Franky's sales thread

[iloveelectronics]

I noticed you've added a ZYXStudio USB power meter to your ebay shop.  Can you get their other stuff too?  How about test loads from http://zke2006.taobao.com?

Yes, I can if needed. I have actually ordered one of their latest products for myself. It's a battery internal resistance tester which also measures inductance and capacitance, as well as ripple voltage of a DC source.

As for the ZKE loads I do have a few of these at the moment: http://mjlorton.com/forum/index.php?topic=468.0 They are an older version and only support up to 6V though. If you're interested in their other products I can get them too at a reasonable margin.

[SeanB]

Just note as well that the USB cable with those contains a serial adaptor inside, so do not confuse it with a regular cable, it does not work well.

[eas]

I noticed you've added a ZYXStudio USB power meter to your ebay shop.  Can you get their other stuff too?  How about test loads from http://zke2006.taobao.com?

Yes, I can if needed. I have actually ordered one of their latest products for myself. It's a battery internal resistance tester which also measures inductance and capacitance, as well as ripple voltage of a DC source.

As for the ZKE loads I do have a few of these at the moment: http://mjlorton.com/forum/index.php?topic=468.0 They are an older version and only support up to 6V though. If you're interested in their other products I can get them too at a reasonable margin.

Great! I have a bunch of older batteries I want to test for a project. I was going to build my own charge/discharge equipment, but that's going to take me a while, and so I've been eyeing an affordable way to have a few cells cycling at once. It looks like a few EBC-B10s might be the way to go.

It looks to me like ZYX has a few resistance testers. Did you get the latest model? Interested in hearing your impressions.

[pickle9000]

Have a look at this Franky, you may want some in your store.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/oscilloscope-probes-41026/msg579968/?topicseen#msg579968

[iloveelectronics]

Great! I have a bunch of older batteries I want to test for a project. I was going to build my own charge/discharge equipment, but that's going to take me a while, and so I've been eyeing an affordable way to have a few cells cycling at once. It looks like a few EBC-B10s might be the way to go.

It looks to me like ZYX has a few resistance testers. Did you get the latest model? Interested in hearing your impressions.

My apologies on the late response. Lots going on during the holidays with friends visiting from overseas etc. and couldn't spare much time asides from the daily order processing  and shipping. I did get YZXstudio's latest battery resistance tester which also claims to measure ripple voltage on a DC source but haven't really got time to play around with it yet. It's not something I will sell though unfortunately, due to the lithium battery used in the device.

Have a look at this Franky, you may want some in your store.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/oscilloscope-probes-41026/msg579968/?topicseen#msg579968

Which one do you think is the best value?

[pickle9000]

I just cut this out to avoid confusion.

These look very interesting

Texas TX5230 - ~$20, purchased in Akihabara shop, same as this: http://hkaco.en.ec21.com/Texas_Passive_Oscilloscope_Probe--3475682_3476276.html

[pickle9000]

I have about 5 pairs of these but they where purchased about 4 years ago. Not quite 100's but cheap and reliable up to 80 Mhz. I used to buy them by the 10 pack before I retired. They are cheap enough to be considered disposable. I used to hand them out to save on the more expensive units. Scope probes are always melted, stepped on you name it. I still use them.

P6100

A forum member did a review.

[teslafan]

Franky,

If you can help with these below purchases I'd be grateful.

I'm looking to buy 2 used Fluke dmm's. (1) Fluke 27/FM or 27 TRMS for <$45, &/or (2) Fluke dmm's: 85 III, 87 V dmm's for <$65ea - in good fully function cond w/o major cosmetic problems. Adhesive, grime, dust, no battery, or leads OK.

Heat shrink tubing small variety pk. of most used smaller sizes for electronics, thanks.

[retiredcaps]

I'm looking to buy 2 used Fluke dmm's. (1) Fluke 27/FM or 27 TRMS for <$45, &/or (2) Fluke dmm's: 85 III, 87 V dmm's for <$65ea - in good fully function cond w/o major cosmetic problems. Adhesive, grime, dust, no battery, or leads OK.

You realize Franky, who is based in Hong Kong, only sells new stuff that he can get from suppliers in China/Hong Kong/Taiwan.

Since you are in the USA, you should be able to find your two meters on ebay/craigslist/etc with patience.

Your 87V valuation of $65 is going to be hard to find though.  A more realistic price for an used one is $150 USD.

[iloveelectronics]

Franky,

If you can help with these below purchases I'd be grateful.

