The Final Count Down -- Are You Ready?

[ChelsB]

I have long wondered about why we tend to focus on mods, when atties are arguably way more important. I could make my own mechs with stuff I have around the house. I don't think that atties would be as easy to make. But there's no vaping with just mechs and no atties. Thus my current focus on RTA's. And I'll still end up buying at least a couple of mods along the way.

For me, I’m not comfortable with mechs so I made sure I have plenty of mods. I also don’t have confidence that I could build a mech with “stuff I have around the house” [emoji4]


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[Bronze]

I don't do it enough to even know if I hate it. I just know that the jobs I have tried show the horror of unskilled labor.

I burn anything around what I'm soldering and if I'm lucky and don't fry something I'm left with a giant blob of solder. From there I pray it worked.

 

[Bronze]

I also wonder what Evolv's surviveability will be. Escribe in particular.

 

[CMD-Ky]

I also don’t have confidence that I could build a mech with “stuff I have around the house”

If I tried that you'd be reading a headline, "Formerly handsome elderly gentleman blows new wing off old folk's home".

 

[Bronze]

If I tried that you'd be reading a headline, "Formerly handsome elderly gentleman blows new wing off old folk's home".

......wife divorces him stating she should have dumped him decades ago.

 

[CMD-Ky]

I needed to build up my stash of paper towels.

You'll go broke, I use the Rossum method.

 

[CMD-Ky]

......wife divorces him stating she should have dumped him decades ago.

Too true, her mother was right.

 

[Eskie]

I also wonder what Evolv's surviveability will be. Escribe in particular.

Unless Evolv folds, you can get the international version from wherever it's hosted. You can even get a copy of the beta version for Linux if you think MS is going to fold. Linux will always be around.

Besides, once the boards' are set up you don't absolutely need to ever touch eScribe again. One nice thing about the newer C boards is many of those settings can be changed right on the mod making you even less dependent on their software suite.

 

[Electrodave]

I didn't mean to imply that anybody should try this at home. Building mods. Even regulated mods can end their lives spectacularly if they weren't assembled correctly in the first place.

Like my signature says, it's OK--I'm a scientist. If you're not a scientist, don't try to do anything that I might do.

Even with level 2 PD symptoms, I can still solder. Slowly, but I can do it still. And without burning up too many components. It has to look pretty, too, since I take pics of the electronics, and most people open them up even if they shouldn't. Hint--it won't look pretty if you're using a $20 Radio Shack soldering iron. Weller's least expensive soldering station is about $50, I think. I have one that cost about $75, and it works as well as any station I've ever used--even those in the $200 up range. Using a soldering station with adjustable temp is the only way to do good soldering.

 

[Bronze]

Unless Evolv folds, you can get the international version from wherever it's hosted. You can even get a copy of the beta version for Linux if you think MS is going to fold. Linux will always be around.

Besides, once the boards' are set up you don't absolutely need to ever touch eScribe again. One nice thing about the newer C boards is many of those settings can be changed right on the mod making you even less dependent on their software suite.

True enough. I'm not sure what the "standard" DNA75 board off the shelf is...software setup, that is. Is there even a "standard"?

 

[Bronze]

I didn't mean to imply that anybody should try this at home. Building mods. Even regulated mods can end their lives spectacularly if they weren't assembled correctly in the first place.

Like my signature says, it's OK--I'm a scientist. If you're not a scientist, don't try to do anything that I might do.

Even with level 2 PD symptoms, I can still solder. Slowly, but I can do it still. And without burning up too many components. It has to look pretty, too, since I take pics of the electronics, and most people open them up even if they shouldn't. Hint--it won't look pretty if you're using a $20 Radio Shack soldering iron. Weller's least expensive soldering station is about $50, I think. I have one that cost about $75, and it works as well as any station I've ever used--even those in the $200 up range. Using a soldering station with adjustable temp is the only way to do good soldering.

$20 Radio Shack soldering iron? Can you imagine what my $3.47 Chinese soldering iron jobs look like?

