A long time ago I was reading an Electronics magazine and they had a section in it where someone doing servicing wrote a column of the troubles he found. Someone brought in a kit that they had bought and tried to assemble but it wouldn't work. Guess what, just like in the centre of your drawing they had used actual glue. Oh, and if that diagram was actually produced it would also have plenty of dry joints. In my past life if a Trainee had nothing better to do they were sent in to the equipment room with a lamp, soldering iron and a magnifying lens to inspect racks for dry joints.
I am one of the last people to say I have a passion for electrics or electronics
but
once, many many eons ago (mid 80's when I was a young man, with no patience),
I brought an electronic kit to make an inverter (12V to 240V - I think from memory it was something like 150W)
anyhow
I assembled as per instructions - (how I read them anyway)
wouldnt work
bugga
checked everything over
couldn't find anything that lept out and grabbed me and said "I'm at fault"
so I rang the local chain store I brought it from, the guy was as helpful as a bucket of snails
- "well, you've done
something wrong" says he
no kidding - says I
-" hahaha, why dont you bring it down so we all can have a look" says he
no problemo - says I - not realizing he is wanting to take the proverbial out of me in front of others
soooo, I take it down - I had spent good money, and wanted to know why it didnt work
- " well, look here" he says "if you get a Diode around the wrong way, it wont work, and probably stuff the whole thing and it has blown up"
in front of his crowd of cronies (who were all sniggering at this stage)
my back is starting to get up, and my "placid nature" is rapidly being replaced with my "are you passing emergency dept on your way home because your going to need to nature"
anyway, super clown goes on to tell me that in this kit are 7 diodes and something else that, if I get one of them the wrong way around, it will not work, and the whole thing will be shot, cause it will burn out the other parts
great - says I, " and how prey tell, to you know if they are the right or wrong way around".........
hackles are rising, fists are getting clenched, teeth are gritting, body moving into the stance of when you go to deck someone......
-"oh, they are marked.."
bull crap says I, here is the drawing provided, a photo copy of a photo copy of a photo copy
-" you dont know much about these do you - really......?"
nah mate, says I, I usually try to keep away from this sort of shyte - leave it for dorky geeks to do, I'm a Diesel Fitter by trade
-"ahhh" he says " you are indeed a very lucky sod then"
come again, says I
- " you have managed to get ALL 7 around the wrong way - no damage, I can fix for you, and I am sorry you couldn't read the drawing"
he then proceeded to explain to me about that little mark on the diode meaning which way it flowed - like a water tap - and I was indeed lucky to have managed to get them all wrong
moral of the story
I still dont touch electronics unless I have to - and not all electrical drawings any good
