What did you buy today? Post your latest purchase!

[jonovid]

simple plug-n-test home mains AC meter
this up to 10 amp 260 volt max 50 or 60Hz AC meter comes in UK, US, EU, or AU plug types
no-name AilEx unit volts watts amps - set cost in wh use.
unknown how good the accuracy of the calibration is.

[Halcyon]

OK guys, I've deleted the controversial posts that didn't relate to electronics from the last few pages. Please keep the conversation relevant to the spirit of the forum.

If you have a query regarding your health, speak to your doctor. This is not the place to discuss unapproved medical treatments or risky practices involving self-medication.

[_Wim_]

This is not the place to discuss unapproved medical treatments or risky practices involving self-medication.

What do we need to do then with our TEA?   

[SpacedCowboy]

What do we need to do then with our TEA?   

As a Brit, drink it, old chap. Preferably with a fine biscuit to go with.

[DiTBho]

Garmin Edge 830 bundle(1)  Cycling GPS computer, for my road-bicycle 

it costs 500 euro, I got it with 40% discount because it's not exactly "brand new" but rather some kind of stuff that sports centers have in their windows.

The screen has no scratches, but a lot of fingerprints, and it doesn't look clean but a little dirty, but that's nothing you can remove with a gentle polishing tool.

It's functionally equal to the Garmin Edge 530, but it adds touchscreen and better navigation menus. Unfortunately it messes the mounting bracket for the bike handlebar, so I bought one for 25 euro.

I have some crazy plans for this summer 

(1) for Garmin "bundle" meas with all the bio-sensors.

[beanflying]

I trust you are watching the Tour of Flanders then My Lezvne GPS computer has plenty of sensors to tell me how slow I am going compared to the pro mob

Added a Faked Makita 'brushless' impact driver to the kit today. Seems to actually be brushless with a few sockets and sub $30 USD equivalent delivered  Not expecting or needing a really heavy duty item and it will only see use 5-10 times a year so this is a bargain if it works ok. Reason to add it was I had to fuss around and go borrow a mates air one to install a Towbar with Taptite bolts and it was noisy and generally a PITA. eBay auction: #165035918581

[DiTBho]

I trust you are watching the Tour of Flanders then My Lezvne GPS computer has plenty of sensors to tell me how slow I am going compared to the pro mob

LOL 

well, at least the Garmin can motivate you to train better, harder, faster.
There is an integrated training program, it looks very useful and nice 

I am planning a nice trip for tomorrow, 80Km all in plain without hills.

[cdev]

@DiTBho

You were smart to get a cycling computer, and not a watch.. (many I see being discounted, the reason I think is that they just dont work very well! and get returned..)

There is a huge difference.. Mounted on a bike, the GPS has a good chance of being accurate.. I bet for your money you get a very nice package, with optimal placement of a good GPS antenna.

In contrast, The problem with many GPS watches is the weakness of the antennas they use for them. I dont know how many here have done much analysis of the quality of the recorded positions captured by most "GPS" watches. The GPX (or whatever formats it saves) tracks can be simulated by putting a GPS antenna on its side and making your recording with it positioned like that. Or similar.

Frankly, a GPS antenna has to be of acceptable quality (almost none are) and facing vertically (usually with very few exceptions) to be accurate.  I have a PND (personal navigation device) that contains an otherwise excellent Sirf Star III GPS chipset.  I often use it for this and when I am I have learned to make sure its GPS antenna is on its upward side. I put it in my backpack "CD pocket" which is at its top, and prop it up so the top is actually facing up and I get a good trace. If I dont do that (say it gets pushed down on its side) And I am in the city, almost without fail its horrible. This is I guess the problem with many GPS watches, phones when used for GPS, and so on. The recorded positions are crap. It gets worse in cities where streets are like canyons with only a thin strip of sky visible, straight up. The rest is mostly metal. Metal buildings.

The only exception is the Sarantel quadrifilar helix antenna. It works no matter what direction is facing up!

That is really true. Its one of the only examples of when marketing hype turns out to be true. Unfortunately, after I saw a bunch of these great antennas being discounted a year or two ago I was crestfallen to hear that they were going out of business.

Frankly I am surprised the recordings are as good as they are, often times. If I was wearing a GPS watch I suspect the movement of my arms would find its way into the track also if I was running. Frankly the hands would be the worst place for a GPS on the body. I would try for a spot on the upper trunk or ideally, on a hat on the head. Or in a backpack attached to the back with straps. Facing up. That works well.

[Mr.B]

Added a Faked Makita 'brushless' impact driver to the kit today...

I see the advert quotes "longer user life".

If I can extend my life for 30USD, I'll take 10 of them... 

