Your latest purchase

No, an LM317 is still a linear regulator -- it's just designed to output an adjustable voltage. You can force a 78xx or 79xx to change their regulated voltage too, if you step outside the typical application design in the data sheet.

Many of the linear regulator datasheets do include schematics for using external transistors though. Then you're designing a linear regulator that has much in common with a Class B power amplifier, with the same flaws... namely, that Class D amps and switching regulators can be much more efficient for high-current loads, at the expense of being more complicated and not as well behaved if poorly designed or poorly matched to the load.

Air, and some RGB LEDs for my Mood Light (look meh up on Instructables)

A 99 cent, 12vdc @ 2 amp switching regulated wall transformer with 10 foot cable with standard arduino like connector at a local charity store. Can't have too many of these.

Lefty

2mm & 5mm heat shrink cable.

Hi, just used my work bonus to goto Bunnings (DIY) to get materials to build proper shelving to sit on work bench.
Hope to get LED string under lower shelf to light bench area and hooks and bars on side to fasten clip leads, gluegun and heatgun.
Also want to run leads from LAB supply to a series of terminals along front of shelf, sick and tired of banana plug on banana plug on banana plug etc etc..to get juice from supply and provide gnd ref for test gear.
Have made design so as little timber cutting as possible.
Will let you know how I go.

Tom..... :slight_smile: (damn forgot to check if drill is charged..) Have circular saw will attempt carpentry.

A bunch of LEDs in jolly colors from evilbay.

I'm a sucker for LEDs.......they are just so pretty! They shine, they smile to me, they illuminate me!

(or maybe it is just the memories of the anemic green and red LEDs of the late seventies and eighties?)

TomGeorge:
..to build proper shelving to sit on work bench.

You know this calls for a picture after completing this, don't you ?

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe someone should start a "show off your cool work bench" thread. I could use some inspiration.

(My work bench is the shield plate from an old LCD monitor, sitting on one of the three unoccupied square feet of floor in my spare room. But some day...)

Ordered the laser cut parts for the uFactory robot arm....

"show off your cool work bench" thread.

Good idea, it would show the hideous, depressing, uplifting, inspiring places that our ideas and projects have to take form and succeed.

Tom.... :slight_smile: (Got it together, just a bit of white paint, fit the LEDs, 10 packs of Ibrufen to fix the back) :sweat_smile:

Hello all!

Okay, my Arduino activity has been zero for a while. Other stuff taking up too much room in my head. Just got my ham technician's license, and bought a Yaesu FT-60R. But what I dropped in to share with you is this, purchased for $45 at the NCARC ham fest today. I have yet to plug it in. Didn't come with probes. I think you can see in the pic that the "B (DLY'D) Trigger Slope" pot stem is bent and the collar is broken. It does turn, so maybe the pot is still OK. Seems to not quite have a full range of motion. Seller said the the pots all need cleaning. So, I have a project. :smiley:

Congrats on the tech license!
Good to know that ham fests still live.

Thanks!

Yes, ham fests live. We have 3 more this year that I can think of off the top of my head, here in Colorado.

Landlord came down and gave me a quick intro to scope usage. Seems this one is working fine, other than dirt in the pots and switches. W00T! He also gave me a 10x probe passed along from a friend of his who was at the show when I bought the scope.

The part that really tickles me, now that I'm looking into this? It's apparently worth a lot more than I paid. ]:slight_smile: Okay,mine hasn't been refurbed. Do I care? No.

justjed:
It's apparently worth a lot more than I paid. ]:slight_smile: Okay,mine hasn't been refurbed. Do I care? No.

Professional sellers selling from their own website and directly to their customer base are almost always going to be more than eBay or a hamfest. At least that is what I have always seen. In this case, they give a very decent warranty and almost certainly have the expertise to fix it and recalibrate it if something fails.

Hi, Congratulations on the Tech License, nice CRO, good popular brand.
Excellent price, there will be lots of know-how around if any problems with the unit.

Tom..... :slight_smile:

TomGeorge:
Hi, Congratulations on the Tech License, nice CRO, good popular brand.
Excellent price, there will be lots of know-how around if any problems with the unit.

Tom..... :slight_smile:

Thanks. Well, if anyone has a 311-1192-00 10K pot w/switch in their back pocket, I'd be interested in that. and the 2 knobs that go on it. It works, at least as far as I can tell just turning it, but the center stem is bent, so there's a catch, where turning the switch stem moves the pot, and vice versa.

justjed:
Thanks. Well, if anyone has a 311-1192-00 10K pot w/switch in their back pocket, I'd be interested in that. and the 2 knobs that go on it. It works, at least as far as I can tell just turning it, but the center stem is bent, so there's a catch, where turning the switch stem moves the pot, and vice versa.

That may or may not be an easy pot to find; old tek equipment can be hit and miss finding parts. Here's the manual for it, anyhow:

http://bama.edebris.com/manuals/tek/475adm44/

You might be able to find something here:

I had to order an implosion shield for my Tek 2213 scope (the one that came with the scope was blurred by somebody having sprayed something on it); I think the shield I got came from Eastern Europe or something, but it was the part I needed.

See if you can find the part - or if you can't, email them - maybe they can find you the part you need?

Good luck!

cr0sh:
You might be able to find something here:

http://www.qservice.tv/vpasp/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=59&cat=TEKTRONIX+Potentiometers+-+Switches+-+Connectors

...

Good luck!

Thanks cr0sh. I actually tried to order from them, but wound up not proceeding, based on the 3 strikes rule:

  • required creating an account
  • no info on shipping method (I use different addresses for USPS vs. UPS/Fedex)
  • Paypal

Too picky? Well, I keep a minimum amount in my Paypal account, and never intended to use it for anything other than incoming. And my CC doesn't work via Paypal -- I guess my carrier just disallows them. I pretty much feel that a real business ought to be able to take cards directly. So, in the short term, I made a wierd face and bent the stem back to straight, but it still catches. Didn't break anything, that I can tell. Might be a function I'll never use anyway. I just like to have things "right". :roll_eyes:

Sphere Research looks better to me. But they don't have one. :frowning: But I feel more comfortable shooting them an e-mail asking if they can let me know when they find another.

book - http://www.amazon.com/Arduino-Workshop-Hands-On-Introduction-Projects/dp/1593274483/ -

well written tutorials, projects are build up in complexity. Good book to help explain why Arduino is so much fun.

As an old fart, I had put off buying the FTDI cable ( $ 20 ) to allow in circuit programming, but I had to buy a USB/ttl module at the weekend, for $4, and it has all the pins available, so I fitted a cap for resetting and the project can be reprogrammed via its USB lead.
I bought spare one at that price, so I saved $16 on the lead for in circuit programing for future projects