Author Topic: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?  (Read 41156 times)

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Offline rstofer

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #200 on: August 06, 2018, 11:14:49 pm »
Might be a dumb question but if I am just sitting at my desk, hardwood floors, fiddling around with components on a table, how do I know if I am grounded or not? Do I need to wear a wrist-wrap connected to something else, e.g. the metal rack next to me? If the rack is just sitting on wood is it even considered grounded? Or do I have to touch something metal that's somehow connected to some other metal in the wall that eventually makes its way back to the grounding metal in the circuit breaker?

The chair is not grounded and certain fabrics (clothes and the chair) generate static electricity.  OTOH, if the humidity is high enough and the fabric doesn't generate static, the chair might be fine.  That's the way I have been doing electronics - forever.

I visited Minneapolis a couple times and it was possible to draw a large visible arc just approaching a file cabinet.  The humidity was probably 0 since it was below 0 deg F outside.  I would absolutely wear a wrist band if I worked there.

You can just touch the BNC connectors on your scope to drain off any charge on your body.  The thing is, it's hard to remember to do that.  Not really a workable solution.

The humidity around here stays fairly high so I can get along with pretty poor practices.
 
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Offline bitseeker

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #201 on: August 07, 2018, 03:24:32 am »
Or do I have to touch something metal that's somehow connected to some other metal in the wall that eventually makes its way back to the grounding metal in the circuit breaker?

This.

A grounding wrist strap has a resistor (~1M) to prevent excessive current and is connected to earth ground via wire to the ground pin on the power outlet (or a grounded instrument's enclosure, ground jack, etc.). Of course, the outlet would have to be properly grounded as well.

If you have a static dissipative mat, it may have a snap or jack to connect a wrist strap to.

Otherwise, for working with stuff that isn't very static sensitive, touch the metal enclosure of a grounded instrument, computer, or similar to discharge any static before touching. When the air is particularly dry and static-prone, I do this "equalizing" before I touch anything electronic including my laptop to avoid zapping them.
TEA is the way. | TEA Time channel
 
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Offline rstofer

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #202 on: August 07, 2018, 03:57:46 pm »
That 1M resistor is in the wrist strap circuit to protect the user from being solidly grounded should they happen to put their fingers in the wrong place.  The mat and the wrist strap need to conduct but just barely.  A solid copper work surface would not be a good idea.
 
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Offline AnyNameWillDoTopic starter

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #203 on: August 07, 2018, 04:43:39 pm »
Separate question, but power strips -- will anything pretty much suffice? e.g. https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-Protector-INSURANCE-TLP602/dp/B00006B82A/
 

Offline Old Printer

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #204 on: August 07, 2018, 04:50:45 pm »
Separate question, but power strips -- will anything pretty much suffice? e.g. https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-Protector-INSURANCE-TLP602/dp/B00006B82A/

Has anyone ever heard of someone collecting on one of these "insurance policies"??  I think it's pure BS.
 

Offline llopis

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #205 on: August 07, 2018, 07:44:19 pm »
Separate question, but power strips -- will anything pretty much suffice? e.g. https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-Protector-INSURANCE-TLP602/dp/B00006B82A/
I really like power strips that can be screwed on to mount on walls/tables/shelves. It's so much nicer to have those plus screwed on and at a usable height!
 

Offline nanofrog

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #206 on: August 07, 2018, 08:09:30 pm »
Separate question, but power strips -- will anything pretty much suffice? e.g. https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-Protector-INSURANCE-TLP602/dp/B00006B82A/
I really like power strips that can be screwed on to mount on walls/tables/shelves. It's so much nicer to have those plus screwed on and at a usable height!
Seconded.  :-+

I use a Tripp Lite 20 outlet.
 

