Article in Scientific American May 2002 on tinkering.

[Brian Wood]

I agree. I prefer to think of homebrewing and kit-building as "dormant"
rather than "dead", awaiting a resurgence that I think will occur fairly
soon. It went dormant when SMT made it too hard for the homebrewer to build
most new circuits. So the building blocks will have to be bigger now as
builders use complete modules instead of chips or tubes. But that's OK! The
net has also fed the dormant period as people became enamored with it as an
end in itself. I think that will change to a model where the net is just
another tool. Hams already use it that way.

I think it's always been tough to be a tinkerer. I remember articles in QST
in the 60s lamenting the difficulty in finding parts. When I built a 6146B
transmitter from the 1966 Handbook, it took me months to find all the parts.
It's actually easier today - just a few clicks of the mouse and you're on
your way at DigiKey, Mouser, Allied, Newark and more.

Chuck Penson mentions that the days when Joe Ham could hack something out
with his 50W chisel tip soldering iron are over. True, but now Joe Ham can
use his adjustable power soldering iron with a fine tip. You have to *want*
to tinker, because it's hard, and I doubt that a born tinkerer will let
technology get in his or her way. But they could use help from those of use
who went before to show the way.

Brian, W0DZ


-----Original Message-----
From: Heathkit Owners and Collectors List
[mailto:HEATH at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV]On Behalf Of Dolce Consulting Services
Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2002 9:23 PM
To: HEATH at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV
Subject: Re: Article in Scientific American May 2002 on tinkering.


This is really not true.. Home brewing is only dead if we allow it to be
dead. I have been homebrewing for years, and still continue to do so. Some
of us older hams need to pass this on to the younger hams.

Cheers!
Jim K7QI

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