What are your electronics related quirks? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: BreakingOhmsLaw
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2020, 11:10:05 pm
content: I will start:- when i start a repair, i look for the manufacturing date or the youngest date code. I then order Alexa to "play music from <insert year>". Of course this greatly increases the repair success rate. It sets you in the same state of mind of whomever designed and assembled it, you see? What are you going to do, listen to Skrillex while repairing an HP5248? Stop it! You are scaring the nixie tubes!- i keep the solder sponge wet at all times, even when i know I'm leaving for a business trip or holiday. It's gotta be wet.- I am terrible at remembering numbers. So when i print a schematic, i add names to all active devices. Sometimes this causes involuntary humour: Nancy crowbars Bob if he tresspasses.- i have a lifetime supply of leaded solder wire. Just in case it ever goes out of production.What are yours? Fess up!

author: ChristofferB
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2020, 12:02:02 am
content: I pilfer previous projects for parts for new projects, leaving me with very few completed projects. The second they're done they're in risk of being recycled.This is why I don't use IC sockets. it's too easy just to borrow that cool chip. "I'll get a new one I swear it's just for a quick test" ..yeah right.. I should start potting my projects once they're done to ensure their survival.

author: twospoons
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2020, 01:03:00 am
content: Hoarding.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2020, 01:03:53 am
content: I find extremely relaxing to desolder old boards scavenging for parts. I always tell myself to stop desoldering through hole general purpose diodes, transistors and resistoes, but I end up cleaning up the board entirely.Things from ancient times when parts were expensive and some very hard to find. It stuck with me over all these years.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2020, 03:03:11 am
content: I memorized the color patterns of many common resistor values since middle school, didn't think too much about it until college when someone asked me how I was so fast identifying the resistors. But now I have started to see more and more SMD resistors with really cryptic markings like "68X", I wonder if there's a trick to remembering them...When I buy cheap parts, I often buy way more than I need because the overall cost doesn't go up by much. I have a box containing hundreds of connectors, leftovers from 100 count bags minus the few that I have used so far...Quote from: rsjsouza on May 18, 2020, 01:03:53 amI sometimes do that as well with single sided boards, since often the parts can be removed using pliers by pushing the leads, perfect to do when casually watching videos. Double sided boards generally need actual desoldering, in which case I usually get just the big, valuable stuff.

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2020, 03:04:04 am
content: I have one particular pet peeve concerning electronics design. When rocker switches or toggle switches are used for an on/off function, they should operate up/down, not side to side. Up is on, down is off. A product which gets this wrong, I probably will not buy no matter how good it is otherwise.

author: eblc1388
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2020, 03:26:27 am
content: Mine is to make a 3-position center off toggle switch to select/do three things, like light up three LEDs, selecting three ranges or providing three different voltage gains.The fun is to have the middle switch position wired up to give the selection of the middle of the ranges.

author: dave_k
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2020, 03:31:51 am
content: Quote from: NiHaoMike on May 18, 2020, 03:03:11 amThey're not cryptic once you've searched for "EIA-96 SMD Code" ..

author: jfiresto
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2020, 07:34:39 am
content: Quote from: ChristofferB on May 18, 2020, 12:02:02 amSome people order ICs by the rail, so that they can "pilfer" the stockroom rather than completed projects. I sometimes buy from a distributor who encourages that: they might charge 1,43 euros for quantity one, and 0,214 euros each if you buy 25.

author: fcb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2020, 09:45:47 am
content: Before I start a project or pick-up an existing, I have to completely clear and clean the development bench - can't have two projects on the same bench at the same time. I don't consider myself OCD.

author: Syntax Error
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2020, 11:03:52 am
content: My father never threw any electronic part away because one day it might come in usefull. He was right.

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2020, 12:10:12 pm
content: One of mine is printing out service manual schematics when fixing things.Im still young enough to be considered a millennial so i don't really like using paper. I even sketch ideas in vector using CorelDraw, i only really print things out when i have to for some reason. But when fixing old testgear i will print out the relevant schematics on paper and keep them near by while probing around. Its also useful to be able to scribble on the schematics about the measurements i made.I also like to keep taking photos all trough the repair process to document it. Sometimes it might become a thread about the repair on here, other times its just for my own reference in case i forget how to put it back together.And yes no parts get thrown out, sure most of them may never end up getting used but the ones that do get used can be a lifesaver. It helps get the job done in minutes rather than waiting days for ordered parts to get here.

author: Muttley Snickers
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 18, 2020, 02:04:12 pm
content: I have been keeping the screws and other fixings from donor equipment for decades and now have ice cream containers full of various screws. I also keep all of the little nuts, bolts, washers and spacers in separate containers to make them easier to find. When working on a project I can easily spend an hour or more sorting through two litre containers of screws until I find ones that are all exactly the same.