[TerraHertz]

This took a while. Back in Aug 2021 I bought some manuals in Chicago.



Here they are in storage in the USA, after they were picked up by a friend. Yes, they are quite dirty, since the idiot seller had left them sitting in a garage for years with no dust cover while failing to sell them due to being incredibly difficult to deal with.





And finally at my place. After quite a drama involving US West coast shipping.





But... the shelf for them isn't ready yet. So not unpacking and starting to clean them yet. Well maybe just some little peeks...
Btw, this is unrelated to the much larger manuals set I bought in Sacramento.

edit by gnif: These forums are not for dissemination of medial advice or information.

[DiTBho]

Frankly the hands would be the worst place for a GPS on the body. I would try for a spot on the upper trunk or ideally, on a hat on the head. Or in a backpack attached to the back with straps. Facing up. That works well.

That's why Garmin sells a kit to mount the fēnix 7X Sapphire Solar on the bike handlebar, or on the forearm with a band.

Not only the GPS has less throttling, but also the Sapphire lens are better irradiated by the sun so the inside solar cell can make better use of solar energy.

I can fabricate a hat-kit for the GPS-watch, or to sew something to use it in my backpack.

No problem here, I can sew very well

[nctnico]

This took a while. Back in Aug 2021 I bought some manuals in Chicago.

Here they are in storage in the USA, after they were picked up by a friend. Yes, they are quite dirty, since the idiot seller had left them sitting in a garage for years with no dust cover while failing to sell them due to being incredibly difficult to deal with.

But surely no match for your level of persistence. 

Btw, this is unrelated to the much larger manuals set I bought in Sacramento.

How is that going?

General question: do you keep the duplicates or just the nicest copy that goes through your hands?

[beanflying]

$0.02 teardown. Consider me surprised it does contain a Brushless motor and a few sensibly sized actual standard bearings and decent looking machining and plastics  Buy one for the motor, controller and gearbox for a high torque project I guess too.


The 'rendering' a few posts back is a comprehensive LIE too

[DiTBho]

Graphing calculator TI-89-titanium, paid 60+18 Euro shipped, brand new! : D
On amazon it is currently on sale for 200 Euro, it's crazy

Shocking Discovery: it has an RTC chip! It shows the date and time

The previous TI-89 model didn't have the RTC

[Neepa]

"Bought" (as in bribed my superior with munchies) an old HP 9000 310 computer system with seemingly full Documentation, HP2225 printer and keyboard from my employer's trash pile in the basement. Also some miscellaneous TE. Computer and Monitor work, HDD and Disk drive module not really. Might need some work.

Burster Digistant 4454 constant voltage and current standard; needs work, batteries died within destroying components with their vomit
Burster PT100 Simulator
Burster Thermocouple Checker or somesuch
Handheld Frequency/Volt Meter combo ; nice for the moving coil dials


The HP9000 might be a nice ebay profit when I get bored with it. The keyboard alone sells for like 80 bucks.

[bob91343]

I bought a digital microscope but it's got too much magnification for circuit board work.

https://www.newegg.com/p/0X6-04T4-000Y5?Item=9SIAB15C981905&utm_medium=TraEmail&utm_source=TEMC-Shipping-New-Tracking-Notification-Responsive-US&cm_mmc=TEMC-Shipping-New-Tracking-Notification-Responsive-US-_-9SIAB15C981905

[mnementh]

$0.02 teardown. Consider me surprised it does contain a Brushless motor and a few sensibly sized actual standard bearings and decent looking machining and plastics  Buy one for the motor, controller and gearbox for a high torque project I guess too.


The 'rendering' a few posts back is a comprehensive LIE too

There's actually quite a lot of metal in that for a $35ish tool. Is this your first brushless power tool? Once you get used to them, using brushed feels like going back to a hand-crank can-opener or a drill without VSR...

mnem
 

[niconiconi]

Some vintage LT1088 chips. It measures True RMS voltage by dissipating the input RF power into an on-chip resistor, and heating another on-chip resistor using DC until it reaches the same temperature - the holy grail of RMS-to-DC conversion. I hope to use this chip to verify the performance of a RF power meter I'm building (my RF power meter itself does not use LT1088 as it's long out of production, just performance verification).

[mnementh]

 NEJISAURUS PZ-57 & PZ-58 screw-chomping pliers.

      

They are quite delightful: Excellent fit & finish; a joy in the hand. 

Not bought today, but a few weeks ago. I meant to bring this here when I got them, but IRL got in the way. 

