Anyone else think they know what they have and "lose" things like a big transformer?

[GrimJosef]

Originally Posted by Analogue man

... got the T shirt!

Do you know where it is though ?

My version of the OP's experience includes not only knowing that I have something but also knowing pretty much exactly where it is. Except when I look there, it isn't. It's not until I've looked literally everywhere else that I return to the original location and now, of course, the thing is there. I blame a version of quantum mechanics. The object has an associated wavefunction which tells us the probability that it's located where (I know) it is. But an act of observation (looking everywhere else) is required to collapse the wavefunction and thus to cause the thing actually to materialise.

Cheers,

GJ

[Richardgr]

Originally Posted by Analogue man

To all who have replied so far I add Been there, seen (or not seen) that, done that, got the T shirt!

Well done if you can put your hands on that T-shirt!

[ex seismic]

Not components but my glasses. I can take them off, put them down and five minutes later cannot find them. Sometimes I have to resort to my spare pair to find the lost ones.

[SiriusHardware]

Something that was said earlier, that usually the fastest way to make a 'lost' item resurface is to buy a replacement, rings very true.

There are variations on that: You can, for example, accuse someone else of having borrowed or moved it. If you do that you can then almost guarantee that you will then immediately, embarassingly, find the item more or less exactly where you thought it was, with a magazine or something perched on top of it. It's actually best just to get this over with, the sooner you berate someone else for the loss of the item, the sooner you will find that you still have it after all.

Another way of making the item resurface is to accept its loss, and then a couple of days, weeks or months later, make a herculean effort to find something else which you've also lost more recently. You probably won't find the item you're looking for, but you will find four or five other things you haven't seen for ages, including the original thing which you thought you had lost and gave up on.

[locknut]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bulgaria

I ordered some Atmega chips to repair a blown component tester and put them on my desk in their sturdy ESD-box. I come to repair the thing and they've gone. I've looked in every drawer and even under the bed. I had to buy some more with my next Farnell order...

You do realise that you'll find them as soon as you order some more, and they'll be somewhere you've already looked. I'm convinced that things become invisible for periods of time.

[Boulevardier]

All this regret and indignation takes me back to previous threads discussing Resistentialism - "Les choses sommes contre nous".
I have become quite convinced that things move around and hide - usually in places that you've already looked.
Screwdrivers are past masters at this - there is probably a training school for them somewhere in the world of quantum phenomena. It's, sort of, the Schrodinger thingie in reverse - the thing is there but dematerialises on the instant you start looking for it...
Mike

[CambridgeWorks]

I bit the bullet and decided to search through a load of bins that are unfortunately at or just above ground level and in a row maybe 8 ft long.
Left to right is easiest due to confined space. The last row, bottom bin there it was, with several other big power transformers. Three of which I had forgotten I had.
In all, removing and replacing things meant total lifting effort of probably 200kg +!
See pictures of initial discovery and then removed from bin.

As well as these other large transformers, I pulled out 2 more bins of nearly all mains transformers and quite a few will be offered here. Probably only the low voltage ones, but that's for another time as around 40kg total.
Rob

[locknut]

When I was much younger, I had a remarkable memory, and despite the sheer amount of junk, I could pretty much put my hand on the most obscure thing almost immediately. I think you get used to that, and think it will always be there. However...

It's sort of crept up on me, my memory has been deteriorating gradually, but steadily, as I've gotten older. After I had covid a second time, it was utterly trashed.

It's most infuriating at times!

[G6Tanuki]

I have a rather rigorous approach to 'stuff' , following the Marie Kondo approach.

All my stock of radio parts fits in two three-drawer filing cabinets and a few shoe boxes.

I have an aspiration to get it down to just the one filing cabinet.

A similar purge of my bookshelves is scheduled for the Christmas break.

[thermion]

My trouble is my mind plays tricks on me, i convince myself i’ve got one of whatever it is somewhere, but it may have been 40 years since i saw it last, half remembered when looking for something else. Covid played some bad tricks with me, for some reason known only to myself, i put some rather nice proxy switches away somewhere & couldnt find them anywhere, until christmas time when i got out the christmas card box & found them in there! I have no idea why i did that. I seem to be always falling over something, then when i need it, its disappeared..

[Maarten]

Still missing after maybe 4 years: a 5 litre can of isopropanol and still missing a year after a customer ordered a few but I couldn't locate them maybe a month after I put them in inventory: a bag of otherwise unobtainable optical sensors.

Also, I've had complete TV sets go missing (out of several hundreds in my collection / round tuit pile - working on disposing part of them now).

For my business inventory I'm trying to put similar objects together so I can find them more easily, but will work towards using an index as the inventory grows. Apart from the above mentioned sensors I've never had to search in more than 2 or 3 different places for something to turn up and usually it will be where I remember storing it.

A local wholesale electronics dealer used an "index only" system where he deliberately stored dissimilar items together in each drawer or cabinet. That way, his warehouse staff including less knowledgable apprentices, were less likely to ship the wrong item (e.g. a bag of 1/4W resistors instead of a bag of 1W resistors of the same value).

[Analogue man]

[QUOTE=GrimJosef;1729527]

Originally Posted by Analogue man

... got the T shirt!

Do you know where it is though ?

No!

[Welsh Anorak]

My problem is seeing that transformer or whatever that's been in entirely the wrong place for years and putting it in a far more sensible location.

Then it's needed and can I remember the 'sensible location'?

[CambridgeWorks]

Just to clarify, my post 27, first picture. Those bricks are internal side of a cavity wall and my gear is not outside!
A post has been added in the components & circuits section requesting identity of the Gardners one shown and 2 other Gardners power transformers.
Rob

[John10b]

Yes I had a quad 301 ? Sound system and lost it in one of the many moves I had to make, because of work.
John

[locknut]

Originally Posted by Welsh Anorak

My problem is seeing that transformer or whatever that's been in entirely the wrong place for years and putting it in a far more sensible location.

Then it's needed and can I remember the 'sensible location'?

I've done that and can only remember the place I moved it from

The longer ago it was, the more chance there is of me remembering.

[Wellington]

Originally Posted by G6Tanuki

I have a rather rigorous approach to 'stuff' , following the Marie Kondo approach.

Do elaborate further please, because I'm always interested in decluttering techniques. I understand the Kondo technique involves grasping each item and asking oneself if it "sparks joy" – is that what you did? In my case, I imagine it would be pretty difficult since I love lots of vintage stuff, if only for the mere fact it survives

[Richardgr]

I think this describes me more ...

Anyone else think they know what they have and "find" things like a big transformer?

Something potentially useful from a cheap auction, generally.

[Pfraser]

Labelled storage is great...as long as it's clearly and prominently labelled!

I spent an educative and ultimately fruitful couple of hours in repairing an FM transmitter with used but serviceable parts, only to then notice the small note card on a large filing cabinet drawer: 'FM TX Spares'! The required, new parts therein were installed when the real TX Engineer next visited.

Humorous, practical suggestions: Learn to dowse! It's not only for finding water.

Stand in the centre of the room(s) where the missing item is most likely to be. Politely and clearly ask for its return.

[dragonser]

Hi,
yes this applies to me as well.
I have learnt to label boxes on at least 2 sides..
otherwise the side that is labelled may not be seen without moving other boxes.
make several lists of where items are located, if needed...