Break from doing electronics (as a hobbyist) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: ZeTeX
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2017, 04:21:54 pm
content: For the hobbyists out there, was there a time that you just didn't get all excited on electronics and just took a small break (not talking in years, but like a month or 2) and in this time didn't do any electronics at all?

author: sokoloff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2017, 04:41:18 pm
content: I have two kids under 10. I love them to death and wouldn't change a thing, but my life has been nothing but breaks from hobbies for the last 9 years...

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2017, 04:50:01 pm
content: I tend to rotate through my hobbies, get really into something for a while and then have to set it aside while I focus on something else. Most of my hobbies are related to electronics in one way or another though so it's one thing I rarely take a complete break from.

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2017, 04:54:56 pm
content: Quote from: sokoloff on June 08, 2017, 04:41:18 pmI'm with you there brother (or sister). My oldest is 11.

author: R005T3r
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2017, 04:56:10 pm
content: Yes, happened to me once or twice and If I have to tell you one secret when you are in this mood is: don't start other activities that force you to change your hobby with another non electronics-related, not even if you are 100% sure of what you are doing or you will regret it in the future... Don't do that even if the temptation level is high or you will regret it in the future!

author: steve30
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2017, 04:56:36 pm
content: Quote from: james_s on June 08, 2017, 04:50:01 pmSame here, I tend to do one thing, then move onto something else, and come back to it later.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2017, 05:00:09 pm
content: Absolutely, it does you no harm at all to step away, if you're not feeling inspired there's no point.

author: retrolefty
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2017, 05:05:37 pm
content: Quote from: james_s on June 08, 2017, 04:50:01 pmSame here, life is too short to limit hobby interests.

author: ZeTeX
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2017, 05:07:25 pm
content: Quote from: R005T3r on June 08, 2017, 04:56:10 pmit's just that I kinda lost the excitement of doing electronics currently, could be because I did other things and I'm in a process of losing my dog who I spent almost the whole life with and started going to the gym and such... It's temporary, I'm sure, In about ~2weeks I'm done with school and I will go do electronics.

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2017, 05:40:57 pm
content: There are many times when I stop doing electronics for a while. Last year for instance, I experimented in hydroponics. It was interesting, but more work than I expected. I may not do it ever again, but at least for one winter I grew much lettuce in my dining room and bell peppers in a closet.I have also gotten side-tracked into building plastic models, rocketry, photography, etc. and I've always spent time tinkering with computers and playing PC FPS games. I'm sure most people are not much different in spending time on other things.I've always had an electronics bench of some kind though, and no matter what tangent I go off on I always eventually come back to it. Funny thing is, I don't think I'm all that good at it, I just find it fascinating for some reason.

author: ZeTeX
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2017, 05:43:23 pm
content: Quote from: rdl on June 08, 2017, 05:40:57 pmYeah, I'm also playing CS: GO currently sometimes its fun.

author: Muxr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2017, 05:57:21 pm
content: I've been into electronics on and off since my childhood. The biggest break lasted over a decade. Last 5-6 years I've been pretty hard core into it. I do take a few months break from time to time, but it is my main hobby.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 09, 2017, 01:51:24 pm
content: Nope. Never have let electronics go. As a hobby or profession in the last 42 years. Unlike a fellow electronics student at university who has since abandoned electronics totally. He has left the faith and as such is outcast until he returns to the fold with repentance in his heart and a soldering iron in his hand. I will be into electronics until I die. And after that, when I am buried in a ground plane with minimal leakage to earth, it will be with some resistors to I can pulled above ground. Else I will just be left floating.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 09, 2017, 01:59:10 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on June 09, 2017, 01:51:24 pmI quite like the thought of being left in an indeterminate state...

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 09, 2017, 02:46:47 pm
content: Over the past couple of years, electronics has become my mainsedentaryhobby and will likely continue to be as my body continues to slowly break down.Quote from: VK3DRB on June 09, 2017, 01:51:24 pmYes, entropy is a bitch!However, I like the idea of my body returning to ground - eventually. But at this junction, I still have a lot of resistance to that. I think there is still a lot of potential left in my current timebase.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 09, 2017, 03:17:13 pm
content: Kids tend to take up time you might otherwise spend on hobbies ... and don't get me wrong - time with the kids is time well spent!!What does get frustrating is when you have some components, documentation or piece of kit that gets lost. I have a 1GHz frequency counter/timer that I built up from a Jaycar kit. I haven't seen it for more than 8 years. I can describe the box it is in, but I can't find it for the life of me. The family has told me they wouldn't have thrown it out. I want to believe them. Whenever I think about it, it drives me crazy - and when I want to use it, I just get frustrated...........I'm going to have another look tomorrow.

author: brozier
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 09, 2017, 03:47:56 pm
content: Quote from: Brumby on June 09, 2017, 03:17:13 pmSee if you can order something similar off ebay. You are guarenteed to find it the next day!

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 10, 2017, 08:30:48 am
content: I shouldn't laugh.... but I can't help myself.Trouble is, I'll start thinking about what to order ... and with the mental "acquisition mode" switch turned on, there is the risk of getting lost in the decision process.Then I'll find the other one and I'll end up with two.

author: bithead9
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2017, 01:11:44 am
content: Yeah this has happened to me at least twice. I am in a lull right now. Both times were after the death of a family member. hang in there things will look up and you will get inspired again.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2017, 07:47:21 am
content: Yes happens often to me, than you come across some problem in the house that needs an electronic device to handle it and the itch starts and another project is born (still couple to finish)

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2017, 07:54:59 am
content: Quote from: ZeTeX on June 08, 2017, 04:21:54 pmFor me, as EEE for many2 years, the burn out comes and go and part of natural rhythm I think, nothing to worry about.Consider yourself, me too and other enthusiasts/hobbyist are lucky as we can afford that, compared to other fellows here around that electronics is their bread & butter.Its been discussed while ago here too ->Avoiding Burn Out