[time-nuts] Stuff I bought

[Robert Atkinson]

Hi,
  my holiday gift this year was a Sony PRS-505 Reader.
  http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&categoryId=16184
  This is not as off-topic as it seems, as well as books these work well with PDF's and the ePaper display uses no power except when it changes. No more printing a couple of pages of a datasheet to use at the bench, only to bin them later.
  Unfortunatly they don't sell then outside North America (copyright issues with the books apparently)  but they do work in Europe , contary to what the store attendants tried to tell me! It will play MP3's while you read too!
   
  Robert G8RPI 

Jeff Mock <jeff at mock.com> wrote:
  I hope this might start a holiday thread of cool stuff other people have 
purchased recently.

Here are a few things that I've bought this year that I really like.
jeff

------


Smart Tweezers
http://www.advancedevices.com/

It's an RLC meter packaged in a pair of tweezers. It's accurate and 
fast, feels good to use on the bench. When working with SMT parts, 
particularly capacitors that typically aren't marked with values, this 
tool makes it easy to deal with tiny parts on the bench.

Truth be told, this product is probably the version before the one you 
really want to own. I've found a couple of bugs in the software and the 
industrial design should be nicer, but it's still a good product.


SMA wrench
http://www.smelectronics.us/coaxialtorquewrenchessmatypendin.htm

I've never known how much to tighten an SMA connector. As time goes by 
I have more and more SMA connectors. I've seen real RF guys with SMA 
torque wrenches, but never broken down and bought one until this year. 
The 5/16" ST-SMA3 is very satisfying and I never worry about SMA 
connections (but it's a little too expensive). I think 8 in.lbs is the 
right number.


Suunto Tandem compass and clinometer
http://www.suunto.com (click on precision instruments)

This is a really fantastic machined aluminum compass and clinometer. 
It's super precise and has optical sites on both instruments. I find it 
amazingly accurate with a little practice. I can look up an Iridium 
flare on heavens-above.com, point the device at the sky and find the 
precise az/el location just before the flare. It's made in Finland, 
that seems good for some unknown reason.


Sure Electronics
http://stores.ebay.com/Sure-Electronics

They are an ebay seller in mainland China that ships directly to buyers 
worldwide. They sell a bunch of junk, but the nice things they sell are 
designer kits of passive components. They are a little slow, it seems 
to take a couple of weeks to get an item, but they have some really nice 
design kits. You can get a 2000 piece kit of 0805 capacitors, each 
value in neatly labeled boxes for less than $20 including shipping. 
This is about $100 from Digikey and not nearly as nice.


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