What did you buy today? Post your latest purchase!

[Housedad]

it apparently uses the same software as the Analog Discovery.  Waveforms 2015.  It looks like they have a couple of extensions in the software for this unit.  We will find out.

DigiKey has a video on their site where a person is describing the analyzer at a trade show.

https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/d/digilent/digital-discovery

[AF6LJ]

A very very crowded restoration project.  Waterman Pocketscope S-11-A.
Tube produces a spot, didn't dare test it more until I replace the electrolytic and paper caps.  Is that square thing a really big paper capacitor!?

(And on closer inspection, one of those tubes is definitely gassy.)

You have at least one tube you will be replacing, the second picture right hand the tube closest to the right side has lost its vacuum.
That is a cool scope, fun resto project.

[John at the Falls]

I want to watch the current and voltage from my CNC drivers to the motors and see the efficiency of various micro steps on my DSO1054Z

Hantek AC/DC Current Clamp CC 65 Up To 20 kHz 20mA To 65A DC Multimeter. $75 US shipped



http://www.ebay.com/itm/322392886936?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

And for when I get around to studying embedded controllers
USB Logic Analyzer Device USB Cable 24MHz 8CH 24MHz for. $12, US shipped.


And finally these for $3 from China because I am tired of trying to make tiny meter lead alligator clips stay on the car battery.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/381669976300?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[DTJ]

^^^ Bonus points for including links to the source John.
 

[mmagin]

A very very crowded restoration project.  Waterman Pocketscope S-11-A.
Tube produces a spot, didn't dare test it more until I replace the electrolytic and paper caps.  Is that square thing a really big paper capacitor!?

(And on closer inspection, one of those tubes is definitely gassy.)

You have at least one tube you will be replacing, the second picture right hand the tube closest to the right side has lost its vacuum.
That is a cool scope, fun resto project.

I don't even own a tube tester, but I'm realizing that I don't really need one if I'm willing to check tubes slowly.  Between a low voltage supply for heater, a 100V bench supply for plate, one DMM for plate current, another DMM (with a good uA range) for grid current as a check for gassy tubes (grid tied to cathode via the meter), I can reasonably check small tubes against one or two points on their datasheet curves.  At least I checked a known good 12AX7 and got what I expected.  I should probably also check with an ohmmeter for shorts to be complete, first.

I guess in a pentode/tetrode I could figure out screen voltage from the datasheet, but I guess for a first approximation I could just tie it to the plate.

Also, something I bought today (HP 411a), for not a lot more than sometimes how much the (included) old HP power cords seem to go for these days.  It has a synchronous-motor driven opto-mechanical chopper in back to modulate the chopper amplifiers 4 photoresistors!

[Cubdriver]

Wow, that 411A looks nearly pristine!  Nice and clean, but for the scuffs at the top of the meter bezel.

Sweet!

-Pat

<edit to add> - or is that paint or something on the meter bezel?  Might clean off easily.  Even better, if so.

[bitseeker]

Yeah that 411A looks great. I concur that the white mark looks like paint/scuff on the surface.

[canibalimao]

And for when I get around to studying embedded controllers
USB Logic Analyzer Device USB Cable 24MHz 8CH 24MHz for. $12, US shipped.

Does it come with any kind of usable software? I am thinking about buying this one but I don't know the program I should use.

[Messtechniker]

Pulseview should support it. Just look around here:

https://sigrok.org/wiki/Supported_hardware#Logic_analyzers

or ask Sigrok. They are very responsive.

[frozenfrogz]

Awesome update: I wrote a mail to Fluke customer service some days ago regarding serial numbers and build dates and today I got a call from Fluke Netherlands!
They actually took the time to crawl through an old database and found my 8020B meter
It was built in 1985.

If that ain’t customer service, what is!

Chapeau Fluke!

[mmagin]

Wow, that 411A looks nearly pristine!  Nice and clean, but for the scuffs at the top of the meter bezel.

Sweet!

-Pat

<edit to add> - or is that paint or something on the meter bezel?  Might clean off easily.  Even better, if so.

