Fortunately, this guy didn't wait for a kit! Check that video. Is this real? Looks like the guy flew surprisingly fast, far, and high with perfect control for his first flight. The Wright brothers barely got off the ground their first time.
I think you would like this: http://cappels.org/dproj/ledpage/leddrv.htm How to drive a white LED from a 1.5 volt battery using a hand wound coil wound on a rusty nail. I made one a while back, works a treat.
I've done it all ... bought assembled products, built kits including a HeathKit Stereo Receiver and some ham gear, built stuff from scratch using point to point wiring, made my own PCBs as well as designing them and having a PCB fab house make them. As I've gotten older, I too have problems working with SMD and teeny-tiny components. I need magnification, quality tools, and lots of time. Frankly, I prefer to have someone else do the teeny-tiny stuff these days when I can. It all has a place and people should at least have the experience of doing all of it at some point, then deciding where their interests lie and where they want to put their energy.
I'm still amazed by those who really start from basics ... there's one YouTube video out there showing a hobbyist making his own vacuum tubes ... rare craftmanship there.
Thanks Mike for this post. I am one of those who has made my own boards, and had them made, and kits like the Heath Kit (unfinished) and a Velleman PIC programmer board (finished) that I got at Radio Shack.
When it comes to most of my projects I rather build custom-built PCB since it makes everything look neat. But when I need something that is basic I will go with a kit over homemade.
I think you would like this: http://cappels.org/dproj/ledpage/leddrv.htm How to drive a white LED from a 1.5 volt battery using a hand wound coil wound on a rusty nail. I made one a while back, works a treat.
Anything that works with a rusty nail gets my vote. When I need a weight or counterweight in a project, I usually reach for the (conveniently close) pile of dead batteries. I love telling people that it's powered by a dead battery.
I almost posted this in the thread about the new dual relay board kit, but decided to start this new thread/rant:
I gotta be honest... I'm flabbergasted how many positive responses are to the new relay board kit. First, I'm sure it's a wonderful product and a great first kit. Hey, I love & use relays more than anyone here. They are simple and bulletproof. Are there actually Forumistas who have been wanting/needing a relay board but couldn't build it themselves? You guys are all much smarter than me. Mechanical relays are as simple as it gets, and there is no shortage of info in this forum and online elsewhere. I'm a scratch builder. Mechanical and electronic. I'd much rather make my own things by hand. Homemade is ALWAYS better IMHO. You've seen my work: drippy superglue and ugly handwired point to point wiring is a plus. Cheaper better faster custom, etc. I know I'm in the minority, but I much prefer digging up the necessary info online and/or from old paper books (Forrest Mims rocks) and scrounging up the parts. The thrill of the Ebay hunt. And learning.
It seems that when most people say they like DIY and "building things", they actually mean they like building a kit. A sealed box containing beautifully etched PC boards, neatly bagged parts and detailed instructions. I understand that convenience has its place, but I really encourage people to dive in, get their hands dirty. And FAIL. That's how you learn. This forum is the perfect place to ask questions and figure out how to do something, anything. Geniuses prowl these forums, that's why I keep coming back!
EOF (end of flabbergastedness)
PS: If & when Ken, Chris, and Matt ever give me a relay board, I might take it but I REFUSE TO LOVE IT! I really hate eating my own words.
Erco,
A little late replying because I didn't see this thread (it wasn't in the related thread) but there are many customers who have an idea for something they want to do but maybe don't have the exact parts or even the underlying understanding of how the parts work. They know they want to turn a high power device on/off with a high/low and the kit provides and easy way to do that, while in the process giving them the exact parts they need (no more/less) and even the education on how the accessory works so that in the future they may be able to do it themselves.
The same could be said of proto boards (which I noticed someone in this thread mentioned). Proto Boards would be useless if everyone always did things from scratch. But here at Parallax we tend to use proto-boards for one-off projects such as test procedures. There really is no benefit in having a custom board designed/made for just one of something, so the proto board provides a pre-built base with all the common stuff and an area to add what's missing.
