I want to buy a x0xb0x but....(help needed in Chicago)

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sean hernandez
 
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I want to buy a x0xb0x but....(help needed in Chicago)

Post by sean hernandez »

I have no clue on how to build anything electronic. And I'm affraid of messing it up. Anyone in the Chicagoland area want to help me out? I can offer some money.

Anyone?

:?

evilxsystems
 
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Post by evilxsystems »

It's really not that hard...you should consider buying a cheap electronics kit and assemblying it first to get the hang of it, you might surprise yourself....otherwise there are people on the board who will build it for you for around 100-150 bucks...


-jason

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sean hernandez
 
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Post by sean hernandez »

But I mean I have ZERO experience. I have never even soldered before.

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altitude
 
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Post by altitude »

You might want to have it done for you then. Several ppl on this list have offered assembly serices. The last thing you want to cut your teeth on a project that is full of unobtainium parts. Take a course in you local community college if you want to learn how to solder and assemble otherwise you will likely trash the kit

DiscoVolante
 
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Post by DiscoVolante »

Hi Sean,

I was in pretty much the same position as you when I decided to make an x0xb0x. I had zero soldering experience, and my knowledge of electronics was very limited.

You can do it if you take a bit of time beforehand to learn what to do. There are a lot of tutorials you can find online about soldering, and like people have said, it's a really good idea to get a small kit of some kind to put together, just to have that practice. Also, it wouldn't hurt to buy Electronics for Dummies or something similar, just to familiarize yourself and to have a reference.

Since you're new to it all you're gonna have to shell out some money on the right tools, and I'd suggest not skimping out. A good soldering station, for one thing, is going to make your life a lot easier.

Read all the assembly instructions, then reread them, then follow them to the letter, and you're in good shape. Just don't rush it, and be careful and patient with every step. You'll be fine. It's a great learning experience.

Or get someone else to build it for you. It's less fun, but you'll have a cool toy when it's done.

briar_electrics
 

Post by briar_electrics »

I've built 2 x0xb0xen and repaired another so far- and I'm no EE, but I do have lots of soldering experience and still ended up with problems. It's a complex kit- one undetected screw up and you may spend hours searching for it. Right now I'm trying to get to the bottom of a VCA problem in one of the kits I built; it's been hours and hours with little improvement. But the build quality is very good on it- it may come down to a single defective component.

But on the other hand, x0xb0x is a fantastic synth- there's no better 303 clone and it goes well above and beyond that. You can email me at [email protected] and I will put yours together for cheap, and if you want to do it yourself there are lots of people here who will help you out as much as they can.

ceedubster
 

what up?

Post by ceedubster »

d00d-

I'm not offering to build it, but I'm a Chicago resource you can lean on. ceedub dot industries at gmail dot com

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Post by Guest »

Thanks all for your responses. I may have found someone to help me out here in Chicago. Now all I have to do is get the kit and I'm onmy way.

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subatomic
 
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Post by subatomic »

don't worry, take your time, learn things from the forums (there's a wealth of info here), read it as much as you can until you feel you understand all the materials you need and how to use them. plan your mods ahead of time if you're doing any. and if you can, solder some other kit first to get a feeling for soldering. get good solder (63/37 or 60/40, thin stuff, like what ladyada listed or thinner will make it melt fast to prevent damage from heating components). get good solder braid (i don't know what brand, my braid is not the best) because everyone makes mistakes (i used mine about 4 times). get a good circuit board holder, I got a weller for $30, there's also $60 panavise that's really nice, a very worthwhile investment. get a good iron with temp control so you know how hot you're making things. I got a Zhongdi brand iron from "mega rc" for $70, it's awsome for the price (comparable weller will be 2x more) and has a digital readout. get a couple different tips and try them until you like one. I like the screwdriver tip since it has a lot of surface area to transmit heat fast, or on it's corner can be pointy... some people like the point or chisel tips though.

also, you can PM me if you get stuck, I'm in the chicago area as well.

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