What did you buy today? Post your latest purchase!

[booscrawl]

150W solar panel on half price clearance for ~USD125 at the local hardware store...

Here in the US the same panels go for <50 USD on eBay.

[Renate]

Here in the US the same panels go for <50 USD on eBay.

Well, it is a flexible panel, so they are more expensive per Watt.
Still, we've slid well under $1 / Watt a while ago.

For me, you'd have to have a specific, short-term use for a flexible panel before I'd touch it.
There were a lot of problems with internal connections failing and dumping the whole power output into one point.
There were quite a few panels with charred points although I don't believe that they often burned down anything.
Lookup Renogy flexible solar panel recall.

[paulca]

A new chair!  After using a "HIPO" £400 chair I got in 2020 12+ hours a day and replacing the back stay bolts on it 3 times with stamped, branded high tensile bolts... the main bearing where the base sits onto the gas spring head creased and broke out.  Most likely caused by my 9yo child sitting on one arm of it, full weight a few weeks back.  Resullting in the chair being  "wobbly"... then, like it knew it was going to die, the back rest tilt lock failed completely.  This is the death blow for any office chair.  "Bolt upright!" or "Horizontal" and no in between.

I took a step down to the £320 chair.  No seat base adjustments.  Just Up/Down and recline with 4 lock points.  I notice immediately the bolt spacing pattern on the back stay rest are about twice as far apart on the load axis.  So hopefully I won't need to keep bolts in the house for it.

Its grand.  Hopefully Ill get another 6 years of 12+ hour days out of this one.

On the bad side.  I discovered... without releasing smoke or wasting HOURS... I order 1.8V spi flash chips.  Snort.  I'd give them away but the postage these days would make it not worth the effort.  5x1.8V 32MBit flash roms in the UK, you pay postage, LOL!  I ordered the 3V ones. 

[Kilrah]

Apparently the cartons for those panels are about 120 * 85 cm, so if you assume that's approximately the size of the panel you can do a quick sanity check of the claimed wattage:

Rated wattage = surface area (m^2) * standard irradiance (W/m^2) * efficiency (approx 20% for most solar panels)

I mean the panel dimensions are right there on the box Manual claims 23%

Gotta remove some for the borders with the mounting points though. But yeah it's doing what it should, slightly better in full sun than my other 160W rated panel although it seems it drops off a bit quicker at sundown.

Panels for permanent installs are significantly cheaper indeed, but for something "portable" that's cheap here and it's all I can use, hanging them out of the roof windows more for fun than anything.
On a perfectly clear day the pair barely licks the power station's max 220W input, when there are clouds I miss on a little.

[booscrawl]

Well, it is a flexible panel, so they are more expensive per Watt.
Still, we've slid well under $1 / Watt a while ago.

For me, you'd have to have a specific, short-term use for a flexible panel before I'd touch it.
There were a lot of problems with internal connections failing and dumping the whole power output into one point.
There were quite a few panels with charred points although I don't believe that they often burned down anything.
Lookup Renogy flexible solar panel recall.

I thought I had replied to say I think you're right, but it looks like my post got deleted owing to the eBay link I'd included. There was no branding on them whatsoever so I believe you're onto something.

[tautech]

Well, it is a flexible panel, so they are more expensive per Watt.
Still, we've slid well under $1 / Watt a while ago.

For me, you'd have to have a specific, short-term use for a flexible panel before I'd touch it.
There were a lot of problems with internal connections failing and dumping the whole power output into one point.
There were quite a few panels with charred points although I don't believe that they often burned down anything.
Lookup Renogy flexible solar panel recall.

I thought I had replied to say I think you're right, but it looks like my post got deleted owing to the eBay link I'd included. There was no branding on them whatsoever so I believe you're onto something.

Doesn't happen here.

[paulca]

An electric air pump for the car/bike/etc.

Impressive sounding and needs testing on a car later.  It gave me a good laugh though.

It has memories, so you can keep the setting for your "Car"... "Motorcycle", "Bicycle", "Football" and ... "Person".

I had to do a double take and imaging what they meant by inflatable "Person" and why 36PSI... I think it's meant to mean "User".  Like a final setting for whatever purpose you want.  But the "icon" is a person.

Oh god.  The dirty mind just caught up on me... no... just no.

[themadhippy]

It has memories, so you can keep the setting for your "Car"... "Motorcycle", "Bicycle", "Football" and ... "Person".

just dont use it in yer dream home unless you want heartache

[Sorama]

a bit of lighting....

[jc101]

a bit of lighting....

Do you have a make and part number for that light? I've been looking to upgrade the light in my office, and that looks ideal.

[Sorama]

sure:

https://uk.paulmann.com/p/linion-light-channel-1m-24v-17w-3000k-signal-black/98168

it's actually a modular system: mine is the base with Zigbee and 3000K (dimmable) in 1m length and an extra line of 1.5m giving a total of 2.5m line.

You can go up to several meters and not only in straight line, also corners, squares...
Only thing I don't like (which I knew beforehand) is the CRI of only 80.

But price wise and quality wise I'm very happy.

Edit: it exists in On/Off also (so no Zigbee nor dimming).

[jc101]

Thanks, looks interesting. I'd prefer a higher colour temperature, but I'll check them out.

