What did you buy today? Post your latest purchase!

[hli]

https://sensepeek.com/sp100-100-mhz-handsfree-oscilloscope-probe-1Finally bought a pair of Sensepeek SP100 hands-free scope probes (aka PCBite probes). They are not exactly cheap, but are of the "when you need them they really are handy" kind. Its very helpful to be able to probe SOIC pins without fear of shorting them, especially when you need your two hands to change the inputs to your circuit.

To compensate them is a little bit fiddly, though:

[eti]

You want me to post my latest purchase?

Okay, it's a bag of "After Eights" mint bites - if you pay postage, I'll post em to ya.

[BU508A]

You want me to post my latest purchase?

Okay, it's a bag of "After Eights" mint bites - if you pay postage, I'll post em to ya.

Oh dear! Not that ones!



 

[Ed.Kloonk]

You want me to post my latest purchase?

Okay, it's a bag of "After Eights" mint bites - if you pay postage, I'll post em to ya.

Oh dear! Not that ones!



 

Just one more...

[Messtechniker]

A Siglent SDG 2042X function generator.

Why at all? Because I now need a function generator up to 5 MHz or so.
To date a frequency response corrected sound card to just under 90 kHz
(see below) would do mostly.  But now the need to make measurements
up to around 1 MHz became necessary for:
- Verification of 20 kHz and higher low pass filters cutting out the mush above the audio band.
- Verification of two home made isolating high voltage probes for
  oscilloscopes based on the design published in Everyday Practical Electronics, Jan 2016.
- Repairing a R&S UPGR 1 MHz millivoltmeter

Why Siglent SDG 2042X?
Was for a while looking at an UNI-T UTG 932. Not available in Germany. Only through Aliexpress  , which I dislike for payment and warranty reasons. Moreover, the a bit more expensive Siglent SDG 2042X is well supported by https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/program-that-can-log-from-many-multimeters/ whereas with the UTG 932 I would have to provide the required driver myself and this without a command reference for this thing For me much too troublesome.

And no. My SDG 2042X will not be pimped to 100 MHz. Simply because I don't need to do so.

[djos]

Finally bought myself an ultrasonic cleaner for the bench. Cleaning PCB’s manually is just a PITA so I’m really looking forward to getting this.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/291937184059

Any tips for use would be appreciated, I’m using water soluble ChipQuik solder and I assume I’ll need to use distilled water in the cleaner.

[technix]

Two gigabit PoE splitters.

While I have a gigabit PoE switch in my wiring closet for my wireless access points, there are two other units, a PON ONU and my PC-based router, both of which takes 12V power from a barrel jack. Before that splitter each of the two had separate power bricks. Now I converted those into getting power from those in-line PoE splitters so the only thing that remained on the wall is the PoE switch.

[jogri]

Any tips for use would be appreciated, I’m using water soluble ChipQuik solder and I assume I’ll need to use distilled water in the cleaner.

You don't have to if you just want to use it for rough cleaning (the one in our lab only gets tap water plus the occasional shot of citric acid and it's still in good shape after years of daily use), but if you don't want to rinse your boards after cleaning them i'd recommend using DI water (also, it's a good idea to change the water after every 1-2 uses, DI water from an ion exchanger is cheap).

Never use a flammable liquid (iPA, acetone, etc) as the fluid will get hot (~40-50°C after half an hour without external heating), this can be a serious fire hazard.

[jogri]

Never use a flammable liquid (iPA, acetone, etc) as the fluid will get hot (~40-50°C after half an hour without external heating), this can be a serious fire hazard.

There is a good stuff called trans-dichloroethelene (DCE), which is a non-flammable (when mixed with fluorinated solvents to form azeotropes), and not very toxic (benign enough to be approved for use as flux remover in most jurisdictions) flux remover.

Mix the azeotrope with some alcohol, and ethyl acetate and limonene (both are not flammable in low concentration dissolved in DCE), you get a perfect flux remover.

There are quite a few such mentioned products available on the market. I use Mechanic N880, which seems to be fairly available in China, then I mix a tiny bit of limonene to it to enhance its capability to remove adhesives and use the mixture as a "one fits all" remover product. Basically it's my version of "cum gutter".

I am always rather sceptical when someone tries to sell me Fluorocarbons as harmless chemicals... Sure, the DCE part is rather tame and probably somewhat biodegradable, but the perfluoros needed to form non-flammable azeotropes (either some sort of perfluorobutylether or poly-fluoroalkenes) have an extremely poor biodegradability and basically no one can tell you if it has long-term effects on (water)-organisms or humans... (And we are already at a point were you can detect some perfluoro-crap in the bloodstream of basically every person on the planet)
A lot of this stuff will end up accumulating in the ground water or soil because there just isn't a good way to get rid of it (except from maybe cracking it at extremely high temperaturs in a hydrogen/oxygen stream and hoping that it will end up as HF).

So yeah, it might be a hella good flux remover but if water (and some added solvents like ipa/acetone/etc in a non-flammable concentration) and a bit of waiting also does the job i don't see a reason to use DCE/fluorocarbon azeotropes.

