The Polite Rant Thread

[matriachamplification]

Hello GDIY

This polite polite rant invovles me and my new experience purchasing parts and sorting our BOM's. To start I have purchased some of the wrong capacitors and resistors on most all of my attempts. Although spirits are high as a new DIY builder, this is very unmotivating to say the least, as well as being time and money wasted.

The issue is not in the parts or in the BOM's. The shear volume on sites like Digikey, Mouser etc. are far too confusing for me to comfortabley navigate. I have touched base with Mr. Thompson-Bell who has helped me to better organize the BOM's and if I can help it, I would very much like some help from the GDIY collective to overcome my messy memory.

So I can illustrate best. A line from the film Joker often comes to mind.

"The worst part of having a mental illness is people expect you to behave as if you don’t."

As Mr. Thompson-Bell will atest to, I have very hard to overcome this and have been working on it since Nov. of 2019. I have a Google Spreadsheet that I can share any anything else required I can look into.

Sorry to have to ask for help, but I could really use some insight.

I am here day/night

Be Well

Wall

 

[matriachamplification]

There must be some correlation to posting publicly and then finding a local solution.

Thanks for your help everyone!

Wall

 

[pucho812]

I recently purchased parts for a bom. so far most were o.k., most. However I did leave out a resistor and I ordered the wrong size molex headers.
We have all been there. It happens.  Even the pro audio companies have been known to make a mistake or two now and then. 

 

[matriachamplification]

I recently purchased parts for a bom. so far most were o.k., most. However I did leave out a resistor and I ordered the wrong size molex headers.
We have all been there. It happens.  Even the pro audio companies have been known to make a mistake or two now and then.

Being so fresh, I hadn't even considered this was/is a common issue. Thank you for your valued input.

To follow up a bit. I had connected with sales reps who seemed to know less about parts then I did. This really caused me to think that my hunt was hopeless, haha.

 

[ruffrecords]

Resistors are not too hard. Most 1/8 watt and 1/4 watt types are mutually compatible.

Capacitors can be tricky. First make sure you have the right dielectric type - usually film or aluminium electrolytic. Next make sure you know the required voltage rating. Moving on the mechanical aspects you need to pick either radial or axial leaded and finally the size - length and diameter if is is axial or lead pitch and height if it is radial. Any of these can trip you up.

Other components are usually so specific to the design it is harder to go wrong except for connectors. These are a minefield no matter how experienced you are.

Cheers

Ian

 

[matriachamplification]

Resistors are not too hard. Most 1/8 watt and 1/4 watt types are mutually compatible.

Capacitors can be tricky. First make sure you have the right dielectric type - usually film or aluminium electrolytic. Next make sure you know the required voltage rating. Moving on the mechanical aspects you need to pick either radial or axial leaded and finally the size - length and diameter if is is axial or lead pitch and height if it is radial. Any of these can trip you up.

Other components are usually so specific to the design it is harder to go wrong except for connectors. These are a minefield no matter how experienced you are.

Cheers

Ian

Noted. I guess the saving grace is we only have to figure out specifics for a few cards. On the plus side both Panasonic & Wima have both contacted us back to help get the right parts sorted for our kits

 

[abbey road d enfer]

I recently experienced such a situation. No fault of my own.
I ordered 41612 connectors from Conrad. For those who don't know them, they're a german company with good prices and quality.
They end up sending me the wrong items, E10 lamp male connectors; I wonder who uses them for what...?
http://www.gaaye.com/product/en/screwe10socket.html
I placed a ticket. It took them about 2 weeks to answer and ask complements of info, 2 weeks to process and find out thay had a bin that had been filled with wrong items, and about 2 weeks to put the corrective order in place.
So yes, vendors can make mistakes, even if they're german. 
Now, it's nothing compared to the Way of the Cross that is purchasing potentiometers.

 

[Brian Roth]

Abbey, maybe E10 lamp components are the wave of the future.  You screw in the modules!!!

<g>

Bri

 

[abbey road d enfer]

Abbey, maybe E10 lamp components are the wave of the future.  You screw in the modules!!!

You may be right.
I'm goind to suggest that to this member who wants to make removable capsules for his mics. 

 

[PermO]

To the OP,

Novice, hobbyist speaking here...