Offline AnyNameWillDoTopic starter

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #207 on: August 07, 2018, 08:10:04 pm »
Ended up getting two of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006B82M/
 

Offline ez24

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #208 on: August 07, 2018, 08:40:08 pm »
YouTube and Website Electronic Resources ------>  https://www.eevblog.com/forum/other-blog-specific/a/msg1341166/#msg1341166
 

Offline AnyNameWillDoTopic starter

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #209 on: August 07, 2018, 10:04:16 pm »
So for whatever reason the demagnetizer isn't working... and in fact, it seems to magnetize.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2018, 08:47:45 pm by AnyNameWillDo »
 

Offline tooki

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #210 on: August 07, 2018, 10:16:32 pm »
Try using it like so:

https://youtu.be/Z0gAdLvlrHA


Of course, I assume your goal is to have the screwdrivers magnetized.
 

Offline AnyNameWillDoTopic starter

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #211 on: August 07, 2018, 10:19:23 pm »
Yeah, the magnetizer area works perfectly fine -- but the demagnetizer does not actually seem to demagnetize. And in fact (as shown in the video), it actually seems to magnetize, i.e. both areas are (ostensibly) magnetizers.
 

Offline tooki

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #212 on: August 07, 2018, 10:21:48 pm »
Are you trying it as shown in the video I shared? You were doing it differently in your video.

P.S. I think you mean “apparently”, not “ostensibly”! ;)
 

Offline AnyNameWillDoTopic starter

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #213 on: August 07, 2018, 10:23:37 pm »
Yes, I tried it like in the video as well (have done all sorts of variants based on videos I've seen online).

P.S. I think you mean “apparently”, not “ostensibly”! ;)

ostensibly = "apparently or purportedly, but perhaps not actually."
i.e. I'm allowing myself the possibility of being wrong :P
 

Offline tooki

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #214 on: August 07, 2018, 10:25:52 pm »
What I noticed is that you only went in with the tip in the demagnetizer when moving back and forth. Forget the sideways wiggling, just go in and out, full length...
 

Offline tooki

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #215 on: August 07, 2018, 10:29:41 pm »
(The difference between “apparently” and “purportedly” is that the former has to do with what’s actually happening, whereas the latter has to do with what’s being claimed. “Ostensibly” doesn’t work in your case because the demagnetizer section doesn’t claim to be a magnetizer. It appears to be acting as one despite its claim to the contrary. Sorry, language nerd here! :p )
« Last Edit: August 08, 2018, 01:16:06 am by tooki »
 

Offline AnyNameWillDoTopic starter

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #216 on: August 07, 2018, 10:46:14 pm »
Looked around online, right you are, TIL!
 
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Offline tooki

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #217 on: August 08, 2018, 01:15:46 am »
What I noticed is that you only went in with the tip in the demagnetizer when moving back and forth. Forget the sideways wiggling, just go in and out, full length...
Hahahaha, I just re-read this and man, does it sound like something Beavis and Butthead would be giggling like idiots to…  ;D

Did you manage to demagnetize the screwdriver?
 

Offline ocw

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #218 on: August 08, 2018, 03:15:44 am »
You previously mentioned getting some old standard parts which you can use as throw-away items.  While that is okay, you need to get some cutting edge parts as well so that you know more than what an outdated part to do.  You need to know how technology has evolved, not just where it started.

I purchased an ADA4530-1 op amp as soon as I saw it, without having any initial plans for it.  I experimented and came up with my own design of a current to voltage converter which permitted accurate measurement of down to below one pico-amp DC current with negligible insertion resistance.  While not designed to maximize its AC performance, it did a reasonable job in that conversion as well.

Long ago, I received a sample NE5534 op amp shortly after it was released stateside.  Attached is the New Product Bulletin that came with it.  Besides listing its Features and Product Strengths, it also includes a Suggested Sales Presentation listing its benefits over the 741.  You can see what they had to do on their bulletin when they couldn't enter a Ω symbol on their bulletin.  While not my first NE5534, I also included a look at the oldest one which I still have in spare parts bin.  It has a 7924 date code on it.  The New Product Bulletin doesn't have a year on it, but I think that it was 1977.  I used a lot of those in building audio amplifiers for production rooms which needed their 600 ohm capability.  It was the op amp to use for those type of projects for many years.  The dual version, NE5532 was released a bit later.

