What did you buy today? Post your latest purchase!

[djos]

Hooray, my Brymen BM235 Eevblog DMM arrived today, it's lovely lovely meter, super impressed and looks great in my workshop!

[imidis]

Sweet, pretty happy with mine! It even survived being slammed down on a concrete floor. Don't tell Dave though, I'm sure it's still under warranty.

[Johnny10]

Cubdriver,

The Fairchild 6200B is an interesting looking curve tracer I had never seen that one before.

[NottheDan]

Got a Data Precision 245 multimeter. Unfortunately someone drove a screw into the common socket and that's stuck there now and the batteries died, leaving their flaked remains all over. And I can't get the thing out of the case. Pulled it a quarter of the way out and then it is stuck. Does anyone know where I can get a manual without having to pay more for the document than for the meter itself (or how much it differs from the 248, for which a manual is available far more conveniently)?

[VK5RC]

This will make 5 !
2- Tektronix 575
1- B&K 501A
1- Dos4ever  uTracer
1- Tektronix 576

Wow , lots of curve tracer envy here, (only one - uTracer)
Robert

[Johnny10]

VK5RC,
I saw your utracer on the Testimonials page.
Very Nice.
I have to post mine soon as I get Tube sockets cut in my case.

[Jaeger]

Just picked up a Polygun something or other hot glue gun made by 3M. The internet raves about these things and I was pleasantly surprised to see this yard sale for 4 bucks, these go for 120+ bucks new! Does anyone have any experience with these things, are they as good as they claim?

[Cubdriver]

Just picked up a Polygun something or other hot glue gun made by 3M. The internet raves about these things and I was pleasantly surprised to see this yard sale for 4 bucks, these go for 120+ bucks new! Does anyone have any experience with these things, are they as good as they claim?

I've no experience with that particular gun, but can safely say that if you manage to get hot glue on you, be aware that it is VERY hot, will stay that way for an unpleasantly long time on your skin, and will burn the hell out of you.  Probably worse than solder, because solder can at least be flicked off and will go away and stop burning you.  Molten glue is, well, glue, and can NOT be easily flicked off.  It sticks to you like its name implies, and takes its damned sweet time cooling off while you hop around waving whatever appendage you've gotten it on in an effort to make it go away (it won't) while yowling in pain.

Trust me on this.  I was gluing reinforcements into shipping boxes once many years ago, and managed to get a blob of glue where it wasn't supposed to be.  In an unbelievably moronic moment of dopeassity, without thinking I reached into the box and WIPED IT AWAY!        The result was an unpleasant experience (though it would doubtless have been hysterical to anyone who happened to be there to see it; fortunately as a mild salve to my ego in my case I was alone) that taught me a good bit of respect for the hot melt glue gun and that which spews forth from it.

All that being said, they are very useful devices as long as you don't glue yourself.

-Pat

[Cubdriver]

This will make 5 !
2- Tektronix 575
1- B&K 501A
1- Dos4ever  uTracer
1- Tektronix 576

Wow , lots of curve tracer envy here, (only one - uTracer)
Robert

Some one of these years perhaps I'll build a uTracer - it looks like a useful little device!

-Pat

[Cubdriver]

THIS:






followed me home from the swap meet at the radio museum today.  It turned 61 early last month!  His highness there was on it and 'scoping' things out less than a minute after I brought it in and put it on the cart.  It seems to be lab cat approved, at least as a perching spot.  Once it's running (I haven't tried to power it up; was told that it was turned on once and nothing seemed to happen, then popped when turned on a second time...) it will doubtless be a desirable piece of feline real estate for winter lounging seeing as it has 67(!!) tubes on the chassis and 5 more in the plug in.  Space heater!!  It's now in my long evaluate-and-repair queue.

I'll start another thread with photos of it in the 'repair' or 'test equipment' section at some point in the next few days.

-Pat

[VK5RC]

Hi Pat, Looks nice,       and the scope too.

Edit;  when you are firing it up, watch out for felines and the 20kV supply is just behind the rear panel at the back right hand side. My 545 had buggered "low voltage" (150-500V) filter caps - found by in circuit ESR testing - the going pop sounds a bit similar.

[razberik]

Not exactly today, but anyway.

Keithley Low Level Measurements for 2€ shipped. I know I can download 7th edition for free, but paper is more feasible for reading in public transport.

HP3478A for 125€ shipped from Italy. I received it in metal case what impressed me. It was entertaining to make a deal with Metaf SRL because after few emails with them I realized they want to make much more bigger deals than antique multimeter for few euros.

[MosherIV]

Just got another ebay bargin



A solderfume extractor 

[Cubdriver]

Hi Pat, Looks nice,       and the scope too.

Edit;  when you are firing it up, watch out for felines and the 20kV supply is just behind the rear panel at the back right hand side. My 545 had buggered "low voltage" (150-500V) filter caps - found by in circuit ESR testing - the going pop sounds a bit similar.

Rob, thanks for the tip.  My initial suspicion was that perhaps one of the filter caps in the low voltage power supply had moved on to the big junk box in the sky. (And yeah, that one always makes me chuckle, too, considering that there are likely people who work with micro controllers and the like exclusively and think that 12-15V is 'high voltage'.)   

