Section suggestion: Electronics

[Level42]

I never understood why there is a section for Woodworking, Software, Artwork, but not for Electronics. Electronics are the very essence of this hobby. I'd love to see that added.

[shardian]

The majority of the byoac hobby electronics is wiring. Very few of the people on here get into hardcore electronic troubleshooting, which is usually limited to original hardware games. These occasional questions are taken care of in the monitor and arcade misc. forums.

[horseboy]

Well, I agree with Level42. There are other reasons to byoac's, but the vast majority of people on here are Mamers. The PC is obviously one of the most important parts of that equation. I have often thought a hardware/pc forum would be a good idea. Not to mention that all of your controls and interfaces are hardware as well.

If you were to do that, it might be necessary to change the hardware reviews to something else. Software and other could be lumped in there as well.

[Loki]

* Loki agrees

PC and arcade hardware forum would be nice.

[ChadTower]

Arcade hardware usually falls in Arcade Misc as it is now.

[Kremmit]

Some topics just don't generate enough traffic to warrant being taken out of the catch-all "Main" forum.  Look at the "Hardware Review" forum - 17 topics have recieved posts so far this year.  The "Game Review" forum has 5 topics with posts this year.  How many people are checking in those forums everyday?  So few that people who want their posts to be seen just post in "Main" anyway, that' how many. 

I don't think there are enough "How do I install a PCI card?" or "Which end of this resistor faces which way?" questions to warrant a Computer Hardware and/or Electronics forum.

[saint]

(saint watches this thread . . .)

[shardian]

I don't think there should be a hardware review forum anyways. Hardware reviews would much better go onto the navigation bar on the side in a permanent list format, and mods could add reviews that are posted in the main forum as they become available. If this was done, then the hardware review forum could become simply the "hardware" forum.

[ChadTower]

There should definitely be an easy way to browse specifically through hardware reviews.  It doesn't appear, from the traffic, that a full forum section is it.  We've already seen that child forums are traffic killers.

Maybe something like a way to mark a thread with a meta tag, and a link somewhere in the forum with preformatted queries on that meta tag?  We could easily find those threads all at once that way but they wouldn't have to have their own section.

[horseboy]

Warning....Many different thoughts at once. Much rambling ahead.


Speaking of the catch-all Main forum... It seems like there is no efforts by some of the newer members to post stuff in the right places. It seems like here lately this trend has gotten worse. It seems like I have seen 7 project announcement posted in the Main forum in the last week. Not to mention all of the guys that bought some cab locally, gets on teh innernets to figure out how to fix it, finds this site, and posts some weird question in the Main forum. Maybe a Hardware and/or Computer forums could take some focus off of the Main forum and people would be more likely to post in the correct place.

What constitutes a Main Forum post anyway? Something that doesn't fit anywhere else? That always confused me.

I don't mind when some new guy posts a question that could be found in 10 minutes of searching (it's funny when CheffoJeffo or buddabing do the Wiki post). What does get irritating is when someone obviously doesn't read where it says "Read here before posting." I don't know what I am suggesting here, it's not like you can make new people take a test to prove they read everything before they post..... or can you? 

Oooo, ooo I got an idea. How about before you can post anything in a forum you first have to make a post in that forums "Read me first" thread? That wouldn't prove that anybody actually reads it, but having to go into the thread and post significantly increases the odds that they read it.

End ramble.

[Kremmit]

Oooo, ooo I got an idea. How about before you can post anything in a forum you first have to make a post in that forums "Read me first" thread? That wouldn't prove that anybody actually reads it, but having to go into the thread and post significantly increases the odds that they read it.

Dude, I wouldn't read a thread full of 300 "I read this" replies.

The fact is, there's no way to make noobs not be noobs.  There will always be clueless people, and there will always be lazy people.  Rules and hoops for new members to jump through will piss off the reasonable, intelligent people who don't need to be forced to do their homework in the first place, but won't make dummies not be dummies.  Back when I first joined this forum, I lurked for a long time before I finally registered an account-  and I wouldn't have registered at all if I had to learn the secret handshake, take a test on the bylaws, take a solemn oath and sing the club song in front of an audience before I was allowed to post.

