What did you buy today? Post your latest purchase!

[armandine2]

Today Prosecco, but like everyone else of course, this week I've mostly been buying Amazon.
 

[mansaxel]

A [hp] 3552A Transmission Test Set. Used, looks to be in good condition, probably with dead batteries, and mine for the nice sum of ~200SEK. Pick-up next week.

[deadlylover]

So I finally got that Dell S2721Q (27" 4k IPS 60hz) I ordered a month ago during the Black Friday sales (AUD320 or ~USD 230). Text is so much more pleasant to read, I can't believe I didn't upgrade sooner. Comparison is with a Dell U2717D (27" 1440p).

Looking forward to trying a 5k (5120x2880) display once they become cheaper...

[Kjelt]

I bought a few syringes of Amtech flux from Northridge.
So sad this is not available in the EU.

3 Syringes was $48, shipping $55, tax and handling $40 so a whopping $48 per 10ml syringe instead of $16, uhhhhh just wanted to try it out but this is not for repetition.

[McBryce]

I bought a few syringes of Amtech flux from Northridge.
So sad this is not available in the EU.

3 Syringes was $48, shipping $55, tax and handling $40 so a whopping $48 per 10ml syringe instead of $16, uhhhhh just wanted to try it out but this is not for repetition.

Why didn't you order it from Amtech Europe. They even sell via Amazon: https://www.amazon.de/Amtech-NC-559-V2-TF-No-Clean-Tacky-16160/dp/B01DR62IYO/ref=asc_df_B01DR62IYO/

McBryce.

[m k]

Heathkit c-3 from Sweden, it's in the mail, insured.

[Kjelt]

Why didn't you order it from Amtech Europe. They even sell via Amazon:

I was told that amazon and Ebay sold fake chinese flux.
I did not know tise seller, but the reviews are not promising still a lot cheaper than what I got now, so if this is finished next year I will try that, thanks.

[nctnico]

I (finally) got myself a decent set of spanners:

This brand mostly focusses on the professional automotive tools market. It is not the first tools I bought from this brand.

[mansaxel]

I (finally) got myself a decent set of spanners:

This brand mostly focusses on the professional automotive tools market. It is not the first tools I bought from this brand.

It's a consequence of acquisition methods that I've got better structure for my AF and W inch-system wrenches than my metric ones. I bought both AF and W as sets, while I've been assembling my metric sets from used and new piecemeal purchases.

For sockets, it's a bit better; I've got strips of AF and W complementing a full metric Bahco socket set, all in ¹/₂" (some of the AF sockets are ¹/₄") and a full metric set in ¹/₄" from Kamasa. All have been enhanced with higher-quality parts where wear or other needs so dictate.  I obviously need a ¹/₄" set in BA too.

[nctnico]

Actually I bought a new socket set as well earlier this year. I got it many years ago from a relative but after breaking a few sockets I decided to throw it away (scrap metal bin) and buy a proper one. Good tools are such a joy to use 

[aargee]

I bought a couple of Rasp Pi Picos to play with.
Quick service from Core Electronics here in Aus, just over 24 hours to deliver.
Interesting that the boards are in carriers and the pinout card was a nice touch.

[mansaxel]

A (hp) 200CDR rack-mount oscillator, made in Germany. Pick-up next week.

[Nominal Animal]

Five kilos of boneless pig buttock, for the traditional Finnish Christmas ham.

[cgroen]

Upgraded my miniVNA Tiny to a new R&S ZNLE-3 and a ZN-Z150 calibrator as a Christmas gift to myself 

[McBryce]

Upgraded my miniVNA Tiny to a new R&S ZNLE-3 and a ZN-Z150 calibrator as a Christmas gift to myself 

That's one serious upgrade. You skipped a few stages in between?

McBryce.

[daqq]

Upgraded my miniVNA Tiny to a new R&S ZNLE-3 and a ZN-Z150 calibrator as a Christmas gift to myself 

Wow, you must have been very good this year 

[cgroen]

Upgraded my miniVNA Tiny to a new R&S ZNLE-3 and a ZN-Z150 calibrator as a Christmas gift to myself 

Wow, you must have been very good this year 

It was a sudden unexpected consultant job (for 3 days) that paid VERY well so Santa (aka myself) decided this was proper 

[kripton2035]

some of these arrived today
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003639496083.html

[Nominal Animal]

After an unfortunate accident with a cup of tea and a HP EliteBook 840 G4 (which by the way works very well in Linux), a new keyboard module (HP 836307-B71) for 80€ shipped.

I was worried for a couple of days I lost the entire laptop, but after a teardown and careful cleaning, it works fine.  Except for the keyboard, of course; but it wasn't an OEM, a cheapie eBay replacement with Danish layout, and apparently not at all protected against spills like the original is.

