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Suggestion...

AZBiker said:
But, if you don't agree that every swinging dick on AK can reply to an earnest problem, then I wish you luck. I don't want to have to separate the wheat from the chaff.
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Pretty sure that there are some members here that are not equipped with that body part.
Sorry that we "chaffs" irritated you for the 5 weeks that you have been here.
Hope that you find a forum that meets your standards.

"I come from the ham radio sector where we have what is known as, "Elmers".

73!
 
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GChief said:
As a life long electronics tech and a fixer and modifier of old crap. Those will 100% work for anything I need in this hobby or fixing a Ham radio for my dad when I visit.

Valid point on technical knowledge but anything in this hobby is easliy learned, it's not effing rocket science, it's actually fairly easy down at point to point tube stuffs.
:beerchug:

Edit: bad analogy, I actually know some rocket dudes and it's like your what :yikes: :D
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I disagree. This stuff is not, "easily learned", like replacing a leaky faucet in your sink. Electronics is much more complex than say, working on a '70's carbureted engine or a Briggs & Stratton lawn mower. You can't simply teach your neighbor how to fix a broken Pioneer stereo receiver from the '70's the way you would a '69 Torino. That's just the way it is. It's night and day. Nuts and bolts.
 
We can agree to disagree. I OJT'ed a lot of people :thumbsup:

Get an scope and we (AK) can walk you through that SS old stuff. Most of us will tell you to start with point to point tube stuff until you get a grasp, but either way is cool. :)
 
There's a heck of a lot of in-between in audio repair. Hams have a more regimented approach to their trade? Hobby? Culture? Personally, I believe one of the best aspects of AK is that people who are anywhere above the greenest of the greens are generally happy to help lift up those greenies. I've had many folks help me out with issues who probably dont rise to whatever the AK equivalent of an Elmer would be, but they're still really helpful. I've also had veritable AK royalty help me out. In some cases, the "lesser" folks actually helped more because I don't have the required knowledge or equipment to understand and execute the highest level repair instructions. I'm definitely not on "elmer" level, but I know a decent amount. I can trace a signal if the path isn't too complicated, and I know generally what an older unit needs to be reliable, but I can't tell you which transistors sub for which others, nor can I explain how to do a tuner alignment. Would I be included as a "tech" in your suggested setup? Would I be excluded as a johnny-come-lately weekend warrior?

Where would I post if I'm undertaking a repair where I know almost all of what I need to do, but ran into an unexpected problem? How would I post if someone else has the exact same problem in a few weeks and I can help them solve it? Not trying to be a jerk, just trying to understand what your vision actually is...

As others have suggested, spend a few months here, become a member, and see if you can figure out how the community has organized itself. Maybe you will like it. Maybe you will prefer to go read a textbook on audio design. Maybe you will decide to stick to hams. Whatever the case, spouting off about dickswingers and whatever other names you have for the folks here to give and receive help ain't the best way to the ends you desire.

Good luck on your quest. I recommend enjoying this forum for what it is. It seems to be a great place for lots of OTHER folks to exchaing and gain knowledge. Hopefully you figure it out or find a place that serves your purpose better.
 
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jayvis said:
This is why there should be two sub forums for each specific brand that AK determines to have enough interest. One sub forum would be for tech talk, repair and restoration related topics while the other would be for model specific info, personal reviews, and opinions. It shouldn't be very difficult to understand and follow. Then, if AK finds little to no interest in a brand specific sub forum, they can remove it. I'm suggesting this because to me, AK has become pretty much a tech talk, repair and restore, site with very little talk about new products. If that's the ultimate wish by AK and the public, so be it. If it is, AK should specify that their forums are for technical, repair, and restoration only. It's become kind of a dead end for people who want info and opinions on NEW audio products.
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AK is what it is. The knowledge base and discussion in here is vast.
Go Google search some obscure audio piece, it will most likely point to an AK post from day or years gone by. I can understand changes as time goes by but I don't want to reinvent the wheel or build a better mouse trap with AK.
AK has everything and much more than I need. The techs in her are excellent.
6 years ago I didn't know what an output was or where to find it.
Now I run electronic test equipment, do any and all my own repairs and restorations, all because of AK.
If I get stumped this is the first place I run for help, suggestions and opinions.
I find it very forward but if you find it backward, perhaps there is a betters source somewhere else more to your liking.
 
I often join new forums and try to show how they could do it better. Clearly after 20+ years AK still can learn from non subscribing folks how to bend AK to better serve their needs.

Or..... the OP could just take what is offered here, for free, and learn how to incorporate it into their needs.

In my short 8 years here I don’t recall seeing an abundance of bad advice for technical help. BWDIK ?
 
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avionic said:
A shout out to all the technical chaff ... :biggrin:

Speaking of chaff...................

I used to repair flare & chaff dispencers.. AN/ALE-45 Counter Measures Dispencing System.. on the F-15 Eagles..

https://man.fas.org/dod-101/sys/ac/equip/an-ale-45.htm

So I guess this makes me a wizard at Chaff..:banana:

I was assigned to the 33rd maint. squadron for over 15 years

The 33rd Maintenance Squadron, nicknamed the "Wizards,"

https://www.33fw.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Article/333630/33rd-maintenance-squadron/
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Well according to @AZBiker you don't know **** unless you also worked on Ham radios.
 
avionic said:
I worked on **** that will jam ham radio..EW / ECM was my game.. A little higher freq. than the Amateur bands .ie microwave .. Not to mention secure UHF radio repair as well.