Those will be my initial suspect when I get to poking and prodding the old beast.  I need to revisit your thread, too.

-Pat

[macboy]

Fisher Scientific Stereo Master SCL-40L.

I've long wanted a stereo microscope for inspection of soldering work and other things. After a much needed thorough cleaning, it works very well. I took a lot of residue off the lenses and everywhere else, probably deposits from flux smoke. It does not have a continuous zoom like the nicer new ones, but it switchable between 2x and 4x (objective) and has 10x eyepieces, so it's 20x/40x. I'd prefer 10x/20x I think, so maybe I'll need to invest in some eyepieces. The bit missing from the bottom isn't necessary for inspecting PCBs. I am making an LED light ring for it that will do a much better job than the not-so-bright incandescent bulb it has.

This was a bargain at $20 CDN (~$14 USD) at a local electronics recycler.

[McBryce]

Fisher Scientific Stereo Master SCL-40L.

I've long wanted a stereo microscope for inspection of soldering work and other things. After a much needed thorough cleaning, it works very well. I took a lot of residue off the lenses and everywhere else, probably deposits from flux smoke. It does not have a continuous zoom like the nicer new ones, but it switchable between 2x and 4x (objective) and has 10x eyepieces, so it's 20x/40x. I'd prefer 10x/20x I think, so maybe I'll need to invest in some eyepieces. The bit missing from the bottom isn't necessary for inspecting PCBs. I am making an LED light ring for it that will do a much better job than the not-so-bright incandescent bulb it has.

This was a bargain at $20 CDN (~$14 USD) at a local electronics recycler.

If the foot is heavy enough, you can mount it the other way around so that you can inspect the PCBs on the flat table surface. The eye-pieces on these microscopes are also a standard size, so you can usually buy generic replacements.

McBryce.

[sony mavica]

i bought a Bluetooth speaker $8.93nzd off ebay my mate had one and i was really surprised how good it was for the price so i had to get one 

[plazma]

Fisher Scientific Stereo Master SCL-40L.

I've long wanted a stereo microscope for inspection of soldering work and other things. After a much needed thorough cleaning, it works very well. I took a lot of residue off the lenses and everywhere else, probably deposits from flux smoke. It does not have a continuous zoom like the nicer new ones, but it switchable between 2x and 4x (objective) and has 10x eyepieces, so it's 20x/40x. I'd prefer 10x/20x I think, so maybe I'll need to invest in some eyepieces. The bit missing from the bottom isn't necessary for inspecting PCBs. I am making an LED light ring for it that will do a much better job than the not-so-bright incandescent bulb it has.

This was a bargain at $20 CDN (~$14 USD) at a local electronics recycler.

Add a .5x barlow lens to make it 10-20x. It also doubles the working distance making it easier to solder boards under the microscope.

[raysantos]

Bought a new multimeter during the recent Black Friday weekend. It arrived today. The Fluke 87v.

I first wanted the 87v last year not long after I got my first DMM, the Extech EX410 (which was an upgrade from a RadioShack 19-range analog multimeter). I told myself that if I still wanted the 87v after a 30-day waiting period then I'd get it. Couldn't get myself to buy the 87v after 30 days because the EX410 did everything I needed a DMM to do.

After more than 300 days I found myself still wanting the 87v, so I got it. The Fluke 87v is overkill for my needs and for my electronics experience level.

I don't expect to buy another multimeter for a very long time.

[Cubdriver]

Multimeters are often inclined to multiply....   

Just sayin'... 

-Pat

[japasetelagoas]

Bought a new multimeter during the recent Black Friday weekend. It arrived today. The Fluke 87v.

I first wanted the 87v last year not long after I got my first DMM, the Extech EX410 (which was an upgrade from a RadioShack 19-range analog multimeter). I told myself that if I still wanted the 87v after a 30-day waiting period then I'd get it. Couldn't get myself to buy the 87v after 30 days because the EX410 did everything I needed a DMM to do.

After more than 300 days I found myself still wanting the 87v, so I got it. The Fluke 87v is overkill for my needs and for my electronics experience level.

I don't expect to buy another multimeter for a very long time.

May I ask you, was it a good a good Black Friday deal?

[VK5RC]

Bought a new multimeter during the recent Black Friday weekend. It arrived today. The Fluke 87v.

.......

I don't expect to buy another multimeter for a very long time.

Now who are you kidding! HiHi

Now seriously, that s a nice meter. Good size, reliable, accurate, tough. Won't regret that.

[PartialDischarge]

Equipment is not everything, one also has to learn. I buy lots of books and heres my latest purchase

[Bud]

I found myself still wanting the 87v, so I got it.

Do you find the display being somewhat dark? Mine is uncomfortably dark for Bench use and trying to figure out i looked in some youtube videos and they seemed indeed dark. How's yours?

[Watth]

A lil' Vacuum Fluorescent Display



http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/vfd-vacuum-fluorescent-displays/6659803/

Will I get it it to work?