in decline

[Strategy]

I build about a pedal a month and work on synth related projects too.
As my job has become huge in my life it's all pushed to the edges, and playing in bands takes away from DIY too. What I notice is it's not the DIY that's missing but the ability to spend "recreational" time on the internet conversing with people about it in communities like this, and like diystompboxes.com and electro-music.com
It's been amazing to play even a peripheral role in project development or testing and just brainstorming.
I just don't use the internet as much as I used to.
maybe in an "up" economy it's the same for others. I do solder, but after working 45-60 hours a week I can't even drum up the answer my own emails let alone jump on the forum.
it's sad and I miss the community interaction I was able to previously have.
Strategy

[Frank_NH]

For me, my "decline" has been entirely due to the fact that my basement workshop is being renovated (been going on for several months now), and so I can't just pop down there for a quick build session.  I have several projects I want to finish up and a few other to explore further with breadboarding.  It's all on hiatus until after this summer's vacation, when I'll have some time to reorganize everything.

I have to admit, however, that after a while there's only so many tube screamers and fuzzes you can build for yourself before you get saturated.  So the rate at which I work on PCB and vero projects will naturally slow down after a while unless I can give some pedals away  .

One thing I've been doing for the past several years is to get broken pedals for cheap on eBay and Reverb and repair them (to perhaps sell later).  My focus has been on older effects from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, and avoid anything digital.  But I have successfully fixed several pedals and resold a few at a good price.  Perhaps my best success was bringing an Ibanez RC99 chorus back to life after someone had used the wrong polarity power supply (yikes, what a mess the power protection diode was!  ).  I also have an old Vox Buckingham waiting for additional work... 

[Scruffie]

One thing I've been doing for the past several years is to get broken pedals for cheap on eBay and Reverb and repair them (to perhaps sell later).  My focus has been on older effects from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, and avoid anything digital.  But I have successfully fixed several pedals and resold a few at a good price.  Perhaps my best success was bringing an Ibanez RC99 chorus back to life after someone had used the wrong polarity power supply (yikes, what a mess the power protection diode was!  ).  I also have an old Vox Buckingham waiting for additional work... 

So YOU'RE the one that keeps outbidding me

[flanagan0718]

One thing I've been doing for the past several years is to get broken pedals for cheap on eBay and Reverb and repair them (to perhaps sell later).  My focus has been on older effects from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, and avoid anything digital.  But I have successfully fixed several pedals and resold a few at a good price.  Perhaps my best success was bringing an Ibanez RC99 chorus back to life after someone had used the wrong polarity power supply (yikes, what a mess the power protection diode was!  ).  I also have an old Vox Buckingham waiting for additional work... 

So YOU'RE the one that keeps outbidding me

I think you're both out bidding me too! Haha! I actually have a few that I've been meaning to put on "the bay". I guess I'll message you two first.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Frank_NH]

One thing I've been doing for the past several years is to get broken pedals for cheap on eBay and Reverb and repair them (to perhaps sell later).  My focus has been on older effects from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, and avoid anything digital.  But I have successfully fixed several pedals and resold a few at a good price.  Perhaps my best success was bringing an Ibanez RC99 chorus back to life after someone had used the wrong polarity power supply (yikes, what a mess the power protection diode was!  ).  I also have an old Vox Buckingham waiting for additional work... 

So YOU'RE the one that keeps outbidding me

I think you're both out bidding me too! Haha! I actually have a few that I've been meaning to put on "the bay". I guess I'll message you two first.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Heh!  No, I usually get my broken pedals on Reverb where you don't have to bid... 

One pedal I got from eBay that turned into a keeper was an old Carvin TO-1 overdrive.  I traced it and it turned out to be a part-for-part replication of the Boss SD-1.  After fixing it (replacing pots and fixing the switching system), I found it to be a nice-sounding, slightly warmer tube screamer variant.  The case is also the one of the most rugged steel enclosures I've ever run across!

One tip for Reverb - set up a Feed with the keywords pedal --> non-functioning.  Then you'll see all the non-functioning (aka broken) pedals as soon as they are listed.  Happy hunting!

[somnif]

One tip for Reverb - set up a Feed with the keywords pedal --> non-functioning.  Then you'll see all the non-functioning (aka broken) pedals as soon as they are listed.  Happy hunting!

I've tried this several times, and it always just says "Filter this search further to add it to your feed". Then again, no matter how many times I set it, Reverb refuses to believe I am not in France, so maybe the site just dislikes me....

[midwayfair]

Thats pretty rough Alan...How did they download the files from OSHpark though?  I thought once you uploaded you couldnt download, even if you are the author of the files?

There is a "Download" button next to the board order button on OSHPark listings. You get the .brd file directly.

I've appreciated it as it has helped me learn some tricks about board design, but I have never used them to order anything.

What the hell, is that new?  Ive never even noticed that before!  Just reaffirms my stance on shared projects, dont share what you dont want exploited.  Its a shame there are unscrupulous people out there abusing others generosity....

This is completely not what I or anyone else intended with sharing their projects, and it's really worrying if it's true for everything.

[drog_trog]

I dont think anyone should be able to have access to anyone's board layouts, as someone pointed out, layouts can take a lot of time to get right but i would be up for sharing just the .sch file.

[culturejam]

This is completely not what I or anyone else intended with sharing their projects, and it's really worrying if it's true for everything.

I had no idea about this, either. But all my shared project have downloadable BRD files now. Even the ones I uploaded back in 2013.