 

[Eskie]

True enough. I'm not sure what the "standard" DNA75 board off the shelf is...software setup, that is. Is there even a "standard"?

For an original DNA 75, any version of eSCribe released from the last few years is fine. Even the version available the day they were released is still fine, but software patches for improvements would obviously be missing, not that there are that many to be concerned about.

Besides, the versions today and no doubt the future will be around changes to their newer boards, the older ones simply supported as legacy systems. If you have a version of eScribe installed today you may never need another.

 

[Electrodave]

$20 Radio Shack soldering iron? Can you imagine what my $3.47 Chinese soldering iron jobs look like?

The $20 RS iron probably comes from the same factory as the $3 generic iron.

Still, no matter what you use, soldering is something of an art form, and it takes some practice to do it well. It really isn't friendly to someone who only does it on rare occasions.

 

[Bronze]

The $20 RS iron probably comes from the same factory as the $3 generic iron.

Still, no matter what you use, soldering is something of an art form, and it takes some practice to do it well. It really isn't friendly to someone who only does it on rare occasions.

That's exactly right. And I do very little soldering. I'm dangerous enough to solder two wires together when the wife runs the cord over with the vacuum cleaner. Beyond that it gets dicey for me. I like electrical components with plugs on them.

 

[Eskie]

I would have been fine soldering one together when I was 15. Now, not so much. If it becomes a necessity I'll just practice a lot on some very cheap no name no idea what they even do boards. Not sure if it's in the same ballpark as learning to ride a bicycle, but as long as I can do it without melting something important (fingers don't count) I'll be satisfied. It's not like anyone will be looking at my handiwork, or lack thereof.

 

[Electrodave]

I would have been fine soldering one together when I was 15. Now, not so much. If it becomes a necessity I'll just practice a lot on some very cheap no name no idea what they even do boards. Not sure if it's in the same ballpark as learning to ride a bicycle, but as long as I can do it without melting something important (fingers don't count) I'll be satisfied. It's not like anyone will be looking at my handiwork, or lack thereof.

It is definitely in the realm of learning to ride a bicycle. You would improve your bicycle skills if it was the only way you could get to work. Learning good soldering techniques, and doing pretty soldering, was once a job requirement for me.

 

[Eskie]

It is definitely in the realm of learning to ride a bicycle. You would improve your bicycle skills if it was the only way you could get to work. Learning good soldering techniques, and doing pretty soldering, was once a job requirement for me.

Then you're a solid step ahead of me. Mine was the high school Heath Kit days.

Good thing you can now build and fix your own PC by just plugging stuff together.

 

[Bronze]

Then you're a solid step ahead of me. Mine was the high school Heath Kit days.

Good thing you can now build and fix your own PC by just plugging stuff together.

That was my dad's first computer...a heath kit. Had to be 1990ish give or take.

 

[Eskie]

That was my dad's first computer...a heath kit. Had to be 1990ish give or take.

I did a ham radio back in those days, which for me was the early 70's, and the my first ever stereo receiver. They took me forever, and it was a challenge even though they used big breadboards with big components. Now I need glasses and a really bright light to take a phone apart with those incredibly teeny tiny screws they're so fond of. Then again, glasses and a bright light are needed for many things I didn't used to need them for.

 

[stols001]

My kid is an expert in soldering. He actually wanted blow torches and solder when he was like four, and we would go outside and I would, ahem "supervise" (this probably means like scream really loudly if something went wrong , but it never did) and he'd make solder art pieces.

He now works repairing phones and computers and is getting all these certifications. He seems happy about it.

I could probably get him (OR the husband I have YET to meet a thing the husband doesn't know how to do, actually. In fact I think it's why he can never hire a contractor. He always wants to show off his engineering and homebuilding knowledge and I keep telling him that NO contractor wants to work with such a douche who may KNOW more than them but in either case, will be a giant PITA.)

So yeah, I could get boards and stuff but like I'd have to know what to do with all the bits and that seems daunting.

I don't think I will be buying any boards soon. Etc.

Anna