What did you buy today? Post your latest purchase!

[kevinf]

In a spur of the moment decision I purchased all these faulty meters, I guess if I can make 2/3 good ones out of them I will break even and hopefully learn something along the way. I also have 2 X metrix mx67 testers which I purchased separately that I hope to make at least 1 good one from (I'm waiting on a transistor). It's a steep enough learning curve I've repaired dim displays and broken input sockets before but never down to component level (on multimeters). I've spent a bit of time researching online and I've an idea where to start but I won't be able to get my hands on them until at least the end of the month.

I have a couple of good meters, programmable power supply, Metcal soldering station and IPA ready to go so I'm not short of the correct gear, maybe just a bit of knowhow [emoji1]

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

[peteb2]

A couple of handfuls of 65,000mcd red colour LEDs to make a proper rear light 'special' for my ocean beach Off-roader i use to go surfcasting. I need to be seen a whole lot earlier out there way off in the distance in the thick haze of mist and spray by all the crazy other beach users who don't follow the safety rules...

https://www.vishay.com/docs/81892/vlcs5830.pdf

[tautech]

A couple of handfuls of 65,000mcd red colour LEDs to make a proper rear light 'special' for my ocean beach Off-roader i use to go surfcasting. I need to be seen a whole lot earlier out there way off in the distance in the thick haze of mist and spray by all the crazy other beach users who don't follow the safety rules...

https://www.vishay.com/docs/81892/vlcs5830.pdf

Muriwai beach I guess Pete. Another month or so will have the first runs of snapper arriving so we might bump into you up there. Champagne colored Surf I'll be in and not far up so if you see us there with a kite out do stop for a yarn. 

[McBryce]

A supercap, because the device I'm repairing (Bose Wave Music System) had one that leaked its crap all over the PCB 

And some DigiSpark mini-arduino boards. Not that I need them, but they look like they could come in useful at some time for experimenting or creating some random signal and they are really cheap.

McBryce.

[tautech]

4 port POE single HDD DVR, a couple of IP dome cameras and a bullet cam for keeping an eye on the sheds a couple of hundy yards away. A couple of long pre-made LAN cables for the POE connections.
2 cameras up and running, one left to do. 

I've got my eyes on YOU ! 

Anybody suggest a simple IP camera viewer SW for W10 and Chrome ?
These any good ?
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/search/ip%20camera%20picture


A twin 8W LED 230VAC spotlight, soffit mount, tomorrows job.

Bits for my good old MacEwans H3 1500 gph reciprocating water pump; conrod SE pin and bush. Input shaft/pinion assembly. Cost nearly as much as the DVR and cams but will be still going long after they've crapped out.

[McBryce]

I use YawCam for most camera viewing. Not full of fancy options, but does what you need.

https://www.yawcam.com/

McBryce.

[TERRA Operative]

Got a bit of Nixie goodness.
A National VP-4541A Electronic Counter.

I just restored it, but I have no idea what I'll actually use it for........ 

[Specmaster]

Wow, that is beautiful, it looks as if you have just opened the box for the first time, job well done 

[bitseeker]

That looks great, Terra! I'm sure you'll think of something. It'd be a shame not to use it for something on occasion (I wouldn't run it 24x7 for the sake of the Nixies).

[lordvader88]

Got my Tek 3014B this morning. 

It looks much better after cleaning. 

Wow that screen looks nice and colorful for something with a floppy drive in it

Hmmm, it's modern tho, so what's the slot thing ?


I ordered 30values x 10pcs of 1/2W Zener diodes. I like to have stuff on hand, which reminds me I need NTC thermistors.

[gamalot]

Got my Tek 3014B this morning. 

It looks much better after cleaning. 

Hmmm, it's modern tho, so what's the slot thing ?

Do you mean the application module slot?

[URI]

Bought some parts that I fetched from customs today -after paying customs fee:


2x multimeter fuse 440mA
2x multimeter fuse 11A
10x precision resistor 100 Ohm 0.1% 10ppm
25x Vishay PTF56 resistor 5.315k Ohm 0.1% 5ppm 0.125W
5000x 100 Ohm 1% SMD-1206 resistors (1x full reel)
16000x 10k Ohm 1% SMD-1206 resistors (4x full reel of 4000)

Bought from *bay seller n2cbu -am fully satisfied and like his motto: "From my basement to yours: If you don t need it, I HAVE IT!!!"   

Some other items that arrived lately:
Some y-adapter power supply cords one plug to three IEC connectors.
I have to solve the problem having occupied 18 of 18 power outlets left for the lower three shelves of my workbench with even more Test Equipment needing power.   

Some cables and jacks for network and telephone. The Telekom will terminate my telephone/internet access contract because they're dismissing their ISDN-network (no spare parts available, obsolescence..) so I need to switch to VDSL (50MBit download rate with VoIP). The old crappy inhouse cabling of my flat is ok for ISDN (telephone) and 6MBit ADSL but not for modern VDSL. Consequence: I've got to get new inhouse cabling and new internet access router.   

Kontaktchemie KONTAKT LR, PLASTIK 70, ISOPROPANOL KONTAKT IPA and IPA 70% and 99,9% (plus distilled water)- different cleaning fluids for cleaning my somewhat crusty 4338B.

[tooki]

I was a MiniDisc guy back in its day. I still have a MZ-N1 portable recorder in great condition, but I sold my deck many years ago. The N1 managed 50+ hours of battery life. Try that on an iPod.

