Recent Posts

51

Other Equipment & Products / Re: Suggestion for wire stripper for small gauges

« Last post by tooki on Yesterday at 11:06:14 pm »

The stripmaster lite is certainly not in the $30 ballpark however. It costs $100 and is probably worth that (nowadays). When I purchased 10 years ago, it was closer to $40.

You sure about that? I remember looking at the Stripmaster products nearly a decade ago and finding that the Lite cost about $100 and the big ones (especially the “custom” line) being significantly more than that, like $300+.

The Stripmasters used to be quite cheap. I've seen professional wire-men using a variety of tools for stripping fine single core and stranded wires for various kinds of electronics, but the Stripmaster has been the most common. Especially in defence work, where the cables all have to be temperature tolerant, and thermal strippers don't really cut it. There have been quite a few clones over the years. Some have been just as good as the original, while others are junk.

I’ve mostly seen Stripmasters in mil-spec/aerospace training videos. I haven’t seen anyone use them in the wild, and I’ve yet find someone who told me they liked working with them. I have encountered old strippers of that type (but different brands) and tried them briefly, but didn’t care for them.

As for thermal: the only insulation I can think of that thermal doesn’t work for are ones with fibers, like fiberglass or woven cotton, and silicone. Every thermal stripper manufacturer right now has models or settings for Teflon, Kapton, etc. It’s odd that you mention defense as an area where thermal “doesn’t cut it” because military and aerospace are exactly where I have seen thermal used the most! (In fact, they often specify it.)

52

Projects, Designs, and Technical Stuff / Re: high voltage current source (mirror)

« Last post by inse on Yesterday at 11:05:41 pm »

Finding and sourcing a transistor capable of regulating 1.2kV at 10mA (12W max power dissipation in case of short circuit) might also be challenging.
That’s why I mentioned my thread

53

Projects, Designs, and Technical Stuff / Re: high voltage current source (mirror)

« Last post by tggzzz on Yesterday at 11:05:19 pm »

I am still looking for a high voltage circuit that can be used with the 1200V keithley power supply (voltage source) to regulate constant current.

Several examples are notes here: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/high-voltage-constant-(low)-current-load/msg5299519/#msg5299519 and the reference goes into much more detail

54

Projects, Designs, and Technical Stuff / Re: high voltage current source (mirror)

« Last post by coppercone2 on Yesterday at 11:05:05 pm »

I redrew it to what I think you mean

55

General Technical Chat / Re: Chinese solder wire brands?

« Last post by SteveThackery on Yesterday at 11:04:00 pm »

But aren't implemented the same way. You may well be able to convince some of them to sell you some.

Don't be ridiculous. You're reaching, and you know it.

Oh, another 40C or so, terrible.

Why the snarky attitude?  More than that; at least 50C in my experience.  Tell me, what temperatures do you set you set your iron to for leaded and lead-free solder?  I have to set my Hakko to over 400C to get a good lead-free joint.

You're proving exactly why change sometimes has to be forced.

Again, more snarkiness. What's wrong with you - can you not behave politely?  I've no idea what you mean by that comment.  I am questioning the need for lead-free solder.  That is a totally legitimate position to take. I think the legislators came at the legislation from a position of dogma, not from good scientific evidence.  Do your own research - I think you might end up agreeing with me.

56

General Technical Chat / Re: Solar frickin' Radweg, Erftstadt/Liblar (Germany)

« Last post by coppice on Yesterday at 11:02:04 pm »

Worth reading for a good laugh, Donald Müller-Judex said it was all the fault of the city

Well, of course its the fault of the city. No city == no power requirement == no problems.

57

General Technical Chat / Re: Chinese solder wire brands?

« Last post by forrestc on Yesterday at 11:01:35 pm »

I hate using lead-free - the iron needs to be stinking hot, it doesn't wet the surfaces as well as leaded, and generally produces poorer joints.  If it was any good they wouldn't have needed legislation to ban the leaded, would they?  Personally I think it's a stupid law.  I don't believe anyone has been harmed by the lead in soldered joints - it's absurd.

Although I miss the shiny SnPb of yesteryear, I have no problem soldering with SAC305.  But again, I'm using a high-quality soldering workstation (Pace) and high-quality, no-clean cored wire from a well-known supplier (Indium).   I really don't notice the difference anymore.

On the other hand, I think banning lead in electronics wasn't as good for the environment and individuals as if we still used lead.  I think it mainly got caught up in the "lead in many things are bad, so let's ban it from everything" crusade that the EU and others were pushing.   

58

Test Equipment / Re: LCR Meter Recommendation

« Last post by BillyO on Yesterday at 11:00:42 pm »

That might be okay if it works and there's nothing wrong with it.

It's fully tested and has a 2021 calibration.  The company no longer existing and no known manual on-line gives me some concern.  But 0.02% basic accuracy is attractive.

Plus I know and trust the people I'm getting it from.

59

Other Equipment & Products / Re: Suggestion for wire stripper for small gauges

« Last post by tooki on Yesterday at 11:00:26 pm »

Wow, that was a great deal indeed!!

So maybe my quest here isn't so ridiculous after all, eh?

It isn’t 2014 anymore, as it turns out. (And sometimes things are on special deals.) Everyone’s recommendations are based on what you can buy now. So unless you have a time machine with which to go back in time and avail yourself of long-gone good deals, you should knock it off with your shitty, smug attitude.

60

Repair / Re: Repairing traces on a circuit PCB

« Last post by inse on Yesterday at 10:59:01 pm »

The photo doesn’t reveal too much detail, but if you can measure the width of the former trace you can calculate the cross section and select a wire accordingly or simply use whatever is at hand.
In case the trace was made as fusible link, you will never match the original behaviour.
It’s botch work anyway, but that’s ok if you keep it in mind