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"Arfa Daily" <arfa.daily@ntlworld.com>: Jan 02 02:56PM EE Times article that came to me by email today   http://www.electronics-eetimes.com/en/the-big-lie-about-led-lighting.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=222923405   Arfa

N_Cook <diverse@tcp.co.uk>: Jan 02 03:19PM On 02/01/2015 14:56, Arfa Daily wrote: > EE Times article that came to me by email today   > http://www.electronics-eetimes.com/en/the-big-lie-about-led-lighting.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=222923405   > Arfa   There is a shop in town that is all LED strip lighting. So far no failures noticed, but I will estimate the total number of LEDs and monitor over time. I would guess , sitting here, something like 20,000 5mm LEDs in total (not the higher powered types). I feel like running a red/orange felt-tip along all the cover-strips of the LED runs, as its that horrible stark blue-white. Doesn't take much pen ink to give a much warmer tone (to CFL bulbs anyway)   This article has soldering as a dying art along with trug making etc   http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/dec/30/traditional-skills-endangered-heritage-craft   perhaps they meant soldering as in tin-smithing. But on the other hand how much hands-on soldering rework of modern day mass electronics production is there?

Andy Burns <usenet.feb2014@adslpipe.co.uk>: Jan 02 03:31PM N_Cook wrote:   > This article has soldering as a dying art along with trug making etc   > http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/dec/30/traditional-skills-endangered-heritage-craft   > perhaps they meant soldering as in tin-smithing.   http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDUzWDY0MA==/z/CMgAAOxyLm9TDdVl/$_12.JPG   > But on the other hand how much hands-on soldering rework of modern day > mass electronics production is there?   Probably just rework on any dead items at the end of the line (if has sufficient value) or attaching the big lumpy stuff like connectors and transformers.

Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com>: Jan 01 11:27AM -0800 On Thu, 1 Jan 2015 03:34:02 -0800 (PST), larrymoencurly@my-deja.com wrote:   >What would you have told him if his major had been art history?   I'll answer if you tell me why my answer might be useful or relevent.   Locally, we have something even better than art history called "History of Conciousness". <http://histcon.ucsc.edu> <http://histcon.ucsc.edu/about/index.html> Graduates are appointed by Obama to high positions, so it's not totally useless: <http://news.ucsc.edu/2014/04/obaman-humanities-nomination.html> Graduates of the History of Consciousness Department find employment in a range of disciplines, including literature, women's studies, ethnic studies, American studies, sociology, anthropology, communication, and philosophy. History of Consciousness graduates have also found positions outside academic institutions as researchers, writers, filmmakers, curators, organizers and administrators.   -- Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Mike <news@mjcoon.plus.com>: Jan 01 01:41PM -0600 On Thu, 01 Jan 2015 11:27:20 -0800, Jeff Liebermann wrote:   > Locally, we have something even better than art history called "History > of Conciousness".   That's good; I thought the rest of the world had enough difficulty defining "Conciousness"!   Is "better" used ironically?   Mike.