I'm looking to buy 2 used Fluke dmm's. (1) Fluke 27/FM or 27 TRMS for <$45, &/or (2) Fluke dmm's: 85 III, 87 V dmm's for <$65ea - in good fully function cond w/o major cosmetic problems. Adhesive, grime, dust, no battery, or leads OK.

Heat shrink tubing small variety pk. of most used smaller sizes for electronics, thanks.

As retiredcaps mentioned, I may not be your best option in finding the Flukes. There are used Flukes in the Chinese market as well but pricing will not compared favourably to those found in the US, and then there's additional shipping cost from here to the US.  A lot of the used Flukes from China are in pretty awful physical conditions too. You should definitely try eBay and criagslist, etc. in the US.

[teslafan]

A new DMM you'd recommend if I decide to go new? Latest UN-T UT61E w/input protection fixes, etc. or?

Thanks

[teslafan]

Would something like these be use all purpose for nubie electronics future needs?

15 Piece Variety Pack of Enkay Brand Marine Grade Heat Shrink Tubing
 $7.95
 Buy It Now
Free shipping

[nanofrog]

A new DMM you'd recommend if I decide to go new? Latest UN-T UT61E w/input protection fixes, etc. or?

Budget?
Intended use?
Desired features?
 

If you're after a general purpose electronics meter with good input protection, and a budget a bit over $100 for example, I'd recommend taking a very good look at a Brymen BM257s. Lots of information on this and other meters in the forum (search BM257; s variant updates the input protections to the latest standards).

But without any sort of details, any recommendations are totally blind, so may be totally useless for your application.

Would something like these be use all purpose for nubie electronics future needs?

15 Piece Variety Pack of Enkay Brand Marine Grade Heat Shrink Tubing
 $7.95
 Buy It Now
Free shipping

If you're after a colored heat shrink kit, you can do better IMHO.


Color shrink kit example.
Black kit w/ box example.

[rdl]

The problem I see with that color assortment is that each size only comes in one color. What if you need different color coding on several wires of the same size? And those larger sizes are close to useless for most people. Still, the price is not bad.

If you're after a colored heat shrink kit, you can do better IMHO.


Color shrink kit example.

[nanofrog]

The problem I see with that color assortment is that each size only comes in one color. What if you need different color coding on several wires of the same size? And those larger sizes are close to useless for most people. Still, the price is not bad.

Good point, as I wasn't digging that deep (was mainly looking to demonstrate there is better value for the money). 

[teslafan]

rdl, nanofrog

Thanks for the good advice. Yes gen'l purpose hobbyist dmm use. Latest current UNI-T UT61E w/upgraded input prot. & other fixes not good enough still? 1/3  the cost. Poor investment?

Thanks guys.

[nanofrog]

rdl, nanofrog

Thanks for the good advice. Yes gen'l purpose hobbyist dmm use. Latest current UNI-T UT61E w/upgraded input prot. & other fixes not good enough still? 1/3  the cost. Por investment?

Thanks guys.

The UT61E could serve you well, but do be aware it has drift issues (take a look at the UT61E drift and recalibration thread; didn't notice anything indicating this has been fixed).

Personally, I'd spend the funds on the Brymen, but that's me.

And you still haven't mentioned budget or features, which makes it nearly impossible to actually help.

Assuming we get the answers to ^, another possibility that's not yet been mentioned, would be to get a used model off of eBay that would suit your needs.

[teslafan]

Thanks nanofrog.
I can spend what's needed for something in a budget best buy situation. I'm on a shoestring play $ budget. I've got abt. $250 currently & whatever profits I can make on the vintage tools I'm trying to sell on ebay, etsy, craigslist, & amazon to set up my hobbyist lab with. I need test equip. I have 35w & 100w irons, fine wire acid-core solder, small & large hand tools. Starting out getting 2 multimeters per Dave Jones & others recommendations. I have a mini bread board kit as my 1st project after I get a meter or 2 & desire those with features good for electronics - continuity, capacitance, frequency, etc. & for house load checking purposes.

Looking at dmms <$135

Fluke 27/FM, 85 III, 87 III, IV, V     
Amprobe AM-91,140,150,220,240,570 
Brymen 257s, 867                                 
EXTECH 230,411,430,520-s,542   
Greenlees DM200, 810A, 820A, 830A, & many others (I like Ltd Lifetime War on them)
Hioki DT4212     
ESI 85 (Self Calibrating)                 
UNI-T UT-61E, UT-71A                   

Hope this answers the questions you were looking for?

