Small setup to learn about mining

[Jet Cash]

I'm considering trying to put together a small mining setup for my own education. I expecty to make a loss, and I think it unlikely that I will receive any revenue in the current mining environment. What I am thinking of doing is buying an out-of-date ASIC miner on one of the net sales sites (or this forum), and running it from a car battery. With this setup, I will not be able to join a pool, and I would prefer to run it myself to increase my knowledge of Bitcoin anyway. Is this a stupid idea that won't provide much useful info for me?

Once again, I don't expect to make any money from this. It is purely for my own education.

[VirosaGITS]

I'm considering trying to put together a small mining setup for my own education. I expecty to make a loss, and I think it unlikely that I will receive any revenue in the current mining environment. What I am thinking of doing is buying an out-of-date ASIC miner on one of the net sales sites (or this forum), and running it from a car battery. With this setup, I will not be able to join a pool, and I would prefer to run it myself to increase my knowledge of Bitcoin anyway. Is this a stupid idea that won't provide much useful info for me?

Once again, I don't expect to make any money from this. It is purely for my own education.

Depending on what it cost you the recharge the car battery, you might be able to make up your loss. Why would you not be able to mine at a pool? You don't have internet or you plan on powering the miner on your mobile car?

I don't see why you want to do it this way, i'd think you'd have some issue with the varying voltage of the car battery. You'd need to actually mine at a pool to get any reading on if you succeeded or not.

[Jet Cash]

I wouldn't learn as much if I joined through a pool. Cost is not relevant, as I am not seeking to make a profit. I want to do it via a battery, because I may switch to solar power in the future. I am aware that the voltage will need to be regulated, and that is a simple matter to control.

Now to the original question. Will a single ASIC miner still attermpt to mine, or will it be swamped by the mass of corporate miners active at the moment.

[VirosaGITS]

I wouldn't learn as much if I joined through a pool. Cost is not relevant, as I am not seeking to make a profit. I want to do it via a battery, because I may switch to solar power in the future. I am aware that the voltage will need to be regulated, and that is a simple matter to control.

Now to the original question. Will a single ASIC miner still attermpt to mine, or will it be swamped by the mass of corporate miners active at the moment.

I'm not sure what you imagine by being swamped by a mass of miners, its not like you're prevented from trying to mine a block. The difficulty is the difficulty, the target share your miner need to find to be a valid block.

You can reduce your performance and complicate your setup by setting up your own pool and try to solo mine. Because of the network hashrate is so high, your miner won't return any valid work (most likely). Its better to join a solo pool, that way you will have share tracking to make sure your miner is performing as it should.

But no the only thing that the existant network hashrate create against you is the target difficulty. Your miner won't explode or anything.

I just think setting up your own pool and "learning to setup a miner" are two completely different endeavor.

[Jet Cash]

Maybe I've misunderstood things. I am under the impression that joining a pool teaches you how to join a pool. I wanted to learn more than that. I have no desire to become a professional miner, or even to get a return however small. It's the  process that I want to understand.

[notlist3d]

Maybe I've misunderstood things. I am under the impression that joining a pool teaches you how to join a pool. I wanted to learn more than that. I have no desire to become a professional miner, or even to get a return however small. It's the  process that I want to understand.

If you truly are doing it to learn I would suggest using a RPI and a compac.   Some might say a full miner... but with it there is so much GUI you don't do much.

As far as learning building the program in linux, getting a USB hub that works with PI, learning command lines, etc.  You just learn a lot more then point/click.  So I think a Raspberry Pi and with a compac is best but there are other options.   

But if you just want to learn without the commands, or building software then a full size miner is much easier.

[Jet Cash]

Raspberry pi looks as if it's the way to go. Thanks for suggesting that.

[notlist3d]

Raspberry pi looks as if it's the way to go. Thanks for suggesting that.

If your truly wanting to learn I think that is best bet.  You get to use linux a little bit, get use to the mining program and it's command line usage.