Noobs will either get educated or get lost, same as always.  The choice is theirs.

[Level42]

<SYSTEM MESSAGE>

THIS THREAD HAS BEEN HI-JACKED.

PLEASE RETURN ON-TOPIC.....



So far, I am still not convinced that there should not be an electronics section. Apart from "just" the wiring (which already can be very difficult for unexperienced) we could discuss things like the motion detector for a cab, how to add a knocker, and yes indeed also how to repair a real arcade PCB. Electronics hack on joysticks (Suzo Inductive), electronics for starting-up /powering down cabs, electronics for rorating monitors.....etc. etc......

[Loki]

There are also enough questions for videocards and the usual question "is this PC any good for...?"

[Kaytrim]

There have also been plenty of discussions on "Which interface do I use?", "Which joystick is better", "What is the best 4/8-way stick?"  I would volunteer to keep an eye on a Hardware Forum and answer where I can.  The reviews could be put in a child forum.

TTFN 
Kaytrim

[Level42]

Mmmmm....seems the mods decided......no go 

[woodygjw]

I like Level42's idea.  I have several real cabs, but no mame cab.  I would like to make one someday.  At this point though, if I need specific info on games pcb's etc I may find some info here, but much more on RGVAC.  I figure it this way, this site has so much info now, why not add it and build up more of a database?  Several people here collect and restore original cabs/hardware.  I think this whole idea makes perfect sense... 

[Kremmit]

I like Level42's idea.  I have several real cabs, but no mame cab.  I would like to make one someday.  At this point though, if I need specific info on games pcb's etc I may find some info here, but much more on RGVAC.  I figure it this way, this site has so much info now, why not add it and build up more of a database?  Several people here collect and restore original cabs/hardware.  I think this whole idea makes perfect sense... 

But everything you just mentioned is already discussed in "Arcade Miscellaneous".  What goes in Arcade Misc if we take all that out?

[ChadTower]

Agreed.  Forums that try to evolve into everything and anything eventually end up so sectioned into specifics that they are impossible to navigate.  It ends up being less fun to be there.

[Level42]

If that's true there shouldn't be any sections at all.

The thing I am trying to point out is that so much postings about electronics are all over the forum. I wonder what would happen if we start discussing drilling holes in MDF on the monitor section ?

Just an example:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=56324.0

What is this doing on the Wiki section ?? This would have fitted perfect in en electronics section.

Another example: should we really be discussing PCB repairs on component level in the Arcade Misc. section ?

Anyway, it's not like I can't live without an electronics section It was just MHO......

[ChadTower]

If that's true there shouldn't be any sections at all.

So if one extreme is bad, why would the other be good?

[BobA]

I would like to see some of the detailed electronics/fix board/mod controls/pc prob in one area.  Right now people post in main, arcade misc, hardware review, and anyplace else they figure it goes.   Main example is all the TB and JoyStick questions now posted in Hardware Review.  I don't think anyone is reading the review portion and that is where their hardware questions are being posted.

People are used to the idea of software and hardware so I would like to expand on Level42's original idea and maybe the Hardware Review could be changed to Hardware/Electronics and the Review portion could be kept or placed on a sidebar for easier cleaner access.

[Tiger-Heli]

Mixed feelings on this, but, overall, I tend to agree with Chad (that was tough to spit out!)

On one level, I could see adding a PC Tech, and Hardware/Electronics forum, but I personally have had the following issue on here before:

My computer is doing something weird when I do something in MAME.  It could be my interface.  It could be some software setting, it could be my PC hardware or some BIOS config.

Right now, I have to guess whether it is most likely software or hardware and post it in either Software or Main.  If we add more forums, then is this an electronics problem, or software, or PC tech, or hardware.  I despise cross-posting, but sometimes that becomes the only way to find an answer.

The other problem is as trying to be a support person - I tend to follow Main and Software and Recent Unread Topics, and ignore monitor and woodworking, b/c these are not my strong areas.  As it is, replies that are 2nd or 3rd on the Main forum might be 30th in recent unread due to all the other forum activity.  Adding new forums adds 2 or three more boards to keep up with and complicates things, IMHO.