[Sorama]

Thanks, looks interesting. I'd prefer a higher colour temperature, but I'll check them out.

in that case, check out these (Signify/Philips):
https://www.signify.com/en-gb/prof/indoor-luminaires/surface-mounted/philips-trueline-surface-mounted/LP_CF_SM530C_EU/family?size=8

quite a bit more expensive, but way better specs:
cri >90, different temperatures, dim options...

I'll probably take these for my kitchen.

[Alex Eisenhut]

A silly little FG.

[Maria]

New addition to The Stack^TM

R&S UDS600

[PushUp]

R&S UDS600

I like it! 

Is the "UDS600" still fanless, such as the predecessor "HMC8012"?

Good to see, that they made it possible to collapse the menu to the right, which also the "R&S RTC1002" scope could do, in order to use the small display a little bit better.

I guess, that there is still no regrouping of the display possible, like showing a trend chart or histogram? At least there is TestController, to use an even bigger display to allow all this.

Is there anything worth mentioning - positive or negative, as there is still not any any bit of information about this newer "UDS-Series" in this forum:

The UDS series consists of two models, with or without GPIB-Interface "G":

UDS 500-G/UDS 500:    200.000 counts, 5½ digits
UDS 600-G/UDS 600: 2.000.000 counts, 6½ digits

You have to decide before buying whether you want GPIB or not, as retrofitting is not possible - at least not officially.

By the way, is LAN an option, or does it work without extra payment?

[Maria]

Is the "UDS600" still fanless, such as the predecessor "HMC8012"?

Seems to be, at least I haven't heard any fan noise so far.

I guess, that there is still no regrouping of the display possible, like showing a trend chart or histogram? At least there is TestController, to use an even bigger display to allow all this.

Unfortunately not, and it is not supported in TestController either. I may try to create a config file for it at some point. I did try to copy the HMC8012 one and just change the model info but that does not seem to be enough, even though R&S claim software compatibility.

Is there anything worth mentioning - positive or negative, as there is still not any any bit of information about this newer "UDS-Series" in this forum:

Admittedly I'm not an expert in test equipment so I'm unsure how to properly test it, but it is quite intuitive if you have used a multimeter before and it seems accurate from my tests with a Siglent SDG1022X Plus (tho I trust the UDS600 more than the Siglent anyways tbh...)

If someone has questions or suggestions for what to test, I'm happy to do that.

The UDS series consists of two models, with or without GPIB-Interface "G":

UDS 500-G/UDS 500:    200.000 counts, 5½ digits
UDS 600-G/UDS 600: 2.000.000 counts, 6½ digits

You have to decide before buying whether you want GPIB or not, as retrofitting is not possible - at least not officially.

By the way, is LAN an option, or does it work without extra payment?

That's correct. According to R&S a retrofit is not possible. The chassis seems to be identical, there is a cover over where the GPIB port would be, but R&S don't sell the daughterboard and I'm not sure if the connector for it to plug in is populated anyways.

LAN and USB are included.

[w.v.s.]

Admittedly I'm not an expert in test equipment so I'm unsure how to properly test it, but it is quite intuitive if you have used a multimeter before and it seems accurate from my tests with a Siglent SDG1022X Plus (tho I trust the UDS600 more than the Siglent anyways tbh...)

If someone has questions or suggestions for what to test, I'm happy to do that.

A very interesting type of test is described in this thread:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/dmm-adc-noise-comparison-testing-project/

[armandine2]

...just received from AliExpress - dim bulb tester, following Richard at Learn Electronics Repair lead.

Not used yet - one of my first few "buys" with Ali - delivery has been good and purchase and order information well communicated.

[themadhippy]

mmm one of those dodgy universal  sockets

[armandine2]

mmm one of those dodgy universal  sockets

...unsafe? ... I notice a difference with JFIXX's teardown - but it is the same type of socket.

[Kilrah]

dodgy universal  sockets

Pulling rookie numbers there

[PushUp]

Unfortunately not, and it is not supported in TestController either. I may try to create a config file for it at some point. I did try to copy the HMC8012 one and just change the model info but that does not seem to be enough, even though R&S claim software compatibility.

You probably only need to go into the "Settings" and look under "Device Info", to see the ID of your "UDS600" and change or add this to the older "script" of "TestController":





When you have the right ID, such as "UDS600" or so, the next thing to cope with, is that TestController is able to detect your instrument under your IP address:





If this is done, you can go further, but as I am not that expert, it is probably better to switch to this thread, as there is the home of "TestController" and I am sure, that "HKJ" will help you to add your new device to the former script of the "HMC8012" or make a new one:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/program-that-can-log-from-many-multimeters/7375/#msg6345968

[KungFuJosh]

I guess, that there is still no regrouping of the display possible, like showing a trend chart or histogram? At least there is TestController, to use an even bigger display to allow all this.

Unfortunately not, and it is not supported in TestController either. I may try to create a config file for it at some point. I did try to copy the HMC8012 one and just change the model info but that does not seem to be enough, even though R&S claim software compatibility.

The *IDN? response is what matters.

[gamalot]

USB Sniffer from Tabao, thank you very much Alex Taradov!