Yeah I know just a little about electronics from DC to Ghz..:biggrin:
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Same here but most of my stuff operated underwater, except for my sonobouy antennas. I did have the EW guys on my last ship so I did work on their stuff.

Actually I guess the receivers and transmitters were the only things underwater :)
 
AZBiker said:
To get info from folks who have, ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED specific issues
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Lots of chaff have experienced specific issues and shared the info when it is appropriate.

Why do you want this segregationist? Is it because you only want a real tech responding to your problems to avoid suggestions from the chaff that might send you down the wrong path?

I don't understand the need for this.

If you only want techs to respond write your question in a way that only trained, qualified technicians will 1) understand it and 2) be able to respond. Then you might find out the there are some serious weekend solder slingers that have gained considerable experience using their "Free with any purchase" Harbor Freight DMM and don't have a diploma to provide as credentials. They have been doing it long enough that the HF meter was free, 10-20 years and gotten serious.

Those with the chops to get in on the special forum you mention also know enough to separate the wheat from the chaff in answers to their technical questions. Maybe you need more experience with this gear to be in that boat, able to read responses to your queries with a discerning eye and skip the ones from the chaff.

There can be a number of different responses and they come from different levels of experience. Most here are learning quite a bit as they read all the responses to questions whether just following along or repairing a chunk of gear.

Hang out for a while, you'll get the hang of this evaluation of responses. A helpful hint, I try to help sometimes and might not get it all right but I chose a handle whose initials make it clear what some of my comments are, if you know what I mean.
 
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AZBiker said:
To get info from folks who have, ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED specific issues.
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You only need start your thread with that phrase and then some technical language and documentation and IF someone can help you, I'm pretty sure you will get help.
You need to understand that this is a place formed mostly by enthusiasts, collectors and weekend warriors, with a few active "experts" (for lack of better term)
Anyway, I bet that if you start with a proper format question, if possible you will get the help that you might seek, instead of putting the staff to work extra hours, creating and moderating sub forums that adjust to your needs.
 
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Hipocrates said:
Anyway, I bet that if you start with a proper format question, if possible you will get the help that you might seek, instead of putting the staff to work extra hours, creating and moderating sub forums that adjust to your needs.
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I guess we could always just move to another audio forum for new and/or modern components and leave AK to antique audio component fanatics. I'm starting to lean that way. :(
 
jayvis said:
I guess we could always just move to another audio forum for new and/or modern components and leave AK to antique audio component fanatics. I'm starting to lean that way. :(
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That is your prerogative. If it would suit me more I would do the same. I always try to use the best tool for the job at hand.
 
jayvis said:
I'm starting to lean that way.
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Well, for me as part of the chaff Is all about gathering information and learn... It's been that way for quite some while for me, for example; I've been more into DIY stuff than fixing 70's gear for quite sometime now, so, am I going to learn about circuit analysis, power supplies or PCB design on AK? (even when I'm sure that they're members that knows those subject extremely well) hardly, most of the semi technical discussions were from members long time gone and currently almost everything is about ''what to replace to make my stuff work", and try to addressing some of the designs flaws of old gear can be seen as ''not being nice" and hurt people's feelings (yes people are extremely passional about their own gear), yet, AK is extremely useful when I want to get/share info from a particular unit.

That said I'll always try to help here because is the place that opened the door to some stuff that I enjoy a lot, and lead to meet some very kind people (most of them gone) willing to teach me when I didn't even know what to ask... but as Kwayde said ''try to use the best tool for the job in hand", one of the most amazing things that internet give us are choices and information, why stick only to one place?
 
After a few weeks here, I was able to discern between those who merely had opinions not based in fact, those who had knowledge, but whose interpretations I disagreed with and folks who really knew their stuff. There is a wide variety of experience and information here and that is what makes this site both entertaining and useful. Segregating the information to be shared merely amongst those who already know would drastically dilute the utility and enjoyment of this space. There is a diversity of experience here that adds tremendous value here: there are people who don't know anything who either ask interesting questions from a perspective I haven't considered or ask dumb questions with often hilarious consequences, as well as very knowledgable people who share information because they enjoy helping others or merely get a charge from showing off what they know. either way, that melange of experience is what keeps many of us coming back- I wouldn't want it any other way.
 
Gigantic said:
After a few weeks here, I was able to discern between those who merely had opinions not based in fact, those who had knowledge, but whose interpretations I disagreed with and folks who really knew their stuff. There is a wide variety of experience and information here and that is what makes this site both entertaining and useful. Segregating the information to be shared merely amongst those who already know would drastically dilute the utility and enjoyment of this space. There is a diversity of experience here that adds tremendous value here: there are people who don't know anything who either ask interesting questions from a perspective I haven't considered or ask dumb questions with often hilarious consequences, as well as very knowledgable people who share information because they enjoy helping others or merely get a charge from showing off what they know. either way, that melange of experience is what keeps many of us coming back- I wouldn't want it any other way.
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Very well said.
 
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