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Survey: What gets in the way of your Propeller projects? — Parallax Forums

Survey: What gets in the way of your Propeller projects?

Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
edited 2011-08-03 05:06 in Propeller 1
I thought I'd put out a little survey this morning and see what challenges can be tacked that prevent you from getting your great Propeller projects to the finish line.

For me it's more often my lack of knowledge (or worse, encountering something I figured out last year, failed to write down, and now forgotten.) that gets in the way most often. Granted, this is a blessing and curse because I enjoy solving Propeller puzzles, but fighting with one problem with several hours does send me running for my Tylenol bottle.

Don't complain about the lack of options. Post your experiences to the thread. :)

OBC

Comments

  • idbruceidbruce Posts: 6,197
    edited 2011-08-01 10:05
    Jeff

    I believe you left one out:
    I need more financing
    However I need more parts fits in there somehow, but my projects range from $70 - $4000. Additionally, it would be nice if there were two or three of me :) However there are some in the forum that would not agree :( No fault of mine of course :)

    Bruce

    EDIT: Sorry Jeff, I just read your post for the second time, and I see you asked for no complaints due to a lack of options :)
  • jazzedjazzed Posts: 11,803
    edited 2011-08-01 10:15
    YAPPI "Yet Another Propeller Project Idea" comes along to derail my interest.
  • RavenkallenRavenkallen Posts: 1,057
    edited 2011-08-01 10:19
    I also get distracted quite easily:) But once i can go into my bubble, i can code like a monster!
  • HShankoHShanko Posts: 402
    edited 2011-08-01 11:15
    Sometimes, many?, it is just the 'honey-do list' or yard work that 'steals time' from projects.

    And 'aging' doesn't make projects complete faster. I'm hating to do simple add-ons; recent to add an LCD (a 24 x 1 liner) required 14 wires (to a 1 x 14 header on LCD to a 2 x 7 header; and mating header on QuickStart mezzanine board to pick up Prop signals, another 20 wires) which took parts of two days. Finally a chance to code. Using BST this time with iMac.. Hope I don't need PASD or ViewPort (wich those ran on iMac like BST. Grrrr! Windows! (via Parallels)
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2011-08-01 11:20
    This is interesting... Looks like Parallax should be selling caffeine! :) Keep'em coming!

    jolt.jpg
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-08-01 11:33
    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSJDrbWpb9iv5u2sYzs3DaGki2ONfW4rCI5AI2F7U6_uKApF3oIcA The weather finally turned nice. Who wants to be indoors?

    -Phil
  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2011-08-01 11:42
    How about a line of "Honey-Do" attachments for the Stingray. That could potentially free up some time for loftier pursuits!
  • BaggersBaggers Posts: 3,019
    edited 2011-08-01 11:44
    you also forgot bill paying work!
  • RonPRonP Posts: 384
    edited 2011-08-01 12:00
    Lack of knowledge is number one for me. I think second would be reading the forums and tying to understand some of the more advanced things you guys are doing, you know the things that go right over my head. It takes time searching and reading about things I have never had experience with.

    Maybe I should just start BST and not open up a browser or if I do be sure not to open up the Parallax Forums. :lol:

    EDIT: Just wanted to add the "What's New" button a huge distraction for me. :lol:
  • ctwardellctwardell Posts: 1,716
    edited 2011-08-01 12:03
    For me billable work always takes priority, and I know better than to wish for less of that.

    So the trick is to make the prop projects earn enough to pay myself my own bill rate...

    C.W.
  • TorTor Posts: 2,010
    edited 2011-08-01 12:11
    6) Need more workspace. I don't have a proper shack. Difficult to work with physical projects. Carry them around in bags and steal some surface here and there. Sneak in to work to do some soldering. Dismount every board after the experiment is over for the occasion. Need a house with extra rooms, in other words.

    -Tor
  • WBA ConsultingWBA Consulting Posts: 2,935
    edited 2011-08-01 13:39
    Main thing is time, next is dedicated workspace where I can leave my 7 active projects out in their various states of completion so if I have 15 minutes to spare, I can actually accomplish something. Right now, my sporadic free time is used to surf the forums, do more research on existing projects, etc because it would take me 10 minutes to setup my stuff to do something.
  • Ahle2Ahle2 Posts: 1,179
    edited 2011-08-01 13:58
    Having seven projects going at the same time gives some kind of "inverted synergy effect" (4+4=6)
    I have decided to spend time on the "Retronitus sequencer", so everything else is halted at the moment.
  • ratronicratronic Posts: 1,451
    edited 2011-08-01 14:04
    There was no choice for all the above?
  • potatoheadpotatohead Posts: 10,261
    edited 2011-08-01 14:47
    Deffo time. I'm getting absolutely trounced right now, frequently. Comes and goes. I did resolve the space problem to a degree though! That's a big win, just being able to set something up, leave it in a state and chip away at it.

    Biggest time trouble I have is poor chunks. A little here or there. It's hard to get into the zone, do something, then transition out again.
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2011-08-01 14:56
    ratronic wrote: »
    There was no choice for all the above?