Appreciate it.

[nanofrog]

Thanks nanofrog.
I can spend what's needed for something in a budget best buy situation. I'm on a shoestring play $ budget. I've got abt. $250 currently & whatever profits I can make on the vintage tools I'm trying to sell on ebay, etsy, craigslist, & amazon to set up my hobbyist lab with. I need test equip. I have 35w & 100w irons, fine wire acid-core solder, small & large hand tools. Starting out getting 2 multimeters per Dave Jones & others recommendations. I have a mini bread board kit as my 1st project after I get a meter or 2 & desire those with features good for electronics - continuity, capacitance, frequency, etc. & for house load checking purposes.

Looking at dmms <$135

Fluke 27/FM, 85 III, 87 III, IV, V     
Amprobe AM-91,140,150,220,240 
Brymen 257s                                 
EXTECH 230,411,430,520-s,542   
Greenlees 820A & many others     
ESI 85 (Self Calibrating)                 
UNI-T UT-61E, UT-71A                   

Hope this answers the questions you were looking for?

Regarding your solder, acid core flux is NOT meant for electronics, so you need to stop using it.  You want a rosin based flux or a no-clean formulation. I'd also recommend skipping on the water soluble flux formulations as well (it's meant for electronics, but must be cleaned off as it will cause corrosion rather rapidly if you don't).

Regarding meters, I've still some questions as to usage.

• What can you tell us about the specific usage?
• Is it just low voltage DC for example, or will you be working with high voltages such as those in some vacuum tubes (mention of vintage equipment)?
• What else does this $250 need to cover, or is this just for a meter or two?
• Will you use it on mains voltages? (appears to be the case, but would like to be sure; if you mean to test AC current, you may need an AC current clamp accessory or separate clamp meter)

For example, you might want to get one meter with really good protections for mains voltage work (i.e. perhaps the BM257 + another, more affordable unit like the UT61E or Digitek DT-4000ZC). You can also split features across a couple of meters. Say data logging on one, and temperature measurement on another for example. Check the datasheets carefully to see what's what.

Regarding Greenlee's, they're rebranded, which usually makes them more expensive than getting them with the actual manufacturer's label on them. As it happens, a few of them are actually made by Brymen, such as the 820A you're looking at. So if you happen to stumble on the right deal on eBay for example, I'd say go for it. Just be sure of what it is first (lots of information in here if you search  ).

[boffin]

Thanks nanofrog.
I can spend what's needed for something in a budget best buy situation. I'm on a shoestring play $ budget. I've got abt. $250 currently & whatever profits I can make on the vintage tools I'm trying to sell on ebay, etsy, craigslist, & amazon to set up my hobbyist lab with. I need test equip. I have 35w & 100w irons, fine wire acid-core solder, small & large hand tools. Starting out getting 2 multimeters per Dave Jones & others recommendations. I have a mini bread board kit as my 1st project after I get a meter or 2 & desire those with features good for electronics - continuity, capacitance, frequency, etc. & for house load checking purposes.

Looking at dmms <$135

Fluke 27/FM, 85 III, 87 III, IV, V     
Amprobe AM-91,140,150,220,240 
Brymen 257s                                 
EXTECH 230,411,430,520-s,542   
Greenlees 820A & many others     
ESI 85 (Self Calibrating)                 
UNI-T UT-61E, UT-71A                   

Hope this answers the questions you were looking for?

Appreciate it.

EX330 is $50ish at Fry's  (won one of daves sub-$100 shootouts).  Nice because of the built in freq counter, but also does duty cycle on the frequency range which is a nice bonus.  As for the second, buy a cheapie that you wont feel guilty about if you blow it up.  Yes two is nice, but they both don't have to be nice meters...

My recommendations:
Good soldering iron, (proper temp controlled), and despite what Dave says the older bit-assigned temperature Wellers are good if you find one used for cheap, mine is circa 1970 (W-TCP-L) and going strong.  Otherwise just buy a Hakko
a GOOD solder sucker (not the $5 blue plastic cheapie),
good flush cutters,
a power supply that can give you 5v and 12v to start
Suction cup Panavise and/or really small bench vise



As an old fart, some reading glasses really help, along with a big magnifying

[PedroDaGr8]

Thanks nanofrog.
I can spend what's needed for something in a budget best buy situation. I'm on a shoestring play $ budget. I've got abt. $250 currently & whatever profits I can make on the vintage tools I'm trying to sell on ebay, etsy, craigslist, & amazon to set up my hobbyist lab with. I need test equip. I have 35w & 100w irons, fine wire acid-core solder, small & large hand tools. Starting out getting 2 multimeters per Dave Jones & others recommendations. I have a mini bread board kit as my 1st project after I get a meter or 2 & desire those with features good for electronics - continuity, capacitance, frequency, etc. & for house load checking purposes.

