You put it down in video, so that's a first step. You have good exceptions and I think you'll hold true to you're words now that you closed the Tindy store.
hmm. Sounds like a New Years resolution. i.e. Great intentions, but let’s see what happens when you identify something you find a renewed passion for, which requires some new parts. I’ve probably got enough parts for unfinished projects to last me the year, but I have no doubt something new will take my interest within a month (week?) or two.
I think this is a good move. I had stopped buying stuff that I didn't need because of the component shortage. Then one day I was stuck on hold on the phone and visited aliexpress and it all went south from there.
I find myself in a similar situation. Unfinished projects and not enough good quality time to spend on them. Motivation (going off the boil) is also a problem. I will definitely not be stating anything new this year. I also agree with you on PCBs. The facilities on offer today, especially with software like Kicad add a whole new dimension for the hobbyist at minimum cost. Thanks for the push and good luck with your own projects 👍
I'm in sort of the opposite situation - I went the better part of 2 years without buying much of anything as we were in a rental between selling our old place and looking for a new one... Now we're in the new house, and dang near nothing we want is available at a price we're willing to pay 😅
I don’t know if you can do it as I don’t know how much stock you have, but I wish you luck and hope you succeed. However, if you run out of parts and get bored, maybe you could revisit the Tetris clock Webflash and enable the LDR dimming. Wishful thinking on my part, I know!
First, I think this is an awesome idea. I think component constrained challenges among RUclipsrs would be a fantastic ongoing thing. Not unlike those cooking shows when they have to cook with certain ingredients. Great work Brian!
I am the opposite, I buy parts I may never need because of the kinds of repairs I do, when something breaks those parts may not be available at all anymore, so I buy random stuff from what I see in the gear I repair in case I need it in future... but then I am fixing 30 year old test gear... it is somewhat different to what you are doing, I think each time you buy something you should video it... and at the end of '22 do a video showing how it turned out.
This is really a problem that involves all electronic circuit developers regardless of culture and country they live in. We were excited about a new idea and the possibility of a circuit and a good code and we made more purchases without foreseeing the use of the components.
I think it's a great challenge, looking forward to seeing when you get stuck and if you manage to work-around the inevitable missing part/s or resort to making a purchase
PCB orders are a cop out! Lack of perf board is no excuse. You should try circuit sculpture, laying down slug tape on cardboard, or modding another PCB to do something it wasn't even designed for.
My opinion is to buy a cheep esp based light switch and flash it with Tasmota or Esphome. Or install something like a Shelly1 or Shelly 2.5 agin flashed with Tasmota or Esphome. But use something with EU and or UL certification for the mains.
The issue with both those solution's is they require me to do a decent chunk of wiring and to shove something up into the ceiling (I've no neutral at the switch so I need to install the anti flicker module) , while the light bulb takes two seconds to install 😅
First question, To who?! As Ireland is a small island the potential audience for a nich hobby is quite small, so selling things would involve posting things over seas. Even if I gave things away for free the postage along would cost more than people would pay delivered from AliExpress for most stuff. "Need" is a strong word too, there are somethings I don't use or haven't used , but that's not to say I won't use in the future
The environment argument doesn't wash with me. Do you think that they are not going to still sail the boats and fly the aircraft anyway? Treat yourself to some new resistors 😉
Pick the slowest (most economical) shipping choice, then the shipping is likely to select most efficient times. (If you selected slow shipping and the items show up way ahead of schedule, that's why.) Fast shipping tends to increase environmental costs by making more trips to meet deadlines, more of a problem in rural areas than urban areas.
I'm going down the exact same road myself. Mostly to save money, but also to force me to look at what I've got and maybe be inspired to work on projects that use up that otherwise useless stuff.
Very good channel, a lot of useful info, your videos help people like me to survive, with people like you and Andreas. Spiess, I am able to make 200 V / 100 AMPS MPPT under 150 €, make BMS for LFP and NMC cells, make battery, make inverter, ....., and at the end make sourdough bread and survive. Thank you very much.
