No I particularly said the contrary if you read my post. That mode is still diy and cool and challenging.
DIY can be IKEA - the "it" being the assembly.
DIY can be like auto accessorising or servicing, the "it" being specifying and fitting specific parts that enhance your satisfaction of the built product. I dare say this lets tube rolling in, but its valid. The individual has modified their item using their own skills and labour.
DIY can be full build of an existing design using pre-made parts eg building a Williamson from parts specced sourced and assembled by the builder.
DIY can be designing the circuit as well as the build. Or not - as an intellectual exercise, is a person who is capable of doing the design work but not capable of the build a DIY-er?
DIY can be making the components - OPTs come to mind easily in this.
If you did something yourself in the course of the construction of the completed item and, without that personal input the item would not exist in its current form, its DIY.
IMO.
DIY can be like auto accessorising or servicing, the "it" being specifying and fitting specific parts that enhance your satisfaction of the built product. I dare say this lets tube rolling in, but its valid. The individual has modified their item using their own skills and labour.
DIY can be full build of an existing design using pre-made parts eg building a Williamson from parts specced sourced and assembled by the builder.
DIY can be designing the circuit as well as the build. Or not - as an intellectual exercise, is a person who is capable of doing the design work but not capable of the build a DIY-er?
DIY can be making the components - OPTs come to mind easily in this.
If you did something yourself in the course of the construction of the completed item and, without that personal input the item would not exist in its current form, its DIY.
IMO.
It depends what the meaning of "it" is. However, so long as the builder doesn't misrepresent how much was done himself and how much was purchased or done by someone else, then I'll acknowledge almost any level of effort as "DIY". And as someone learns they can do more themselves. So Burnedfingers does this (https://www.cascadetubes.com/the-6cy7-v2-0-zebrawood-amp/) qualify as DIY?
Let's put it this way.....
The original Design was typical chinese crap, using parts that are failure-prone and cheap.
A plastic rotary switch with 'push-in' wires and a weak plastic control knob stem, along with cheap grease that caused the switch to sieze up and make use almost impossible, eventually twisting the plastic up inside.
Cheap cheap cheap - designed to fail, designed for shortened lifespan - thus promoting replacement as are many things today.
This certainly isn't good practice for a space heater drawing 1500 watts AC, is it?
The heavy duty 20 amp rated toggle switches are MILES better than that crappy switch, regardless of where they're made.
DPDT and using both poles to insure positive action.
And soldered wiring, not some "push in" crap for the current they conduct.
Dunno, you tell me.
You bought it.
What did you expect for $19.95?
They make those cheesy creepy unsafe space heaters only because you (and tens of thousands others) actually buy them.
Chinese manufacturers can make them out of used toilet paper, BUT:
- American importers bring them in
- American shops sell them to the unwary public.
- American Federal/State/City electrical safety rulers DO NOT do their job, or bow to Merchant pressure.
But ... but ... but ... that will ... slow Commerce!!!!!
So be it.
You obviously did not read my original post (#26) carefully.
Try again.
Try again.
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And what exactly was your purpose for bringing this up in the first place?
Are you trying to tell us that certain people don't belong on this forum since they don't do their own designs?
Other than that, there seems to be no real purpose for your post.
To me, DIY is making use of any available constituent components - at any level - as an alternative to the purchase of a finished product. So basically any which way you can get around having to buy that finished product, it's DIY.
Example. I could have gone to Crutchfield and picked up Yamaha's R-N303. Instead, I picked up an assembled amplifier board from a member here, a mini-PC and metal case from a thrift store, a linear power supply from ebay and a USB to I2S converter from another member here. I downloaded the software from the internet...
Because I avoided the purchase of the finished unit to gain approximately the same functionality by going through all that and getting it to work, it's Do It Yourself.
When someone asks "what's a good streamer?" here, I'll typically answer in the context of DIY. Not "just go get a Yamaha R-N303"...
Example. I could have gone to Crutchfield and picked up Yamaha's R-N303. Instead, I picked up an assembled amplifier board from a member here, a mini-PC and metal case from a thrift store, a linear power supply from ebay and a USB to I2S converter from another member here. I downloaded the software from the internet...
Because I avoided the purchase of the finished unit to gain approximately the same functionality by going through all that and getting it to work, it's Do It Yourself.
When someone asks "what's a good streamer?" here, I'll typically answer in the context of DIY. Not "just go get a Yamaha R-N303"...
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If you want to start analyzing threads there is probably no purpose for any thread that is posted on any forum and probably no need for a forum period or for that matter any forum. Simple....if you don't like it then simply ignore the thread and move onto something else. You have choice and that is to participate in a thread or ignore a thread.
