Forgot to add that after a certain period like 2-3 weeks all the left overs get donated/tossed.
I love the idea!
I will volunteer to be the committee chair if no one else wants to step up to take over electronics up until the new elections but I am going to have a clear goal.
My goals will be to focus on Usability for the 80% and not worry about the 20%
I will make sure all the equipment is in working order
I will be removing all components that donāt have a Immediate use case ( I love the Idea of Sorting I just donāt think itās doable inside of DMS)
I will order new Hardware like Wires and Soldering Tips for all the irons (This is what I want to inventory)
I will be heavily talking with Jimmy Tanner and the Electronics Room users to find out what Core Equipment is needed and make sure that the focus is on the users.
I would be implementing a strict clear table policy similar to what is in the woodshop
Finally I will try to bring in more classes and events
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Selling of the parts to members is something that would be acceptable in my head, though part of the reason I was inclined to join is the fact that there is large selection of parts available for those odd times when the stores are closed. If you decide to sell them off, I would definitely be interested in purchasing a chunk of them both to help support the electronics setup and to build my personal supply.
@Robert_Davidson if your willing to discuss further (again leading back to my suggestions of function combined with visual appeal), I would be willing to help with the sorting and labeling to keep the components, and likely could enlist the self-identified hoarders to lend a hand. Iām fairly available until the middle of February to help with projects.
I am also willing to go through the exercise of sorting and identifying, and then truly making decision to toss or sell if itās truly useless stuff.
I have recently begun to properly sort and store my own small bits of electronics and random hardware at the house, and after doing so, find it much more relaxing and enjoyable to work in my own spaces.
Well at this point the electronics committe should get together to elect a new chair. The electronics committee wiki page lists David Fenyes as the Sub-Chair so I guess we should give him the right of first refusal.
However, I would like to throw my hat into the ring for consideration as well. I have always been an electronics hobbiest first and initially joined the MakerSpace for that reason. Iāve been a member for many years and would like to give back and help electronics committee continue to grow and engage more members like myself.
Ken
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I think having components on hand is important, the problem is that we donāt have the right components. I figure most of what people need are the simple parts like through-hole resistors, capacitors, common transistors, voltage regulators, etc. We donāt have a need for multiple shelves of random logic chips.
I also think that having a bunch of SMD parts is likely not as useful as through-hole components as most people bread/proto-board using through-hole. Additionally, using SMD parts typically requires designing a board first, which is usually done with specific components in mind. We may or may not have those components, so anyone expecting to use SMD components may find the right value resistor, but the wrong size/footprint.
If we focused on having a handful of common values of resistors/capacitors/etc, we could easily fit them on a small segment of wall and they would see far more use than our current collection.
6 Likes
As a relatively new member who joined the makerspace primarily to learn and use the electronics room I would like to make the following comments:
1)The new room is way better than the old room and that is due to really extensive efforts of a handful of people.I personally want to thank DJ, and also Steve Adams, who while I was down there put immense effort into trying to make that space a really valuable asset for others to use.
2) I also in addition want to thank Ken,Nick, and Dave Guill who at one time or other spent a lot of time teaching or helping me and sharing their knowledge. In my mind that is what the makers space is all about!
3)As for upgrading the equipment (scopes etc): It is an ELECTRONICS ROOM! not a soldering room, not a components storage room. You gotta have good test equipment if you want to troubleshoot gear and build new things. I can buy my own parts at Tanners or on line and I have a soldering iron at home. The whole point of DMS is to offer equipment that I donāt have access to like a good scope or signal generator.
4)As for the components issue: I agree with those who have suggested that we keep the more mundane and commonly used stuff readily available and the more exotic stuff in deep storage (perhaps somewhere remote but ultimately accessible).
5)As for the organization and maintenance of the room: This is the crux of the problem, regardless of what we decide to keep in the room. .It is not like we have a table saw or a 3D printer that is not gonna move and everybody will use the same way. Anytime you have mobile equipment & material with open access to multiple users of varied purpose, you are set up for chaos.
6) So the electronics room offers some special challenges and from my perspective they are:
a. Varied purpose: some want to solder, some desolder, some test , some build,some design, some find a part, some take apart.
b. Many pieces of equipment ,of all kinds, in various state of working order, and various location.
c. The workspace is a mess. Very few clean up- I think because they donāt know where stuff came from or where it should be.
7) My suggestions:
a)Pare down the equipment and parts so that we have the things that get used most commonly or essentially readily available. Move the other stuff out of the room into back up storage.
b. Nail down the location of the equipment so that it has a home. ( e.g. Keep a few VOMās in good working order in set locations - so that when finished using it goes back on the wall just like any other hand tool).
c. I like the idea of specialized workstations- soldering , testing etc.
d. Lastly and most difficult: Identify individuals who are responsible for the maintenance of the room. Perhaps they could get discounted membership, or perhaps we could rotate the responsibility. Either way unless someone is accountable with defined responsibility the place will fall into disarray no matter how well it is organized at the outset.
Bill Erdman
Wow!
Ok, I am here. I am glad to see such a strong interest in the electronics area. I am presently leading an effort to both retain and catalog our valuable stock of parts, and clean up the electronics room. The above are NOT thoughtful discussions, but are activities IN PROGRESS. After this effort is well under way, I will work on having four fully functional, clean electronics workstations. Everyone should be aware that there is a LOT of work to do.
My ultimate goal is more than to just clean up a mess. It is to make the electronics area a well managed resource, and a tour-worthy asset for Makerspace.
I am very encouraged by the out-pouring of support I have received among my fellow makerspace members. This is important for several reasons. We will need your support and help in the future to complete some projects. Also it may become necessary to seek an incremental increase in space. Furthermore, while fellow makerspace members have been overwhelmingly supportive of our goals, you should know that several members of the board are not.
DJ has worked for a long time and done more than his fair share to make DMS electronics a better place. I personally have benefited from his expertise. I had hoped that as his co-chair, the situation would be more tolerable for him and he would stay on. Hopefully, he will stay an active member and continue to give us the benefit of his expertise. His vacating denotes the loss of yet another highly valued member of the electronics commmittee.
Properly utilizing the space we have is a concern for members and the BOD. We are not short on space but long on crap.
If you want support of the membership and the BOD, the electronics committee needs to meet and choose a chairman, make a plan and act on it! Stacking the parts in the break room and declaring we need more space is just going to upset more members.
If the general membership wants to have a voice in the process, please go to the Electronics/Robotics Committee wiki page and join the committee. We would love to have you.
As a committee member I would like to request a meeting ASAP to get our group back onto the same page.
I THINK I know who this is, but you might want to ID yourself in case others are confused 
For a new thread specifically about nominating a new chair for the committee. We need to follow the correct rules and policies for nominating a new chair for board approval.
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Bill it was nice to meet you and BTW, you helped get the room initially setup before it became crowded. Like your suggestions and they are spot on to make the room more user friendly. We just have too much of a good thing. 
Weāll get there with your help.
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Iām pretty sure I know who it is, if so thereās a well done word pun in his profile picture.
But yes, can we get a name?
Just throwing this out there as the sorting looks like it might happen soon.
-Alex
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