What did you buy today? Post your latest purchase!

[SiliconWizard]

(
different kind of lens, but I seriously need a microscope
my eyes are too bad for checking smd components
)

Even with reasonably good eyesight, using a microscope for SMD work is a good idea, especially the finer pitch stuff.
And good lighting.

[DiTBho]

So, I bought an SMD microscope!
Optics are somehow paired to a camera that has VGA output instead of HDMI modern things.
Like it!

NOS and beautiful 

[beanflying]

Time for this old brain to learn new things.

Ordered my first Pi (Pico W) Partly for the play but also I want to have a look at Python for fun and for comparison to the Arduino/ESP32 and C++ I have been using.

edit: Dammit also added an E-Paper plugin board to suit because of doing some reading. Budget x 3 

[ramenbytes]

Technically yesterday, but I scored a used Metcal MFR-PS1100 with an MFR-H1-SC2 handpiece, plus several F-class tips, for peanuts. Nice upgrade from my current iron which plugs directly into the mains.

[Martin72]

Arrived today, really fast shipping (under 2 weeks) from china:

ET4410 LCR Meter.

[Kjelt]

Arrived today, really fast shipping (under 2 weeks) from china:

ET4410 LCR Meter.

Interesting, price? Is it any good ?

[RAPo]

A very nice little slide rule for electrics, a Pickkett for in your briefcase .

[RAPo]

Next week a Rigol RSA3015N with cal set, a Rigol DG2052, and an RF explorer 6G + DC-block will arrive. I'm a happy, lucky person. What a great time to be alive.

[DiTBho]

Arrived today, really fast shipping (under 2 weeks) from china:

ET4410 LCR Meter.

wow, super interesting!
if you have time, please let us know how it goes 

[Martin72]

Interesting, price? Is it any good ?

Price for the 100khz version is under 300€ if you don´t buy it from ebay..
Basic accuracy 0.1%, 16 testfrequencies up to 100khz (ET4410), list function, outputlevel up to 2V, even DC-Bias up to 1.5V...
Works with SCPI commands..
This is the second one for me(first sold last year to buy an defective hioki 5Mhz lcr), buy it again because I want to finish "reverse engineering" and to have a second LCR for comparison measures.
Tested the first at work against yearly calibratred LCRs from keysight (U1733C) and sourcetronic ST2830 (Tonghui TH2830).
Up to 1khz all are similar from the results, up 10khz it´s still in it´s specs.
To keep it short here I would say, if you want more than a DE5000 offers and couldn´t spend the money a TH2830 costs, this could be your choice.

[dmills]

Just added an Alexander 2CGD cutter grinder to the mechanical workshop, neat little thing, and pretty much a direct clone of the excellent Deckel SO.

http://www.lathes.co.uk/alexander/page2.html

 

[MathWizard]

testing testing, the server's timing out ??

[w.v.s.]

This is the second one for me(first sold last year to buy an defective hioki 5Mhz lcr), buy it again because I want to finish "reverse engineering" and to have a second LCR for comparison measures.

Weren't you targeting a ET4510 last year or am I mixing things up?

[gamalot]

The Raspberry Pi Pico W is finally in stock, I bought two pieces and a Raspberry Pi mug.

[Martin72]

Hi,

https://www.geltron.de/betriebseinrichtung/arbeitstische/viking-comfort/arbeitstisch-comfort-sr-15-set-1-h-ral7035

I can´t stand it any longer that my desk is too small from the depth and not really for working...

Weren't you targeting a ET4510 last year or am I mixing things up?

No, you are right but the ET4510 cost at least 200 more...

[w.v.s.]

No, you are right but the ET4510 cost at least 200 more...

That's also the reason why I picked the 4410. I assume the difference might only be the firmware. In that case, I hope some day there will be a way to upgrade to get more variable in the frequencies.

[armandine2]

I can´t stand it any longer that my desk is too small from the depth and not really for working...

the evolving bench layout

to stack or not to stack

[PlainName]

to stack or not to stack

Stacking (actually, having instruments above the bench space) makes it difficult to look at what you're doing as well as reading the instrument display. OK if you, say, connect solidly then look, but an issue if you're hand-holding a probe.

OTOH, not stacking (having the instruments as in your first photo) makes it easier to see both the work and display at the same time, reducing the risk of slipping probe or probing the wrong thing, etc. But you lose work space and have leads all over the place, and you need to keep swapping out the instrument you used before with the one you want to use now.

One solution is to have a display at work level with the instrument itself stacked on a shelf. The display might be from the instruments HDMI/VGA port or a PC connected connected in various ways. For instance, a Keysight DSOX can drive an external display, of you can have a pretty much real-time display via a browser. Many Chinese instruments have Android apps.

[SeanB]

Car code scanner, got it from Martin Lorton in the USA.

[Mortymore]

A Siglent Electronic Load SDL-1020X-E

[RAPo]

Got me a secondhand  Lutron FC-2500A.
Always a good thing if the old ones agree with the new ones.

[beanflying]

So you watch an item on evilbay partly out of interest to see how the pricing is currently and the seller a few hours later sends you an offer for about 25% off and you look at how much food in in the cupboard for the next few weeks..... 

I am weak (stop laughing @Brumby) so seems I will be adding an Agilent E3620A to the front bench because you know Power Supplies you never have enough there is also a gaping hole where the 735A Transfer Standard has been living for the last few years so in the interests of open space collecting 'stuff'  it had to be done

It was a good price just don't ask what the freight to Oz was. 

[Mortymore]

Finally bought some Kelvin leads for the bench meter



Until now, I was using 4 clips, for 4 wire measurements.

[rsjsouza]

So you watch an item on evilbay partly out of interest to see how the pricing is currently and the seller a few hours later sends you an offer for about 25% off and you look at how much food in in the cupboard for the next few weeks..... 

This is a clever way that eBay found to foster sales. I fall prey to some of these from time to time, to the point I now only add things to my watchlist in times of excess hobby money... 😁

[jonovid]

organizing & rounding up resistors.
it a set of new Jaycar drawer units for the bench.
the label stickers are from Officeworks.
now I got the job of organizing then by values.