Its real simple even for the simple... read the title of the thread... "How Do You Classify a Project Diy"
I didn't have any hidden meanings nor did I hint or mention that certain people don't belong on the forum so quit trying to read something into this that simply isn't there.
You could ask a number of people and get a variety of answers. Having glanced at the RCA Tube Receiving manual in question my thoughts are it contains theoretical tube applications. In my opinion again I would make the assumption that these are unfinished concept ideas needing to be fine tuned or finished to the point of actually being able to use the design in question. I personally haven't seen anything come out of the RCA book that is 100% workable without some finalization. So if I were to have an opinion on it I would assume that someone opened up the book selected a tube as most of us do and used the circuit published in the book as a basis for a usable design. Not unlike opening up a PDF file on say a 6L6GC tube and following possible suggestions for usage along with suggested bias, plate voltages and so on.
So the big question...Do I consider it DIY? It would appear to me the person that put the project together DIYed it. He took a conceptual idea expanded upon it made it stable and workable and built a finished project around it. Now, if you a person that came across this article put it together I personally would say that it would be a copy of what so and so did in the article published in such and such book. I could expand on it to say that a person DIYed this project based on the original that was published on such and such date in such and such book. Did the second person actually DIY it? Well, in my opinion they completed a project based on an original and that does warrant credit. Now, if they redesigned say the power supply or incorporated changes to the circuit then in my opinion there is more credit due as they expanded on a design modified it and made it better then I would consider it DIY. I guess the question is "How Do You Classify a Project DIY??"
I backstab switches and receptacles. They are designed for it. I don't daisy chain them though.
I do not see what the issue is. "it" is a very generic word - it can mean any one or more of the processes necessary to achieve an end. Therefore, as long as you undertake at least one of these processes it counts a DIY.
Cheers
Ian
Cheers
Ian
I read all of your posts 🙂
In general, very good, technically accurate and realistic.
That said, half of them contain the words "chinese crap" 😉 so forgive me if I think you are slightly obsessed with the concept 🙂
Oh, not me..... I don't like or recommend to others the use of those lousy "convenient" push-in options for Romex.
They simply don't handle possible high current needs safely.
I've seen carbon-blackened areas around those little holes from arcing, obviously due to poor contact.
And I've always used the screw terminals with Romex wrapped around the screw, a nice solid connection.
I've seen more blackened or melted screw terminals because the wire wasn't wrapped in the correct direction or at all than problem with backwiring. Most of the time I see a failure, it's because the receiving parts for the prongs are loose and make a hot connection or people just yank the cord out of the wall and break a couple more strands of copper every time making the end get hotter and hotter. The trick is to always use freshly stripped wire, and give it a tug to get the teeth to bite into the wire.
In this picture, the wires are wrapped the wrong way around the screw, too.
If I have the choice though, I get industrial ones that get backwired by screw.
In this picture, the wires are wrapped the wrong way around the screw, too.
If I have the choice though, I get industrial ones that get backwired by screw.
Actually, I'm not obsessed at all over that, however the higher frequency of those products to have sub-standard and at times dangerous designs, along with rediculous components added in to create a "fake" and superficial sense of quality causes me to warn others of this.
And I will, as I see fit, continue to warn others, in order to shed some light on this.
I call out things for what they are, and give praise where its due.
Being in the service business for decades has naturally given me quite a bit of "hands-on" experience beyond what the general population is exposed to.
Along with that, anyone can go to websites about consumer product "recalls" and would notice the substantial amount of chinese products far surpass others.
Actually, the clockwise wrap is correct, and I've never had issues doing it that way.
Electrical Codes can confirm that if you don't believe me.
And yes, those clamp-type designs are a good option as well.
That burned up receptacle was either overloaded past its design specs, or just not tightened enough to bite into the copper wiring.
Yes, my bad - somehow I had that backwards. I do it clockwise, too.
I tend to wrap a loop though when I do it that way...
RE: Counterclockwise - That's for stranded. You twist the wire counterclockwise, then bend it into a J and put it under the screw clockwise - it stops the wire from untwisting.
I tend to wrap a loop though when I do it that way...
RE: Counterclockwise - That's for stranded. You twist the wire counterclockwise, then bend it into a J and put it under the screw clockwise - it stops the wire from untwisting.
I dislike using stranded wire for receptacles, because receptacles/switches were not meant to use that kind of wire.
However, if need be, I would simply twist and then tin the wire to "solidify" the strands to prevent fraying under the screw.
However, if need be, I would simply twist and then tin the wire to "solidify" the strands to prevent fraying under the screw.
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