Looking at dmms <$135

Fluke 27/FM, 85 III, 87 III, IV, V     
Amprobe AM-91,140,150,220,240 
Brymen 257s                                 
EXTECH 230,411,430,520-s,542   
Greenlees 820A & many others     
ESI 85 (Self Calibrating)                 
UNI-T UT-61E, UT-71A                   

Hope this answers the questions you were looking for?

Appreciate it.

EX330 is $50ish at Fry's  (won one of daves sub-$100 shootouts).  Nice because of the built in freq counter, but also does duty cycle on the frequency range which is a nice bonus.  As for the second, buy a cheapie that you wont feel guilty about if you blow it up.  Yes two is nice, but they both don't have to be nice meters...

My recommendations:
Good soldering iron, (proper temp controlled), and despite what Dave says the older bit-assigned temperature Wellers are good if you find one used for cheap, mine is circa 1970 (W-TCP-L) and going strong.  Otherwise just buy a Hakko
a GOOD solder sucker (not the $5 blue plastic cheapie),
good flush cutters,
a power supply that can give you 5v and 12v to start
Suction cup Panavise and/or really small bench vise



As an old fart, some reading glasses really help, along with a big magnifying

Extech EX series are known for having qc issues. I remember one guy sent his in for repair and the new one they sent back was dead out of the box. I never recommend them anymore.

Based on your price range go for the Bremen or keep am eye out for a used Fluke 87. Check things like Craigslist or whatever like that which is popular in your country.

[teslafan]

nanaofrog

Regarding your solder, acid core flux is NOT meant for electronics, so you need to stop using it.  THANKS, HAVEN'T USED IT YET SO WON'T. You want a rosin based flux or a no-clean formulation. I'd also recommend skipping on the water soluble flux formulations as well (it's meant for electronics, but must be cleaned off as it will cause corrosion rather rapidly if you don't). VG.

Regarding meters, I've still some questions as to usage.
What can you tell us about the specific usage?
Is it just low voltage DC for example, or will you be working with high voltages such as those in some vacuum tubes (mention of vintage equipment)? TUBE TABLE RADIOS, VTG TEST EQUIP. - ALL THE STUFF I NEED, I.E., MMs, PSUs, OSCILLOSCOPEs, SOLDERING/DESOLDERING STA & OVEN, MAYBE HANDHELD CALCULATORS.
What else does this $250 need to cover, or is this just for a meter or two? PHASE 1 FOR ALL THE ABOVE.
Will you use it on mains voltages? YES (appears to be the case, but would like to be sure; if you mean to test AC current, you may need an AC current clamp accessory or separate clamp meter)  I HAVE AN UNTESTED VINTAGE AMPROBE JR MODEL Y500

For example, you might want to get one meter with really good protections for mains voltage work (i.e. perhaps the BM257 + another, more affordable unit like the UT61E or Digitek DT-4000ZC). You can also split features across a couple of meters. Say data logging on one, and temperature measurement on another for example. Check the datasheets carefully to see what's what. THANKS, WILL DO.

Regarding Greenlee's, they're rebranded, which usually makes them more expensive than getting them with the actual manufacturer's label on them. As it happens, a few of them are actually made by Brymen, such as the 820A you're looking at. So if you happen to stumble on the right deal on eBay for example, I'd say go for it. Just be sure of what it is first (lots of information in here if you search. VG.  GOOD VALUES? 820a =$100,  KLEIN MM5000 $100 EBAY THANKS MUCH!