There's nothing wrong with a large number of people being interested in kits. It gives them soldering experience, a good price, and let's face it, for years many companies such as Velleman and EKI have been selling kits as simple as a blinking LED. And as Mike Green mentioned, Heath Kit had people building TVs and Stereos and even Oscilliscopes (raises hand) that cost more than their pre-built department store counterparts, yet there was something satisfying about saying, "I built it myself!"
@Chris: Agree 110%. To recap my last several posts:
1) No argument, no doubt about it: kits are an awesome way to get into electronics, learn to solder, build knowledge & confidence.
2) Love Heathkits. I'm the guy who spent $777 on a vintage unbuilt Heathkit HW-9. I have all the Heathkit robots.
3) I never put down this or any other kit, or intended to anyway.
The intention of my post was to encourage the more experienced people to challenge themselves to build something from scratch. Why wait for (or limit yourself to) someone's kit? Anything can be improved upon, or customized for your specific application. The whole Indestructables DIY movement is about making new things, never before seen. That's much more interesting to me, especially when people have access to the collective brainpower and experience in these hallowed forums.
Having said that, there are numerous posts/blogs/magazine articles about building kits. Clearly there's a market for these. I don't get it myself, but reading about "the build" and how easy the process was (or wasn't) is helpful to prospective buyers/builders and might sway their decision.
In my job, I'm an inventor. I build prototypes 'cuz that's what I like to do, and that's what I'm good at. My handbuilt prototypes are rough and undecorated, but they work great. That's really all I care about. I show 'em for approval, take a bow and then I hand those off to people who love to do the (IMHO tedious) production work. Decoration, design for molding, tooling, packaging. I have nothing but respect for those people, but I wouldn't want their jobs & vice versa. Different strokes, different folks.
Fortunately, it's a big, varied world and there's something for everybody! Now can't we all just get along?
It is my hope that by building kits many will gain the experience and knowledge needed to build from scratch in the future. I'm sure for many it's also a matter of convenience. I remember when a good majority of my prototypes were wire-wrapped. Last time I posted that I got a bunch of responses from customers who didn't know what wire-wrapping was.
I wanted to hang glide so badly (in the late 80's/ early 90's) that I tried to build a hang glider in my basement. My wife was extremely opposed to the idea. Her response to me when she saw me trying to order stuff was a loud "No!'.
I remember buying a screen door for the back of my house then making a spring to close it by coiling a wire coat hanger around a 1' diameter dowel. I am a 'build it from scratch' guy.
I had a 17' Eipperformance rogallo for a while, bought with money from my paper route (!) circa 1975. Kitty Hawk Kites got me hooked. Flew some, crashed some.
It is my hope that by building kits many will gain the experience and knowledge needed to build from scratch in the future. I'm sure for many it's also a matter of convenience. I remember when a good majority of my prototypes were wire-wrapped. Last time I posted that I got a bunch of responses from customers who didn't know what wire-wrapping was.
This is just what I did.
My first (110VAC) relay project was done with a kit. After I saw how the kit was made, I thought "I could do that" and I've since made many relay project using 110VAC.
The controller board went out on our kitchen oven I couldn't bear to pay the $300 for new controller board so our kitchen oven is controlled by a home made relay board (I switched to a SSR because the clicking bothered my wife).
I've learned over the years that people learn differently. Some people can read books and teach themselves. Others just can't do that. They need a more structured learning environment. School, a kit with instructions, etc.
Then so far as understanding how things work, I've noticed on the internet that a LOT of people do not understand what a relay is or how it works... And thus could not be expected to connect one and get it to work. You need to tell them specifically which wire to connect to which connection on the relay.
As for myself, this stuff is easy.... BUT I can "picture" this in my mind. I can see a picture of the relay coil and relay contacts. And see a picture of a schematic diagram of a relay in my mind. And then easily connect the wires using my "build-in" relay reference manual.
