What did you buy today? Post your latest purchase!

[julianhigginson]

My Keithley 2700 from TheSteve just showed up!

I'm very happy to have a good workhorse meter with decent resolution of my very own.

I can't recommend TheSteve highly enough for his part in the purchase. very easy to deal with and a great guy.

[bsudbrink]

OK, Found two tantulum 22uF 25V capacitors that smoked like a cigarette burning.

Old tantalum caps will do all sorts of "fun" things.  I restore "vintage" computers.  I've seen them explode like firecrackers, leaving nothing but minuscule lengths of their leads sticking out of the circuit board.  I also once watched in fascination while one put on a show like a miniature volcano, finishing by blowing little smoke rings. 

[bitseeker]

I also once watched in fascination while one put on a show like a miniature volcano, finishing by blowing little smoke rings.

Now that sounds pretty spectacular. Would've made a great YouTube video.

[djos]

I also once watched in fascination while one put on a show like a miniature volcano, finishing by blowing little smoke rings.

Now that sounds pretty spectacular. Would've made a great YouTube video.

The old tantalum manganese dioxide caps where well known for their spectacular failure modes, many a device has been destroyed by a failed tantalum! Just think back to hire much fun burning magnesium was in high school and it's easy to appreciate why putting manganese dioxide in a cap was such a bad idea.

The new tantalum polymer caps solved those problems tho and made tantalum caps as safe as aluminum polymer caps.

[TerraHertz]

The old tantalum manganese dioxide caps where well known for their spectacular failure modes, many a device has been destroyed by a failed tantalum! Just think back to hire much fun burning magnesium was in high school and it's easy to appreciate why putting manganese dioxide in a cap was such a bad idea.

Ah... you realize manganese and magnesium are different elements with completely different chemical behavior, right?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manganese
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesium

[xrunner]

Couple days ago - a TM501 w/PG501 pulse generator. Needs some work but we'll see what we will see. I also plan to post some screen shots from my scope from choice test points in the PG501 if I get it working. This for people to use in the future, in case they have a non-working unit. I am also going to do the same for the other repair item/thread still open - the FG501A.

[Johnny10]

I have a PG502 that needs a lot of help.

[xrunner]

I have a PG502 that needs a lot of help.

Well we can get together in the repair thread coming and I can provide you any measurements you require. 

[djos]

The old tantalum manganese dioxide caps where well known for their spectacular failure modes, many a device has been destroyed by a failed tantalum! Just think back to hire much fun burning magnesium was in high school and it's easy to appreciate why putting manganese dioxide in a cap was such a bad idea.

Ah... you realize manganese and magnesium are different elements with completely different chemical behavior, right?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manganese
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesium

DOH!

Note to Self, dont post on 1 coffee. 

[med6753]

E-bay purchase Fluke 8000A DMM. This is supposedly a pix of the actual unit. Looks absolutely pristine and according to the seller it works. I'll find out in a few days when it arrives and I'll give an update in the TEA thread.

[xrunner]

Cool I have one too great little vintage DMM. 

[t_ryner]

Oh my! Those are thoroughly cooked! I hope you were able to find the data sheets for those. Is the PCB itself damaged?

[mmagin]

E-bay purchase Fluke 8000A DMM. This is supposedly a pix of the actual unit. Looks absolutely pristine and according to the seller it works. I'll find out in a few days when it arrives and I'll give an update in the TEA thread.

Nice!  I've always thought of getting one of the 8000-series meters (more likely one with autoranging) because I love nice little bench meters that are easy to read, but truth be told, I have enough multimeters (7 working, one to fix at last count, I think.)

[med6753]

E-bay purchase Fluke 8000A DMM. This is supposedly a pix of the actual unit. Looks absolutely pristine and according to the seller it works. I'll find out in a few days when it arrives and I'll give an update in the TEA thread.

Nice!  I've always thought of getting one of the 8000-series meters (more likely one with autoranging) because I love nice little bench meters that are easy to read, but truth be told, I have enough multimeters (7 working, one to fix at last count, I think.)

One can never have enough multimeters. This one will join a Fluke 87, 8021B, 8010A plus a Tek 2465 DMS w/DMM option and a Heath V-5 VTVM.  Oops...almost forgot....a Mastech MS8040 DMM too.

[bitseeker]

Nice little Fluke family you've got there, med.