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2020, 03:08:17 pm
content: Need one of this?

author: schmitt trigger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2020, 03:32:28 pm
content: On my board designs, I always align the ICs with pin 1 facing north (upwards in the computer screen).Text is always read left to right, when the board is also aligned that way, and for those components which have to be rotated 90 degrees, text is aligned top to bottom.

author: jogri
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2020, 05:56:18 pm
content: Almost none of my projects are 100% complete, they always get stuck at 95%: I can't be bothered to put it into a case (makes troubleshooting/tweaking easier) or to replace that last potentiometer/resistor/etc. that causes only a minor annoyance. If it can handle normal problems i consider it working, if the last glitch annoys me too much it will get fixed when i need enough special parts to justify an order from Mouser.

author: IDEngineer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2020, 06:54:10 pm
content: I hear my own echoes in many comments in this thread!I too buy larger quantities of components unless they're ridiculously expensive. Even then, I buy a bit more than I need because if something goes wrong the additional shipping (and lost time) will drive me crazy.I'm not too fastideous about keeping my soldering table clean, but within my projects.... I try to curve flying leads smoothly (rather than kinking or bending them). I create mechanically strong connections and only THEN solder them (so I don't rely on the solder for mechanical strength). That sort of thing. I've taught my now 18YO son (EE candidate at CalPoly) to build this way and his projects are like works of art. He actually gets compliments from strangers when they see his projects (such as his racing drones) and often gets offers to buy them - which he does accept occasionally!I install dedicated RF connector covers (N, BNC, etc.) on all T&M equipment on the bench, and keep them there unless the unit is actively being used.I'm sure there are others....

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2020, 09:07:21 pm
content: I'm obsesive over PCB footprints. They have to match the outline of the component perfectly. Including what may stick out (like an SD card). Last year I upgraded to a CAD package which also supports 3D models. Oh boy... Now every footprint must have a 3D model! I found a whole bunch of websites which hosts electronic component 3D models and I even venture into Freecad to do stitching of models.BTW I see some think they are obsessive about clean work benches. I think those are actually sane. On various occasions I visited fellow EEs which had their (daytime job) work benches littered with circuit boards and other stuff. That is not a way to get work done.

author: pardo-bsso
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2020, 11:22:27 pm
content: - Hoarding (but lately I gave away for free lots of stuff)- Aligning pin number 1, tolerance bands (for thru hole components) or denominator designator across the same axis- Making test points easily accessible- Ditto for connectors. To this day I hate one of my firsts projects that in order to remove a couple of wire harnesses I had to get the pcb out as there was no space inside the container to detach some pluggable terminal blocks (if I placed them about 1/4 inch closer they would be ok).- Having more projects than bench space.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2020, 01:39:13 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on May 18, 2020, 09:07:21 pmI disagree with you there, as it depends on the job. My context switching is quite quick and I return to the same boards and instruments several times a day or week. I need to have many different boards, equipment and cables at hand and storing everything on their place every time is counterproductive to me.

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2020, 07:07:28 am
content: Quote from: rsjsouza on May 19, 2020, 01:39:13 amI think he means more the thing im guilty of where a project that is indefinitely on hold end up sitting on the bench for months at a time or some parts from that project end up laying there, just shoved to the side. I keep moving things over to make room to work on stuff in the middle of the bench until there is so much clutter all around that there is no room to put down stuff so i go at it and mostly clear the whole bench. Slowly entropy again does its thing and stuff accumulates again over the time of months. Its not really the way to do it.At work we tend to clean up the bench on Fridays. It doesn't happen every Friday, sometimes one person says screw it and everyone else takes it as an excuse to also not clean up the workbenches. It does keep the bench from reaching critical mass like mine at home. But at the same time the lack of organization in storage also means occasionally things get lost in the wrong cardboard box.

