Wow, I'm glad this thread flushed some fellow females out of the woodwork! Hello, ladies, glad to meet you. No one would ever accuse me of being the "helpless female," believe me. The thrill of actually being able to figure out what was wrong and have and use the tools to fix it was what made me launch this thread, really for pats on the back! Which I received, and am well satisfied. I was very pleased w/myself a few years ago when I figured out how to connect the cable box, VCR, DVD player, LD player and TV all together w/a processor and amp myself. You know, you don't have to be female to find these things confusing. I am far more mechanical and logical than my best male friend, Raphael (who won't even drive if it's raining outside). But less so than my female friend Linda, who does tiling, roofing, boat-building, and landscaping projects totally on her own because she "doesn't want to spend the money." Suzy and Angela, I'm glad of some female company on this site, hope to hear from you again. And guys, I loved all your stories of college antics and soldering non-expertise. This hobby is great!