Whats your Work-Bench/lab look like? Post some pictures of your Lab.

[Yansi]

This is a void argument. Electrical safety code applies even to lab equipment or equipment used by knowledgeable personal. It really makes no difference, if it is a TV for home use or specialized equipment for electronics lab.

I think one of the applicable limits is 45 °C maximum surface temperature.   

That is for example why heatsinks poking outside of enclosures on some power supplies may have additional covers on them to make them inaccessible to the touch.


//EDIT: Okay, maybe my knowledge of this subject is a bit outdated, seems it changed a lot since I have last been interested: Now governed by IEC 60950-1. You can look that one up.  Temperatures up to 100 °C seem to be allowed under specific conditions, but the tubes poking through the top of that diy device does not fall under such conditions by any means.  a) they are larger than 5cm and b) likely to be touched and finally c) way over 100 deg C, especially the output pentode

So sorry, ain't gonna happen, regardless if it is for "people who know what they are doing", as obviously the do not know, if they are building stuff violating code

[med6753]

This is a void argument. Electrical safety code applies even to lab equipment or equipment used by knowledgeable personal. It really makes no difference, if it is a TV for home use or specialized equipment for electronics lab.

I think one of the applicable limits is 45 °C maximum surface temperature.   

That is for example why heatsinks poking outside of enclosures on some power supplies may have additional covers on them to make them inaccessible to the touch.


//EDIT: Okay, maybe my knowledge of this subject is a bit outdated, seems it changed a lot since I have last been interested: Now governed by IEC 60950-1. You can look that one up.  Temperatures up to 100 °C seem to be allowed under specific conditions, but the tubes poking through the top of that diy device does not fall under such conditions by any means.  a) they are larger than 5cm and b) likely to be touched and finally c) way over 100 deg C, especially the output pentode

So sorry, ain't gonna happen, regardless if it is for "people who know what they are doing", as obviously the do not know, if they are building stuff violating code

I think you have your panties on too tight and need to loosen them a little. No one here is advocating that we operate equipment in an unsafe manner. I think we all understand the concepts of electrical safety and operating in a sane manner. But what we do in the privacy of our own labs is our business and sometimes involves "acceptable risk". But I for one would never expose someone unfamiliar with my equipment to a potential hazard. And I don't think anyone else in here would either. In essence your lecture is preaching to the choir.   

[Yansi]

We are drifting a bit off-topic, but all I wanted to point out such dangerous and impractical engineering should not be done, even for diy instrumentation. It does not take a lot for (avoidable) accident to happen, be it just burned hand, or whole house burned down.

Now please continue sending lab photos, I appreciate them. But please, keep safety in mind. Burned down lab is the last thing any of us wants. Same with safely operating devices under test, especially the high voltage or high powered ones. I've already experienced a 5 kW PFC controller blown almost in my face...

[bsfeechannel]

Come on, guys. Give the man a break. He's just concerned about our safety.

Now, jumping on the off-topic bandwagon, let's not forget that the first radios had their tubes exposed, like the 1920s Crosley Pup



It is "unsafe", but hey, nostalgia is in the air.

[Pawelr98]

I'm quite sure I saw many proffesional semiconductor power supplies from the 1970's with exposed outside radiators and those can go well beyond the 45°C.
Only thing was that they were at the back of the device. Same as my current 0-30V 6A supply.
Even my schlumberger scope has such a radiator at the back, though I wouldn't say it's very hot.

With such DIY tube equipment the main problem is that most modern cases won't tolerate such heat well and would otherwise have to be really big to have some breathing room (there's a good reason those tube scopes had powerful fans).
And PL504, like many output pentodes (including your typical audio tubes), is hot as hell.
I feel more confident with tubes outside in cool air, than inside where it can melt/burn some stuff inside the device.

