreciate it and that it didn't get scrapped, which would have been a travesty. The manual work is totally why I mentioned the old organs. Those things are mind blowing the first time you open one up.  :o

It's just amazing on both ends. The type of things they accomplished in the old days and the way they do the same things and so much more in unbelievably small footprints. It makes me think of the mechanical computers, which were amazing feats of mechanical engineering. It's like technology is always advancing to catch up with ideas.

Wikipedia has an article about a tide measurement device nicknamed Old Brass Brains, which was in service from 1910 to 1965, when it was replaced with an electronic computer. Never ceases to amaze me the type of things humans can come up with. :)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tide-Predicting_Machine_No._2

Zero999:
No it's not dying, it's just changed.

As others have mentioned, a lot more people are using pre-built modules these days but a decent level of understanding is still required to make something.

People still experiment for educational purpose, for example I've built a discrete op-amp out of BJTs before, even though it has no practical use: even 30 years ago, an EE would have used an op-amp IC for that.

SPICE is good but it has its limitations and people will soon learn the hard way. See attached. Run it through SPICE and it works. Now try building it!

timb:

--- Quote from: Red Squirrel on July 16, 2016, 03:54:20 am ---In the quoted image it looks like they're trying out some new drugs or something.  :-DD

--- End quote ---

The Ladybird Book on Hard Drugs

Over 100 mind expanding projects for kids! Learn how to:

-Bake Crack Pies
-Use common household chemicals and OTC decongestants to make Meth!
-Make Hash Oil and Resin with Butane
-Turn a soda can into a makeshift crack pipe or bong!
-Find a Vein
-Use a Razor Blade to Properly Cut Coke
-Safely Crack Whippits
-Evade the Popo

And much, much more!

About the Author: I been in this game for years, it made me an animal. It's rules to this shit, so I wrote me a manual; a step by step booklet for you to get you game on track, not your wig pushed back.

nick.theboatman:
So this is an old thread but I just wanted to share...
In the '70s I was a ardent self-taught hobbyist. I made stuff that sometimes worked. Sometimes it went bang ;) You could do that then lol
In the '80s I did a degree in Electronic Engineering and got a 1st for my practical work (ok so I flunked field theory but whatever. Never did like capacitors..)
In the '90s I ran a telecomms company. We built good shit.
In the '00s I ran a renewables business. We needed stuff made. There were millions of ways of doing it and we got bogged down in the decision making.
Now I'm not exactly retired but I'm a volunteer advocate and a boat-builder. I make shit. It makes the welder work again. It makes lights flash and the £2000 compressor that came out of a skip has a new lease of life. I look at the stuff that comes at me via eBay - like computers for £1 and LEDs in packets of 100 for £1 (shit, everything is £1) and I think "so why do I bother making things?"
Because I can. Because it gives leverage again. Because if I didn't we wouldn't have a welder. It gives new options.
Most of all although it is so different to the '70s it still is happening  -  and between us we know how to do it.
Woe betide us for the engineers who fall away and disappear because they think that "doing shit" is  a waste of time. The tools may change (my first oscilloscope had valves - and they weren't small ones either; my logic analyser - agh it cost £1) and the methods of getting hardware are different but so what? They'll change again.

So keep "doing it" - make shit happen !!
I'll just leave this here ;)


Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page

There was an error while thanking
Thanking...
Go to full version
Powered by SMFPacks Advanced Attachments Uploader Mod