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[tautech]

Splitting hardwoods like Jarrah is an art in itself. 
Dad taught me the backing off method where you continually go round and round the circumference taking off slabs around the growth rings until you get near the center of the block where it can be more easily split.

Still, firewood warms you 3 times, 1st when you gather it, 2nd when you split it and then finally when you burn it. 
It's still one of life's simple pleasures as nobody dares annoy you when wielding an axe. 

[EEVblog]

[johnh]

Splitting hardwoods like Jarrah is an art in itself. 
Dad taught me the backing off method where you continually go round and round the circumference taking off slabs around the growth rings until you get near the center of the block where it can be more easily split.

Still, firewood warms you 3 times, 1st when you gather it, 2nd when you split it and then finally when you burn it. 
It's still one of life's simple pleasures as nobody dares annoy you when wielding an axe. 

Better with a wood splitter

[tautech]

Splitting hardwoods like Jarrah is an art in itself. 
Dad taught me the backing off method where you continually go round and round the circumference taking off slabs around the growth rings until you get near the center of the block where it can be more easily split.

Still, firewood warms you 3 times, 1st when you gather it, 2nd when you split it and then finally when you burn it. 
It's still one of life's simple pleasures as nobody dares annoy you when wielding an axe. 

Better with a wood splitter

Faster with an axe especially when you have a small firebox.

My son has a Fiskars splitting axe and at first glance one calls them as too lightweight for big wood but my do they really perform parting blocks effortlessly and with a weight you can happily handle for extended periods.
I first thought it a toy but I can assure you it's not.
https://www.fiskars.co.nz/products/gardening/axes

[nfmax]

Splitting hardwoods like Jarrah is an art in itself. 
Dad taught me the backing off method where you continually go round and round the circumference taking off slabs around the growth rings until you get near the center of the block where it can be more easily split.

Still, firewood warms you 3 times, 1st when you gather it, 2nd when you split it and then finally when you burn it. 
It's still one of life's simple pleasures as nobody dares annoy you when wielding an axe. 

Better with a wood splitter

Faster with an axe especially when you have a small firebox.

My son has a Fiskars splitting axe and at first glance one calls them as too lightweight for big wood but my do they really perform parting blocks effortlessly and with a weight you can happily handle for extended periods.
I first thought it a toy but I can assure you it's not.
https://www.fiskars.co.nz/products/gardening/axes

I have to confess, for the last few years I have hired a local to saw them up for me and split them with a hydraulic splitter on the PTO of his tractor. This is 'assignment' wood, which I get as a right of common attached to the property where I live. The woodland is managed by Forestry England (formerly the Forestry Commission) and they fell and stack the assignment wood. It's up to us commoners to arrange to collect it. I used to do it myself, but now it's all mechanically handled the logs are 2.2m long instead of the old 4' cordwood length. That makes them Too Heavy.

That lot will be sawn, split & stacked in the next few weeks. It will be seasoned under cover in stacks for two summers before it's used - that's at least ten warm, dry days 

[tautech]

Nice nfmax. 

We have enough storm damaged trees each year to provide us with firewood and we need only collect it from around the farm into a stack for the following year when we park the tractor driven firewood saw next to our wood shed and flick each piece into the shed as it comes off the saw which can manage 6" logs although as I age they are no longer 6' long so to save my ailing back. Up to 4" and 6' long is fine and with tractor power behind it the blade is through them in a split second.
6" and larger requires the chainsaw for which I have a few some of which some are just too large and unwieldy for blocking wood but perfect for felling big wood of 3' or more.
As the winters here are not frigid cold or excessively wet the daily job is to fill the barrow with sawn smaller and split larger wood for our small log which is enough to both take the chill of the house and heat our water.

Cat just loves winters.

[DrG]

70 SMT diodes...



...because I needed one of these...



...because I "chose" to believe it was ok to have Vcc connected to GND. I chose unwisely, as upon applying power, the original diode glowed brightly for a moment and then emitted a wisp of magic smoke. "That can't be good", I said. Sometimes I surprise myself.

