What did you buy today? Post your latest purchase!

[ahnuts72]

Not today but in the last week
Long time away but getting back into everything after traveling all over the country for work.


The SA was to good to pass up at $330 Yankee bucks had align now align all error but no unlock and the clock was all wrong so took a chance it just needed the battery replaced and all is right in the world now once it has the backlight is replaced.
The counter was buy it now for $40 so thought I would take a chance as my only other one stops at 100MHz and it works.
Hooked to my leader sig gen and they both match as close as I can tell with my counter on my tm500 mainframe and the hardware counter in my tek 2467
Also have an HP437b coming was $49 and lister said it passed self test so decided why not.

[Martin72]

A work light, a cable knife and needle nose pliers from Lidl.
All in a surprisingly good quality, especially the light.

[beanflying]

Several lb's of unobtanium (locally or ex Asia) Copper and a little Hafnium from an unhelpful US supplier who after 3 messages over a week couldn't be bothered replying as to shipping the other two items in theory not shippable to Oz because 'reasons' unlike the third which they already in theory allowed

Did a little due diligence in what seems to be a complete Snake Pit of on forwarder services which seem to vary from gangsters and standover merchants to spinning the wheel of non delivery and black hole shipping

Final result looks like I will about break even on the numbnuts listing postage price and the items (paid with Paypal) have left and are headed to Stackry who also takes Paypal for a little extra security. Because also for 'reasons' internal USA shipping was 'free'.

What they are is low Current Plasma tips for an 80A machine cutting Torch.

Now I wait 

[Jeff eelcr]

 An eval PCB for the tektronix 100MHz to 500MHz DSO 2400 series scopes.
Jeff

[armandine2]

just getting started with surface mount and now have an RS Pro 4 piece SMT Tweezer Set .

[PlainName]

Cheap and nasty (except it isn't) calculator:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004974428274.html

Seems to work fine, and the stylus needs wrestling from the case (a change to having them spontaneously eject and get lost). Only real problem is that the 2nd function legend applies to the keys below but is printed right up against the keys above. Takes super-human effort to remember to press the other key...

Anyroad, got this for the garage where I didn't want to trust a decent calculator to fate and/or a ham fist, and the sketch pad seemed like it might be useful for reminding one what the calculation is for.

[hli]

A CR2025 coin cell for my Keysight scope (because of https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/keysight-dsox1102g-system-concerns-detected-325237/). Why do they try to save 10 cents on a 1000EUR scope by not using a 2032? Its not that they needed the space or so :-(

[PlainName]

Sometimes a CR2032 will fit in the CR2025 holder if they use long spring contacts where it slides in.

[exe]

Anyroad, got this for the garage where I didn't want to trust a decent calculator to fate and/or a ham fist, and the sketch pad seemed like it might be useful for reminding one what the calculation is for.

How does scatchpad work? Is it really an lcd screen, or it's a purely mechanical thing? Can you please share a real photo of the scatchpad in action?

[PlainName]

It's not an LCD - I think it works on the same principle as an Etch-A-Sketch (that is, it's an electrostatic screen). And just to confirm that I took the battery out and could draw on the screen, and, as expected, the button didn't erase it. So the battery appears to be only used to erase (the E-A-S equivalent of shaking it inverted).

The stylus is only there to prevent you using a sharp implement (like an real pencil). You can draw with a fingernail, but the stylus has a decently large radius to prevent scratching.

[beanflying]

It's not an LCD - I think it works on the same principle as an Etch-A-Sketch (that is, it's an electrostatic screen). And just to confirm that I took the battery out and could draw on the screen, and, as expected, the button didn't erase it. So the battery appears to be only used to erase (the E-A-S equivalent of shaking it inverted).

The stylus is only there to prevent you using a sharp implement (like an real pencil). You can draw with a fingernail, but the stylus has a decently large radius to prevent scratching.

Cool toy so I did a little looking in the reviews, seems there is two batteries just to confuse the users 

[PlainName]

Yes, you can still draw (rather, erase it) when the calculator has died. Or vice versa. Solar power would have been nice, though.

The hinge might come apart, so could be useful having the two parts separate. The two batteries would allow that, but I bet it wasn't designed for that possibility.

[beanflying]

There is several different versions it seems from basic Calcs to solar backup ones to the one you linked. On my wish list for a moment of madness 

[exe]

It's not an LCD - I think it works on the same principle as an Etch-A-Sketch (that is, it's an electrostatic screen). And just to confirm that I took the battery out and could draw on the screen, and, as expected, the button didn't erase it. So the battery appears to be only used to erase (the E-A-S equivalent of shaking it inverted).

How is the contrast? I've watched a few videos on such writing pads, and they all looked dim to me.

[PlainName]

Yes, a bit dim. Well, non-contrasty. And it depends on how hard you press (presumably how thick the line ends up as, since it has no gradient). The screen is matt reflective, so the sketch can be washed out by your overhead lights if you hold it wrong. Other than that it is very much like eink, except lime green on black.

Oh, viewing angle isn't too hot. Probably about 120 degrees or so for the full effect. Frankly, I wouldn't buy one of these screens by itself if only because you can't selectively erase (or undo). But as an adjunct to the calculator to, say, jot down a series of results or whatever, it's a useful gimmick.

[RAPo]

A Peak ESR70 Gold, together with an SS-02 engineer desolder pump, will arrive this afternoon.

