Work bench has seen better days LOL
Relays, Contact swiches, wiring connectors, desoldering tools (one not shown, solder wick) and patience, patience, patience’s’s’s’s’s,,,,
And my cheaters. Getting to where I can’t read any of those little numbers or layouts on those things.
I have a piece of generic PCB still, big enough to make the board for these parts and make the whole sorta of compact. Could go big analog components, but hey, these is free!! (minus the recovery efforts)
And they fit the ratings I need. Fact is, they came out of an old control board that I had sitting on the shelf at the shop for the last 5 years. Only thing wrong with that board was someone had a bad day and threw something at it, and took out the pushbutton interface side of it. Unit was still functioning when I went to replace it, but no one could do any programming to it.
Held on to it because ‘one day, this may be useful‘. Today is that day. (and there are OODLES of other parts still on the board,,, Just took the parts I wanted.
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Short day at shop, sorta. More like “lets get Dio running around SEKY chasing problem child gate controllers”
Yup, and that was exactly what I was doing. Only,,, they weren’t really problem children. More like neglected puppies. Dio shows up, gives ’em a once over, scratches ’em behind the ears and tells them how good they are, make sure they remember the tricks I taught them, and ouila! Good functioning gate controller! Not a danged thing wrong with them; just wanted attentions. One was so simple as to be a waste of time if the bosses knew the real issue: open box, small flatblade driver, turn potentiometer to full, back to off, and put back in the orignal spot. Hit reset, Good to go. (unit is down near the river and is always in high humidity. The pot I turned is the ONLY part not incased in plastic goop. Just needed the wipers exercized. Happens about every 6 months or so and is always the same issue. And the Tech guys on the other end of the phone know it, can’t do anything about it, and we joke about it everytime (I have to call to generate a ticket or we can’t charge a service call.)
and now, I’m home, and pulling PCB’s apart, and thinking best approach to building what I need. Solder iron in hand, schematics on notebook, and a board in a small vise while I work at it.
Been a long while since I’ve done this sort of stuff, like since I left the audio world,,, WOW. 20 years WOW,,, (and I still have my tools from then.) Funny how the skills outlast the memory of them. Lots of little details in the back filing cabinets of my mind, just waiting for days like today.
More tomorrows, Love y’all
Stay curious
Live
Love
Laugh
Learn
LOAD!!
