What did you buy today? Post your latest purchase!

[Specmaster]

Yes I think you are right, I remember reading that before about it being developed by military doctors for battlefield situations in a bid to save lives as many were being lost before they could get them to a hospital for surgery.

Can't expect too much from the plastics after 34 years but it is a testament to the overall design of the meter that it still reads within its specification of 0.03% on DC voltage and the rest of the meter still seems to be pretty good to me. When my HP3478A comes back being calibrated, I'll using that as a transfer reference to set up my other meters including the 3466A as they all have manual adjustments unlike the 3478A.

Sorry to hear about your problem with vibrations so I can imagine the agony a car journey would inflict on you especially with the potholes our roads are riddles with these days. 

[GerryBags]

I was told we'd have hover cars by now, when I was a kid. I feel so cheated! 

I can totally forgive HP for plastic issues. Complaining about the trim on such superbly engineered devices seems churlish in the extreme, especially as we must be well outside their expected length of service. The fact that you can buy a meter with a cal sticker that expired ten times it's renewal period ago and you can still have a reasonable expectation that it will be in spec is incredible really.

[Specmaster]

Haha I know what you mean, just like the Jetsons car eh?

I couldn't agree more those HP meters are brilliantly engineered, some would say by today's standard, over engineered I wonder how many of the newer ones will still be working in 30 years time?

[BillB]

Picked up a practically brand new BK Precision 1823A Counter!

[Specmaster]

Love the green display 

[BillB]

Love the green display 

1990's Flashback!

[edy]

Technically not purchased, was tossed on the curb in my neighbourhood on trash day. Any good? I hooked them up and they sound nice. I didn't hook up the woofer yet, but even with the towers it was loud and punchy! Yay for free speakers!

[Specmaster]

Nice find, well saved they are far to good to be dumped. People just don't understand about hi-fi these days. Most people are more then happy to use their mp3 players or phones/tablets and Bluetooth speakers and think that it sounds wonderful. I hear it I think to myself it sounds so tinny and thin. Its the rage to go small with everything these days apart from TV screens.

[jmctech]

This got delivered today.

[rdl]

Technically not purchased, was tossed on the curb in my neighbourhood on trash day. Any good? I hooked them up and they sound nice. I didn't hook up the woofer yet, but even with the towers it was loud and punchy! Yay for free speakers!

Wow, very lucky find. I'm guessing here, but those are probably better than whatever you have now.

[edy]

Nice find, well saved they are far to good to be dumped. People just don't understand about hi-fi these days. Most people are more then happy to use their mp3 players or phones/tablets and Bluetooth speakers and think that it sounds wonderful. I hear it I think to myself it sounds so tinny and thin. Its the rage to go small with everything these days apart from TV screens.

I just had a look online as I thought they were some cheap no-name company and somebody tossing them because either they broke or got water damaged or maybe speakers were blown. But no... they sound in good nick and loud and clear as heck! The towers were wrapped up in Saran-wrap like material to protect them, the woofer not. And it just rained hear briefly a few hours before, not sure if they were outside or not then. There are a few scratches on the faux-wooden veneer/laminate but superficial and one of the speaker covers has a little wear at the fabric near one of the edges.

They were definitely on the curb next to the large black bag garbage, recycling blue boxes and green organic bins and today is definitely garbage day on my street. I'm sure I didn't just steal them.... Why would the towers be wrapped in that clear film? Were they in storage and they just wanted to clear space because they got news ones a while back? Seems odd somebody would toss them but I guess if somebody is buying audio systems they will pick up a new array of home surround speakers and these would be redundant and perhaps not match the decor and with only 3 speakers (and they are a bit heavy and large) I assume if they bought something new it would have a bunch of small ones everywhere mounted to walls and such and have like at least 5 or 7 around the room from all directions. That's one explanation I can come up with.

And yes they are definitely better than what I have now, which are a pair of also curb-thrown speakers which I picked up with an amp/tuner/double cassette. Of course the cassette decks were done long ago (belts dried up) and I nevertheless bothered to replace them. But I use the AUX in to plug an iPod or computer or phone, and I get a nice crystal digital tuner to pick up local stations... and it has a cheap equalizer with maybe 5 or 6 sliders. Anyways the speaker that came with that were pretty good but I only noticed last week (after Dave's speaker tear down) that my own had one with a blown tweeter. Of course I never noticed because the other speaker still had a good tweeter and they are set up so I couldn't really notice it unless I moved the balance fully over and jacked up the highs on the equalizer sliders. So talk about timing... what a coincidence that I see Dave'a video, which makes me poke around my own speakers, which I then discover one tweeter is fried and then poof out of nowhere these new speakers! I really need a new amp/tuner though... maybe someone will toss something better. LOL!

One day someone will have a bonanza when I start dumping my stuff too because running out of space and the wife making me clean everything out! Only temporary possession, that's the truth! My dumpster garbage finds likely been around the block a few times!

[GerryBags]

Maybe they hoped they could be of more use to someone else, and wrapped them up so they stood a better chance? Free-cycling.

[tautech]

Technically not purchased, was tossed on the curb in my neighbourhood on trash day. Any good? I hooked them up and they sound nice. I didn't hook up the woofer yet, but even with the towers it was loud and punchy! Yay for free speakers!

