Best mail bag item? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: raspberrypi
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2016, 01:25:15 pm
content: My favorite are the ones people try to get fixed for free. This one guy sent in a circuit board from some sound equipment that he had overloaded and blew up the audio out. Looked like a dumb mistake. Then he tried to take it out, forgot a screw, cracked a corner off, and then tried soldering for what looked like the first time to fix the crack. Then he writes a letter saying "This should be an easy fix, I'm sure you can get the schematics on google ( he was too lazy to do it himself, and knows its going to be hard to fix) then can you send it back or tell me how to bypass it." It was an obscure board out of some audio amp, it wouldn't work with out it. So dave;is just like "Um no this isn't really what we do here". Unbelievable the things people will do to get out of paying. I hope he threw that shit in the trash after that video.

author: raspberrypi
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 04:57:21 am
content: Quote from: wilfred on November 27, 2016, 12:41:32 amBecause that was my favorite mail bag item. I didn't say it had to be the most unique or rare, I ment the one I had the most fun watching.

author: @rt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 12:32:44 pm
content: It’s probably a boring pick to most, but I really liked one of the very small pocket crt TVs.Really I prefer older valve era stuff, but we don’t see much, if any of it.

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 02:05:05 pm
content: The best mailbags are the ones with Sagan, he gets so enthusiastic - most of the time.

author: jabramo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 02:25:02 pm
content: The wafer fab equipment that Vincent sent in was fascinating to me. Never seen any of that stuff.

author: roffvald
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 06, 2017, 01:17:18 am
content: Quote from: rrinker on January 05, 2017, 02:05:05 pmI second this, more Sagan mailbags please Dave, I also enjoy pretty much all the vintage electronics teardowns.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2017, 06:22:31 am
content: I can't think of any specific one, there's been quite a lot of interesting ones, but I do like the ones that turn into repair videos, always interesting to see the process that goes into troubleshooting it and what not.I always find it funny when Dave smells vintage items, guesses the year and is actually right most of the time.That's some serious experience.

author: Mark
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2017, 10:08:40 am
content: Quote from: raspberrypi on November 26, 2016, 01:25:15 pmDo you have a link to that video? Thanks.

author: SpaceCow
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2017, 10:43:08 am
content: I agree with many posts above. The vintage gear is my favorite. Immaculate vintage stuff-- from test gear to consumer stuff, always makes for a great history lesson and a window into the past. Those hand etched PCBs are so artistic that they make me want to put them on my wall. The way the traces smoothly curve makes electronics seem beautifully organic and artistic. It reminds us that electronics are still tied to mother nature, because they are designed by we humans, her greatest children!(Uh oh, my gooey hippie side is starting to show itself! Don't want to rile up you prickly engineers)