author: fcb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2020, 07:19:29 am
content: Quote from: rsjsouza on May 19, 2020, 01:39:13 amIn my experience, the EE's with messy benches with multiple projects and stuff piled up have (in general) been 'less efficient' overall, not saying better/worse engineers, but more likely to be late with a project.For me, clearing a bench before switching to a different project helps in the following ways:1. The bench won't get cleared until the project is finished or at a stage where it can be put down for a period of time - it forces me to tidy up loose ends, finish those final-tweaks and ensure that documentation is up-to-date.2. Gives me downtime to think about the project/stage i've just done - invariably I'll think of something that can be improved, cost-reduced or perhaps something that needs documentating better (sometimes this results in halting the clear-up and diving back in).3. Breakdown test gear setups, put test leads away - basically touch everything (repair any broken bits, clean grime off test leads etc).4. Towards the end of clearing a bench I find myself thinking about the next project and planning my approach to it.The mental act of queuing projects also combats my in-built tendancy to start & not finish a project.Things ALWAYS take longer than you expect - why take even longer working with less bench space and more clutter to distract/delay you?

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2020, 09:27:41 am
content: Quote from: Berni on May 19, 2020, 07:07:28 amIndeed. And going back & forth between various projects isn't very productive. I ended up in such a job at some point and quit. Because of all the distractions and fixing problems in other people's circuits it got to the point where none of my work was at a quality level I was satisfied with.

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2020, 09:58:25 am
content: I don't mind helping other people with there cirucits since its usually a quick enough fix.As it is with most things, i think the sweet spot is somewhere in the middle. Yes work becomes a problem when there are multiple layers of crap all over the bench, but also keeping the bench surgically clean at all times is also not that great. The extra time to continuously put things away and back again doesn't really get compensated by enough extra productivity. Its fine to leave some stuff around on the bench as long as its something that gets used. For example i often leave common tools around on the bench, probes and cables stay plugged into test gear...etc. Tho for equipment repair a clean bench is very helpful since you want plenty of space for big gear and you don't want to loose any important tiny parts among the junk. But for just tinkering with circuits its hard to keep things clean all that long.But i guess on the topic of messy workbenches, still not many can compete against good ol Jim:

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2020, 10:18:11 am
content: Terribly guilty of over studying PCB layout and design of PCB's that cross the bench and yet to find one that couldn't be improved on....especially with repairs in mind !

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2020, 10:28:09 am
content: Quote from: tautech on May 19, 2020, 10:18:11 amAnd then realizing that you ware the one who designed that board 5 years ago. I keep finding cosmetic mistakes in my boards every so often.

author: Electro Detective
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2020, 11:10:50 am
content: Quote from: Muttley Snickers on May 18, 2020, 02:04:12 pmThose containers will outlast us and the next lot that inheritThe idea to speed that up (a bit) is to tip the lot on a piece of large cardboard sheet, with a bend or fold in the middle,sift through and find what you need,then tilt the cardboard into the ice cream container and dump the lot back inthen move on to the next ice cream container..I hope they don't think up transparent ice cream containers, at Coles and Woolies prices..= more kilos, broken scales, cracked tiles, trashed shower doors, jumbo flip flops,and shopping at tent city for shorts and other assorted clothing

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2020, 11:11:47 am
content: Quote from: Berni on May 19, 2020, 10:28:09 amOh... this reminds me... Decades ago I picked up my TV (one with a CRT) from the local TV repair man in the shopping mall. He told me 'whoever did that previous repair did a shoddy job'. He forgot he was the one who repaired it the previous time (different problem though)

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2020, 11:27:52 am
content: Getting unreasonably upset when I see something nice on ebay, starting at a low price, but then two or more ebaydiots start an interminable incremental bidding war. Driving the price up in small increments for days, till it's just stupid. Why do they do that? Haven't they heard of snipe bidding? Why the hell is their 'bidding strategy' so retarded?In evidence I submit a current item's bid history. That probably none of these jerks are going to win, so why do they waste their time?

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2020, 11:40:11 am
content: Have to say that just looks like fake bidding to inflate the price and interest metrics, why would he increase his bid when he already is in the lead?Edit: Ok that is just really stupid sorting, why would it not be in time order, and why would his script make the intermediate bids when its already exceeded! what is this madness