Why did I buy a selection of 7 Values (10pcs/ea.)? Because the total price was US$6.99 but no shipping charge

https://www.amazon.com/Eiechip-schottky-package-1N4001-Values10pcs/dp/B084WZMHKC/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Eiechip+70pcs%2Flot+SMD+schottky+diode+set+kit+pack+package+M1+1N4001+M4+1N4004+M7+1N4007+SS14+US1M+RS1M+SS34+7+Values10pcs+KIT&qid=1613754269&sr=8-1

$6.99 would not even have covered the shipping charge at a reputable place like DigiKey.

All ended well as I managed to kludge the replacement protection diode and everything works...again...for now

[rsjsouza]

Beautiful! Mini review soon?

[McBryce]

After ignoring the whole Raspberry Pi scene for many years, I finally decided to see what it's all about and ordered an RPi 4 with 8GB and a nice aluminium case (Argon Neo) for it. https://www.rasppishop.de/Argon-NEO-case-Raspberry-Pi-4

McBryce.

[BU508A]

Come to the dark side - we have raspberries. With chocolat!!

[McBryce]

Well my first semi-project is to put Raspian on it and possibly give RetroPie a try. Any other suggestions as to cool things to do with it? I also have an RPi Zero that I was given because it's broken. What could I do with that? It seems rather limited compared to the RPi 4.

McBryce.

[BU508A]

I've done so far only one thing with the RaspiPi:
https://pi-hole.net/

I'm having a vague idea about GPIB and logging via python with a Raspberry Pi,
but this will take a while (have to learn python first).

[rfclown]

Old school:

Bought a book and read it (came a few days ago).

Bought a CD without hearing any of the songs first. I'm planning on just getting in a quite space and listening to it straight through.

New school:

Saw a newBooter at work and wanted one.

[Peter_O]

Bought a 1997 Gossen Konstanter 40V 50A SMPS for 310 Euro.

Unfortunately it was partly dead: -OL means, that current measurement is off limits. Current measurement, power measurement and current regulation were dead.
Went back to sender.


More luck with a 1986 HP 6114A PS for 150 Euro. Came with this optics and is bang on from the start.

The .x V coding switch was bad. So I desoldered the switching unit, took it apart and flushed and dried the 4 single switches through holes. Same with U/I meter input selection switch. Now everything is fine.

And last but not least a 1978 HP 3455A for 140 Euro. Came fully functioning including the turbine sound fan and deserves some minor cleaning:

[tautech]

26 DSO's, a couple of spectrum analysers and a couple of 6.5 digit bench meters. 

[IDEngineer]

26 DSO's, a couple of spectrum analysers and a couple of 6.5 digit bench meters.

All this time I thought Christmas was in December.

[tautech]

26 DSO's, a couple of spectrum analysers and a couple of 6.5 digit bench meters.

All this time I thought Christmas was in December.

Customers Christmas times are more frequent. 

[PartialDischarge]

Just bought a GU-5B triode, up to 5kV and 110MHz.
 A dream for semiconductors....

[Tom45]

Just bought a GU-5B triode, up to 5kV and 110MHz.
 A dream for semiconductors....

Now all you need is a 12.6 volt 30 amp filament power supply, and 4kV 1 amp plate supply for it.

DataSheet: https://frank.pocnet.net/sheets/018/g/GU5B.pdf

[jogri]

Bought a Knick JS 300 voltage and current calibrator that goes up to 150V/150mA. It needed a few new Tantalum caps, but it's working now and has a stability of 6ppm after warm-up.

Also got the full documentation (manual/schematics/calibration guideline) from fellow eevblogger/YTer Marco Reps, just PM me if you're interested (kinda hard to get as Knick doesn't hand it out anymore).

[vk6zgo]

Bought a Knick voltage and current calibrator that goes up to 150V/150mA. It needed a few new Tantalum caps, but it's working now and has a stability of 6ppm after warm-up.

Sweet!

[unixb0y]

Amtech NC-559 flux for my new ATTEN ST-862D soldering station
And a cheap tub of flux to compare it to!

[xrunner]

Something I've needed for a long time - crimper and parts to make custom headers.

[cdev]

My second Kinect. They are so cool.

[nigelwright7557]

I bought in some pcb's from JLCPCB for a transistor matcher and curve tracer.
Its basically just an inverting transistor stage.
I apply a ramp to the base and monitor collector voltage.
Base voltage and collector voltages are stored in array's for use by the pc.
They are then plotted on the pc screen for comparison.
The pc also displays hfe at any point along the curve by moving a pointer.