Here is was...looking at all the stuff in the background..looking for that one impossible component that will not help you keep that promise..lol....Couldn't find it. It's kind of re-living my childhood. de-soldering components from old tv sets because as a kid, I couldn't just buy components...lol
Nice goals and self-set challenge there Brian! :) I've also made a similar promise to myself last year: I'll try to actually use the parts I have before ordering anything more. Also I love the part where you mention the environmental factor - tbh I'm kinda sick of certain companies shipping electronics parts in a holy-batman-that's-ridiculous amount of plastic packaging.
With our passion ideas are fast and time is so limited. It's courageous to private yourself from receiving little bags with new components (because, yes, this is a pleasure) but I'm sure that it could be a way to still concentrate on your initial project list.
Good idea! This will give life back to older unfinished projects, also in this high inflation rates, waiting is good idea to force prices down if it goes general.
Here's a problem I've run into, but I think it's more down to a weird quirk of Brexit: every time I try to order ATtiny85s from Chinese sellers (I don't need enough to justify buying 100 from Microchip), they keep going missing if they get routed through the UK. I've no idea if it's the UK Post Office seizing them, or An Post being lazy and just returning them because I didn't happen to be awake at 7:13 when the postman dropped by and couldn't even be bothered to leave a collection notice, but the last two years have made getting components really awkward, even for prototyping.
Why buying from Ali or Ebay, and not just from Mouser, Farnell, TME ? Especially the last one can provide small quantities even for non-business related consumers. More often I even let them being assembled when ordering the boards. My stuff and "overstock" is actually really small this way. Just some standard things everyone needs, but not a lot more. And yeah, for developing this years has been really bad. Most of our projects have been postponed or just completely canceled. All of my own projects have been completely canceled.
I enjoy limitations like this when I'm working on personal projects. I definitely have enough electronics parts to have fun for a year, but I keep very little metal, plastic, and wood stock so that would be tough.
I just donated a few k worth of items to a local non profit makerspace. I was never going to use it all and had this planned. It's going to enable them to start a youth program. I'm going designing them a robot platform using mecanum wheels on an rc I bought and gutted.
I don't think I could do this! Too may new shiny things to distract me!!! Good luck though, and I look forward to seeing what cool project you make in 2022! BTW, love the "componentfreetill23" :)
For the counterargument to that point, read Tim Hartford's story on the unplayable piano and how it pushed Keith Jarrett to improvise one of the most astonishing performances of his career
I think you will do it. It will be interesting to see how things go and especially a retrospective view. How it might change the way you do things in the future. It is also a great inspiration to hoarders like me to stop buying stuff to park in a box and do something. Thanks Brian, good luck..
I think with the amount of your stuff you have should be an interesting challenge. I am a young player in the game and all I have is all through hole parts from a few years ago which isn't handy for the few space constrained projects I have coming up! So I've already made a few orders this year
Not buying stuff part is going fine, but I'm not working on as projects as I'd like. Not being able to build the open mower project is the toughest challenge of it so far, but again that would be likely to become an unfinished project
@@BrianLough I think I spend more time buying parts than properly planning the project or writing code. We are only human. Buying stuff or thinking about a new project is the fun bit. I Need to cultivate the skill of making my current projects exciting again and breaking them down into small goals
Do you think I can do it?
You have more chance than England winning the six nations 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Probably not but I appreciate the sentiment :-)
You put it down in video, so that's a first step. You have good exceptions and I think you'll hold true to you're words now that you closed the Tindy store.
You can definitely do it, depends on how many projects you wanna fully finish :-P
hmm. Sounds like a New Years resolution. i.e. Great intentions, but let’s see what happens when you identify something you find a renewed passion for, which requires some new parts. I’ve probably got enough parts for unfinished projects to last me the year, but I have no doubt something new will take my interest within a month (week?) or two.
I think this is a good move. I had stopped buying stuff that I didn't need because of the component shortage. Then one day I was stuck on hold on the phone and visited aliexpress and it all went south from there.
I am so jealous at how organised your space is. Just spent the weekend tidying up and it feels like I haven't even made an impact.
I feel like that every day !
Congrats on your challenge Brian. Have a great 2022
Thanks Brian. Love your work. Maybe as a part II, you can take us on an audit of your parts. It would be interesting to see what you've got.