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2020, 12:09:53 pm
content: Quote from: Rerouter on May 19, 2020, 11:40:11 amSometimes people do, when they realize others are getting close to outbidding them. Some kind of childish pride thing - 'have to be in front.' Completely ignoring that the only thing which matters is who has the highest bid at the auction end time.I'm certain these are real people bidding. Just retarded.QuoteAh, I'm not sure you understand ebay auto-bidding?This list is with auto-bids not shown. It's NOT time-sequential by who bid when. It's showing... um, how to describe it... "Bids that were beaten by someone else's bid. And the time that bid was originally entered."End result- no one ever sees the final winning bidder's actual max bid. All you see is the auto-bid under that amount, that beat the next highest bidder.Unless they managed to out bid the loser by just a few cents, margin less than the auto-increment.This is all normal, and showing the auto-bids would make the list a lot longer and less understandable.All the incremental bids by one person, with no other bids showing between theirs, was that person bidding up in small amounts trying to 'win' by ending up more than their opponent had bid a while ago. He gets auto-bid beaten each time, till he goes above the other person's bid. Which he can't see till he beats it.Ebay bidding is designed to suck people into this kind of behavior, since such hot-headed angry bidding competition results in higher overall final sale prices, on average.The stupidity of all this, is why snipe bidding services exist.Edit to add: For completeness, here's the final result of bidding:Code:[font=courier]https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Hewlett-Packard-5004A-Signature-Analyzer-Good-Self-Test/324165383787324165383787HP Hewlett Packard 5004A Signature Analyzer Good Self TestBidders:6Bids:50Time Ended:20 May 2020 at 4:00:45 pmDuration:7 daysfeedback scoresWinr (117)=me= (695)Jerk (288)=A= (551)=B= (70)=C= (218)Sorry, you were outbid. This item sold for $155.84Only actual bids (not automatic bids generated up to a bidder's maximum) are shown.Winr $155.84 20 May 2020 at 3:01:27 pm See that "84c"?=me= $153.34 20 May 2020 at 4:00:40 pm My snipe bid max. Lost to Winr, possibly by a whisker.At this point Winr's winning bid is visible as $145. This is already somewhat above mycomfort limit for this item, but I set a snipe bid a little higher anyway. But not much,since atm am short of cash. Otherwise perhaps $200. At this point I knew I was very unlikelyto win it. Unless Winr was another penny-pinching bidder.Jerk $143.00 20 May 2020 at 3:12:38 pm Jerk finally gives up, about 40 minutes to go.Jerk $138.00 20 May 2020 at 3:12:34 pmJerk $133.00 20 May 2020 at 3:12:32 pmJerk $128.00 20 May 2020 at 3:12:30 pmJerk $123.00 20 May 2020 at 3:10:50 pmJerk $118.00 20 May 2020 at 3:10:48 pmJerk $113.00 20 May 2020 at 3:10:46 pm He's so predictable.Jerk $108.00 20 May 2020 at 3:10:44 pmJerk $103.00 20 May 2020 at 3:10:35 pmJerk $99.00 20 May 2020 at 3:10:24 pmJerk $96.00 20 May 2020 at 3:10:21 pmJerk $93.00 20 May 2020 at 3:10:19 pmJerk $90.00 20 May 2020 at 3:10:17 pm Jerk does not understandJerk $87.00 20 May 2020 at 3:10:15 pm either ebay or his own desires.Jerk $84.00 20 May 2020 at 3:10:13 pmJerk $81.00 20 May 2020 at 3:10:11 pmJerk $78.00 20 May 2020 at 3:10:09 pmJerk $75.00 20 May 2020 at 3:10:07 pmJerk $72.00 20 May 2020 at 3:10:05 pmJerk $69.00 20 May 2020 at 3:10:03 pmJerk $66.00 20 May 2020 at 3:10:01 pmJerk $63.00 20 May 2020 at 3:09:58 pm Inching up. He has a long way to go.Final winner Winr placed bid here, 20 May 2020 at 3:01:27 pm Something over $155.Jerk $61.00 18 May 2020 at 9:35:42 am Jerk finally thinks he's 'the winner' again.=A= $59.00 18 May 2020 at 9:29:48 amJerk $59.00 18 May 2020 at 9:35:40 amJerk $56.00 18 May 2020 at 9:35:37 amJerk $53.00 18 May 2020 at 9:35:34 am So Jerk starts inching up again.=A= bids $59 at 9:29:48 am next day.Jerk $51.00 17 May 2020 at 9:01:05 am Jerk beats =B= by $1. And stops.=B= $50.00 17 May 2020 at 7:04:23 amJerk $48.00 17 May 2020 at 9:01:03 amJerk $45.00 17 May 2020 at 9:01:00 am Feeling, always in tiny steps.=B= bids $50 at 7:04:23 am next day.Jerk $43.00 16 May 2020 at 6:51:12 am Jerk beats =C=, and stops.=C= $41.60 16 May 2020 at 6:06:26 amJerk $40.00 16 May 2020 at 6:51:10 amJerk $37.00 16 May 2020 at 6:51:07 am=C= bumps their bid up to $41. ie increased by $8. Might work on a low interest item,but he must realise this is a 'sought after thing.' So $8 is a joke.Jerk $35.00 15 May 2020 at 10:28:18 am Jerk finally gets just above =C=, and stops.=C= $33.75 15 May 2020 at 10:12:38 am=C= $33.00 15 May 2020 at 10:12:00 amJerk $33.00 15 May 2020 at 10:28:16 amJerk $31.00 15 May 2020 at 10:28:14 amJerk $29.00 15 May 2020 at 10:28:12 amJerk $27.00 15 May 2020 at 10:28:10 amJerk $25.00 15 May 2020 at 10:28:08 amJerk $24.00 15 May 2020 at 10:28:06 amJerk $23.00 15 May 2020 at 10:28:04 am Jerk starts trying to feel for =C='s bid,Jerk $22.00 15 May 2020 at 10:28:02 am in $1 then $1 increments.Jerk $21.00 15 May 2020 at 10:28:00 am=C= put a sensible bid of $33, then 30 seconds later increased by 75c.Jerk $20.00 14 May 2020 at 6:07:18 am Jerk foolishly put a low bid early in theauction, despite really wanting to win it.Starting Price $19.95 13 May 2020 at 4:00:45 pm