However I don't think other people understand / remember things this way? Thus a kit and instructions would be MUCH easier for them?
And the proof of this learning business is to set me in front of a piano! I just can't learn to read music and play the piano - period. But for other people, it is easy as pie!
My first (110VAC) relay project was done with a kit. After I saw how the kit was made, I thought "I could do that" and I've since made many relay project using 110VAC.
The controller board went out on our kitchen oven I couldn't bear to pay the $300 for new controller board so our kitchen oven is controlled by a home made relay board (I switched to a SSR because the clicking bothered my wife).
Duane, you're a perfect example of what I was saying. Parallax is very education-oriented and with these kits in particular we try to make sure the customers aren't just buying a product, but they're also getting an education, not only in how to build and/or use the product, but how it works.
Chris, you give a perfect example why kits have there advantage and why they need to be sold. The kits is what got me started in electronics and now as an electrician for 24yrs and now I work with electronics (UPS systems) everyday where I work and at home building my own projects related to my other hobbies.
For my part, I've wired enough relay circuits to be well and completely educated about them. The dual relay board reminded me of a project I did last year which required, duh, two relays -- one controlling a lapidary saw and one controlling a feed motor. I had to go to RS to get relays, hunt up transistors, double check the transistor pinouts (I don't work with discrete transistors much), point to point wire everything, and then hope them magic smoke didn't appear when I hooked it up to the PropRPM. This all took two or three hours none of which was moving forward the actual project of controlling the saw. The dual relay kit would have let me spend that time on something more interesting, like the ethernet remote monitor code.
@localroger: Hmmm. IIRC you said you ordered 10 or 20 relays from my previous post. I haven't given up on you yet.
Well those will solve the problem by being driveable straight from a prop pin, and I'll have them on hand so no trips to RS. I also have a handful of the latching relays you linked earlier, but the last project I did had to ensure that the relay was OFF when the prop powered up. These will fit that bill.
Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts and feedback on our kits and other products. Parallax is always open to customer feedback and sometimes we make changes to a product based on feedback from customers, sometimes before the product has even been released. We're always looking for ways to improve our products, documentation and support as well as to enhance the resources available for a given product.
Comments
http://www.humanbirdwings.net
-Phil
No way is that real.
And I wonder why his buddies ran backwards (away from him) before he launched. Wouldn't you run beside or ahead of him?
Pardon his French at the end, kids.
http://gizmodo.com/5894904/man-flies-like-a-bird-flapping-his-own-wings
-Phil
I think you would like this: http://cappels.org/dproj/ledpage/leddrv.htm How to drive a white LED from a 1.5 volt battery using a hand wound coil wound on a rusty nail. I made one a while back, works a treat.
When it comes to most of my projects I rather build custom-built PCB since it makes everything look neat. But when I need something that is basic I will go with a kit over homemade.
I could not agree more. Design your project with computer aided design and build it. How's this for scratch built?
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?129612-My-Current-Prop-Based-CNC-Photos
Bruce
You know I love that stuff!
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?133486-Joule-Thief
Anything that works with a rusty nail gets my vote. When I need a weight or counterweight in a project, I usually reach for the (conveniently close) pile of dead batteries. I love telling people that it's powered by a dead battery.
Erco,
A little late replying because I didn't see this thread (it wasn't in the related thread) but there are many customers who have an idea for something they want to do but maybe don't have the exact parts or even the underlying understanding of how the parts work. They know they want to turn a high power device on/off with a high/low and the kit provides and easy way to do that, while in the process giving them the exact parts they need (no more/less) and even the education on how the accessory works so that in the future they may be able to do it themselves.
The same could be said of proto boards (which I noticed someone in this thread mentioned). Proto Boards would be useless if everyone always did things from scratch. But here at Parallax we tend to use proto-boards for one-off projects such as test procedures. There really is no benefit in having a custom board designed/made for just one of something, so the proto board provides a pre-built base with all the common stuff and an area to add what's missing.