I find myself in a similar situation. Unfinished projects and not enough good quality time to spend on them. Motivation (going off the boil) is also a problem. I will definitely not be stating anything new this year. I also agree with you on PCBs. The facilities on offer today, especially with software like Kicad add a whole new dimension for the hobbyist at minimum cost. Thanks for the push and good luck with your own projects 👍
I can relate to this so much, good on you Brian!
I'm in sort of the opposite situation - I went the better part of 2 years without buying much of anything as we were in a rental between selling our old place and looking for a new one...
Now we're in the new house, and dang near nothing we want is available at a price we're willing to pay 😅
You are so right. Also when you think about the environment etc.
Well, it's an addiction at this point ^^
What could be interesting is if someone suggests a project to you. Then you try and build it with what you have on hand.
I need such a part but can’t find it, oh forget it I’ll just order some new parts!
I don’t know if you can do it as I don’t know how much stock you have, but I wish you luck and hope you succeed. However, if you run out of parts and get bored, maybe you could revisit the Tetris clock Webflash and enable the LDR dimming. Wishful thinking on my part, I know!
First, I think this is an awesome idea. I think component constrained challenges among RUclipsrs would be a fantastic ongoing thing. Not unlike those cooking shows when they have to cook with certain ingredients. Great work Brian!
I am the opposite, I buy parts I may never need because of the kinds of repairs I do, when something breaks those parts may not be available at all anymore, so I buy random stuff from what I see in the gear I repair in case I need it in future... but then I am fixing 30 year old test gear... it is somewhat different to what you are doing, I think each time you buy something you should video it... and at the end of '22 do a video showing how it turned out.
This is really a problem that involves all electronic circuit developers regardless of culture and country they live in. We were excited about a new idea and the possibility of a circuit and a good code and we made more purchases without foreseeing the use of the components.
I think it's a great challenge, looking forward to seeing when you get stuck and if you manage to work-around the inevitable missing part/s or resort to making a purchase
Yes, I think you can do it Brian.
PCB orders are a cop out! Lack of perf board is no excuse. You should try circuit sculpture, laying down slug tape on cardboard, or modding another PCB to do something it wasn't even designed for.
I'm in a small apartment room, filled with my computer, bed, shelves full of random stuff from China to tinker with. I want to get out.
My opinion is to buy a cheep esp based light switch and flash it with Tasmota or Esphome. Or install something like a Shelly1 or Shelly 2.5 agin flashed with Tasmota or Esphome. But use something with EU and or UL certification for the mains.
The issue with both those solution's is they require me to do a decent chunk of wiring and to shove something up into the ceiling (I've no neutral at the switch so I need to install the anti flicker module) , while the light bulb takes two seconds to install 😅
Why don't you sell the things you do not need anymore.?
First question, To who?! As Ireland is a small island the potential audience for a nich hobby is quite small, so selling things would involve posting things over seas. Even if I gave things away for free the postage along would cost more than people would pay delivered from AliExpress for most stuff.
"Need" is a strong word too, there are somethings I don't use or haven't used , but that's not to say I won't use in the future
The environment argument doesn't wash with me. Do you think that they are not going to still sail the boats and fly the aircraft anyway? Treat yourself to some new resistors 😉
I agree that in reality it will have very little impact, but every little counts right?
The plane might be 100g lighter so will use less fuel 😅
Pick the slowest (most economical) shipping choice, then the shipping is likely to select most efficient times. (If you selected slow shipping and the items show up way ahead of schedule, that's why.) Fast shipping tends to increase environmental costs by making more trips to meet deadlines, more of a problem in rural areas than urban areas.
I'm going down the exact same road myself. Mostly to save money, but also to force me to look at what I've got and maybe be inspired to work on projects that use up that otherwise useless stuff.
good to see you uploading again
This story sounds so familiar. When it finally arrives I'm not so hot about that project (or can't even remember what I bought it for).
Very good channel, a lot of useful info, your videos help people like me to survive, with people like you and Andreas. Spiess, I am able to make 200 V / 100 AMPS MPPT under 150 €, make BMS for LFP and NMC cells, make battery, make inverter, ....., and at the end make sourdough bread and survive. Thank you very much.
