What did you buy today? Post your latest purchase!

[McBryce]

I'm the proud owner of a Tektronix 1241 LA.

How many colours can the 1241 display?

I think it could only display two colours using some trickery with a dual (Orange / Green) phosphor coating and varying the beam voltage to choose between colours.

McBryce. 

[RAPo]

Using an LCCS (Liquid Crystal Color Shutter), the LA can display three colours (red, green, and yellow/amber).
Normal is so-called regular colour video mode: colour characters on a dark background
A Highlighted colour video mode: colour characters on a colour-shaded background for signalling important information
For input/menu fields, a reverse colour video mode: dark characters on a colour-shaded background

I'm the proud owner of a Tektronix 1241 LA.

How many colours can the 1241 display?

I think it could only display two colours using some trickery with a dual (Orange / Green) phosphor coating and varying the beam voltage to choose between colours.

McBryce.

[Oldtestgear]

A lot more than I have ever paid before!

You are right, these are getting very expensive even when sold as untested  & possibly with drifty A3 cards. Time will tell if I made a good deal or will regret buying them.

Phil

[mendip_discovery]

I bought some new rubber bumpers for my new to me 34401A. Looks like it was used in a rack so no rubbers. This just makes it tidy.

Took the time to also unlock all the locked features such as the TEMP menu.

Also a BME280 turned up so I can start to log temp and hum with my 10V data.

Time to learn some more coding.

[shapirus]

Got a Pro'sKit SS-331H vacuum desoldering station. Not exactly today, I ordered it during one of those impulsive shopping sessions earlier, but yesterday and today I had an unexpected chance of having to use it.

It's pure delight guys. If you need to desolder a through hole pin even once in your entire life, a tool like this is absolutely worth it.

Now I need to find something simple, compact, and decently performing for SMD desoldering. I wonder if there are any T12-compatible tips that have a rectangular cut sized to fit standard 1206, 0805 etc. sizes to get away without having to use tweezers and use just a single tip. I guess I could make one myself by making a cut in one of those wider tips, but this will destroy the plating, so not sure if it's going to work well.

[PlainName]

Now I need to find something simple, compact, and decently performing for SMD desoldering

Once you get bored with the Pro'sKit you might hanker after a Den-on SC7000Z, available at the likes of Farnell, etc:

https://uk.farnell.com/den-on-instruments/sc7000z/desoldering-gun-esd-uk-plug/dp/956880

Completely self-contained so only the power cable to trail over the bench, but of course that makes it a bit heavier. Works very well indeed (I used to have the one the Pro'sKit is probably badged from, and dumped it as soon as I got the Den-on). Reason I bring it up is because you can flick a switch and it's then a blower instead of sucker, so in theory you can use that very fine (and hot) air jet to desolder small SMT parts. Thus one tool for most jobs.

In practice I don't bother. It works, but just simpler to use a set of Weller tweezers that warm in within 3 seconds.

[deadlylover]

Kicking myself for not buying the Den-on SC7000 before the dark ages (covid 2020), I could have got one for like ~250USD but they're nearly twice that nowadays.

Hmm the Hakko FR-301 is only JPY20,000 (USD125) in Japan, that's like 4 buckets of KFC in this economy. I already have a 100V transformer...

[PlainName]

Yes, the prices are a bit steep. But you can sometimes find them on Ebay, and there's a place in the US which did a great deal on them. Can't think of the name now, though

[Later] Ah! Howard Electronic Instruments. Still not a steal, but considerably less than Farnell

[Smokey]

ADVANTEST - R6240A
https://tmc-direkt.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Advantest_R6240A.pdf
I made the ebay dude an offer of $150 and he took it.  The sticker says it was due for cal in 2022, so not bad.



gamalot called it the "Real poor man's SMU"
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/what-did-you-buy-today-post-your-latest-purchase!/msg5175840/#msg5175840

[deadlylover]

Finally found/won a spectroradiometer, the Konica Minolta CS-1000A. Oh it's banged up but for ~USD230 shipped I can't complain. The seller says it was within spec in 2016 even after the damage (been in storage since), so hopefully it's not totally broken or out of whack lol. As long as it works ok for relative measurements I'll be a happy camper.

