What did you buy today? Post your latest purchase!

[Fludo]

I bought an Advantest R3131A Spectrum Analyzer 9kHz - 3GHz  off of EBay for $165 shipped. Doesn't have TG option but the price was right.
I had the seller try and run self test but he reported the keyboard was not responding to inputs.  Hopefully I can use GPIB adapter and labview to get it responding remotely.  In addition, I bought a few attenuators and Type N - bnc adapters to test it, but have trouble finding a cheap 3GHz source to test it with.  My Wavetek 288 function gen goes up to 20MHz with AM/FM and will be fun to play with.

[Terry01]

I got 1 of these I am happy to report...

I've been looking for one in decent nick at the right price for a while now. This 1 looks ok in the photos but we'll see when it arrives.

[TerraHertz]

I was going to convert this HP Battery module to LiPo's but decided to swap out the 2500 long dead NiCads for 'allegedly' 10000mAh NiMh instead to keep the other mods to a minimum.

I was going to do the same thing to an instrument that had a lot of dead NiCads. Bought the NiMh replacements. Then reading up on characteristics (which I should have done before buying), discovered that NiMh do not like constant trickle charge. It apparently ruins them. The instrument used simple trickle charge. Changing that to implement the correct charge profile for NiMh wasn't feasible. So I had wasted a significant amount of money.

[beanflying]

I was going to convert this HP Battery module to LiPo's but decided to swap out the 2500 long dead NiCads for 'allegedly' 10000mAh NiMh instead to keep the other mods to a minimum.

I was going to do the same thing to an instrument that had a lot of dead NiCads. Bought the NiMh replacements. Then reading up on characteristics (which I should have done before buying), discovered that NiMh do not like constant trickle charge. It apparently ruins them. The instrument used simple trickle charge. Changing that to implement the correct charge profile for NiMh wasn't feasible. So I had wasted a significant amount of money.

I will still be swapping out the charge circuitry on this as it will be on 24/7 under load with the batteries becoming a UPS of sorts. More fuss to protect the LiPo's and also deal with the voltage change in this case.

[Terry01]

How do you like proxxon’s other tools, like the sander? So far I just have a proxxon “dremel” (IBS/E and the MB200 drill stand).

Can't read the type number anymore, it's scratched, but I have a small dremel from Proxxon as well with a stand. Works pretty good for drilling small holes (a few millimeters) or cutting traces. But for bigger holes I need my drill press.

I have the Proxxon 28608 Precision Vice and I love it. It's awesome! I had a Clarke one before that and the Proxxon is in a different league all together! I would recommend it to anyone looking for a non permanent vice. It really is a solid piece of kit!

 

[McBryce]

I have a whole collection of Proxxon tools. The Vice above, plus a hand drill, drill jig, drill extension rod (good for hand modding plastic cases or work outside the jig) and circular saw (really good for PCB cutting if you use a diamond blade). So as you can guess, I think their tools are good too. I wouldn't recommend the vice with suction base. It loses it's grip with even the slightest of pressure on the vice.

McBryce.

[FrankBuss]

I have the Proxxon 28608 Precision Vice and I love it. It's awesome! I had a Clarke one before that and the Proxxon is in a different league all together! I would recommend it to anyone looking for a non permanent vice. It really is a solid piece of kit!

I have a "Bernstein Spannfix" vice. I really like that you can quickly unlock it with the lever and rotate it in any direction, very useful for prototyping.

[TERRA Operative]

New tool day!

Got me a set of cable gland pliers (no more chewing up those press fit cable glands with my piers), some fiberglass scratchy pens for cleaning corrosion and stuff, and a set of IC extractors, and I even managed to find a set of discontinued IC Inserters (Yay for old guys hoarding stuff in Akihabara! )

[Kjelt]

I have a "Bernstein Spannfix" vice. I really like that you can quickly unlock it with the lever and rotate it in any direction, very useful for prototyping.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/what-did-you-buy-today-post-your-latest-purchase!/msg1689353/#msg1689353

[rsjsouza]

Now I fully understand why Westerners boycott shit exported from China. They don't have to follow the same quality standard as their domestic counterparts have to, so a manufacturer can literally dump any illegal shit, as long as they're not sold within Mainland China.

Not all westerners are exposed to the same quality. Here in the US the "cheap chinese stuff" has much higher quality than the crap I buy in South America (more specifically, Brasil and Argentina) - especially when talking about chargers, extension cords, tools and children's toys. They are actually dangerous but can be bough everywhere. Shameful, really. 

[Vgkid]

New tool day!

