Electronics CE

[Paul Birkeland]

Perhaps the real solution to this conversation is to rehash Valve?

[docbob52]

I started this post and found the replies all interesting. Dan, you do have your plate full and production must be goal #1 for a small business and as wonderful as yours is. My suggestion is to pass this of laterally to an associate, review his work and offer it as an upgrade option on your website and you both split the additional profit at say, 20$ per kit. 

Judging by the large interest in this topic that might be some additional cash flow.  Grainier and  PB. Are you listening?

[Grainger49]

Bob,

Where it says "Old Fart" today it once said, "You Know I'm Not A Bottlehead Employee, Right?"

I am retired from Kimberly-Clark.  Retired again from a 6 month contract with them two weeks ago.

[docbob52]

Yes Grainger I know that you are not a Bottlehead employe. But you are active and I bet that after 6 months of retirement you will totally board as most are in retirment.   Reminds me of an 85 year old corn farmer in the Midwest interviewed on NPR 3 weeks ago.  The asked him why he was still farming several thousand Akers at his age and he said "Allthe old farmers I know that retired to the suburbs died of a heart attack in 6 months ". 

[earwaxxer]

So, Granger, I guess thats it. No more temp?

I'm a temp now, in 2 weeks I will be, finally, part time - a job share arrangement. I figure that will be what I need....

[Grainger49]

Nope, waiting for a call back.  I have been assured it will happen this fall.

Part time temp is a good thing.  Full time stops everything I have on my plate at home.  I think you have the right idea.

[J. Mauro]

I just want to preface this comment with the fact that I have not built a kit yet, but I have read some books on the subject and will be building the quickie soon, followed by a sex kit. The truth is, I want to know more, and I see real value in someone who is very well versed in the subject doing a video, breaking down a build into easily explained portions. To that end, should someone from Bottlehead ever have time to do this, I would be more than happy to pay for the privilege of accessing the video or videos. Also, I am not demanding these at all. I just would love them. Much like a video I watched recently of Peter Lederman from Soundsmith breaking down his philosophy on moving iron cartridges. I gained a lot from that video and I crave more, given his talent fro producing great products. Thanks in advance.

[Mmaxed]

I was going to stay out of this, but....

I recently completed my first kit a Reduction.  As I was putting it together, it dawned on me how much time and effort went into the kit.  Someone has to design the circuit, test, revise, test....  Then as I was soldering components in I realized how much work went into just the layout.  And it is already set up for future add ons.  Somebody has to write instructions that even I can follow, source all the components, organize, pack, ship, and I'm sure a lot that I am missing.  Then they put this wonderful kit to my door for a great price.

I guess what I am saying is that BH is doing what they do very well, and I don't feel it is their job to educate me.

Typing finger is tired.
Mark out.   

[Doc B.]

Thanks, Mark. Kudos to PJ, PB and Josh for a whole lot of the things you mentioned. This thread is kind of funny to me because we have spent 20 years figuring out how to design kits specifically so that people who don't know how all the parts work can build them. That, in fact, is our specialty.

I do take that folks want to learn more as a great complement. And I consider it a complement that someone would ask us to help them when a library of text books has not. I'm just not sure how much curriculum we can fit in. Things are very, very busy here at BHQ these days just trying to keep up with the number of orders coming in.

[Grainger49]

You guys post questions In the TECHNICAL TOPICS folder and I'm pretty sure they will all be answered. 

Dan & Company write the best manuals I have seen.  You can't imagine how I appreciate that.  The first kit I assembled had both the instructions and schematic wrong!  That is inexcusable!  Bottlehead is light years beyond those instructions.

As Dan just posted, he intends to write to novices.  He used to test the manuals on his wife Eileen.  But now she is an experienced kit builder.  See, a double edged sword.

[docbob52]

I am glad I started this post as it got a bunch of response from people interested like me. Dan and company are already over the top for the products and service they provide. If they don't have the time for additional CE enhancements, then I totally understand.

Thank God, someone is producing state of the art electronics at an affordable price with great design and manuals.

[dave-tx]

FWIW, I would have gladly purchased a $50-$100 add-on of a theory manual that addressed detailed design decisions for the Eros or BeePre.

And if one ever comes out, I'll order it...But yeah, I understand the constraints of time and resources.  Just saying there is a paying market out there if BH decides to give this a try at some point.

[Doc B.]

You guys could probably save $50 by going to the forum category that deals with the kit you are interested in and asking specific questions about the design. If it is something that we feel we can share we are happy to do so.

[dubiousmike]

I totally understand and appreciate that bottlehead's core mission and focus has to remain devoted to the design, production and awesome community support related to its kits.  I imagine having lives outside of work may also be something of a priority for some of you   

That said, should it ever become feasible for you all to offer some sort of video lecture or webcast, walking through the internals of the crack, mainline, etc. - I am among those who would gladly pay to play.  The fact of the matter is that we all know, from personal experience, just how good bottlehead's kits sound - so the prospect of learning/relearning some of the basics from you all in some sort of a virtual lecture setting is really appealing. 

In the meanwhile, those of you who are interested might also want to peruse the NEETS (Navy Electronics and Electricity Training Series) materials.  Here's a direct link to the chapter on amplification: http://www.phy.davidson.edu/instrumentation/Files/NEETS/Mod08%20-%20Amplifiers.pdf  Earlier chapters start with E&M 101 and move through vacuum tube anatomy and design etc., depending on how many hundreds of pages you have time to work through.