Getting all the right parts in,.. I'd say that's 50% of a build, especially when you don't have a BOM and have to find every part yourself.

And then there's the challenge to get all your parts from the least amount of vendors to prevent shipping costs are going to be the major part of the project costs.

 

[Matador]

Schematics and layouts are relatively easy:  keeping a BOM up to date is a never-ending nightmare of EOL's, crossover between manufacturers, and a dizzying sea of indecipherable part numbers.

To add to Ian's list:  when you get the part right, the package right, the type right, the voltage rating right, but when you get the part in your hands, and realize the plated through hole you made is like 1 micron too small and the friggin lead won't fit...

 

[pucho812]

Resistors are not too hard. Most 1/8 watt and 1/4 watt types are mutually compatible.

Capacitors can be tricky. First make sure you have the right dielectric type - usually film or aluminium electrolytic. Next make sure you know the required voltage rating. Moving on the mechanical aspects you need to pick either radial or axial leaded and finally the size - length and diameter if is is axial or lead pitch and height if it is radial. Any of these can trip you up.

Other components are usually so specific to the design it is harder to go wrong except for connectors. These are a minefield no matter how experienced you are.

Cheers

Ian

They can be not only do you have to get the right type and values, you gotta check the physical size measurements and connections too. Years ago a known audio company  starting with an N  gave me parts numbers for capacitors to order for a recap.  parts were 2 main values and since they were through out the desk, we ordered in mass quantities.  Anyway start recapping  and after going through some 48 eq modules, we start to install the recapped ones. One after one, they all oscillated.  It was cool because you could adjust the frequency with the eq knobs and such but they all had the same sign wave issue. After  hours under the microscope i discovered the problem. The caps  the tech from N company specified were slightly too big physical size, and the leads were making contact with other components  creating our issue. A few flips of flat blade screwdriver to separate the touching and back in business,  no more oscillator in the eq.

 

[Gold]

Not to mention that even if you have the right part it can be in the wrong package. I recently ran out of 0.1uf ceramic decoupling caps. I figured I'd buy 500 because they get used on just about everything. I carefully selected bulk packaging on the website. A friggin ammo pack showed up so I had to cut all of them out of the ammo pack.

 

[matriachamplification]

What amazing insight! You can't pay for this kind of education, thank you. On the positive side of component hunting, we did learn a lot.

Our only other shortcomings are soldering techniques, workbench tools & incedentals. What brand and gauge or wiring to get, zip ties, mic/line cable? etc. etc.

What are "Buffered Tube Faders?"

As frustrating as your stories must have felt, I feel your fustration but also releived in hearing this is a common issue.

 

[Gold]

As frustrating as your stories must have felt, I feel your fustration but also releived in hearing this is a common issue.

It's one of the most common frustrations but not one you would imagine when you start in. The most common obstacle to finishing a project is the metalwork not the electronics. Also not what you would imagine.

 

[matriachamplification]

It's one of the most common frustrations but not one you would imagine when you start in. The most common obstacle to finishing a project is the metalwork not the electronics. Also not what you would imagine.

I feel there is a lesson plan in here. All great insight!

 

[volker]

It's one of the most common frustrations but not one you would imagine when you start in. The most common obstacle to finishing a project is the metalwork not the electronics. Also not what you would imagine.

The trick is to redefine what you consider finished.


Re ordering parts: I enjoy searching for parts and putting together BOM lists. The Digikey parametric search is my zen garden.

 

[ruffrecords]

Schematics and layouts are relatively easy:  keeping a BOM up to date is a never-ending nightmare of EOL's, crossover between manufacturers, and a dizzying sea of indecipherable part numbers.

To add to Ian's list:  when you get the part right, the package right, the type right, the voltage rating right, but when you get the part in your hands, and realize the plated through hole you made is like 1 micron too small and the friggin lead won't fit...

Oh, yes! The number of times I have written the same note in my lab book " make holes for caps bigger"

Cheers

Ian

 

[matriachamplification]

We would like to update this rant by first admitting how much its helped knowing others suffer in this task.
We have overcome much of our early inexperience and now can surf digi-keys with some fluidity. On a plus note, Digi-keys pays all custom charges to Canada, which is a big plus.

Wall