[DC1MC]

Chinesian day, so enabled by some other forum member and the small price, I've got the ceramic screwdrivers, sadly, in the set are three flat and one Phillips, but I'll hunt for a square and hex as well and maybe a star:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003944841422.html

also when I was ordering the screwdrivers I've seen some wolfram tipped scratchers, and I've got two for a song:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003234527797.html

They're absolutely BRUTAL, the tip scratches everything I've tested with, from an old sapphire watch glass, to a real chrome-vanadium tool, PCB and other stuff is like butter.

Enjoy the pictures,
DC1MC

[beanflying]

Purchased another bit of "Fakita" ^tm garden kit. My baby 4" (brushed) one I got 18 months ago is still going great but I have two or three larger bits to chop. The Blower (brushless) I got 6 months ago is doing well so time to go for something that can really do some personal harm 

Only 12" Bar and I would prefer some sort of anti kickback protection so if you buy one play safely or just don't buy one if you haven't used a chainsaw before. Also not a thing to chop down a forest or firewood for winter but for the odd larger stump in a garden should be more than up to the job.

$67 AUpesos or less than $45 USD with Tax and delivered  eBay auction: #363961652723

[Swainster]

Chinesian day, so enabled by some other forum member and the small price, I've got the ceramic screwdrivers, sadly, in the set are three flat and one Phillips, but I'll hunt for a square and hex as well and maybe a star:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003944841422.html

also when I was ordering the screwdrivers I've seen some wolfram tipped scratchers, and I've got two for a song:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003234527797.html

They're absolutely BRUTAL, the tip scratches everything I've tested with, from an old sapphire watch glass, to a real chrome-vanadium tool, PCB and other stuff is like butter.

Enjoy the pictures,
DC1MC

Goot are a well established Japanese brand - I wonder if these are original or fake? Seems like a strange thing to bother counterfeiting. By coincidence I just received a set of Philmore trimmer tools from Amazon US. I wasn't able to find the equivalent tools locally or on AliE, and the Amazon price seemed reasonable. The set seems to have almost everything except the 'screwdriver' type tips, so would make a good complement to the set you bought... in fact, I think I will put your set on my next AliE order as I've only got one ceramic trimmer (the one that looks like a chopped off phillips).

The 'scratcher' looks good. In English it would tend to be described as as a tungsten scriber, not really sure why we dont call it wolfram, especially given that its technical symbol is W.

[Black Phoenix]

Goot are a well established Japanese brand - I wonder if these are original or fake? Seems like a strange thing to bother counterfeiting.

Believe me that if there is money to be made they would fake it. Heck they even fake the Casio F-91W or Swiss Stainless Steel tweezers (just a case of changing the laser engraving design).

[McBryce]

The 'scratcher' looks good. In English it would tend to be described as as a tungsten scriber, not really sure why we dont call it wolfram, especially given that its technical symbol is W.

It seems to have been an English thing to have their own names for elements: Potassium (K) is Kalium in German and Sodium (Na) is Natrium in German.

McBryce.

[beanflying]

The 'scratcher' looks good. In English it would tend to be described as as a tungsten scriber, not really sure why we dont call it wolfram, especially given that its technical symbol is W.

It seems to have been an English thing to have their own names for elements: Potassium (K) is Kalium in German and Sodium (Na) is Natrium in German.

McBryce.

Blame some Swedish German for it and some other Germans for not seeing to it's loss of general usage. For 'once' it seems not to have been the English Language at fault 

History
In 1781, Carl Wilhelm Scheele discovered that a new acid, tungstic acid, could be made from scheelite (at the time called tungsten).[39][40] Scheele and Torbern Bergman suggested that it might be possible to obtain a new metal by reducing this acid.[41] In 1783, José and Fausto Elhuyar found an acid made from wolframite that was identical to tungstic acid. Later that year, at the Royal Basque Society in the town of Bergara, Spain, the brothers succeeded in isolating tungsten by reduction of this acid with charcoal, and they are credited with the discovery of the element (they called it "wolfram" or "volfram").[42][43][44][45][46]

[unknownparticle]

Being a bit of a vintage test gear nerd, I scored these beauties which arrived today!!

For new players and those that are not familiar with UK test gear brands, these are the legendary Avo 8, possibly the best analogue multimeter ever made.

First pic is the Mk4, dated 1972, in mint condition, I doubt it has ever been used!  Complete with leather case, leads, probes and destructions!

Second pic is the Mk5, dated 1973, same condition and accessories.

I've been after both versions, in this condition, for years!  They weren't cheap, but then again not expensive considering what they cost new!
The Mk5 was £500 in it's day!  So my Avo collection nears completion, I need a model 9, which is extremely rare, a Mk6 and a Mk7, those not so rare but difficult to find as new. The 7 was the last Model 8 made when production ceased in 2011, list price then was just shy of £800! According to Megger, the company that produced Avo meters then, production only stopped because certain parts could no longer be produced, demand was actually still there!! They didn't have the extra high voltage range though, evident by the lack of extra terminals at the top of the front panel. The Mk5 could read upto 3KV!! One of my favourite things about these meters is the test leads, thick, flexible, heavy duty, and very high quality!  Even though they have never been silicone they have always been so flexible, even in cold conditions!

[PA0PBZ]

First pic is the Mk4, dated 1972, in mint condition, I doubt it has ever been used!  Complete with leather case, leads, probes and destructions!
Second pic is the Mk5, dated 1973, same condition and accessories.

Those are true beauties, congratulations!

[wkb]

The 'scratcher' looks good. In English it would tend to be described as as a tungsten scriber, not really sure why we dont call it wolfram, especially given that its technical symbol is W.

It seems to have been an English thing to have their own names for elements: Potassium (K) is Kalium in German and Sodium (Na) is Natrium in German.

McBryce.

And in Dutch the same. Hardly surprising.