Greetings from Latvia

[Rave]

Hello!

I've been lurking around for a while in this site, so, finaly decided to take part as active member also.:-)

It is fun to see that you are not alone and in the world are a lot guys, who have fun from making things with their own hands and brain. Even today, when you can buy almost everything ready maded... ...but this is not fun, real fun is in the moment when you fire up just maded device and device does not blow with smoke, but works! It's worse to work no matter how long for these moments.:-)

OK, shortly about me. I'm 1974 year of production, maded in small town Saldus 120 km west form from capital of Latvia Riga (where I'm living now). Firstly learned how to solder together two wires in 8th years of age. So, that is how it began... Mostly my interest is in audio hardware. At home almost everytning audio equipment is selfbuilt.
Also enjoy metal working, woodworking (furniture).

Had finished almost 3 years in Riga Technical university. Wanted to study electronics equipment design, but this direction was closed due to lack of interested students. So, I didn't finish studies. At present working as telecomunications engineer.

So, that's all shortly.

[mwmkravchenko]

An impressive feat you have described. Building your own equipment. Definitely looking forward to reading your posts.

Mark

[warren o]

Welcome!
Yes, I am always glad to pass the "smoke" test, too!
What have you made?

[Rave]

Warren o,

Well, fun from smoke test depends from your expectations from first on switch. Sometimes you don't want to blow something, especially when last parts you have soldered in and new you can get only tomorrow... :-)

I can't say, that I'm expert in every case. I do not have very well theoretical base in my knowledge. I have mostly practical base putting together in hardware somes alses ideas, modifying them for my needs.
I'm still learning...

My home system now is active 3 way with 3 stereo amps (all going to be replaced with Holton's "welding machines", this is in progress now, practical realization you can see here: http://www.transalp.lv/mosfet.jpg), passive crossover, selfmade 3line speaker boxies, which also needs to be reconstructed, because speakers are crappy, from soviet times...

Everything was built more than 10 years ago, that time it was real sad situation with radio components, I was scrapping resistor by resistor, transistor by transistor hardly... Each blown part was disaster. :-] Now it's funny to remember this... ...then I had big delay in my electronical activities... Now I'm getting back in row, can't live anymore without breathing soldering smoke.. :-)

[warren o]

We are so spoiled here in the USA. I can order any part I want & get it overnighted if I have to. What luxury! I used to tear apart electronics when I was young to scavenge parts; I did that when I ran a service center (for mechanical parts more than electronics), too. But I could always get what I needed if I paid.

Once I was working on a VCR, I had it open & the main PC board facing up. I placed my notepad on the PCB to write down what parts I needed. Oops, the pad a metal spiral binding & the smoke formed a little cloud!
I learned my lesson. No metal in the pads from then on!

Very interesting, Rave. Keep up the good work!

[planet10]

Greets

i'm sure you will find (most) people quite helpful

dave

[Rave]

warren o,

We are so spoiled here in the USA. I can order any part I want & get it overnighted if I have to. What luxury! I used to tear apart electronics when I was young to scavenge parts; I did that when I ran a service center (for mechanical parts more than electronics), too. But I could always get what I needed if I paid.

Yes, we also knew that colegues abroad could get any parts they wanted... In the begining I was diassembling some old TVs, tape recorders to get at least something. Good about this was that this lack of needed parts was stimulating creativeness to make something from nothing.:-)
Later on I started to visit Riga, there where in Soviet time very many factories making consumer electronics as cover for military things. We had best microchip factory in whole Soviet Union also (now all this is destroyed completely, starting from early '90's everytnig went down). Good about this was that, as you might never imagine- workers was stolling radio components and selling them to guys like me...:-) So, we could get military class components... These compents was really well made without economy on materials.

Now we can almost everything, just a question now is in price. Usually digits for price is the same like in USA, just not un $, but in LVL, what is twice more... But still we have also a lot of Russian made components, which are pretty cheap and good. In my mosfet picture you can see Russian maded caps, resistors.

BTW- sad discovery I had about Peerless products pricing- in EU they cost 2.5 times more than in USA... And it is even cheaper to order them by mail and pay customs, than buy here localy. Now I'm looking for some people who brings cars to Latvia from USA- so I can agree with them to bring speakers together with cars and don't pay for shipping also....

Does anyone know why is this so?

Once I was working on a VCR, I had it open & the main PC board facing up. I placed my notepad on the PCB to write down what parts I needed. Oops, the pad a metal spiral binding & the smoke formed a little cloud!
I learned my lesson. No metal in the pads from then on!

I also have blown enough parts. Usually- because I'm tired and hit something by accident...

Very interesting, Rave. Keep up the good work!

I'll post links to my works time by time... I log into pics everything I do, so can share with someone else.