There's nothing wrong with a large number of people being interested in kits. It gives them soldering experience, a good price, and let's face it, for years many companies such as Velleman and EKI have been selling kits as simple as a blinking LED. And as Mike Green mentioned, Heath Kit had people building TVs and Stereos and even Oscilliscopes (raises hand) that cost more than their pre-built department store counterparts, yet there was something satisfying about saying, "I built it myself!"
1) No argument, no doubt about it: kits are an awesome way to get into electronics, learn to solder, build knowledge & confidence.
2) Love Heathkits. I'm the guy who spent $777 on a vintage unbuilt Heathkit HW-9. I have all the Heathkit robots.
3) I never put down this or any other kit, or intended to anyway.
The intention of my post was to encourage the more experienced people to challenge themselves to build something from scratch. Why wait for (or limit yourself to) someone's kit? Anything can be improved upon, or customized for your specific application. The whole Indestructables DIY movement is about making new things, never before seen. That's much more interesting to me, especially when people have access to the collective brainpower and experience in these hallowed forums.
Having said that, there are numerous posts/blogs/magazine articles about building kits. Clearly there's a market for these. I don't get it myself, but reading about "the build" and how easy the process was (or wasn't) is helpful to prospective buyers/builders and might sway their decision.
In my job, I'm an inventor. I build prototypes 'cuz that's what I like to do, and that's what I'm good at. My handbuilt prototypes are rough and undecorated, but they work great. That's really all I care about. I show 'em for approval, take a bow and then I hand those off to people who love to do the (IMHO tedious) production work. Decoration, design for molding, tooling, packaging. I have nothing but respect for those people, but I wouldn't want their jobs & vice versa. Different strokes, different folks.
Fortunately, it's a big, varied world and there's something for everybody! Now can't we all just get along?
I remember buying a screen door for the back of my house then making a spring to close it by coiling a wire coat hanger around a 1' diameter dowel. I am a 'build it from scratch' guy.
The flying bird man admits he faked it all:
http://gizmodo.com/5895638/flying-bird-man-admits-flying-bird-man-is-fake++here-he-is
But check out this mechanical (automata) scratch builder for inspiration:
This is just what I did.
My first (110VAC) relay project was done with a kit. After I saw how the kit was made, I thought "I could do that" and I've since made many relay project using 110VAC.
The controller board went out on our kitchen oven I couldn't bear to pay the $300 for new controller board so our kitchen oven is controlled by a home made relay board (I switched to a SSR because the clicking bothered my wife).
Then so far as understanding how things work, I've noticed on the internet that a LOT of people do not understand what a relay is or how it works... And thus could not be expected to connect one and get it to work. You need to tell them specifically which wire to connect to which connection on the relay.
As for myself, this stuff is easy.... BUT I can "picture" this in my mind. I can see a picture of the relay coil and relay contacts. And see a picture of a schematic diagram of a relay in my mind. And then easily connect the wires using my "build-in" relay reference manual.
However I don't think other people understand / remember things this way? Thus a kit and instructions would be MUCH easier for them?
And the proof of this learning business is to set me in front of a piano! I just can't learn to read music and play the piano - period. But for other people, it is easy as pie!
If he were a hang glider pilot he would have known how to make it pass the scrutiny of those that actually do (sort of) fly like birds.
Duane, you're a perfect example of what I was saying. Parallax is very education-oriented and with these kits in particular we try to make sure the customers aren't just buying a product, but they're also getting an education, not only in how to build and/or use the product, but how it works.
Well those will solve the problem by being driveable straight from a prop pin, and I'll have them on hand so no trips to RS. I also have a handful of the latching relays you linked earlier, but the last project I did had to ensure that the relay was OFF when the prop powered up. These will fit that bill.
This "arm" uses 2 turntables to generate Spirograph-y art. Apparently 2 records and turntables were harmed to produce the video.
http://boingboing.net/2012/03/24/a-pair-of-turntables-that-gene.html