I KNOW!!! Sony's efforts at long battery life (didn't they brand it "Stamina" or something) were amazingly successful. I remember one cassette Walkman they made in the 90s that could run 37h off a single AA alkaline. When the original iPod came out in 2001 with its 10h of playback on a charge, I remember thinking "Man, if only Apple could leverage Sony's power management expertise!". Or, like, let Apple design the enclosure and the software, and let Sony design the hardware innards.

And there is precedent for that: Apple's first battery-powered Mac was the awesomely quirky Mac Portable, which was a luggable whose weight was the same as a Mac SE desktop (just with a sealed lead-acid battery responsible for the weight instead of the CRT). Apple's first round of actual laptops was the 100 series. It comprised the PowerBook 140 and 170, which Apple designed entirely in-house, but also the smaller PowerBook 100, which was actually built by Sony, who was given the Mac Portable schematics and asked to make it little! (Though it was released at the same time, the PowerBook 100 was actually designed later than the bigger models, so its aesthetic is somewhat closer to later PowerBook models, like the Duo series.)


Of course, in the intervening 15+ years, Apple has improved its power management dramatically. But it's clear that the iPhone series was what really gave them the push they needed to invest in this.

The STR-DA4ES (or DA7ES) receiver may be suitable for your system. Two tape (in/out) loops plus two more video loops, so plenty of analog line-outputs for recording purposes. It has Control-A1II and Control-S jacks, and supports two-way remotes. It also has two multi-channel audio inputs (5.1 and 7.1) and 7.1 pre-amp outputs. It's becoming harder to find those these days. One downside is the use of SAP15N (and -P) transistors for amplifier output devices. These have a built in emitter resistor as well as temperature-compensated biasing circuitry, and they are no longer made. That makes repairs more difficult if ever necessary.

Cool, thanks for the info, I'll keep an eye out!!!

[ChrisG]

Tektronix 2232. Near mint condition! Still need to take it through it's paces though.

[TiN]

sick Tek VM6000 (slash DPO7104)... 

[Johnny10]

Are there hardware differences or is this 7104 with special software package?

[R005T3r]

I love this micromanipulator. It simplify your assembly work so much that you have to try it.  I got the ESD version...
You can also tilt the chips and stuff if you want!

[TERRA Operative]

Wow, that is beautiful, it looks as if you have just opened the box for the first time, job well done 

That looks great, Terra! I'm sure you'll think of something. It'd be a shame not to use it for something on occasion (I wouldn't run it 24x7 for the sake of the Nixies).

Ha, thanks!
I repainted the silver panel surround as it was a but ratty, and the iso-alcohol started stripping the paint..
That and the capacitor replacement kind of snowballed a bit.

The actual case has a few scuffs, but I'm not prepared to strip that back and repaint it just yet.

[PA0PBZ]

I love this micromanipulator. It simplify your assembly work so much that you have to try it.

Can you show a bit more about the use? I thought a micromanipulator was something to interact with samples under a microscope... clearly that is not the only application?

[MasterTech]

-Hipotronics generator, AC and DC, up to 40kVDC, neon lights and a big oil transformer inside.

-Racal Dana 20Mhz Log sweep generator, such a retro look

[rsjsouza]

-Hipotronics generator, AC and DC, up to 40kVDC, neon lights and a big oil transformer inside.

-Racal Dana 20Mhz Log sweep generator, such a retro look

I have a Hipotronics tester as well... Bought on a closeout auction last year. Quite interesting inside, although it is very large for my bench.

[bitseeker]

Yeah, that looks rather huge.

[edpalmer42]

-Racal Dana 20Mhz Log sweep generator, such a retro look

That's interesting.  It bears a rather striking resemblance to generators from IEC such as:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/263875910480?orig_cvip=true



I didn't know that Racal Dana did things like that.

Ed

[MasterTech]

Well I got the manual also and look what it says, seems that these were IEC

[R005T3r]

I love this micromanipulator. It simplify your assembly work so much that you have to try it.

Can you show a bit more about the use? I thought a micromanipulator was something to interact with samples under a microscope... clearly that is not the only application?

Using a micromanipulator under a microscope is one way to use it, but you can also do more stuff that involves manipulating (lifting, re-arranging stuff, pick and place stuff, spot cleaning) there are a lot more ways to use it instead of picking up components, actually you can:
1. rotate the components while placing and any properly sized object while placing it.
2. pick up tiny screws and object rather than components. Cellphones screws are ok, cellphone cameras are ok.
3. you can also use hot air + this to rearrange items if something goes wrong and the margin of error is certanly better than using a tweezer.
4. pick and place, assemble things (provided they are not too hevy, but a cellphone tiny motor is picked up easly if the vacuum is good and the cup is correct.
5. you can pick up adhesive tape with special cups. The tiniest cup is less than 1mm ( I'm planning to buy it)
6. it is handy. and for handy I mean, really handy compared to a tweezer: you don't screw around with tiny objects and thus the chance to lose them on the floor  is decreased because It has continous vacuum, and you won't lose your object once it is picked up. Definitely not true with pick-up pens.
7. you can also suck up stuff such as pools of flux, but I don't reccomand it. Sucking up solder is discuraged due to clogging issues.

If you are good enought you can also pick your nose with it!