One of my long term projects is making a DIY Pantone D50 light booth reading light thingamajig, except I need to take into account the AR coating on my glasses which appears slightly green, pushing things above the BBL. So I'll have to tint mix different CCT LEDs so what I see appears neutral.

[exe]

ADVANTEST - R6240A
https://tmc-direkt.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Advantest_R6240A.pdf
I made the ebay dude an offer of $150 and he took it.  The sticker says it was due for cal in 2022, so not bad.

Oh-oh, I'm jealous. Only once I've seen a good price for Advantest piece of equipment (and missed my chance)  :'(
Not that I really need it...

[_Wim_]

Finally found/won a spectroradiometer, the Konica Minolta CS-1000A. Oh it's banged up but for ~USD230 shipped I can't complain.

That is indeed a very good deal!

[pdenisowski]

An old school dual directional coupler - glad I didn't have to pay by the pound

[RAPo]

I've bought some more Wera: the Wera 05051492001 838 RA S, the Wera 05051493001 838 RA-R M and the Wera 05023461001 416 RA.

[Kjelt]

After buying the jst wc-110 two weeks ago for crimping XH connectors finally the right and comfortable way, which I should have bought years ago............

I got annoyed with my Weidmuller stripax squeezing the wire too hard and unable to strip 2mm of the wire (3mm was about the lowest I managed).

So, now I bought the Knipex 12 12 02 and love it.

[RAPo]

A Telequipment D75 has been added to my collection

[BILLPOD]

After buying the jst wc-110 two weeks ago for crimping XH connectors finally the right and comfortable way, which I should have bought years ago............

WOW........GREAT PRICE!!!
https://www.amazon.com/JST-WC-110-Hand-Crimping-Tool/dp/B00R3R7TZ2

[Smokey]

After buying the jst wc-110 two weeks ago for crimping XH connectors finally the right and comfortable way, which I should have bought years ago............

WOW........GREAT PRICE!!!
https://www.amazon.com/JST-WC-110-Hand-Crimping-Tool/dp/B00R3R7TZ2

haha.  I'll continue to make mediocre crimps if the "solution" is a $750 crimper
(note: I'm not making production cable assemblies myself )

[Kjelt]

I can't see the price but I paid around $325 for it.
Most money I have ever spent on a crimper but age is getting in the way of making 100 consecutive crimps of these tiny things with the pioneer 9 and the result sucked each time. My kids are out of the house I still work fulltime so there comes a point you can treat yourself. Some guys buy new cars , I still drive my 2013 GM european brand station wagon 

[deadlylover]

haha.  I'll continue to make mediocre crimps if the "solution" is a $750 crimper
(note: I'm not making production cable assemblies myself )

You'll find them used for pennies on the dollar eventually, my pride and joy is the AMP 59250 (good for insulated ring/spade terminals), they retail for USD2000 but I found my "banged up" one for USD25 shipped hahaha. I did tensile strength testing for the crimp terminals and the break strength approaches that of the wire.

Go forth to the land of the rising sun, I made a quick search link for JST, AMP, TE. Shipping can be a bit painful but it's something like USD15-20 per kg depending on the method/destination. I use Zenmarket as the buying proxy. The JPY is so weak right now in conjunction with the mighty USD no wonder when I went to Japan late last year I swear there were more tourists than locals in some areas.

[Ground_Loop]

On occasion I need to install a more modern instrument in the stack.  Used, but flawless with fresh cal.

[tszaboo]

TinySA Ultra
LiteVNA 64
I wanted to be able to make RF experiments at home.

[Jeff eelcr]

Triplett 630 type 3 suspension multimeter for $20.00 calibrated in 1986 and still right on today.
Jeff

[rsjsouza]

Pattern generator Leader LCG-388 in brand-new condition






(and two videos I made about it - in portuguese only, sorry)

Unboxing
https://youtu.be/hswMcoHaGJ0

In operation

https://youtube.com/shorts/IdLkntHl05g?feature=share

[rsjsouza]

A Telequipment D75 has been added to my collection

I got one of these but in terribly sorry condition... It is a spare parts unit to my Tek 465...