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2020, 02:53:43 pm
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on May 19, 2020, 11:27:52 amI get even more upset when an item with seemingly no interest gets sniped by an entire army at the end.Found a nice piece of test gear that i wanted, had no bids. Set up my snipe for it, happen to see the minutes counting down and still 0 bids, already looking rather smug about this easy grab, then the seconds count down and suddenly bids from like 6 people fly in and i get outbid by 2x. I know its to be expected, but i never seen such a quiet item get sniped on so heavily.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2020, 06:00:49 pm
content: Quote from: Berni on May 19, 2020, 07:07:28 amYeah, that is not my case, though. I have multiple active projects at the same time.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2020, 07:28:56 pm
content: Quote from: Berni on May 19, 2020, 02:53:43 pmAt least with snipe bids, it is a "no BS" auction where people are bidding what they are actually prepared to pay...

author: pidcon
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2020, 09:27:09 am
content: - Workbench has to be *REALLY* clean and tools knolled out.- Soldering iron stand is angled correctly for my hand before switching on the iron.- Deciding whether I should make the project something that is easy to program (but harder to layout,) or easy to layout (but harder to program,) or do both for a more difficult life.- Buying branded caps and super-cheap unbranded resistors.- Always using a voltage regulator that provides more current than necessary.- Always wondering if I could have laid out the circuit better immediately after I finished the layout.- Spending too much time thinking about variable names than actual programming, and then deciding on just using a letter for the variable name.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2020, 04:27:18 am
content: I had 4 tables FILLED with crap. Cleaned 1.5/4. Not quite jim williams landfills but getting close. And I like wire so its all held together by wire. Main reason why I cleaned is because I got scared I am going to try to get an insect hiding in a tumble weed of PCB, wire and hand tools. I had a close call but I managed to divert it into a firing zone. I imagine thats how the military must feel when a sniper manages to get into bombed ruins. Honestly I forgot what I was doing with half of the stuff. I get held up because I want to clean but the only way to clean is to finish the project (unless you want to put away something you will need to put back). Also I like to flick the iron to clean it to keep the brass cleaner and not immediately collect the wire insulation or shreds so it gets pretty fucking bad.It basically costs money to clean a work bench properly, since you likely have a mess at least partially because you ran into design complexity or are missing parts to complete an assembly. I finished a BUNCH of stuff recently as part of the cleaning effort, and it makes me feel a bit off. Felt like there would be more to it. But if I compare the finished products to the bank account and projected costs of purchasing the same stuff, it feels better (but not actually better, you need to add the 'non made in china' fudge factor to your calculations).You need to add money though because if you keep trying to make it out of nothing eventually you will be left with some seriously bad scraps.

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2020, 05:28:33 am
content: Quote from: BreakingOhmsLaw on May 17, 2020, 11:10:05 pmFat Gary for the gate array chip, Bridgette for the bus buffer, Vidiot for the RGB video output chip, you can't beat Amiga's custom chips