I'm more likely to poke my finger into the soldering iron, that the tube, which currently sits beyond the reach of my hand.
And even then, burning your finger is not as much of a issue as possibly getting a solid shock from the 150-400V DC output which can become live when you connect the oscilloscope ground somewhere in the powered circuit.
Same safety precautions as when using isolation transformers.
You cannot really make this stuff 100% "safe".

[coppercone2]

keep in mind with the first radios people did not know what electricity was, there was knob wiring, when you saw that you basically thought it was magic and likely you eared a good paycheck if you had it. The reason it was safe is because your dad would probobly punch you in the mouth if you broke the tube so there was a force field around it. I think being too close to that was like being too close to a 70 inch plasma in 2005 or whatever

[bsfeechannel]

The Crosley Pup sold for $9.75 back then, which is $130 in today's money. If you're lucky to still find one on the net, it'll cost you approximately that amount of money. If you have $130 to spend on an obsolete piece of equipment, you probably earn a good paycheck. And you'll at least want to punch in the mouth anyone that breaks the unobtainium tube that comes with it. The force field is apparently still in place, bro.

So, it was safe back then. It is safe now.

[themadhippy]

My battleground

currently trying to get a motorised pot to talk to a relay  ladder attenuator

[duckduck]

I have added shelves to my desk. I'm very glad for the additional room. Now my test equipment is easily accessible and not taking up space on the desk. On the top shelf I have stackable plastic bins that I got used for cheap. They are Akro-Mills part number 30-240. They are great because I can literally throw pens / components / rolls of tape into the appropriate bin without getting up from my chair.

Next steps:

I quickly realized that I need to put my most used tools (screwdriver, flush cutters, needlenose, scissors, strippers, etc.) in holders front and center, so I'm going to see what others have done. My cheap (USD33) magnifying lamp works great but I need more lighting. I think I may add something on the ceiling. I'm not really interested in undershelf lighting.

I'll subdivide the equipment shelf so that I can start stacking my test equipment. I'm not sure if building in 19" racks and shelves is the way to go, or just random shelves. I've got more test equipment on other shelves I'd like to put in the lab (and more on the way).

I'm also interested in putting in a "big red button" to shut off the lab, and also a GFCI (aka RCD). Most outlets in the USA are single-phase 120V. I have a dream of running two-phase 240V to the lab so I can power devices that accept it.

Construction:

My desk is constructed of extra/scrap wood I had laying around. I did end up buying some 1.5"x2.5" boards for the shelves because I forgot that I already have a bunch of 2x4s. This ended up being a good thing because the 2x4s would have been overkill and taken up space. The shelves still pass "the duckduck test" (I'm over 100kg).

I attached the vertical beams using pocket hole joinery. I used a jig from Kreg (KregTool.com). There are screws on both the inner (shown) and outer (not shown) sides of the vertical supports. N.B. the horizontal beams that run the full length of the shelves are supported directly by the vertical beams. Resist the temptation to screw shelves to the sides of the vertical supports. The 45° braces prevent side-to-side wobble. The whole thing is rock solid. I considered adding vertical supports mid-span, but they aren't needed until I join TEA and start buying vintage American iron.

[joeqsmith]

Caught this article on home labs of the stars.

https://www.signalintegrityjournal.com/articles/2045-home-labs-of-the-stars

[xrunner]

Caught this article on home labs of the stars.

https://www.signalintegrityjournal.com/articles/2045-home-labs-of-the-stars

Actually many of them are fairly modest setups. Goes to show you don't need a tower of test equipment to do many projects.

[Shock]

This guys gear racks need posting here.

1st: Miscellaneous VNAs and FRAs Bode 100 and injector kit from Picotest in center stage!

2nd: RF Rohde &Schwarz plus an interloping Anritsu. Symmetricom 10MHz master reference oscillator and GPS disciplined setup still need to be plumbed in.

3rd: Scopes from: R&S 4GHz RTO1044 including Logic Analyzer option;  LeCroy 1GHz HDO6104 12bit; LeCroy 1GHz HDO8108 12bit with logic analyzer option; numerous AC/DC current probes from LeCroy and Tek not shown.