I have a pair of ic extractors ,one is the gx , and the other an oki(they are in storage)

[tsman]

After a bit sniffing, I found the literal smoking gun -- a smoking UK to universal socket adapter.

Those universal adapters are crap + dangerous because of how they're designed. The nickname deathdapter is well deserved.

The previous one probably suffered from a high current load, maybe someone plugged the kettle in it.

I was talking to housekeeping last time I was in HK and she said some people bring their own electric grills with them so they can cook in the rooms

[Shock]

Dick Smith MKII K-7214 ESR meter, original unopened kit (over 20 years old).
Don't see these come up for sale very often. Both Dave and Dick will approve of this purchase.

I also own a K-7205 LOPT/Flyback tester and a K-3602 Eprom Programmer.

[TERRA Operative]

Ooh, I have that ESR meter!
That flyback tester looks interesting. Mind opening it up and taking some photos for a bit of reverse engineering?


[Edit] A quick google found me the original manual. Might have to make me one of these.

https://www.flippers.com/pdfs/k7205.pdf

[Shock]

Ooh, I have that ESR meter!
That flyback tester looks interesting. Mind opening it up  and taking some photos for a bit of reverse engineering?

I'll go you one better
http://bobparker.net.au/lopt_tester/k7205.pdf

This is the newer version of the K-7205
https://anatekinstruments.com/products/anatek-blue-ring-q-meter-full-kit-for-self-assembly-artest_kit

[TERRA Operative]

Ha, you beat me to the edit.

New project time!

[CJay]

After a bit sniffing, I found the literal smoking gun -- a smoking UK to universal socket adapter.

Those universal adapters are crap + dangerous because of how they're designed. The nickname deathdapter is well deserved.

The previous one probably suffered from a high current load, maybe someone plugged the kettle in it.

I was talking to housekeeping last time I was in HK and she said some people bring their own electric grills with them so they can cook in the rooms

That happens in the UK too, my partner worked for a number of hotels up to 5 star in London and it's quite common to have maintenance reset breakers because people trip them with grills, it's also common to throw kettles away because people 'cook' in them, on one occasion she told me of a visitor who was storing fresh food in the bath with ice from the bar.

[LapTop006]

... on one occasion she told me of a visitor who was storing fresh food in the bath with ice from the bar.

Hopefully not human kidneys.

[Terry01]

I have the Proxxon 28608 Precision Vice and I love it. It's awesome! I had a Clarke one before that and the Proxxon is in a different league all together! I would recommend it to anyone looking for a non permanent vice. It really is a solid piece of kit!

I have a "Bernstein Spannfix" vice. I really like that you can quickly unlock it with the lever and rotate it in any direction, very useful for prototyping.

That looks like a very simple and robust vice for sure! I think I would be very happy to own that vice too. It looks like a solid piece of kit that does what it says on the tin! 

[rsjsouza]

... on one occasion she told me of a visitor who was storing fresh food in the bath with ice from the bar.

Hopefully not human kidneys.

Or a body.   

[TiN]

Two boards for 550$ from Fluke 5440B to steal parts and voodoo resistors from.... 

[Mr. Scram]

... on one occasion she told me of a visitor who was storing fresh food in the bath with ice from the bar.

Hopefully not human kidneys.

Or a body.   

You guys have strange ideas about "fresh food".

[Terry01]

I have the Proxxon 28608 Precision Vice and I love it. It's awesome! I had a Clarke one before that and the Proxxon is in a different league all together! I would recommend it to anyone looking for a non permanent vice. It really is a solid piece of kit!

I have a "Bernstein Spannfix" vice. I really like that you can quickly unlock it with the lever and rotate it in any direction, very useful for prototyping.

I keep looking back at this. It's a very nice vice indeed! I think it's a much more upgraded/refined version of the one I have.
I love mine so can only imagine how much more a treat to use yours is. I see yours is about 5 X the price of mine but with these things you get what you pay for....  most of the time!
That's one of the things I like about the forum, you get a real world review of these things.

I know some will say "you don't need a more expensive vice" or whatever, but sometimes it's nice just to have these things. Kinda like owning a a Mercedes when a Ford or Vauxhall will do just fine.

I'm very tempted to invest in 1 and keep mine as a back up and to use the odd time you need 2 vices.

We'll see.... 

I can hear the Mrs already.... "More JUNK"! LOL

[CJay]

... on one occasion she told me of a visitor who was storing fresh food in the bath with ice from the bar.

Hopefully not human kidneys.

Or a body.   

You guys have strange ideas about "fresh food".

Meh, it's all protein...

[Shock]

The two Workzone branded small vices (suction and edge mount) from Aldi go on special once a year for about $15 each which is a bit of a bargain.