Here is was...looking at all the stuff in the background..looking for that one impossible component that will not help you keep that promise..lol....Couldn't find it.
It's kind of re-living my childhood. de-soldering components from old tv sets because as a kid, I couldn't just buy components...lol
Nice goals and self-set challenge there Brian! :) I've also made a similar promise to myself last year: I'll try to actually use the parts I have before ordering anything more. Also I love the part where you mention the environmental factor - tbh I'm kinda sick of certain companies shipping electronics parts in a holy-batman-that's-ridiculous amount of plastic packaging.
I'm not buying it.
That would have been a better motto 😅
@@BrianLoughYou should make it your clickbaity thumbnail
I’m not buying anymore. I’m also not buying any less. 🤦
With our passion ideas are fast and time is so limited. It's courageous to private yourself from receiving little bags with new components (because, yes, this is a pleasure) but I'm sure that it could be a way to still concentrate on your initial project list.
If you have a list of your inventory, upload it. Perhaps your followers can suggest pojects that can be made with that assortment.
Good idea! This will give life back to older unfinished projects, also in this high inflation rates, waiting is good idea to force prices down if it goes general.
Here's a problem I've run into, but I think it's more down to a weird quirk of Brexit: every time I try to order ATtiny85s from Chinese sellers (I don't need enough to justify buying 100 from Microchip), they keep going missing if they get routed through the UK. I've no idea if it's the UK Post Office seizing them, or An Post being lazy and just returning them because I didn't happen to be awake at 7:13 when the postman dropped by and couldn't even be bothered to leave a collection notice, but the last two years have made getting components really awkward, even for prototyping.
Why buying from Ali or Ebay, and not just from Mouser, Farnell, TME ?
Especially the last one can provide small quantities even for non-business related consumers.
More often I even let them being assembled when ordering the boards.
My stuff and "overstock" is actually really small this way.
Just some standard things everyone needs, but not a lot more.
And yeah, for developing this years has been really bad.
Most of our projects have been postponed or just completely canceled.
All of my own projects have been completely canceled.
I enjoy limitations like this when I'm working on personal projects. I definitely have enough electronics parts to have fun for a year, but I keep very little metal, plastic, and wood stock so that would be tough.
Good Luck Brian !! lol... I have loads of boxes from previous projects but i still buy more ..aliexpress is a curse lol
I just donated a few k worth of items to a local non profit makerspace. I was never going to use it all and had this planned. It's going to enable them to start a youth program. I'm going designing them a robot platform using mecanum wheels on an rc I bought and gutted.
I will it !!!!
Exactly how i started this year :)
It will give you a strange boost.
Good to have you back, Brian
I don't think I could do this! Too may new shiny things to distract me!!! Good luck though, and I look forward to seeing what cool project you make in 2022! BTW, love the "componentfreetill23" :)
Holy crap! I has no idea you were a genius! Great videos and GG on the successful channel!
Ha, definitely not a genius anyways, but cheers Rich!
It's better to have something and not need it, that to really need something and not have it (Jimmy Diresta).
For the counterargument to that point, read Tim Hartford's story on the unplayable piano and how it pushed Keith Jarrett to improvise one of the most astonishing performances of his career
You cannot do it, I am quite sure! There will be this one big idea that kills your promise. And no reason to say sorry if it happens ... good luck!
I think you will do it. It will be interesting to see how things go and especially a retrospective view. How it might change the way you do things in the future. It is also a great inspiration to hoarders like me to stop buying stuff to park in a box and do something. Thanks Brian, good luck..
I think with the amount of your stuff you have should be an interesting challenge. I am a young player in the game and all I have is all through hole parts from a few years ago which isn't handy for the few space constrained projects I have coming up! So I've already made a few orders this year
How is it going? I like the idea. So many parts ordered for projects not started
Not buying stuff part is going fine, but I'm not working on as projects as I'd like.
Not being able to build the open mower project is the toughest challenge of it so far, but again that would be likely to become an unfinished project
@@BrianLough I think I spend more time buying parts than properly planning the project or writing code. We are only human. Buying stuff or thinking about a new project is the fun bit. I Need to cultivate the skill of making my current projects exciting again and breaking them down into small goals