    Sure there was... Check all that apply. :)

    OBC
  • ajwardajward Posts: 1,130
    edited 2011-08-01 17:00
    The biggest thing is distraction. The forums are a tremendous source for ideas and I find myself constantly veering off onto some new project. The current "shiny thing" is setting up my XBee modules. And a thought occurred a bit ago of remotely monitoring an accelerometer for ground movement. <sigh> Too many toys, so little time!

    Amanda
  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,069
    edited 2011-08-01 17:44
    I didn't realise I could check more than one. I was torn between the first and the last, so ticked the first.

    Could also have ticked (x) spend too much time reading this fantastic forum.

    Now, where was I up to???
  • localrogerlocalroger Posts: 3,452
    edited 2011-08-01 18:07
    Parts? Not a problem. My boss buys me whatever I need. They need my Propeller skills in some ways more than I do.
    Knowledge? I could feel stronger on things like the counter/timers, but I've now written some VGA drivers and I feel very comfortable with PASM.
    Ideas? Oh please. I have enough ideas to keep me busy if I live to be 600 years old.
    Surveys? Sometimes I need a light hearted distraction to let my thoughts come into focus.

    What I need more of is TIME. And Jolt Cola ain't gonna cut it. We need the life extension folks to seriously get on the ball. I tell you what, I will totally stop harping about the flying car if we get life expectancy up to say 150 years or so. Oh, and cure diabetes while you're at it, OK? After all this is the FUTURE, some magazine I read in 1975 said so.
  • blittledblittled Posts: 681
    edited 2011-08-01 19:26
    For me it's time and burnout. I spend all day at my job trying to solve programming problems and by the time I get home I have a hard time concentrating on coding and I tend to jump from one idea to another with nothing usually getting done.
  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2011-08-01 20:00
    idbruce wrote: »
    ...I need more financing....

    For me, it's always this annoying giant pile of money I have in the middle of the lab. I'm always having to work around it, climb over it, squeeze past it with things I've rescued from the industrial dumpsters and whatnot. And then it's all the scantily clad women that hover around it, too, taking up my time, tripping over the cord to my soldering iron, their bodies sticking to the electrical tape with which I've wrapped up the frays in my high voltage wiring, tempting me with their incessant margaritas and splashing water out of the hot tub and into my liquid nitrogen supply. How I get anything done under these circumstances is way beyond me.
  • RavenkallenRavenkallen Posts: 1,057
    edited 2011-08-01 20:12
    @Electricaye... Yeah, i forgot about woman and the pursuit thereof:) Doesn't seem to be any good ones left though:(
  • idbruceidbruce Posts: 6,197
    edited 2011-08-02 02:58
    @ElectricAye
    For me, it's always this annoying giant pile of money I have in the middle of the lab. I'm always having to work around it, climb over it, squeeze past it with things I've rescued from the industrial dumpsters and whatnot.

    I might have a solution for this problem. I don't know if you know this or not, but I also perform money recycling as a sideline business. I can eliminate that annoying giant pile of money for you and you can make a little cash in the process, and then perhaps you can buy some of those desirable Parallax products. I am currently offering ten cents on the dollar for annoying giant piles of money. I also offer a convenient pick up service. If you are interested, just give me a call at (219) 555-1212.

    Bruce
  • Clive WakehamClive Wakeham Posts: 152
    edited 2011-08-02 03:10
    I usually sleep on any programming issues I have, and usually wake up with the correct options.

    My last project stopped since the Basic Stamp 2P wasn't able to do what I wanted it to do. Now its the Propellers chance.....
  • xanatosxanatos Posts: 1,120
    edited 2011-08-02 10:51
    Money, lack of proper space to really do the things right, lack of proper tooling for high-quality prototyping, and of course, needing to attend to the little things - like paying bills and keeping the house from falling apart, which seems to be under constant attack from carpenter ants and termites.

    Which leads me to introduce my next project, a propeller-driven tracking system that watches for movement in a predefined space, and targets the moving object with a 4 watt diode laser array to cook the little buggers. Who here thinks I'm kidding???

    Dave
  • train nuttrain nut Posts: 70
    edited 2011-08-02 11:37
    My biggest problem is that the project I'm working on is large and as I add another phase I mess something up on what's already working.
  • jazzedjazzed Posts: 11,803
    edited 2011-08-02 16:39
    Most of my project's programs have been too big to fit in Propeller's on-board memory.
  • zoopydogsitzoopydogsit Posts: 174
    edited 2011-08-03 05:03
    I seem to have a never ending stream of competing priorities, all higher than my poor prop related ideas. And this seems to have gotten considerably worse in the last 6 months. The only thing that keeps me going with any thoughts of having some prop time is these forums. I'm constantly amazed, awed, inspired and a little jelous (of where you get the time) in what folks share of what they achieve. Sadly it appears that I am not alone with my time challenge.
  • AleAle Posts: 2,363
    edited 2011-08-03 05:06
    I definitely could do with more space. I have a small table and really everything does not fit in it. And most of my stuff is packed in boxes that I have to search wherever I need a part.... not "making" friendly :(
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