Yeah, scrubbed it right off this morning with isopropanol on a kimwipe.  There are some scuffs on the paint on the outer case, but I don't mind.  Certainly in better condition than a lot of things I've paid a lot more for.  It clearly has some out-of-spec components, the bias adjust is cranked way over to get it zero-able.  Ironically though, this incadescent lamps and motor-driven interrupter may have a longer lifespan than later neon-lamp choppers.

[canibalimao]

Pulseview should support it. Just look around here:

https://sigrok.org/wiki/Supported_hardware#Logic_analyzers

or ask Sigrok. They are very responsive.

Thank you very much! I'll give that a try!

[Cubdriver]

Yeah, scrubbed it right off this morning with isopropanol on a kimwipe.  There are some scuffs on the paint on the outer case, but I don't mind.  Certainly in better condition than a lot of things I've paid a lot more for.  It clearly has some out-of-spec components, the bias adjust is cranked way over to get it zero-able.  Ironically though, this incadescent lamps and motor-driven interrupter may have a longer lifespan than later neon-lamp choppers.

Excellent - glad to hear!  I look forward to hearing about the repairs.

-Pat

[FrankBuss]

I didn't bought this nice decade resistor box today, but opened and tested it today:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/252701473593

Testing:



At the end of the video you can see how it looks like inside. Very clean and neat, and built like a brick. It has no manufacturing year label or any other label, except what you can see on the front (it is in German, eBay says made in Germany, was sold from Hungary). I guess it was built before I was born and might still work when I'm long dead.

Do you think I can use this to determine the anode resistor for my Nixie project? They are running at 170 V and 5 mA, but the resistors in it look like they would even survive a short with these values (> 1 watt rating?). The case has a ground connection, which is a good idea for additional safety, and the resistors look pretty good isolated from anything. Would be easier than using a potentiometer, and I don't even have one with decent power loss rating.

[FrankBuss]

Another good eBay deal, a Hitachi Oscilloscope V-202 20 MHz, condition like new, everything works, EUR 50, which actually arrived today: http://www.ebay.de/itm/292047473452

Good for me that the seller doesn't know anything about scopes, so the auction description and images were not favorable and I was lucky. I need this because of the nice X/Y mode. It has even an intensity input on the back for this. Modern digital scopes just can't do this very well. A quick test:

[bitseeker]

Do you think I can use this to determine the anode resistor for my Nixie project? They are running at 170 V and 5 mA, but the resistors in it look like they would even survive a short with these values (> 1 watt rating?). The case has a ground connection, which is a good idea for additional safety, and the resistors look pretty good isolated from anything. Would be easier than using a potentiometer, and I don't even have one with decent power loss rating.

I suppose it depends on the clearances inside the decade box (between switch contacts, component leads, etc.).

[Housedad]

Gaaaaaah!  My new microscope camera came in finally, but the software disk is missing!   

grumble grumble growl growl

[frozenfrogz]

[...] but the software disk is missing!

Which microscope camera is it? Most likely you will find the software on the manufacturers site
Nowadays a lot of people do not even own a disk drive anymore and usually the software provided on disk is outdated anyway.

[Housedad]

It's a no name generic.   But the seller has kindly sent me the files from the disk via email.  Now I find it is in traditional Chinese.  Thankfully we now have Google Translate.

[frozenfrogz]

Other software should be usable as well. Most likely you just need the drivers and then you can capture via any webcam software.
Also:

http://science4all.nl/?Microscopy_and_Photography

http://icy.bioimageanalysis.org/

[mtdoc]

http://icy.bioimageanalysis.org/

Thanks for posting that. I wasn't aware of Icy. It looks good.

Back in the day (mid 80's to mid 90's), NIH Image on a Mac was the go-to microscopy/imaging software in the Biosciences. That evolved into Java based cross-platform ImageJ which is still in use I believe. But Icy looks amazing. It makes me realize how far things have come with microscopy image processing over the past 30 years. I feel old.