[McBryce]

I bought one of these. It's a Purelink CSW300 HDMI transmitter/receiver, but it will most likely be going back in a few days. The product claims "up to 100m" transmission. Reality: It works up to 9m, at 11m with one brick wall it wasn't even able to pair with the trasnsmitter  Engineering need to talk more with marketing.

McBryce.

[Brumby]

Marketing HAVE been talking to Engineering.

The product claims "up to 100m" transmission.

The 100m figure might have been the theoretical range for line of sight in open field.

[McBryce]

It is, but my test managed only 9m with line of sight! What planet were they on where they managed 100m? If it "only" managed 50m I would have been ok with that, but to not even manage 10% of their claim?

McBryce.

[BU508A]

I received today some tools and RF cases for a little project of mine:

- Baer Drill Bits, HSSE-Cobalt, 1 - 6mm in 0,1mm steps
  http://www.gewindebohrer.de/shop/catalog/index.php/cat/c617_HSSE-1-6mm--x0-1mm-.html

- Diamond needle files from Donau
  http://www.donau-elektronik.de/shop/product_info.php?products_id=2365

- Tungsten carbide scriber
   http://www.ebay.de/itm/201315312409

- Gedore centre punch with Tungsten carbide centre
  https://www.werkzeughandel-roeder.de/gedore-a-12-hartmetall-koerner-4-mm

- Gedore hammer
   https://www.werkzeughandel-roeder.de/gedore-schon-und-schlosserhammer-kombi-plus-r-30-200

- RF cases from Otto Schubert
  http://www.schubert-gehaeuse.de/prod01.htm

Pictures:

[TheSteve]

Picked up an Icom PW-1 1kW linear amplifier at a ham swap on the weekend. 1.8 - 54 MHz, 35 watts drive for 1000 watts out. It uses 8 MRF150 FETs. Just ran it through its paces into a dummy load and it is all good. First contact on the air was to Slovenia on 20 meters.

Also ran into Mr Carlson - he would have been more impressed if the linear was tube based

[boffin]

Picked up an Icom PW-1 1kW linear amplifier at a ham swap on the weekend. 1.8 - 54 MHz, 35 watts drive for 1000 watts out. It uses 8 MRF150 FETs. Just ran it through its paces into a dummy load and it is all good. First contact on the air was to Slovenia on 20 meters.

Also ran into Mr Carlson - he would have been more impressed if the linear was tube based

I was going to head out there, but alas the lawn mowing/patio pressure washing was more urgent; given it was the first decent weekend since  last september

[AF6LJ]

Picked up an Icom PW-1 1kW linear amplifier at a ham swap on the weekend. 1.8 - 54 MHz, 35 watts drive for 1000 watts out. It uses 8 MRF150 FETs. Just ran it through its paces into a dummy load and it is all good. First contact on the air was to Slovenia on 20 meters.

Also ran into Mr Carlson - he would have been more impressed if the linear was tube based

Nice catch

[TheSteve]

Picked up an Icom PW-1 1kW linear amplifier at a ham swap on the weekend. 1.8 - 54 MHz, 35 watts drive for 1000 watts out. It uses 8 MRF150 FETs. Just ran it through its paces into a dummy load and it is all good. First contact on the air was to Slovenia on 20 meters.

Also ran into Mr Carlson - he would have been more impressed if the linear was tube based

I was going to head out there, but alas the lawn mowing/patio pressure washing was more urgent; given it was the first decent weekend since  last september

Was the best swap I've been too in quite some time - depending on what you're looking for of course. I didn't run across any Nixie tubes but did find some nice looking chassis mount K connectors, and many other quality connectors, even some low thermal EMF stuff. There were many deals on HF rigs which isn't too common.
I've had great weather many weekends so far this year, maybe it is sunnier in Langley
Mr Carlson was pretty funny, he was sitting behind a table working the crowd the entire time, no shortage of people wanting to say hi to him. I threatened a picture but he hid his face.

[Miyuki]

Clamp meter older than me, from collector and what a shame I want to use it occasional
In nice shape with cool bag 

[German_EE]

See https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bosch-PLL-Laser-Spirit-Level/dp/B000W3BOBO for some details in English

You align it  as normal using a bubble and two lines but it projects a red laser beam out the pointed end that gives you a 5m long spirit level. This was an impulse buy but it makes things like cable trunking along a wall dead easy. Takes two AAA cells and comes with a steel plate that can be used to secure it to a wall using the built in magnet.

Bonus: The cats love chasing the beam along the floor

Price: About 20 Euro depending on where you buy it.