Hi everyone,
While reading the electronics equipment thread, I started to respond when I realized I was getting off topic and decided to start a new thread.
I feel that electronics has been through a bit of a rough patch, but has greatly improved from the old space do to the work of many members and the help of the committee head. At the old space it was hard to do any project in the electronics room, now we have semi clean benches to sit at with working soldering irons and solder. For me this is a step up as I would often bring my bench iron and solder at the space. Most of the work I see going through the electronics room is Soldering and Assembly. That also happens to be the most accessible part of electronics to most members.
I feel like the push for more cutting edge scopes and testing equipment is a bit before the horse. Yes a few members will use it, but will it bring electronics back into the focus of the general membership? I think the move to make at this point is to get soldering and assembly tools to better equip the room and to clear out the components. If we had a matching set of adjustable hakko 951 soldering irons and tips for the room that would be great. then we move into getting more of the consumables, Flux pens, tweezers, wire spools, ect. Iād love to see a stand up tool box with all the little tools and supplies in it, as apposed to the individual stations having their own tools. That way all tool are in one location and members donāt have to walk from station to station stealing tools.
I know this is going to ruffle the feathers of the members that are more advanced and feel like this is a step back. I think in the long run this can help your advanced goals as well. If you gain the focus of the general membership you do have to deal with more problems, but you also gain funding. Funding not just from the board but the members that want to help a cause, I managed to raise $500 for a Ping Pong table in 2 days based of the support of members. This was no small feet as the board and other members didnāt support the idea. But accessibility is what brought that support. Make electronics accessible to the masses of the group and you can wrangle support even when the board doesnāt have the money to spend.
Soldering projects should be something that we are doing on a weekly basis(Thursday nights), I would give over $5 to $10 a week to put together different little soldering projects like our DMS led badge, building a flashlight, surface mount throw lights, ect. The littel dumb things like that can be money makers for the electronics room. But, we have to have the kits on hand.
That is my two cents, please correct me where Iām wrong and enlighten me with your own opinions. My view may be off because soldering and assembly is also the level that Iām at with electronics so please keep that in mindā¦