[frozenfrogz]

Yes, Icy seems to be a true colossus Have not really played a lot with it myself, but a more in depth investigation is on the short list!

ImageJ (more precise: Fiji) is what I use occasionally to extract 3D geometry from Dicom scans. Currently I am struggeling with a high resolution micro-CT scan - post processing uses a sh!tload of RAM and CPU time...

[MadTux]

Help, I'm not only cursed with TEA, I also have VIA (vintage iron addiction) 

Just got this WWII vintage 15 inch shaper back into action. It's a late Swiss VonRoll "Original Schaerer" SH-400 Shaper/Schnellhobel/Schnellhobler. Bought it last summer on tutti.ch for a good price (13ct/kg  ), after some old toolmaker had died and the relatives didn't knew on how to use it and thus wanted to get rid of it ASAP (a somewhat familiar story  ).


Since it had to be transported trough some doors and inside my van, I had to disassemble it as much as possible. Thereby it arrived more or less as a parts kit. Unfortunately stupidMe tipped over the main body casting during loading which cracked the clutch hinge. Fortunately I was able to repair it using an oxyacetylene torch and some silicon bronze (CuSi3Mn1).
Finally got everything back together this weekend and could make my first chips on that machine. Because it's nice to watch in action, I made a video of it:


Shaper was build sometimes around 1948, I believe, production of this kind of machine started around 1940, during WWII. It's in beautiful condition, has 6hp 3phase motor installed and weights around 1600kg/3200lb fully assembled (don't ask me how I got that transported inside my van ). Other than that, it's rather compact and can remove metal like no other machine I have. Found some 1cm wide and 1.5mm thick chips inside the oil sump  . Also got tons of HSS tooling, the vice and a gear cutting fixture along with it. A great addition to my Maho, where the servo controller is still bitching (my next project, TCA280 replacement board Rev 3.0 )

Also scanned the 70year old manual, since it was heavily used and deteriorating. It's available here:
 https://archive.org/details/18.pngJoined

[Housedad]

Help, I'm not only cursed with TEA, I also have VIA (vintage iron addiction) 

Just got this WWII vintage 15 inch shaper back into action. It's a late Swiss VonRoll "Original Schaerer" SH-400 Shaper/Schnellhobel/Schnellhobler. Bought it last summer on tutti.ch for a good price (13ct/kg  ), after some old toolmaker had died and the relatives didn't knew on how to use it and thus wanted to get rid of it ASAP (a somewhat familiar story  ).


Since it had to be transported trough some doors and inside my van, I had to disassemble it as much as possible. Thereby it arrived more or less as a parts kit. Unfortunately stupidMe tipped over the main body casting during loading which cracked the clutch hinge. Fortunately I was able to repair it using an oxyacetylene torch and some silicon bronze (CuSi3Mn1).
Finally got everything back together this weekend and could make my first chips on that machine. Because it's nice to watch in action, I made a video of it:
Shaper was build sometimes around 1948, I believe, production of this kind of machine started around 1940, during WWII. It's in beautiful condition, has 6hp 3phase motor installed and weights around 1600kg/3200lb fully assembled (don't ask me how I got that transported inside my van ). Other than that, it's rather compact and can remove metal like no other machine I have. Found some 1cm wide and 1.5mm thick chips inside the oil sump  . Also got tons of HSS tooling, the vice and a gear cutting fixture along with it. A great addition to my Maho, where the servo controller is still bitching (my next project, TCA280 replacement board Rev 3.0 )

Also scanned the 70year old manual, since it was heavily used and deteriorating. It's available here:
 https://archive.org/details/18.pngJoined

I have the same affliction too. 1982 Bridgeport Series II Special  2-1/2 tons of Iron with 11"x 54" table.  along with piles of tooling, rotary table, vises, boring stuff, measurement equipment, surface table,  a 12 x 36 lathe with tooling and a ton of welding/metal shaping stuff.

[bitseeker]

Wow, cool stuff. Sounds like there needs to be a VIA thread. Oh my.