jurb6006@gmail.com: Jan 01 12:09PM -0800 I know and have known so many people who are so damn good at music it is not funny. However none of them are making any real money off of it. One guy plays practically everything rock, and actually wrote and performed ALL parts of songs, and sounds great. Layed down the drum track, then the bass, then the rhythm guitar, then lead, keyboard and then sang it. Has a band and gets some gigs at bars and stuf.   But to pay the bills he lays ceramic tile.   Life hasn't caught up to music yet with one percent of the people having most of the money. In the music biz it is more like a tenth of a percent if that. Guy I work with, DAMN, talk about playing guitar. I heard chords he played justy screwing round tht I did not know COULD be played on a guitar.   To pay the bills he fixes guitars.   Living in the limelight, The universal dream, For those who wish to seem, Those who wish to be, Must... (Rush)   Must have alot of luck and connections. The people who run the music business now are not what they once were. The game is rigged in favor of their folks. What's more, if you can paly as well as the pros, you are a dime a dozen. To really get anywhere you have to actually compose music and that is harder than it looks. There is already so much music already done, almost everything you listen to is a remake, or in some cases adapted from a part of the great works by the likes of Beethoven and such. It is likely everything you do has been done.   I know a guy calls Jimi Hendrix a secong rate blues guitarist. Youy hear him play and you see that he has the right to say that. Very good, his rendition of playing and singing Stairway To Heaven with an acoustic guitar is fantastic. If it hadn 't been done before he could BE Led Zepplin.   If he had the proper connectionns.   Music is fun. I like to do it when I have just the right buzz and get in the mood. I finally got to the point where I can play and sing at the same time, which is harder than it looks I found. But it is never going to make me a dime. I work for a music store now and none of them people are rich except for the owner of the place maybe. The music lessons I think are like $30 an hour. I made that much fixing TVs.   There is one thiong though, someone who likes playing music understands a form of math. The chords and shit. They could be adapted for engineering or building things.   Trade school.   Don't l;ook at me in that tone of voice, yes, trade school. It is not demeaning or anything, you know how much money plumbers make ? Union bricklayers. If you are in good shape and not afraid of working hard them guys make money. Both make more than most newbie engineers. The union usually runs the trade school and once you get that journeyman card you are employable. And if a hundred grand a year isn't enough you can go to other countries and make twice or thrice that.   There is a youtube video out there call "College Conspiracy", if you can find it it is worth the watch. What they're selling is one thing. What you're getting is another. The fact is you need speacial skills to really make it in this economy now. you need to have to be able to DO somethinng and that is not going to be plucking zither strings or whatever. Closest guy I know to making money playing a guitar actually sometimes goes out in front of the brick and mortar and plays out there to attract attention. A marketing gimmick.   It's just how it is.   Good luck with the kid. As bad as it seems, at least he is interested in something. Many have no interest at all except to get high and fuck. So it's not all bad. He just needs to realize reality. The music business sucks, and now it sucks worse because of digital. Record sales ? There are no record stores ! Between P2P and youtube, they can't sttop the hemorrage of money.   OK, enough.

mike <ham789@netzero.net>: Jan 02 03:49AM -0800 On 12/31/2014 4:15 PM, amdx wrote: > until you find what tweaks you! I think he played video games instead.   > Any Ideas?   > Thanks, Dad Certainly depends on the college and the major...but... I expect college to teach you how to THINK. (military teaches you how to follow orders) I don't like history/art type majors because they teach you what someone else did. Not totally useless, but critical thinking is more useful.   I learned more useful/practical stuff the first week on the job from an excellent mentor than I did in five years of engineering school. But if I hadn't had the background, I wouldn't have been able to comprehend my mentor.   Smoking pot and playing video games is not "going to college." Maybe a tiered approach. Let the military teach him how to follow orders, then order him to go to college. You can always do whatever you want after a basic education.   You may have started too late. My dad had a basic college education, a blue-collar job and a TV repair business on the side. He bought me a Heathkit short wave radio kit somewhere around age 8. He steered me toward ham radio. He paid me 50-cents to check all the tubes in a TV. I had to keep accounts of my work and payments. One day, he just took me aside and taught me long division. He got me a job after school at a friend's TV shop. I never thought about it at the time, but he may have been paying my salary under the table. There was never any question whether I'd be an engineer. Wasn't my choice. Nobody told me to do it. It just happened...thanks to my dad.

"Maynard A. Philbrook Jr." <jamie_ka1lpa@charter.net>: Jan 01 02:06PM -0500 In article <d176a781-a6bf-4ffe-9f81-1d30126e305c@googlegroups.com>, hindsitetrader@sbcglobal.net says...   > I have an Acurite with outdoor sensor that I got as a gift. The indoor is right on, but the outdoor temp is 6-7 degrees LOW based on comparisons with multiple sources including another wired thermometer to the outside, also in the shade. That one always reads exact to my various other sources. It's just annoying and realize I should just replace it but Ive been looking for a weather station that gives me wind speed and direction and something of higher quality but not over 300 to 400$.   Put something over the sensor, maybe it has some self heating and the wind chill, as little as it maybe is cooling it.   Jamie

Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com>: Jan 01 11:41AM -0800 On Wed, 31 Dec 2014 11:12:46 -0800 (PST), hindsitetrader@sbcglobal.net wrote:   >I have an Acurite with outdoor sensor that I got as a gift.   Anything that claims to be amazing, magic, miracle, or accurate in the name, probably isn't. Since you didn't bother providing a model number, I'll assume you've already given up and are now shopping for a $300+ weather station. I think you'll find that a decent weather station (Peet Bros, Davis, etc) are far more expensive. $300 is about the starting price for a bottom of the line Davis.   >replace it but Ive been looking for a weather station that gives me >wind speed and direction and something of higher quality but not over >300 to 400$.   There's nothing wrong with the thermometer or sensor. The problem is location, location, location, and ummm... location. I "manage" several weather stations and have great difficulties getting consistent temperature readings. There are standards for locating sensors which must be followed. I need to run, so here are some links. Bug me (or post to a weather newsgroup) if lost:   Data quality: <http://www.wxqa.com/AllenFreeMetQC.pdf>   Citizens weather observer corp, which monitors temp sensor consistency. <http://www.wxqa.com>   Radiation shielding: <http://wxqa.com/shields.html>   Siting: <https://www.campbellsci.com/weather-station-siting> <ftp://ftp.campbellsci.com/pub/outgoing/apnotes/siting.pdf> <http://wxqa.com/resources.html>   gone... -- Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com>: Jan 01 03:48PM -0800 On Thu, 01 Jan 2015 11:41:23 -0800, Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> wrote:   Blundering onward...   ><https://www.campbellsci.com/weather-station-siting> ><ftp://ftp.campbellsci.com/pub/outgoing/apnotes/siting.pdf> ><http://wxqa.com/resources.html>   This one is quite good on siteing. <http://weather.gladstonefamily.net/CWOP_Guide.pdf>   Basically, what you're missing with your unspecified model Acurite weather station is a radiation shield for the temperature sensor. What you're trying to do is measure the air temperature, not the temperature of the plastic box, the nearby walls, exhaust vents, parking lot heat island, reflections from low-e glass, foliage transpiration cooling, and a zillion other sources of error. Here's a fun example: <http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/crud/KSBW-WX-Station.jpg> That's the local radio station's weather sensor array on the left, sited over the HVAC system.   More on badly located weather stations. This site is well worth skimming: <http://www.surfacestations.org> Even the official weather stations are often badly located: <http://www.surfacestations.org/odd_sites.htm>   This is one of my early attempts at a radiation shield (pagoda): <http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/wx/slides/radiation-shield-01.html> It was ok, but I missed something obvious. There's a gap near the top of the wall where the cable goes through. Inside the building are several high power transmitters, which produce lots of hot air, that greatly affects the indicated temperature. Here's the CWOP report on temperature and barometric accuracy. The station was removed and is being moved to a better location sometime in the next month.   Enough for now. Your problem will be: 1. Do some reading on proper weather station siteing and Stevenson Screen radiation shield construction. 2. Find a better weather station if you want accuracy. 3. Register with the various amateur weather web sites (Weather Underground, CWOP, etc and see if your numbers track those of the stations around you.   -- Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Sjouke Burry <burrynulnulfour@ppllaanneett.nnll>: Jan 02 07:23AM +0100 On 02.01.15 0:48, Jeff Liebermann wrote: > 3. Register with the various amateur weather web sites (Weather > Underground, CWOP, etc and see if your numbers track those of the > stations around you.   4,5 and 6:Put all your thermometers in one place, to properly compare them. 8,9 and 10:Repeat that on the other side of the house.

Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com>: Jan 01 11:06PM -0800 On Fri, 02 Jan 2015 07:23:22 +0100, Sjouke Burry   >4,5 and 6:Put all your thermometers in one place, > to properly compare them.   Much depends on the initial tolerance of the thermistor sensor. Typically, a 1% thermistor is good for about 0.03 C error for the thermistor alone, and about 0.5 C error if you include the associated electronics. With a cold junction reference, 0.1 C is typical. If the thermometer uses a 5% tolerance thermistor, just multiply everything by 5. Note that the OP was complaining about a 6-7 degree difference.   Details: <https://learn.adafruit.com/thermistor?view=all> See bottom of article for accuracy estimates.   >8,9 and 10:Repeat that on the other side of the house.   Reminder. The goal is to measure the temperature of the air, not the room or building walls. Doing this test indoors is just asking for complications due to stratification (it's warmer near the ceiling) and the multitude of local heat sources found indoors. Isolating the temp sensor from everything except the air is why real weather stations use radiation shields.   The problem can be reduced by isolating the thermistor and using a fan to blow air to the sensor. The design turns out to be fairly complex: <http://www.davisnet.com/news/enews/images/1210SPARS.jpg> I'm not a big fan (pun intended) of fan aspirated radiation shields, but they do work (if you keep them clean). <https://www.google.com/search?q=fan+aspirated+radiation+shield&tbm=isch>     -- Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

andrews.darren@gmail.com: Jan 01 12:08PM -0800 Hi did you have any joy with the IC's you ordered? Have you for any for sale?

Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca>: Jan 01 04:55PM -0500

Allodoxaphobia <knock_yourself_out@example.net>: Jan 01 06:22PM On Wed, 31 Dec 2014 17:44:22 -0800, Oren wrote:   > Memory? Some digital scales, as I read, are for multiple family > members. Keeps data for each person. Is there a selection process - > person 1, 2, etc?   Maybe.   But the cynic in me suspects another reason.   Yes, memory, but there is logic to see if the new weighing is within a pound (or 2) of the last (last 2 or 3?) weighing. If so, display the old value. It would keep the displayed values within about 2% of each other (for the same obsessive/compulsive person), and it would keep the user from seeing different values and (mis)judging inaccuracies in the device.   As in the Dilbert world, it was probably an engineering requirement specified by the marketing department.   Jonesy -- Marvin L Jones | Marvin | W3DHJ | linux 38.238N 104.547W | @ jonz.net | Jonesy | OS/2 * Killfiling google & XXXXbanter.com: jonz.net/ng.htm

Sam Seagate <saseag44419@yahoo.com>: Dec 30 09:45AM -0500 On 12/27/2014 11:08 AM, N_Cook wrote: > make a bit more failsafe add some heat insulation around each polyswitch > and reduce the thickness of insulation if they falsely cutout. If you > don't want to go overboard with current limiting circuitry   Thanks for the tip! A "polyswitch" wasn't something I was familiar with until I looked it up. It looks like a fuse that resets itself once a fault is corrected, is that right?   The configuration I've gone with is four LED's for each C7 bulb. The LED's are driven in series by a 12 V power supply with current set at 10 mA.   I have a current resistor set for each four LED candle since each one drew a different current amount with the same resistor. All set for 10 mA.   The question is, where do I place the polyswitch and how do I determine what amperage/ voltage I need? For two rooms, I have a 12 V supply powering two candles, with each candle set as above (3V @ 10mA) and in another room, I have four candles powered by a 12 V supply. Ideally, I'd like to place the polyswitch at the power supply output before it branches off to either the two or four candle arrangement.   Any tips here would be helpful.   Thanks, Sam

Tim Schwartz <tim@bristolnj.com>: Dec 29 08:23PM -0500 On 12/29/2014 2:24 PM, Dave Platt wrote: > with every conceivable part number, and then just list them as > "available" in their catalogs. The incremental cost of ginning up > fakes for any given part number would be next to zero.   Dave,   I suspect you are correct. There is someone somewhere who will take scrap/surplus/defective parts and put whatever number on it that they think they can sell.   Take the Japanese marking system of transistors (2SA,B,C,D) each number is unique to a manufacturer. So, if Sony wants to make a transistor that is identical to an NEC device, it will still get its own number. This is different from JEDEC devices where many manufacturers made the 2N3055 for example. They also don't generally revise parts. So while On-Semi relabeled the MJ15003 to a MJ15003G when the part went RoHs, Toshiba replaced the 2SC3281 with the 2SC5200. So, any 2SC3281's still on the market are fakes or surplus, because Toshiba doesn't make them any more.   Regards, Tim Schwartz Bristol Electronics

dplatt@coop.radagast.org (Dave Platt): Dec 29 11:24AM -0800 >Why would anyone bother faking such tiddlers? I've never heard of anyone >gorging 1 cent or 1 penny coins, equally it just makes no sense   Since they're a part which is listed as "obsolete" or "end of life" by most manufacturers, there still may be a bit of "boutique" demand from some customers who either have to use the same part number (e.g. for servicing) or re-quality their design.   I sorta suspect that once a counterfeiter has a parts-marking line set up, it's no big deal for them to just re-mark a few thousand of whatever unlabeled overrun transistors they've got their hands on, with every conceivable part number, and then just list them as "available" in their catalogs. The incremental cost of ginning up fakes for any given part number would be next to zero.

Cydrome Leader <presence@MUNGEpanix.com>: Dec 30 04:06AM > that is identical to an NEC device, it will still get its own number. > This is different from JEDEC devices where many manufacturers made the > 2N3055 for example. They also don't generally revise parts. So while   didn't know this. interesting.

