Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Specmaster]

Welcome to the real world  There is no limits our Government will go to get it's 10% even below $1 no problem it is just someone else's cost to collect it and pass it on  Below is a recent low value invoice from Ali Express.

The Height of Stupid with our system was some of the outs allowed. 'Coffee' is exempt as is 'Milk' as is 'Bread' and some other staples but put the Coffee and Milk together then it is taxable and a piece of buttered bread would be too. So if I sell Coffee Beans or Ground Coffee it is exempt but the packaging is not and if I make a coffee at a market then it is taxed even if it is only water added for a black coffee 

I suspect that we are going to see an increase in revenue raising by governments the world over as they try to recover the lost income / resources caused by the pandemic lockdowns and the huge costs of the vaccines.

[tautech]

I suspect that we are going to see an increase in revenue raising by governments gubbermints the world over as they try to recover the lost income / resources caused by the pandemic lockdowns and the huge costs of the vaccines.

Fixed that for ya ! 

[beanflying]

Welcome to the real world  There is no limits our Government will go to get it's 10% even below $1 no problem it is just someone else's cost to collect it and pass it on  Below is a recent low value invoice from Ali Express.

The Height of Stupid with our system was some of the outs allowed. 'Coffee' is exempt as is 'Milk' as is 'Bread' and some other staples but put the Coffee and Milk together then it is taxable and a piece of buttered bread would be too. So if I sell Coffee Beans or Ground Coffee it is exempt but the packaging is not and if I make a coffee at a market then it is taxed even if it is only water added for a black coffee 

I suspect that we are going to see an increase in revenue raising by governments the world over as they try to recover the lost income / resources caused by the pandemic lockdowns and the huge costs of the vaccines.

Really unlikely all these plans would have been in place well before to grind back some of the lost revenue as us individuals raised our small value direct imports. Also add in 'some' attempt to tax the big boys who avoid any an all taxes on sales or revenue.

EDIT Some reading here but its been coming to a broader world since our  lot dreamed it up https://blog.taxamo.com/insights/australia-gst-low-value-goods

[tggzzz]

The Height of Stupid with our system was some of the outs allowed. 'Coffee' is exempt as is 'Milk' as is 'Bread' and some other staples but put the Coffee and Milk together then it is taxable and a piece of buttered bread would be too. So if I sell Coffee Beans or Ground Coffee it is exempt but the packaging is not and if I make a coffee at a market then it is taxed even if it is only water added for a black coffee 

When VAT was introduced here in the 70s, it was 15% for luxury goods and 0% for other things. Not difficult for a blind man to spot the ambiguity.

As one example, some types of 1uF capacitor were 15% and others were 0%. The 15% ones were designed for use in a common luxury item: TVs.

[beanflying]

The Height of Stupid with our system was some of the outs allowed. 'Coffee' is exempt as is 'Milk' as is 'Bread' and some other staples but put the Coffee and Milk together then it is taxable and a piece of buttered bread would be too. So if I sell Coffee Beans or Ground Coffee it is exempt but the packaging is not and if I make a coffee at a market then it is taxed even if it is only water added for a black coffee 

When VAT was introduced here in the 70s, it was 15% for luxury goods and 0% for other things. Not difficult for a blind man to spot the ambiguity.

As one example, some types of 1uF capacitor were 15% and others were 0%. The 15% ones were designed for use in a common luxury item: TVs.

The federal Sales Tax our GST was far more like that and was a complete pig breakfast with very bogus exemptions for some. Colour TV's and Cars from memory were 33% (of wholesale price) pre the $10% GST (on retail) is in theory an improvement but as an unpaid small Business tax collector it sucks four times a year. Generally any food items were exempt regardless too.

[med6753]

There's no import duty or VAT but sales tax for the state you reside in has been collected for a few years now. The states complained to the Feds that they were losing tax revenue from internet companies so those companies must now add sales tax at your state's rate automatically to the invoice. For NYS that's a fixed 6.25% regardless of the item, no "luxury" tax. Certain food items are exempt from sales tax. 

I haven't ordered from Ali or Bangbang in a long time so I don't know if they play along. I would have to assume they do or be subject to an import ban.

[Robert763]

The classic british one was the Jaffa Cake
Went to the high court to decide if it was a biscuit (0 tax) or a cake (15-20% tax changed over th years). They decided this "cake" was a biscuit.
In the early days plastic transistors were 17.5% VAT (consumer) metal can were 15% (industrial). Flying training was interesting too. With an instructor was the lower rate (maybe 0 I can't reacall for sure) because you were being taught and solo (still as a student) was full rate VAT 

[Specmaster]

Back on topic, well sort of, this seller has some pretty high expectations https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/393332165433? All the valves are missing, and I'd love to learn where he got that valuation from 

There is almost nothing on eBay lately that seems to me to be a reasonable bet, prices for none working gear is sky-high.

Edit: Just looked at the other photos, these have clearly been homemade and uses co-ax sockets for inputs 

[Brumby]

OK - as promised, here's what came with the K40 in one of those boxes...

...and this:  
$300 for the lot.

Then, in the second box was a reverse osmosis water filter setup.  All this for $50:

   

[McBryce]

Back on topic, well sort of, this seller has some pretty high expectations https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/393332165433? All the valves are missing, and I'd love to learn where he got that valuation from 

There is almost nothing on eBay lately that seems to me to be a reasonable bet, prices for none working gear is sky-high.

Edit: Just looked at the other photos, these have clearly been homemade and uses co-ax sockets for inputs 

Hoping for an Audiophool to pass by perhaps?

McBryce.

[beanflying]

OK - as promised, here's what came with the K40 in one of those boxes...

...and this:  
$300 for the lot.

