Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Robert763]

I was thinking in terms of an unlabeled PSU connected to whatever bits on the bench; as most semi-informed people would normally expect such a PSU to output +12V and +5V...

much hilarity ensues...

mnem
smoke 'em if you got 'em...

Strikes me as possibly being a good supply to base one of those Chinesium regulator projects around.

I just ordered a single one, brand new for £20 shipped. The 52V output is ideal to feed the SynCor 0-60V 20A output DC-DC converter I picked up a while back. Plan is to stuck it under the bench and then have the DC-DC and a couple of meters in a small box on the bench. The converter even has variable current limit. I'll get 0-60V @ 850W  from what looks ike a box hardly big enough for the meters and controls.
Trying to decide if I'll try to hack the connections or splash out another £20 or so on a rack. I'll probably spend the money.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cisco-341-0232-Power-Supply-C3K-PWR-1150WAC-DPST-1150AB-PSU/154356234065   
https://www.synqor.com/products/hvnq/nq60x60qgx20

[dl6lr]

The scariest stuff I have in the lab is Ethyl Acetate. It works on PLA like an acetone works on ABS (smooths / blends the surface etc) but it's definitely not something you want to get in your lungs or on your skin. I only use it outside with a mask and gloves. I'm not a chemist, so I treat it like it would kill me - Less knowledge = more precaution.

I doubt Ethyl Acetate will solve plain PLA. Ethyl Acetate smells like UHU or similar cement and soles Poly Styrene very good, but I had no success in glueing PLA with it. You normally use the same as for PVC (Henkel Tangit), they often include(d) THF (Tetra Hydro Furane) or Methylene Chloride. Both are not very healthy... If Etyl Acetate solves your PLA filament, I think it is blended with some other material.

[Robert763]

Tidy looking Gen Rad 1863 high resistance meter on UK ebay
/www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENERAL-RADIO-1863-Megohmmeter/114743488811
Takes offers... 
I'm not interested as I hve a 1864 (fully adjustble HT) and a couple of Sulivan / Biddle teraohm meters.

[med6753]

And here it is. Safely inside and on the scope cart. Tomorrow I'll start the cleaning/tear down.  The covers look a little rough and have many scratches/scrapes. I'll give them a good cleaning then determine if they need paint.

More tomorrow.

[AVGresponding]

Not coming to Discord Spec?

[Specmaster]

Not coming to Discord Spec?

Yeah, I was then I got distracted and forgot about it, I was tracking down what was slowing down my PC.

[mnementh]

 

mnem

[Specmaster]

Virus and malware scan completed, nothing found, defragging now 

[mnementh]

don't inhale, don't get it on your skin. Small quantities = blindness, large quantities, well ...

Yes, you have to be more careful with it than with IPA. The flip side is that it does a better job prepping a print surface than crappy diluted IPA which is often all you can get under COVID restrictions.

I expect anyone in here to read the label, FFS. But for those playing along at home, yes it is DANGEROUS. More toxic than IPA, and similarly flammable.

The jug warns aboot blindness/poisoning if ingested; this includes inhalation of vapor. If handled with care approximately as dangerous as pure IPA. I've bought from several different brands and all say the same thing.

It will burn the skin if left in direct contact; IPA usually will not. Direct contact with mucous membranes can allow absorption directly into the bloodstream, and sufficient contact area with skin will as well.

Lethal/blindness volume as little as 10ml if ingested. DO NOT DRINK THIS SHIT. DO NOT INHALE CONCENTRATED VAPORS.

mnem
 

Hmm, why is that I can't stop thinking that after an accident that people would wish that they'd stayed with diluted IPA and just used a little more muscle etc? Some things are really only intended for use in highly specified and controlled environments like fume extraction cabinets with protective gloves, splash protection for eyes etc and then still having all the other safety equipment and personnel to hand in case the unexpected should happen 

"A little more elbow grease" only applies to the appearance of being clean. We need the degreasing/dessicant properties of pure alcohol in this case. As this is a product which is sold over the counter in hardware stores, I do believe we can consider it an ordinary everyday toxin rather than something unusual deserving persecution.

mnem
 

[mnementh]

Here's some more eBay picks:



Think of the amount of magic smoke you could release with these bd:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-Cisco-1150W-Power-Supplies-MPN-C3K-PWR-1150WAC-V01/294083750918

I have 3 PSU with 1kW output each, 5V/150A, 5V/15A, 2V/15A, 12V/5A. Power Factor Unifier Super-MITE-A. If anyone is interested to smoke up with these, drop me a note Shipping however will only be reasonable in Europe.

I see 15V at enough current to jump-start a car there. Or spot-weld 1/8 plate. 

No, seriously... I saw that PSU being sold in 6-packs at a E-Cycler in BuffaloNY easily 20 years ago... people were series-connecting them for all sorts of shit, even charging forklifts.

You might want to reconsider dumping them.

mnem
 

[AVGresponding]

 

[mnementh]

The scariest stuff I have in the lab is Ethyl Acetate. It works on PLA like an acetone works on ABS (smooths / blends the surface etc) but it's definitely not something you want to get in your lungs or on your skin. I only use it outside with a mask and gloves. I'm not a chemist, so I treat it like it would kill me - Less knowledge = more precaution.

I doubt Ethyl Acetate will solve plain PLA. Ethyl Acetate smells like UHU or similar cement and soles Poly Styrene very good, but I had no success in glueing PLA with it. You normally use the same as for PVC (Henkel Tangit), they often include(d) THF (Tetra Hydro Furane) or Methylene Chloride. Both are not very healthy... If Etyl Acetate solves your PLA filament, I think it is blended with some other material.

https://3dprinterly.com/how-to-smooth-dissolve-pla-filament-3d-printing/

https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Smooth-PLA-3D-Prints/

http://fabsterdam.com/3dprinting/smoothing-pla/

mnem
 

[beanflying]

 

Look good now lets see how the derafting goes  Sometime or another try the glass flipped over cleaned properly as earlier no glue and just a brim on one

[Brumby]

I'll give them a good cleaning then determine if when they need paint.