N_Cook <diverse@tcp.co.uk>: Dec 30 11:26AM On 30/12/2014 01:23, Tim Schwartz wrote:   > Regards, > Tim Schwartz > Bristol Electronics   I'm aware from a medical devices manufacturer of fraudulent RoHS but otherwise genuine componenents being supplied with false documentation into RoHS exempt supply trains for RoHS derogated industries like medical , nuclear , military and aerospace. Good money in that mark-up just for printing off false documentation. Its not that simple testing for the absence/presence of elemental/alloyed lead.

"Mark Zacharias" <mark_zacharias@labolgcbs.net>: Dec 30 05:28AM -0600 "Tim Schwartz" <tim@bristolnj.com> wrote in message news:54A18FCA.8070503@bristolnj.com...   > Regards, and Happy New Year > Tim Schwartz > Bristol Electronics   Tim,   The 2N5401's used by Yamaha on most models the past six or more years, are not fake and are based E-C-B like the Japanese signal transistors. Don't know why, and I don't know why they used American designation. I mentioned it to our tech rep and he kinda snickered.   But they aren't fake. For example, Q1071 shown on page 125 of the RX-V773 service manual, is a "2N5401C" . I picked this manual almost at random, but many Yamaha models use these.   Q1069 and Q1070 are '2N5551C" same ECB basing.     Mark Z.

Jeff Layman <JMLayman@invalid.invalid>: Dec 23 03:24PM A bit OT, as this is not one of the usual sophisticated repairs posted here.   SWMBO was not happy as the hand-held rechargeable vacuum cleaner was failing to switch on most of the time. It used a simple slide switch, but the motor worked barely once in a dozen attempts.   I dismantled it to find a simple slide switch - in the back "off" position the 10 NiMH batteries were connected to the charging circuit, and slid forward they were instead connected to the motor. A few squirts of WD40 failed to solve the intermittent operation, so I removed the switch to examine it.   And found my Christmas present! I usually find these Chinese imports are made to the cheapest spec possible, and expected to find a single-pole single toggle switch. But no, this was a /double/ pole single toggle switch, and the other pole was unused. So I just soldered a wire bridge across to the unused pole, and the switch now works perfectly again.   But how long that pole will last is another matter...   --   Jeff

John Robertson <spam@flippers.com>: Dec 25 05:12PM -0800 On 12/24/2014, 6:54 PM, Phil Allison wrote:   > ** No more than a light mineral oil does.   > ... Phil   Well, my experience with equipment that has had WD-40 sprayed on it by loving owners is the picot points etc all gum up and we have to heat them up to take them apart so we can clean out the gummed up goop.   In EVERY case when asked these machines had WD-40 sprayed on the workings.   I have yet to see other games of similar vintage that have not been sprayed with WD-40 gum up anywhere near as bad that we have to heat the parts to separate them. And I've been servicing arcade games for almost 40 years.   Hence my personal vendetta against the use of WD-40 as a lubricant.   It would be better to run some proper tests comparing WD-40 mixed with various oils vs. leaving the oils on their own and drying them out with some heat. I keep thinking I should do this, and perhaps I will soon...   John :-#)#   -- (Please post followups or tech inquiries to the newsgroup) John's Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9 (604)872-5757 or Fax 872-2010 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games) www.flippers.com "Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."

amdx <nojunk@knology.net>: Dec 25 09:12PM -0600 On 12/25/2014 7:17 PM, John Robertson wrote:   >> Hence my personal vendetta against the use of WD-40 as a lubricant.   >> It would be better to run some proper tests comparing WD-40 mixed with >> various oils vs. leaving the oils on their own and drying them out with   It seems that was a test someone is/was running, there was a thread in sed, seb or abse in the last three months. Mikek

"Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terrell@earthlink.net>: Dec 25 09:30AM -0500 Arfa Daily wrote: > chemicals. I had one and it lasted years and years. When it ran out, I > really mourned as I was unable to find it still for sale anywhere. As soon > as Crimbo is out of the way, I will be ordering a can ! :-)     I took a quart glass bottle to a local print shop and they filled it with platen cleaner for $10. They buy it in 55 gallon drums. Smaller shops buy it in five gallon cans. -- Anyone wanting to run for any political office in the US should have to have a DD214, and a honorable discharge.

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