4th: Audio Analyzers aplenty. Sound Technology, Audio Precision SYS-2722, R&S UPV, Tek AM700,  Audio Precision ATS1 &2

5th: Semiconductor Analysis with thermal chamber on top; HP4145B w/plotter; Keithley 590 CV analyzer and 237 HV SMU.

6th: DC precision rack. With Fluke Voltage Standard on top. Then 4 seven decade Kelvin Varley dividers from Fluke and ESI and 3 HP 3458A 8-1/2 digit bench meters. (3 of them permits voting...)

[McBryce]

Looks fancy, but he obviously only collects gear to look at. As it's set up there most of the devices would be completely unusable.

McBryce.

[Pinkus]

Looks fancy, but he obviously only collects gear to look at. As it's set up there most of the devices would be completely unusable.

Exactly what I thought ... others would have posters from Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Magazine in their man-cave ... he seems to have a different fetish 

[Ed.Kloonk]

Looks fancy, but he obviously only collects gear to look at. As it's set up there most of the devices would be completely unusable.

Exactly what I thought ... others would have posters from Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Magazine in their man-cave ... he seems to have a different fetish 

I wonder how or where the megaphone (atop the black cab) fits in with all this intemperance.

[nfmax]

Looks fancy, but he obviously only collects gear to look at. As it's set up there most of the devices would be completely unusable.

Exactly what I thought ... others would have posters from Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Magazine in their man-cave ... he seems to have a different fetish 

I wonder how or where the megaphone (atop the black cab) fits in with all this intemperance.

He probably needs it when all the equipment fans are running

[SilverSolder]

Caught this article on home labs of the stars.

https://www.signalintegrityjournal.com/articles/2045-home-labs-of-the-stars

Actually many of them are fairly modest setups. Goes to show you don't need a tower of test equipment to do many projects.

We should really have a separate sub-thread:  "Best Minimalist Home Lab"

At an extreme, you could do a lot with just a Digilent Analog Discovery 2 and not much else (provided you have a PC), the "lab" would pack away in a desk drawer when not in use!

[duckduck]

Caught this article on home labs of the stars.

https://www.signalintegrityjournal.com/articles/2045-home-labs-of-the-stars

Actually many of them are fairly modest setups. Goes to show you don't need a tower of test equipment to do many projects.

We should really have a separate sub-thread:  "Best Minimalist Home Lab"

That's like posting a "Best Low-Horsepower Amateur Dragster" thread on the National Hot-Rod Association forum. 

[bsfeechannel]

We should really have a separate sub-thread:  "Best Minimalist Home Lab"

We kinda do, I guess.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/amphour/468-the-tiny-lab-movement/

[SilverSolder]

We should really have a separate sub-thread:  "Best Minimalist Home Lab"

We kinda do, I guess.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/amphour/468-the-tiny-lab-movement/

Not sure Mr. Carlson's lab qualifies as "minimalist"! 

[Yansi]

That would be equipment hoardist too 

[bsfeechannel]

Sorry. I forgot to say that the thread is about people with tiny labs and a sense of humor.

[rdl]

When it comes to electronics there's a lot you can do in a small space without a lot of equipment. I spent my first 15 years as a hobbyist in a closet. Eventually I had to move out, but for a long time all I had for equipment was home-made power supplies, a couple of cheap multimeters, some breadboards, and a Radio Shack soldering iron.

[bsfeechannel]

My lab started out as a 10 m² room of our backyard guest/annex house in the seventies, underwent several incarnations and ended up in a 50 m² garage in the mid '90s. Then I had to drastically downsize it, and it became a portable lab. I even took it on a vacation trip. I resurrected it as a med6753-style lab, where you don't know where the lab ends and the rest of the house begins. I would attribute something like 5 exclusive m² to it now.

This is med6753's lab.

Mine is not that tidy.

[med6753]

That's an older pix and doesn't show all of it. This is more recent.