Since the topics are still away from audio design, I might comment on what I find fascinating these days. I find purchases through Wish.com and Alibaba to be really useful to the engineering amateur, especially if you find yourself fixing things that need it, rather than going all out with big purchases of either hi fi or test equipment.
I am truly amazed at what I have been getting in, almost daily from these mail order houses. Some things are very useful, some probably useful sooner or later, and some things that are absolutely amazing in their creativity or cost effectiveness.
I have gotten all kinds of miniature drill bits, and miniature drills to drive them. Yesterday, I got a working oscilloscope for about $22. Yes, it really works, and could be useful for a number of applications. Just looking at HOW they put something like this together at such low cost makes these devices revolutionary.
I have gotten several video microscopes, one with its own video screen that competes with my $3000 optical only magnifier. They virtually give away, caps, resistors, wire, led's (all colors) heatshrink tubing (all colors and sizes) etc, etc. You just pay a nominal postage and it arrives at your mailbox. Just yesterday, I bought a infrared kit for making remote controlled relays activate, and for $7 I bought a very nicely put together infrared remote temperature measurement tool that compares in features as my Fluke equivalent. What a brave new world!
I am truly amazed at what I have been getting in, almost daily from these mail order houses. Some things are very useful, some probably useful sooner or later, and some things that are absolutely amazing in their creativity or cost effectiveness.
I have gotten all kinds of miniature drill bits, and miniature drills to drive them. Yesterday, I got a working oscilloscope for about $22. Yes, it really works, and could be useful for a number of applications. Just looking at HOW they put something like this together at such low cost makes these devices revolutionary.
I have gotten several video microscopes, one with its own video screen that competes with my $3000 optical only magnifier. They virtually give away, caps, resistors, wire, led's (all colors) heatshrink tubing (all colors and sizes) etc, etc. You just pay a nominal postage and it arrives at your mailbox. Just yesterday, I bought a infrared kit for making remote controlled relays activate, and for $7 I bought a very nicely put together infrared remote temperature measurement tool that compares in features as my Fluke equivalent. What a brave new world!
Same here, even for audio related items. I've said previously power transformers, chokes and chassis from China are very very good, equal to or better than their Western counter parts.
I'm a little less sure when it's getting closer to the audio path. I've done a bit of testing with the Chinese polypropylene cap's, and found some of them have very strong piezo electric effect: the attached video shows what happens when I squeeze a 1uF 400V CBB (Chinese for MKP). Interestingly, the 2.2uF 450V variants do NOT have this.
Do we have any expert opinions about Chinese electrolytics, metal film resistors, and such?
Zung, I agree with you about using these Chinese parts for quality audio. They can be useful for projects, but not quality audio projects. For example, they will virtually give away RCA connectors, BUT they will often be made from steel. Not good, yet for an oscilloscope or test equipment input (BNC-RCA adapter) they seem to work just fine.
I do not, I was unaware of it, I had not seen it on UbuProgex. I understand they reformed for a tour in 2016, but didn't come anywhere near NC. I've seen Pere Ubu four times, three with Ravenstein..so far...would love to see any of their incarnations again, but they have no tour planned in 2019...yet!
Howie
A similar site is banggood.com. No, it's not a porn site, don't worry.
I recently bought a ZY1280 USB PD power meter from there, it's pretty good.
You do have to be careful about the quality of some of these things. I look for reviews first.
Was looking at some 16mm lead screws with recirc balls, price was nuts for a .85 meter unit. May just buy two to play with.
Jn
Howie, as I said a month ago (30 thousand posts), your my new best friend.😀
You said vacuum...did you mean pull vac with part immersed, the release to air while still immersed? That is how I vacuum impregnate unfilled epoxies.
JC,
Be wary of small drills, many tend to have the tip ground off center so open a hole slightly larger than design. I've had to test first in the target metal. I use smoothing broaches (Bergeons) to measure ID. They have a slight taper so I drop it in the hole and measure right at the surface to within about 20 microns.
Jn
You said vacuum...did you mean pull vac with part immersed, the release to air while still immersed? That is how I vacuum impregnate unfilled epoxies.
JC,
Be wary of small drills, many tend to have the tip ground off center so open a hole slightly larger than design. I've had to test first in the target metal. I use smoothing broaches (Bergeons) to measure ID. They have a slight taper so I drop it in the hole and measure right at the surface to within about 20 microns.
Jn
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I’d place my bets on getting decent electronics over cutting tools any day!
I have to draw a line somewhere...
When I have purchased machinery with moving parts, I have always made a point to take things apart and clean out metal shavings, replace the soybean oil with something better.
I had my eye on the $22 scope to try out, think I will get one, thanks for the tip John.
Jn, are you working hydraulic circuits there or something?
I have to draw a line somewhere...
When I have purchased machinery with moving parts, I have always made a point to take things apart and clean out metal shavings, replace the soybean oil with something better.
I had my eye on the $22 scope to try out, think I will get one, thanks for the tip John.
Jn, are you working hydraulic circuits there or something?
Meh, I like Great White North OK, but I always thought his brother Ian was a better musician.
No hydraulics. Work is all zero backlash stuff, hobby is all antique clock stuff.
Most important is an engineer learning how to make stuff. That puts the engineer more in touch with reality.
Jn
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