Then, in the second box was a reverse osmosis water filter setup.  All this for $50:

   

Mmm in your place I would be flipping the R/O unit and spares and having a cheaper Laser as a result. Unless you start with really hard bore water or post dose the result you shouldn't generally drink it as water can be to pure for us Humans.

Either that or set up a system for drinking water and leave the R/O membrene out so just the Carbon and Sediment cartridge's without the pressure tanks too.

[wkb]

Hope my repaired HP 5342a counter will like its new shiny "back feet" that my
3D printer is working on.

Wilko

[tonyalbus]

OK - as promised, here's what came with the K40 in one of those boxes...

...and this:  
$300 for the lot.

Then, in the second box was a reverse osmosis water filter setup.  All this for $50:

   

OMG is that what you need to run a 40Watt laser...??
i stick with my crappy 3 watts in a 20x20x20 cm box 
but yours prob cuts trough more than just paper like mine does 

[Brumby]

Mmm in your place I would be flipping the R/O unit and spares and having a cheaper Laser as a result. Unless you start with really hard bore water or post dose the result you shouldn't generally drink it as water can be to pure for us Humans.

Either that or set up a system for drinking water and leave the R/O membrene out so just the Carbon and Sediment cartridge's without the pressure tanks too.

The sales pitch for the filtration system is that I can make all the pure water I need for the laser cooling system.  Apparently Bunnings "demineralised" water isn't as pure as would be best for the cooling.  Not sure about that but, hey.

[Brumby]

OMG is that what you need to run a 40Watt laser...??
i stick with my crappy 3 watts in a 20x20x20 cm box 
but yours prob cuts trough more than just paper like mine does 

The first two photos show the air extraction fan, ducting and filter, together with all the bits he had for the water cooling.  Not everything is used, I just got the whole box of all the bits he had.

The second two photos are of a water filtration system that is NOT at all necessary.  Ignore all that and just get the proper distilled water from a commercial supplier for your laser.  The guy was just trying to clear out a lot of stuff as he was moving and didn't want to take everything.  He was happy to get $50 rather than throw it out.

[mnementh]

Yeah; that's exactly what I was thinking. Best bet is to flip the excess stuff on fleaBay or CL. How much you can get for it depends entirely on what is still sealed/unused vs the assache you're willing to put up with making multiple listings; some of that crap is quite expensive (compared to what it actually is).

mnem
 

[mnementh]

   

I used circular pattern in frustion360 today.

mnem
toddles off to buy bolts... and a vise...

[cyclin_al]

OK - as promised, here's what came with the K40 in one of those boxes...

...and this:  
$300 for the lot.

Then, in the second box was a reverse osmosis water filter setup.  All this for $50:

   

Mmm in your place I would be flipping the R/O unit and spares and having a cheaper Laser as a result. Unless you start with really hard bore water or post dose the result you shouldn't generally drink it as water can be to pure for us Humans.

Either that or set up a system for drinking water and leave the R/O membrene out so just the Carbon and Sediment cartridge's without the pressure tanks too.

That would be priced around $500CAD for a new R/O system of similar capacity.  Jammie-Git award territory on that one!

Here, the water is really that hard such that I buy bottled water for drinking.  The filter replacements and cleaning of a R/O would make it too expensive in comparison.

[tonyalbus]

   

I used circular pattern in frustion360 today.

mnem
toddles off to buy bolts... and a vise...

are you 3D printing you brake disks 

[mnementh]

Naaahhh.... just a spacer between the rotor and sprocket to get the geometry right.

If I can tweak the motor and sheetmetal bracket (it's "universal", so doesn't fit any bike perfectly out of the box; hence need for a vise) to align with the sprocket, this spacer should be the right thickness for the rotor, etc to align properly. Just something quick & cheap to make sure I can get everything right before I go to the expense of buying the right spacers in metal.

mnem

[AVGresponding]

The classic british one was the Jaffa Cake
Went to the high court to decide if it was a biscuit (0 tax) or a cake (15-20% tax changed over th years). They decided this "cake" was a biscuit.

In point of fact they went to court to prove that they are cakes, as it's those that are zero rated; VAT is charged on biscuits (when covered in chocolate or similar).

The proof was that biscuits go soft when they go stale, and that cakes go hard. Since Jaffa Cakes go hard, they are by definition "cakes" and not "biscuits".

https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/vat-food/vfood6260

[mnementh]

That would be priced around $500CAD for a new R/O system of similar capacity.  Jammie-Git award territory on that one!

Here, the water is really that hard such that I buy bottled water for drinking.  The filter replacements and cleaning of a R/O would make it too expensive in comparison.

Yeah... the problem with R/O is that there are a lot of nasty stuffs out there that also can pass along with a water molecule. Stuffs that abound in the fracking wastelands of the energy corridor, for example. Yes, it works for large volume desalinization, and "Reverse-osmosis" does sound high-tech and buzzworthy, but it is not necessarily the best means of getting pure or even safe water.

[edited because I reread it and D'oh!]

mnem
*waiting for the curbside pickup eMail*

[Robert763]

The classic british one was the Jaffa Cake
Went to the high court to decide if it was a biscuit (0 tax) or a cake (15-20% tax changed over th years). They decided this "cake" was a biscuit.

In point of fact they went to court to prove that they are cakes, as it's those that are zero rated; VAT is charged on biscuits (when covered in chocolate or similar).

The proof was that biscuits go soft when they go stale, and that cakes go hard. Since Jaffa Cakes go hard, they are by definition "cakes" and not "biscuits".

https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/vat-food/vfood6260

Doh I'd been told the other way round and never thought to check.......

[salvagedcircuitry]

Alright boys, who's offering on this Agilent N1914A dual channel power meter? 
I'll put down $5.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303953989765

[wkb]

wtf... that asking price is really seriously bad crack