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FrozenGate by Avery

Got The Bench Basics. What Do I Need Now?

I keep picks and razors near by. When I solder I get messy, and some times it's safer to pick/scratch away any solder you think might be Abel to cause a short.
 





Sorry for the double post but now that everything is covered I noticed the most essential supplies are missing

Laser diode
Host
Batteries
Driver

Boom!!! Lol
 
chipdouglas said:
I would say that is on topic. It's good to have all the facts to make an informed decision. What if nobody else replied and a noob saw this and said "hmmm, I have to get a scope" that be a huge waste of money. Normally we say let's not derail a thread after many derailed posts. It's good to let a little dialog fly. :wave:

Michael.
Click to expand...

Agree with you 100%...


Jerry
 
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lasersbee said:
Agree with you 100%...


Jerry
Click to expand...

And we're all so concerned with how you feel about other people's threads. Again, I stand that an oscilloscope is an advanced piece of test equipment. It is neither basic, nor is it similar in description to the "doodads" and such that even noobs should have on their bench.

I'm not trying to limit dialogue or free speech. Go talk oscilloscope usefulness in a new thread until you're blue in the face. But that's not what this thread was about. I asked politely to keep it on topic, it's not like I was rude about it. I was trying to avoid an esoteric argument about instrument usage.
 
multi-lens folding pocket magnifier .. I guess is what I would call this thing ..

My old eyes aren't what they used to be .. :cool:
 
Yeah...this is what my SO got me after destroying my loupe...
51jeTS-6uML._SS400_.jpg
 
Take it easy man. No body said you were hostile about it. It's my opinion that it was on topic. Remember while it is a thread you created, it is not your thread. The person raised a valid point that I feel could help somebody in the future.

pullbangdead, elektrofreak(technker), cyparagon, laserbee, these are 4 of the most electronic minded people this forum has. They did not learn here. Yet when the joined LPF the were noobs. My point is, it was good define who an o-scope is good for.

scumbagatheist said:
And we're all so concerned with how you feel about other people's threads. Again, I stand that an oscilloscope is an advanced piece of test equipment. It is neither basic, nor is it similar in description to the "doodads" and such that even noobs should have on their bench.

I'm not trying to limit dialogue or free speech. Go talk oscilloscope usefulness in a new thread until you're blue in the face. But that's not what this thread was about. I asked politely to keep it on topic, it's not like I was rude about it. I was trying to avoid an esoteric argument about instrument usage.
Click to expand...
 
chipdouglas said:
Take it easy man. No body said you were hostile about it. It's my opinion that it was on topic. Remember while it is a thread you created, it is not your thread. The person raised a valid point that I feel could help somebody in the future.

pullbangdead, elektrofreak(technker), cyparagon, laserbee, these are 4 of the most electronic minded people this forum has. They did not learn here. Yet when the joined LPF the were noobs. My point is, it was good define who an o-scope is good for.
Click to expand...

Everything you said is true. My quip was not directed at you, so much as Jerry. Again, I'm not trying to be a fascist about the thread. But, it's just one more post off topic, and he's great at that.
 
scumbagatheist said:
Everything you said is true. My quip was not directed at you, so much as Jerry. Again, I'm not trying to be a fascist about the thread. But, it's just one more post off topic, and he's great at that.
Click to expand...

And yet... rather than just ignoring Jerry's single-liner, you instead devoted two paragraphs to why such-and-such is not appropriate for this thread.

Pot, kettle, black.

I also don't know why you're opposed to an oscilloscope on this list of "what do I need now (beyond a basic bench)". What kind of answers are you really seeking? The "basic bench" to me is what Sparkfun would sell in its Intermediate Tool Kit, which doesn't even have the bench-top power supply you have. That's usually enough for anyone wanting to build and test basic circuits, with exception to a bread-board for experimentation. Everything else at that level is just buying better versions of the basic tools (e.g. a better soldering iron), or convenience tools like what I listed above.

An oscilloscope really is the next step for anyone wanting to move beyond basic DC circuits. It'll allow you to analyze signals not just measure basic voltages, etc. If you go to an EE lab, every bench will have one in addition to all the basics you already have. Without it, you're basically just measuring DC quantities, not signals. Yeah, the scope is expensive, the ability to analyze signals temporally is extremely useful if you need it.

This doesn't mean you need to own a 'scope. Only buy the tool when you truly need it. Otherwise, you'll just be one of those "gear guys" -- like those idiots who buy camera gear thinking the gear makes the photographer. Hell, even a temperature-controlled soldering iron is unnecessary for most peoples' needs; they should work on technique before dropping money on tools they can't appreciate.
 
Look, I don't care if an oscilloscope is on the list or not. What I was trying to avoid was an in-depth and esoteric discussion as to the value of one on your bench.

I believe they are valuable instruments. I wish I had one myself. I also made it quite clear as to the kinds if things I was asking about.

For bothering to try to keep the thread on track, I apologize. It is never my policy to squelch opinions or information. Feel free to discuss whatever the h e double frickin hockey sticks. I'll browse past the minutea and pay attention to what interests me.
 
So this is really more of a "more basic tools for my basic bench" discussion? I'm asking this because these "suggested topic directions" are limiting the utility and learning someone might get out of this thread.

I don't understand the opposition for more in-depth discussion on the use of certain suggested tools. What good is a suggestion without any explanation for or discussion on why something was suggested? This especially goes for an oscilloscope -- probably the ideal tool for the set of applications you've suggested (measuring, adjusting drivers, testing, fault diagnostics, etc.). A scope should be given more air time -- more than, say, what brand vise head is awesome for holding your project board. The fact that someone has already asked why a scope was suggested further validates that the subject be explained in more detail.

If the thread evolves into a big discussion on scopes, so be it. Maybe a scope is the key answer to the thread's subject -- with everything else being relatively unnecessary. Let's face it, if you already own the stuff you've listed your bench has, there's not that much else to buy for basic electronics besides better versions of what you already have. It's good to discuss what tools will take you to the next step.
 
For scope's sake, DO! buy one and have your eyes open to reality (or the spectrum thereof limited by the bandwidth of your scope of choice).
nitric acid is a must have, too.
 
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