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Member's Forum What’s the worst mistake/problem you’ve made during a project, and what did you learn from it? We are asking e14 in our Join, Share & Win Competition
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What’s the worst mistake/problem you’ve made during a project, and what did you learn from it? We are asking e14 in our Join, Share & Win Competition

E14Alice
E14Alice 19 days ago

Hello Everyone!

Hope you are all doing well. I’m excited to announce that this month's AskE14 question is: What is the worst mistake or problem you've encountered during a project, and what did you learn from it?

Sharing your experiences can help others identify similar challenges and understand how to overcome them. I hope this discussion will be beneficial for those who are just starting out on a project or feeling stuck with a problem.

Here's the question:

What’s the worst mistake/problem you’ve made during a project, and what did you learn from it? 

imageimage

Competition Details

You'll have to be a member of the element14 Community to join in and take part in this “Join, Share & Win” challenge. It's simple, all you have to do is:

1. You need to make sure you are Register  or Login
2. Then answer the following question by adding a reply or commenting!

What’s the worst mistake/problem you’ve made during a project, and what did you learn from it?  

The Community team will then select the best 3 answers to win a Raspberry Pi 400!

This month, we are giving away:

image

Learn more

Terms and Conditions 

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Top Replies

  • dougw
    dougw 18 days ago +8
    My first rude awakening on the job was building a linear regulator to output 4A at 5V with a car battery as the input. I used a 2N3055 (TO3) as the pass transistor because it could handle 15 Amps and 115…
  • gordonmx
    gordonmx 18 days ago +6
    Many years ago, I worked for a company that made portable computers. A large service company wanted an add-on module base with more battery power to boost the operating life. The original computer had…
  • chloro
    chloro 18 days ago +5
    My worst project mistake? I guess I would say trusting a breadboard connection that “looked fine.” I spent hours debugging firmware, rewriting code, and questioning my life choices… only to find one…
  • Jan Cumps
    Jan Cumps 16 days ago

    I approved a change that halted several factories and shipping areas for almost a weekend in Russia.

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  • JWx
    JWx 16 days ago in reply to Jan Cumps

    if it was during the war it would be considered a mayor success Slight smile

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  • vmate
    vmate 16 days ago in reply to Jan Cumps

    100% cost reduction

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  • dang74
    dang74 16 days ago in reply to javagoza
    javagoza said:
    It was 11 PM in Stockholm

    Make sure when you write your memoirs you call this chapter "It was 11PM in Stockholm.".... and don't forget javagoza  I want the movie rights to that Northern Africa Marijuana scheme you got tied up in.  Wink 

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  • kmikemoo
    kmikemoo 16 days ago in reply to vmate

    I once put a County Courthouse and jail in the dark for about 2 minutes because I rebooted a router.  The circuit breakers were programmed to open if they lost communication - a really bad plan for an emergency backup power system - but there it was.  The systems didn't fail safe.  It just failed OFF.  And the restore time was ridiculous.  Needless to say, that control system got a complete changeout.

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  • vmate
    vmate 15 days ago in reply to kmikemoo

    I wonder how many places will 'randomly' lose power in 2038, when the cheapo router fails as the timestamp rolls over, with all the smart switches losing connection to the mothership and panicking.

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  • dougw
    dougw 15 days ago in reply to dang74

    Maybe it was literally, but there was too much damage for it to be legible...Relaxed

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  • beacon_dave
    beacon_dave 15 days ago
    E14Alice said:
    What is the worst mistake

    Getting your 1980's CAD printer scaling settings wrong and returning to work after the weekend only to find the sound of a printer still printing from the batch printing job you started last thing on Friday... 

    E14Alice said:
    or problem

    Gathering up 1,000 pages worth of fanfold listing paper that have overshot the paper basket onto the floor and hiding it before your colleagues start to arrive, whilst finding and replacing the now shredded ribbon cartridge and obtaining a new box of paper...

    E14Alice said:
    and what did you learn from it?

    Printers were evil 40 years ago and they are still evil today...

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  • balajivan1995
    balajivan1995 15 days ago in reply to beacon_dave

    image

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  • JWx
    JWx 15 days ago in reply to balajivan1995

    image

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