Show us your "Real" Workshop.

For better or worse here it is. Sorry for the poor quality, I can't get any light on most of it and can't get far enough back in some cases.

All this set up in your new home, with all the other things going on in your life... already?  You've only been there a month or two... right???  Your TODO project list must be really impressive.  I hope I'm still kicking it that good when I get to your age.    Hat's off to you! 👍 

@inq It's actually been 6 months and I had some of the parts in the RV. Indeed the ToDo list is huge, Although I can still add on to it, I don't have the energy to get much done. According to my family Dr, it's not the AFIB that is knocking me off my feet, it's the fact that my heart simply stops beating for a while some number of times a day. He says I need a pacemaker and that will make me into a new man. I have not heard from the cardiologists office yet but as soon as the holidays are over I will start to pester my Dr and hopefully get a phone number so I can then pester the Cardiologist. I have no idea what the backlog is for a pacemaker, but it could be a few months.

I am looking for a directional antenna for my LORA radio, I do get sporadic reception using the omni antenna so I am optimistic the directional will work. After the holidays I will have to try really hard to get the garden station set up. I can still do the software, it's the hardware that tires me out.

All the best to you and yours,

Ron (@zander)

well, @inq (Dennis).. you asked for it.. LOL, so here it is..my work shop is divided into two physical places My primary shop is in the garage and I only use it in the warmer months as it's not a heated space.

The secondary space is in my home office..This is where most of my research and development is done..  because it's warmer or cooler there as the weather changes down here...It's said if you don't like the weather at the moment, just wait 5 minutes and it will change... 🤣 I live on the US Gulf Coast in Alabama..so it's 67degF here right now on Christmas day @10:10 hours as I write this post..

The following are my shop, lab photos:

I keep all my MCU's in the black file roll-around, along with most of my Temp/Humidity sensitive parts, as it's a controlled environment in the Office.

Merry Christmas to all, and a happy new year..

Kind regards,

LouisR

This is my basement shop area. Most of my equipment is like me (Vintage).   I had another picture of my shelf of refurbished test equipment from the 70's, but had problems attaching it 

@inst-tech WOW, way too neat.

@rcc1 I see a lot of old test equipment already. Again, too neat though.

@zander that's the only way I could ever find anything . Lol

I even have  MsAcess database app that I wrote to track all my parts, where their located, and how many of them I have on hand.. 😁

@inst-tech I was semi-joking, my work area is normally a lot neater, but I am in the midst of several projects plus testing some battery chargers and not feeling well enough to do a clean up.

 I also used MSAcess for a DB of all the parts, designing the DB only took a few minutes but entering the data will take a while. I had not done one in a few years so I had to look a few things up, but of course being 3rd NF once the tables are defined it pretty much becomes press a button to create the DB. I might even add a chart of price over time if I can remember to save the purchase info.

@zander , Yeah, I figured that you were joking..as your a stickler for detail.. I track the price, and where I purchased the items.. I print out the invoices, ans store them is a file folder in my desk file cab.

It's been 10 years since I retired, and done any DBF work.. but it'll come back to you as soon as you start programming .. Most of the work is using the wizards, But some of the stuff, I have to custom write, like, showing a picture of the device on a form, and a button to display the data sheets for all the devices..Oh yeah, I did that too!...lol

here's a screen shot:

 I wrote an Asset management app for work..CVMM "Control Valve Asset Management.".

About 7000 + lines of VBA code..much of it was custom coding,but used the wizard when I could.

Data tracks over 30,000 instruments, including control valves, their specs, process parameter, repair history ( in-house and vendor), and some engineering software tools..and a whole lot of other stuff that I needed to run the Control Valve shop at the mill..Will I was not a professional programmer, I took all of the Microsoft courses to learn more about how to use them in my work environment..

I hope you get to see your doctor soon.. AFib is a serious thing..My cardiologist says I will probable be getting a pacemaker by the time I hit the eighties..I'm 77 now..

Have a Happy new year Ron, and take care..

regards,

LouisR

@inst-tech As much as I want to record prices and vendors, I do not have enough time. My Amazon account alone reached the maximum of 500 orders that can be archived in July of 2022. Simply not a good use of my time to dig that data out. Going forward, I might record it, but I will unlikely remember to do that, and I do not see it as a high priority.

I last did serious DB work about 20 years ago and am very rusty. I am not trying to do anything too fancy; the main purpose is to look up the location of where I put some parts.

I am a little concerned by your remarks regarding AFIB. A pacemaker does not treat AFIB; AFIB involves the Atria or upper chambers, and the non-surgical treatment is, first of all, a blood thinner to prevent a stroke, then maybe some additional medication to regulate the heart. A pacemaker is for issues of the lower chambers of the heart, the ventricles. My heart stops periodically for a prolonged period of time, and a pacemaker is designed to sense that and give it a little shock to make the heart start again. This is a new heart problem in addition to my AFIB.

I will call my doctor's office to make sure I have a cardiologist appointment request submitted. I will attempt to get the cardiologist's phone number so I can get an estimate of my appointment date.

OK, start here. This is a portion of my Homelab running Proxmox, TrueNAS, Synology, Pi-Hole, Home Assistant and a few other things. Reminds me - I need to make room for PFSense server and associated network gear. 

 When I get back home, this thread will remind me to document (and share photos of):

- workbenches (2)

- PC configuration area (top of an old tool box for now)

- 3D printing area (conveniently hidden behind a pile of electronic devices headed for the EcoCenter

- office lab area - complete with Raspberry Pi's, Windows CAD/slicing workstation and where I do breadboarding for projects 

All of these qualify for the messy work area contest, some may be contenders nearly equalling the cable management disaster in the provided photo. For those triggered by the photo, it is on my holiday "to do" list. Can't say which holiday, just yet 🙂

Best part of this thread is the ideas you have shared !

@zander

Posted by: @zander

↑

I will call my doctor's office to make sure I have a cardiologist appointment request submitted. I will attempt to get the cardiologist's phone number so I can get an estimate of my appointment date.

Indeed, I hope you get an appointment right away!.. Thanks for the tutorial on AFib... I don't have it..yet..but I was born with a heart murmur, but it was not the serious type, so no treatment was ordered.

I lived my whole life not having any problems with my heart until I was 58, got my first 2 stints because of clogged coronary arteries, then my 3rd one in 2016..Although I was always a healthy lad, (I was a high school track star, and played football, basketball, and baseball on varsity teams) My cardiologist says I'm doing fine, but I know I need to keep a watchful eye on everything as I'll be 77 come Feb. 2024.

At any rate, take care of yourself..and have a little fun while your at it!

Regards,

LouisR

Posted by: @theoutlander

↑

OK, start here. This is a portion of my Homelab running Proxmox, TrueNAS, Synology, Pi-Hole, Home Assistant and a few other things. Reminds me - I need to make room for PFSense server and associated network gear. 

-- attachment is not available --

Thank you!  I was feeling kind-of lonely at my end of the spectrum.  🤣 🤣 🤣 I now see I have a brother in arms!