[teslafan]

boffin

EX330 is $50ish at Fry's  (won one of daves sub-$100 shootouts).  Nice because of the built in freq counter, but also does duty cycle on the frequency range which is a nice bonus.  As for the second, buy a cheapie that you wont feel guilty about if you blow it up.  Yes two is nice, but they both don't have to be nice meters... {THANKS, True. I'LL CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE THIS UNIT}

My recommendations:
Good soldering iron, (proper temp controlled), and despite what Dave says the older bit-assigned temperature Wellers are good if you find one used for cheap, mine is circa 1970 (W-TCP-L) and going strong.  Otherwise just buy a Hakko
a GOOD solder sucker (not the $5 blue plastic cheapie), {Down the road considering this unit Hakko FX888D-23BY Digital Soldering Station Includes FX-8801 Iron, T18-D16 Tip.}
good flush cutters, {I HAVE}
a power supply that can give you 5v and 12v to start { I HAVE 1 COUPLE DOZEN WALL TRANSFORMER - CAN I USE THESE FOR THE TIME BEING?}
Suction cup Panavise and/or really small bench vise. {I'VE GOT A $4 CROCK TREE FOR NOW}



As an old fart, some reading glasses really help, along with a big magnifying {I HAVE A CHEAPIE 2" X 4" STOCKWELL USA PLASTIC LENS MAGNIFYING GLASS FOR NOW (HELPS)}

{THANKS 4 INPUT, VERY HELPFUL}

[teslafan]

PedroDaGr8

Extech EX series are known for having qc issues. I remember one guy sent his in for repair and the new one they sent back was dead out of the box. I never recommend them anymore. {This my feeling 2 aftr research I agree, thanks.}

Based on your price range go for the Bremen or keep am eye out for a used Fluke 87. {Agree} Check things like Craigslist or whatever like that which is popular in your country. {I'll keep up the hunt, I would really like 1 of these. Missed an 87 I was looking at that went 4 $65 on ebay today, rats!}

[nanofrog]

THANKS, HAVEN'T USED IT YET SO WON'T.

Regarding consumables, stick to name brand supplies (brands such as Kester, Multicore, American Iron & Metals <AIM>, Indium, Alpha Metals/Cookson, MG Chemicals, Chemtronics, and Techspray for example). You'll save yourself both a lot of time, aggravation, and money in the long run. Including the financial implications of damaging what you're working on (parts & PCB's).

TUBE TABLE RADIOS, VTG TEST EQUIP. - ALL THE STUFF I NEED, I.E., MMs, PSUs, OSCILLOSCOPEs, SOLDERING/DESOLDERING STA & OVEN, MAYBE HANDHELD CALCULATORS within the $250 budget

Not really feasible I'm afraid, especially if you expect any quality at all.   

Just a pair of meters that will suit your listed needs IMHO will run ~$172 (BM257 + Digitek  DT-4000ZC). An old analog oscilloscope will realistically run you $80 - 100, and an entry level digital that you'd want to own, such as the DS1054Z, goes for ~$375 to your door (after the discount offered by TEquipment.net)*.

You'll also want a decent soldering station, such as a Hakko FX-888D or Weller WES51, given your predilections for quality at a good price (do note, that if you exceed an order total of $99, you'll qualify for free shipping; ordering some tips will easily get you there).

There are cheaper ways to go (new), but don't expect much (i.e. variable temp stick irons or Chinese brands of adjustable temp stations on eBay; example).

A quality used station might be worth looking for if you're unable/unwilling to cover the cost of a new Hakko or Weller linked above after the discount. Just make sure it has the minimum of parts necessary to make it work, and that there are still spares available for it (i.e. tips). Nice way to extend your buying power, and still get quality as a general rule. 

A good quality brand used triple output PSU (CC & CV capability) will run you ~$80 - 100 (get more for your money this way than buying new IMHO). You can get singles and dual output supplies a bit cheaper, but I've not found as much value vs. the triple channel output models.

Will you use it on mains voltages? YES (appears to be the case, but would like to be sure; if you mean to test AC current, you may need an AC current clamp accessory or separate clamp meter)  I HAVE AN UNTESTED VINTAGE AMPROBE JR MODEL Y500

Given the usage listed, I'd recommend starting with a BM257, and going from there. The Digitek previously linked would be an inexpensive second meter (just be aware of the voltages you're working with and the meter's ratings).

GOOD VALUES? 820a =$100,  KLEIN MM5000 $100 EBAY THANKS MUCH!

The Greenlee 820A, Yes if you can get it for $100 to your door (rebranded BM827 IIRC, which goes for $119.17 @ tme.eu + shipping; BTW, this has higher counts than the BM257 for example, but check the features to see if this is a better choice; cheapest I'm seeing the 820A is ~$136, which is on par with the BM257s from our member Franky, aka iloveelectronics, that sells on eBay <linked BM257 is his store>).

The Klein, NO IMO.

* TEquipment offers EEVBlog members a 6% discount, including on their sale prices (they sell Rigol, Hakko, and Weller for example, and this discount will help your wallet). PM sent with this code.