(TCE and PCE were also marketed as being perfect, non-toxic, non-flammable degreasers and were used for decades... Until someone showed that they are carcinogens and teratogens.)

[djos]

Any tips for use would be appreciated, I’m using water soluble ChipQuik solder and I assume I’ll need to use distilled water in the cleaner.

You don't have to if you just want to use it for rough cleaning (the one in our lab only gets tap water plus the occasional shot of citric acid and it's still in good shape after years of daily use), but if you don't want to rinse your boards after cleaning them i'd recommend using DI water (also, it's a good idea to change the water after every 1-2 uses, DI water from an ion exchanger is cheap).

Never use a flammable liquid (iPA, acetone, etc) as the fluid will get hot (~40-50°C after half an hour without external heating), this can be a serious fire hazard.

Cheers, DI is cheap here, iirc 12 litres cost me about $20.

[deadlylover]

Cheers, DI is cheap here, iirc 12 litres cost me about $20.

Your local Woolies might have the Moore's pure water, 5L for just under 5 dollarydoos. It's so easily available I use it generously when cleaning PCB's. 

[djos]

Cheers, DI is cheap here, iirc 12 litres cost me about $20.

Your local Woolies might have the Moore's pure water, 5L for just under 5 dollarydoos. It's so easily available I use it generously when cleaning PCB's. 

Good point, I'll have to have a look.

[ChristofferB]

Picked up a mint condition Bruel and Kjaer XY plotter at a hamfest for 10$!

Brüel and Kjær was an extremely HQ test equipment manufacturer, particularly acoustics and vibration analysis.

Roll graph plotters are always a gamble because of the scarcity of paper rolls. This one takes regular A4!

It holds the paper down electronically, I have no idea how. Electrostatic? It's quite a firm grip!

[Messtechniker]

Yep. Electrostatic. Still have a BBC Goerz Servogor 732 in
need of repair which does this. The output stages are in need of repair here.

[rsjsouza]

It holds the paper down electronically, I have no idea how. Electrostatic? It's quite a firm grip!

The HP we used at university followed the same principle; used A4 or Letter sizes and kept a tremendous electrostatic grip on the paper. When you pressed the release button, the paper was again loose like magic. 

[Messtechniker]

Got a Hameg HO732 LAN/USB plug-in interface replacing the stock HO720 RS232/USB interface on my R&S Hameg HMO1022 scope. Much more convenient to use now. Especially with "Test Controller. See here:
https://lygte-info.dk/project/TestControllerCommands%20UK.html

[djos]

Cheers, DI is cheap here, iirc 12 litres cost me about $20.

Your local Woolies might have the Moore's pure water, 5L for just under 5 dollarydoos. It's so easily available I use it generously when cleaning PCB's. 

You were right, Distilled water is under $5 for 7 litres in coles.

Btw, the Ultrasonic cleaner works great with the Chip Quik solder I use and I don't need any chemicals at all - Distilled water does the job perfectly. 6 minutes at 30c and the boards come out since and clean. I give them a shake and then sit them on the bench next to a little fan heater for 5 mins and they are done. 

[bsfeechannel]

Picked up a mint condition Bruel and Kjaer XY plotter at a hamfest for 10$!

Brüel and Kjær was an extremely HQ test equipment manufacturer, particularly acoustics and vibration analysis.

Roll graph plotters are always a gamble because of the scarcity of paper rolls. This one takes regular A4!

It holds the paper down electronically, I have no idea how. Electrostatic? It's quite a firm grip!

I see Brüel Kjær, I drool.

[GreyWoolfe]

Husky 27" rolling tool chest to go under my Husky 26" tool chest in my office.  i have been needing more storage and finally got it.

[rfbroadband]

[BravoV]

An Asus Zephyrus G14, indulging my self with octa-cores laptop. 

[rsjsouza]

Excellent power supply! I have one and it is a joy to use.

My biggest pet peeve is its standby power: 5W is quite a lot for a modern equipment and you can feel its warm housing.

[olkipukki]

(Attachment Link)

Did you buy a new one or used?
If 2nd, have a look http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/E36312A-01.pdf and check your serial... 

[lukego]

JBC DDPE-2QB precision station (micro iron + tweezers) and JBC NASE-2C (nano iron + tweezers) with a bunch of tips. Huge upgrade from my Ersa Nano. Trying to develop pro skills quickly!

I'd been on the fence about a Metcal MX-500 or Hakko FX-100 but ultimately decided to go all-in on JBC. I'm sold on the concept of having a large array of tool$ all within reach and all ready to heat up in an instant.

Dreaming about how to make a budget for a JBC SRWS-2SB (integrated hot air and preheater) but no ideas on that yet!

[mansaxel]

A Grandstream ATA box, that can do pulse dialing, and not only that, it is possible to switch from the default, broken pulse mode of 0 = 10 pulses into The One True Mode, where 0 = 1 pulse, 1 = 2 pulses. Et cetera. It can also be switched to allow the quaint New Zealand system.

Why? I've got rotaries, like the swedish field telephone Model 1937, with dial add-on, but no landline. All my telephony is IP.