Like the 741, things have progressed since the NE5534 was first released and there are better options for low impedance audio use.  But, its replacements are not nearly as much improved as the replacements for the 741 typically have been.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2018, 03:31:17 am by ocw »
 

Offline AnyNameWillDoTopic starter

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #219 on: August 08, 2018, 03:42:53 am »
Hahahaha, I just re-read this and man, does it sound like something Beavis and Butthead would be giggling like idiots to…  ;D

 :-DD

Did you manage to demagnetize the screwdriver?

Sadly no
 
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Offline AnyNameWillDoTopic starter

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #220 on: August 08, 2018, 03:24:16 pm »
What's a good pair of strong cutters? Something capable of cutting thicker cords, possibly even PCB boards, maybe steel? Just a nice pair of "cut-anything"s.
 

Offline tooki

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #221 on: August 08, 2018, 04:02:49 pm »
What's a good pair of strong cutters? Something capable of cutting thicker cords, possibly even PCB boards, maybe steel? Just a nice pair of "cut-anything"s.
No such thing, I'm afraid, since those have totally different needs! For thick cords, you want cable shears. For PCBs (assuming you don't wanna spend 3-4 digits on a PCB guillotine), you want large tin snips.
 
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Offline AnyNameWillDoTopic starter

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #222 on: August 08, 2018, 04:06:46 pm »
What's a good pair of strong cutters? Something capable of cutting thicker cords, possibly even PCB boards, maybe steel? Just a nice pair of "cut-anything"s.
No such thing, I'm afraid, since those have totally different needs! For thick cords, you want cable shears. For PCBs (assuming you don't wanna spend 3-4 digits on a PCB guillotine), you want large tin snips.

I had been looking at stuff like this:

Cable Shears: https://www.amazon.com/KNIPEX-95-11-165-Shears/dp/B000X4MQ8C

Tin Snips: https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-FatMax-14-563-Straight-Aviation/dp/B00009OYFY

Anything better / are these appropriate?
 

Offline tooki

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #223 on: August 08, 2018, 04:17:09 pm »
I think it's very unlikely you need cable shears. I've been doing electronics for 30 years and still don't own a pair. The thickest wire I ever cut is AC line cords (3x16ga if you're lucky), and those cut fine, if a tad smushed, with the cutters in pliers, or with diagonal cutters. (Not your delicate electronics side cutters, but the ones like in the cheap pliers set you mentioned in one of your earliest posts.)

As for tin snips, probably go bigger, so you can cut a PCB across in one cut if possible. I suggest just going to Home Depot and checking out the options. (Or waiting for others here with more experience to give you feedback. Tin snips for PCB cutting are still on my shopping list.)

 
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Offline AnyNameWillDoTopic starter

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Re: My purchase list for my new lab -- budget $1000+, thoughts?
« Reply #224 on: August 08, 2018, 04:32:24 pm »
I think it's very unlikely you need cable shears. I've been doing electronics for 30 years and still don't own a pair. The thickest wire I ever cut is AC line cords (3x16ga if you're lucky), and those cut fine, if a tad smushed, with the cutters in pliers, or with diagonal cutters. (Not your delicate electronics side cutters, but the ones like in the cheap pliers set you mentioned in one of your earliest posts.)

Yeah, AC line cord is exactly what I had in mind, actually (assuming I understand correctly) -- like if I needed to cut the cord to an appliance or something. I don't think I have a pair of "diagonal cutters" though.

As for tin snips, probably go bigger, so you can cut a PCB across in one cut if possible. I suggest just going to Home Depot and checking out the options. (Or waiting for others here with more experience to give you feedback. Tin snips for PCB cutting are still on my shopping list.)

I was just at Home Depot the other day looking for such cutters and all they had were things along the same size, lol.

 


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