Nice. 
Ya just gotta have some luck occasionally after the hell you went through with that bloody hot water cylinder. 

[rdl]

Btw, the third speaker is a center channel, not a woofer. Normally is used only with TV/home theater setups that have multi-channel surround (it is the odd speaker in 5.1, 3.1, 7.1, not the .1 speaker). They tend to be somewhat lacking in bass, as they are mainly intended for dialogue reproduction.

[frozenfrogz]

I need to confess..

Some days ago I acquired an almost NOS Vision Engineering TS-4 that is now sitting on my new bench. I already posted about it of course
However, the guy that sold me the microscope had a deadly question to ask:

Are you interested in parts? 

Well... what kind of parts?

All kind of... I don’t know.

And then he dragged a huge box of IC tubes from a shelf and some cardboard boxes full of SMD parts, connectors and other goodness.

SCNR!

There are a lot of EPROMs, CPLDs, 74XX, ADCs, DACs - you name it.
I already started cataloging the parts, but it is still a long way to fill the database...

[tautech]

OMG, you hit the jackpot especially if there's the unobtainium 0603 0.1 uF SMD caps in there.

Online bidding for them ? 

[frozenfrogz]

OMG, you hit the jackpot especially if there's the unobtainium 0603 0.1 uF SMD caps in there.

There’s a strip of about 100 of the 100nF, 0603s - You buyin’?

I attached the WIP lists to my post above. In case you find something of interest, just drop me a line. I am not planing to get into the parts dealing business, but maybe there are some oddball parts one of you has been searching for...

[edy]

Btw, the third speaker is a center channel, not a woofer. Normally is used only with TV/home theater setups that have multi-channel surround (it is the odd speaker in 5.1, 3.1, 7.1, not the .1 speaker). They tend to be somewhat lacking in bass, as they are mainly intended for dialogue reproduction.

Thanks! I'm not very familiar with home theatre audio. The only experience I have ever had was my parents old Mitsubishi amp/tuner/phono with a turntable attachment and a couple of basic speakers (early 1980's mid-grade consumer stuff). They still have it by the way! I remember after powering it on a few minutes sometimes you would hear a loud pop and then no more sound for a while (the limiter relay or something clicked to protect the speakers?) then eventually popped on again and you could play sound again.

So I haven't attached the CC100 yet, not sure how... I only have left and right speaker connectors on the back of my tuner/amp. It's that Hitachi HRD-MD03 attached in the photos which I hooked up to a pair of Kenwood LSK-500W's also shown in photos (also garbage curb day from a few years back). That was my only audio component system until acquiring the JM Labs.

Did some more research, apparently the JM Lab Chorus 715's and CC100 are quite "old". The company changed names to Focal and you can still find Chorus speakers under that new company somewhere. The older brochure found here shows what seems to be the original branding: https://www.canadianhifi.com/sites/default/files/product/749/manuals/JM%20Lab%20Chorus%20Series%20Speakers%20Brochure.pdf. Made in France. I attached a photo showing serial number, not sure if there is a date code in there as I saw online reviews in the 2003-2008 range. Back then a pair would go for maybe $800 and the centre speaker another $300, and most reviews were pleased with the sound for what they considered a "cheaper" audiophile set of speakers. They also commented they were heavy. They are made in France to all of us French forum members. I would expect well made speakers treated well to last... the materials don't dry up into dust and degrade as fast as before... I don't see why if these speakers are at least 10-15 years old that they can't last equally that long again. By no means are these "vintage" (except maybe the look is not modern).

[BravoV]

A Huber+Suhner GPS satellite signal siphoning device  , and Rosenberger RF plumbing plugs. 

[bob225]

2x 10k Log Pot's, 2x 10k Reverse Log Pot's and a knob

Now I'm waiting on a new project to be delivered

[ChrisLX200]

Some power resistors and a new pair of side cutters (hard blades - tungsten carbide).

[frozenfrogz]

Some power resistors and a new pair of side cutters (hard blades - tungsten carbide).

Cool I need to get a new set as well. Eff’d up my "Engineer NS-06" precision side cutters.

[ChrisLX200]

Some power resistors and a new pair of side cutters (hard blades - tungsten carbide).

Cool I need to get a new set as well. Eff’d up my "Engineer NS-06" precision side cutters.

I've ruined a couple of pairs of standard cutters by cutting hard wire and I seriously doubt the accuracy of the hardness ratings of those. These new ones are not exactly bullet-proof either, carbide is easily chipped through misuse. I was impressed by their proper box-joint design but less than happy about the finish on the ground edges, they do work though. I had contemplated returning them but I guess I'll live with it. There isn't a huge choice and I wasn't impressed by the many 'dental' carbide cutters on the market.

[Mr. Scram]

Some power resistors and a new pair of side cutters (hard blades - tungsten carbide).

I disapprove of this message, as it's going to cost me money.

[Photon939]

Picked up some used but still relatively fresh solar panels from a guy on ebay. I was able to pick them up during my lunch break at work for essentially free shipping.

230W panels for $120 each and when I was there he had an extra so I got a 4th panel for $110. This will bring my total theoretical power capacity to 1.6KW for a total cost of $670 (not including mounting hardware, wire, etc)