That is something you won't get with a big miner, on it you pretty much enter the pool, and user info and it works.

[j_nathan]

Seems like playing with Pi is playing with Pi, might as well build a Pi retro gamer or home security system

Gotta agree with the pool suggestion.
Either you have a data center to chase the hash or you join the equivelant in a respected pool.

Then you can spend that time on learning more about the awesome bit commerce market  to be ready for whatever phase you need to be ready for because the changes have just begun.

There's also alt coins to mine and BTC conversion to/fro.
So much more than Pi rev B
Just my honest opinion
Here to collaborate not dominate

[notlist3d]

Seems like playing with Pi is playing with Pi, might as well build a Pi retro gamer or home security system

Gotta agree with the pool suggestion.
Either you have a data center to chase the hash or you join the equivelant in a respected pool.

Then you can spend that time on learning more about the awesome bit commerce market  to be ready for whatever phase you need to be ready for because the changes have just begun.

There's also alt coins to mine and BTC conversion to/fro.
So much more than Pi rev B
Just my honest opinion
Here to collaborate not dominate

I think learning command line for CGMiner or BFGMiner is not a bad thing for when learning.  The RPI just makes sense as uses so little electricity.  And throw in a hub and a few sticks, you can learn a lot about mining without a huge cost.

Or yes you can get a big miner.  But if you do I don't think GUI of a modern miner teaches you as much as command line.

[j_nathan]

Seems like playing with Pi is playing with Pi, might as well build a Pi retro gamer or home security system

Gotta agree with the pool suggestion.
Either you have a data center to chase the hash or you join the equivelant in a respected pool.

Then you can spend that time on learning more about the awesome bit commerce market  to be ready for whatever phase you need to be ready for because the changes have just begun.

There's also alt coins to mine and BTC conversion to/fro.
So much more than Pi rev B
Just my honest opinion
Here to collaborate not dominate

I think learning command line for CGMiner or BFGMiner is not a bad thing for when learning.  The RPI just makes sense as uses so little electricity.  And throw in a hub and a few sticks, you can learn a lot about mining without a huge cost.

Or yes you can get a big miner.  But if you do I don't think GUI of a modern miner teaches you as much as command line.

I know Juno's and older Cisco and ericsson so can appreciate CLI.
Good points.
Making me think.
My rant was more on the investment side.
I think some miners could use some investment/portfolio management encouragement from what I'm reading.
There's more power to BTC than they may understand.

But you adjusted my thinking on the matter.
I'm going to add a Pi/USB setup to my LAN and get a grip on the data flow.
Is there any relevant difference between CF/BFG?

(Know thy CLI)

[Biodom]

Seems like playing with Pi is playing with Pi, might as well build a Pi retro gamer or home security system

Gotta agree with the pool suggestion.
Either you have a data center to chase the hash or you join the equivelant in a respected pool.

Then you can spend that time on learning more about the awesome bit commerce market  to be ready for whatever phase you need to be ready for because the changes have just begun.

There's also alt coins to mine and BTC conversion to/fro.
So much more than Pi rev B
Just my honest opinion
Here to collaborate not dominate

I think learning command line for CGMiner or BFGMiner is not a bad thing for when learning.  The RPI just makes sense as uses so little electricity.  And throw in a hub and a few sticks, you can learn a lot about mining without a huge cost.

Or yes you can get a big miner.  But if you do I don't think GUI of a modern miner teaches you as much as command line.

yeah, people were ssh-ing into S1 all the time to make frequency/speed changes. It was fun.
Now, rarely someone tries to mod S7.
so, playing with pi and mining sticks sounds like a good idea. I am using it also to maybe learn some Debian.
I was actually quite impressed when a little pi zero was able to drive five sticks, a mouse, a keyboard, a 23in screen and I was able to watch a youtube video in the included browser at the same time. pi2 does the same even faster (as far as video in concerned).