[DiTBho]

I was worried for a couple of days I lost the entire laptop, but after a teardown and careful cleaning, it works fine.  Except for the keyboard, of course

I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm glad you fixed it somehow 

[DiTBho]

Ironically, I bought a laptop for Xmas. A very basic mini laptop with
- Intel Celeron Dual-core N4020 @ 1.1Ghz
- INTEL UHD Graphics
- 4GB of ram DDR4
- 64GB of SSD
- 14 inc 16:9 LCD 1366x768 pixel
- 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C
- 2 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A
- 1 Smart Pin CA
- 1 HDMI 1.4b
- UK layout keyboard and precision Touchpad
- Wifi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
- Bluetooth 4.2
- 41 Wh Li-Ion battery
- 324x179x225 mm, 1460 g

HP 14S-DQ0035NL-14, brand new for 120 Euro (instead of 250 Euro) without Windows, that I don't need it in this case. There is no Ethernet port, so I need a USB-to-Lan adapter, it will be the perfect text and x11 terminal for my rack-computers 

[Nominal Animal]

I was worried for a couple of days I lost the entire laptop, but after a teardown and careful cleaning, it works fine.  Except for the keyboard, of course

I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm glad you fixed it somehow 

Fortunately, it was already cold, with no sugar or honey in it, so letting it dry and then carefully brushing off any corrosion with acetone (didn't have IPA) worked.
I previously mentioned in this thread that I got a Logitech K400+ wireless keyboard with a trackpad, and I'm now using it instead of the laptop keyboard.

It looks like a couple of traces inside the keyboard went bad due to corrosion, since I lost entire groups of keys, not individual keys.  I did verify the FPC was undamaged, and its contacts untarnished, and re-seated the FPC a couple of times, so it is unlikely to be a connector failure.  Again, it wasn't an original module, but a cheap Chinese replacement.

Coincidentally, I do have a Amlogic S905X3 with 4GB of RAM (H96 Max X3 "TV box") I got from Banggood during the big sales, and now have a good reason to adapt for my ordinary tea-time computing needs.  (I.e., Youtube videos and discussion boards, with a separate IPS-paneled display (no touch) and this here Logitech K400+ keyboard as the controller.)

[Ed.Kloonk]

I was worried for a couple of days I lost the entire laptop, but after a teardown and careful cleaning, it works fine.  Except for the keyboard, of course

I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm glad you fixed it somehow 

Fortunately, it was already cold, with no sugar or honey in it, so letting it dry and then carefully brushing off any corrosion with acetone (didn't have IPA) worked.
I previously mentioned in this thread that I got a Logitech K400+ wireless keyboard with a trackpad, and I'm now using it instead of the laptop keyboard.

It looks like a couple of traces inside the keyboard went bad due to corrosion, since I lost entire groups of keys, not individual keys.  I did verify the FPC was undamaged, and its contacts untarnished, and re-seated the FPC a couple of times, so it is unlikely to be a connector failure.  Again, it wasn't an original module, but a cheap Chinese replacement.

Coincidentally, I do have a Amlogic S905X3 with 4GB of RAM (H96 Max X3 "TV box") I got from Banggood during the big sales, and now have a good reason to adapt for my ordinary tea-time computing needs.  (I.e., Youtube videos and discussion boards, with a separate IPS-paneled display (no touch) and this here Logitech K400+ keyboard as the controller.)

My laptops need to be able to bounce rather than withstand beverage mishaps.

[DiTBho]

eheh my old ThinkPad needs a new battery, if I unplug the external power source (+18V), it immediately power off.

It literally has 100 msec of autonomy 

[DiTBho]

My laptops need to be able to bounce rather than withstand beverage mishaps.

That's the same problem I have with an home-made PDA.

It's a personal project, so it's more like a prototype than a real product (very fragile), I need to design and to *somehow* print a "silicon bumper".

The LCD is a 7" piece of glass, if the PDA falls ... it breaks. The chassis is a 3D printed PLA body, if the PDA falls from the table, it breaks.

My phone can falls from the table without any damage. How is it possible? Well, it's a "rugged smartphone" designed to survive mountain climbing. It can't survive a skyscraper fall, but it can survive up to 10 meters fall, and it's also water proof up to 20 meters.

"Rug-Gears" are waterproof and resistant to heat, chemicals, pressure, impact and more, mine should also survive a winter in Siberia, up to -50 C (I need to test this  )

Do we need rugged laptops? Probably yes, but ...

A simple XiMi Note 9 Pro costs 180 Euro (Android v10-based)
A Rug-Gear with similar features costs 450 Euro, more than a Motorola E100 (310 Euro)

about { CPU, LCD, RAM, battery, features }: Motorola E100 >> XiMi Note 9 Pro


Rug-Gears: good, nice to have, but more expensive!