FTFY

[beanflying]

I'll give them a good cleaning then determine if when they need paint.

FTFY

Ever sort this Wombat out @Brumby? eBay auction: #233944811192

[beanflying]

A very complete one for the AVO nuts out there too. eBay auction: #233944670135 $15 AUD post to me and on shipping at cost ENABLING available to non locals

[tautech]

A very complete one for the AVO nuts out there too. eBay auction: #233944670135 $15 AUD post to me and on shipping at cost ENABLING available to non locals

Nice case with the clasps and genuine leads  ....a rare thing these days.
Some of the pirate AVO leads were just crap and absolutely no way I'd want to use them for the 2.5-3KV these meters can handle. 

[Brumby]

A very complete one for the AVO nuts out there too. eBay auction: #233944670135 $15 AUD post to me and on shipping at cost ENABLING available to non locals

That location is where I grew up and it's a short drive for me!

.... but I already have an AVO 8 in original case - but that case is in better condition, especially the handle.


However, I DON'T have those leads!!

[Brumby]

Ever sort this Wombat out @Brumby? eBay auction: #233944811192

Reported and forgotten about.  Not worth the effort for anything else.


... and, please, you owe the wombats of Australia a big apology.


Edit: Just checked my eBay account to add something to my watchlist  and there was a message which came through yesterday.....

Your order was cancelled

Hi M******,

The seller cancelled this order due to the following reason: 'Something was wrong with the buyer's delivery address.'

Bullshit.

[beanflying]

Ever sort this Wombat out @Brumby? eBay auction: #233944811192

Reported and forgotten about.  Not worth the effort for anything else.


... and, please, you owe the wombats of Australia a big apology.

I have seen what damage Wombats do to Cars when hit and what happens to Tractors and Farm machinery dropped into Wombat holes they are only slightly up my list of pesky natives from Possums

That said maybe the description should have been more 'Drongo' so as not to insult the Aussie Fauna 

[Brumby]

That said maybe the description should have been more 'Drongo' so as not to insult the Aussie Fauna

 

[Brumby]

Been meaning to for a while - and finally got around to checking the battery on my 3478A:  3.046V 

I think I'm good for a while ... but the question is - for how long?

[mnementh]

All yooz peoples I was annoying with my open mic in the Discord while providing tech support for my dad should know it went well once the iPad charged up; I did have the iPad correctly pre-configured for his WiFi, and my dad successfully FaceTimed with us from the comfort of his living room! w00t!

mnem
*toddles off to ded*

[mansaxel]

Virus and malware scan completed, nothing found, defragging now 

Widows is what was slowing your computer down. 

[Zoli]

Wouah ... things are getting expensive in UK.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rigol-DS1054Z-4-Channel-50MHz-Digital-Storage-Oscilloscope/143260735421

Anybody want a nice Rigol DS1054Z at 1000$US 

Sounds as bad as lumber prices in the GWN.  I need to replace a deck where the wood is rotting.  I am guessing the pre-COVID price was $1500.  Last year hit $3500 with people staying home and making improvements, driving up the demand just as the supply chain suffered.  I mistakenly held off assuming everyone else would be done their decks last year.  Current price is $5000.
Instead I think I found a local guy with cedar and a portable sawmill.  Hopefully I can save some money dealing with him.  SWMBO will probably get jealous at how much time I will spend with the surface planer this year...

Even my lumber of choice.....twisted, warped, knotty #2 one inch pine boards have gone nuts in price. 

I was in the Home Despot the other day and noticed that 4 x 8' sheets of OSB floor underlayment were priced at about $50/ea.  That's nuts!

-Pat

Thats one of the effects of Covid-19, not much is leaving the lumberyards etc due to lockdowns so everything has gone up.

I'm not so sure that's the real reason. I suspect much of it is taking advantage of the situation under the guise of "lockdown". The reason? Stock of this stuff is good. You can hardly go into any store today and not trip over a huge stockpile of toilet paper or paper towels. The only thing I notice in my local grocery still in short supply is cleaning products. But other than that my local grocery seems fully stocked.

And there's no shortage of lumber either. Now maybe in the UK that's true but not here. 

Edit, and also for the first time in almost a year the price of gasoline in NYS is approaching $3.00 USD/gallon. It did get as cheap as just above $2.00 USD. Apparently the spec market sez people are gonna vacation this year.

Interesting, your neighbours to the north do have a shortage.  Also, anyone who has stock is taking great advantage of the situation.  The local yards are all empty, and are saying they are only expecting to receive 50% of their orders.  What does come in from the sawmills is not fully dried.  There is speculation they are running the lumber through the kilns extra fast to take advantage of the high prices and get more bucks for less work.

In a normal year, I guess people would look at a rotting deck and decide to just go away for vacation.  Last year, people are stuck at home and not spending money on vacation, so they replace the deck.

The exchange rate at the moment makes it favourable to sell the lumber into the US.  Good prices for the Americans and good profits for the Canadian suppliers.  No lumber for the average Canadian.

Gasoline jumped from $1.03 to $1.25 per litre in the last month.  Good think I am not commuting to work these days.

Supplies in the grocery stores all seem fine.  Prices are going up.  If the price is not going up, then the containers are being discretely shrunk.  A buddy of mine design moulds for thin-wall plastic injection and he is extremely busy...

Welcome to BC.