Mini-Review here: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/test-equipment-anonymous-(tea)-group-therapy-thread/msg4069663/#msg4069663

TL-DR version: Piranha teeth!!!     Serrations are exactly as described in the adverts: Sharp grippy angles, but ground to an inside curve such that the ends of the jaws pull themselves under the edge of the screw head.

https://www.amazon.com/Engineers-screw-Zaurus-M2-PZ-57/dp/B001D7KU7W/

https://www.amazon.com/ENGINEER-PZ-58-Extractor-Combination-fasteners/dp/B002L6HJAA/

Available on eBay, Amazon and the Engineer website. Amazon is cheapest and next-day via Prime for that "Instant Gratification" fix.  

Search for"Neji", "PZ-57" & "PZ-58" on your preferred local shopping sites; there are numerous other models sold under the PZ-5x naming convention, but the PZ-57 & PZ-58 appear to be the only ones which have this "precision & quality" build feel.

They also make some very interesting crimper kits; Cerebus will doubtless be in here crowing a wee bit once his arrives. 

https://www.engineertools-jp.com/

mnem
 

[DiTBho]

An iPhone 13 Max Pro with 256GB of ram plus on eBay and a tripod on Amazon.

Unfortunately it is not the color I like, it is a kind of light gold color (blah, I don't like), the battery is exhausted and needs to be replaced, the micro SIM slot looks damaged and doesn't open, also there are several scratches on the back, not on the screen, on the other side, but the three cameras are perfect! Which is what I need, especially the macro one.

I only paid 103 euros for the iPhone, it comes from an eBay auction that started at 100 euros, described as "not working, only for parts", and since Apple lists it at 1200 euros, it's a deal of -1100 euros !

I'm going to use it as a camera, certainly not as a phone 

[gamalot]

40pcs 68uF/100V metallized PET film capacitors, model number TDK (EPCOS) B32524Q1686K000. They are NOS and the price is so low that I have to buy them.

[mnementh]

Windsor Design #63395 60 in x 20 in woodworking bench. $160 at Horror Fraught:

https://www.harborfreight.com/60-in-4-drawer-hardwood-workbench-63395.html

"Butcher block" top is made of reasonably decent sized 1x18-1x24 in strips of hardwood; looking through the dog holes I'd guess 17-19mm thick...?

Legs and drawer fascia are similar construction; lower shelf and drawer bodies are Masonite, but reasonable heavy both bottoms and sides, and all with flocked lining. Vise should be able to hold a 6x6, it has 19mm steel sliders and acme thread with all cast iron vise hardware.

Given what a crapwood 48" bench costs at Home Despot, a bargain even without the $20 off coupon; which these sell out in days whenever they do come in stock.

mnem
Now for that "honey-do" list...

[kripton2035]

I only paid 103 euros for the iPhone, it comes from an eBay auction that started at 100 euros, described as "not working, only for parts", and since Apple lists it at 1200 euros, it's a deal of -1100 euros !
I'm going to use it as a camera, certainly not as a phone 

if it's locked with a appleid password, you won't be able to use anything of the phone
and as it is sold "for parts" you have a deal of -103 euros...1200 euros is for a fully working phone...

[jonovid]

Mini Retro NES Gaming Console.
a third of the 620 NES games are clones or unplayable.
all games require a full console re-set when exiting to the next game or menu.
the AV video is standard definition with high color saturation.
this console did not have the HDMI output but if it did, it would still be standard definition.
the quality of the case plastics shows defects flow marks.

did a teardown on the console to see if a re-set circuit could be added to the hand controllers.
by way the a controller button hold-down trigger circuit to poll the reset pin.
however as shown , this may not be possible. uses chip on board on the hand controllers.
also the video color saturation circuits are behind an unknown chip on board.
posted so if anyone wants to try .
please do share if you can fix or successfully modify this type of games console.
particularly adding an on controller reset.

update- added a list of nes games

in theory how cheap can you get in video game hardware design?
here is My speculation if further product cost cutting is possible? sadly yes.
the cardboard box the product came in, could pretend to be the main console.
 
the two game hand controllers could be in theory permanently linked by a cable then
also the AV and power cable also run out from of one from console pcb inside one of them.
eliminating all the USB plugs and sockets . in a hypothetical product redesign. the power &
 reset could be deeply recessed into one of the controllers case.
off edge of the main pcb useing slide switchs one with a spring return for reset.

still a fun product as It Is .

[deadlylover]

There's something satisfying about using a pencil...I will have to dot a few smaller notebooks around the lab/garage.

The Hi Uni pencils are excellent as long as you don't overpay (tricky with the current logistical nightmare going on, I paid USD19 for a dozen), the Moleskine is ehhhh a bit expensive for what you get but it's the gateway drug into nicer notebooks so I just had to experience it. I will try a Leuchtturm1917 next...and maybe some Blackwing pencils too.

Finally a relatively reasonably priced hobby to get into.