It has been a weird week for me - Fraser - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2019, 01:26:14 pm
content: What a week this has been.First I buy a mystery thermal core from the USA that looks interesting. It turns out to be a relatively mundane 160 x 120 pixel ISG Infrasys core from 2006. Was it worth the almost £120 it cost me including shipping and import fees ? Hmmm, not sure about thatThen I buy a ACHI IR6000 BGA rework station for £120 that looks a good basis for experimentation as I need BGA rework capability these days when working on modern thermal cameras etc. It arrives and is badly damaged so I return it for a refundI buy an ‘as new’ ACHI IR6500 BGA rework station for £250 and all is going well. The seller is in communication with me about packing etc..... then BAM!..... the seller claims the unit is faulty and he will not be shipping it. I accept the stated fault and wish him to ship the unit but it soon becomes clear that he just wants to refundsellers remorse ?I bought a specialist optical prism BGA ball inspection scope that is described as new and working, for £40. It arrives and is clearly not new and I cannot get a clear image out of its optics. The seller is a recycler and tells me to keep the unit whilst also refunding me.... not a disaster, but Still a disappointment.I bought a neat USB microscope for BGA ball inspection from China. The price is better than from other sellers. The seller comes back to me next day saying the unit is out of stock and he will refundBy this time, I am feeling like this is a week I will be pleased to forget ! As my angel of a wife often tells me ..... if you do not buy these items, you will not get disappointed when they fail to meet expectations !Something good then happened...... I stumbled upon an auction for a cooled thermal camera that I have been searching for over a few years now. It is relatively uncommon and does present the risk of a failed Stirling Cooler that would render it a display piece only. I decide to bid on the unit that has only 33 minutes left to run and no other bids on it. Just think about that for a moment. I have been searching for a specific model of camera for maybe 5 years but never found one I could afford, and then I stumble upon one in an auction that ends in 33 minutesThe auction ends and I fully expect to have been outbid as I had to bid sensibly as the unit is likely a paperweight.I then check and I have won the auction at the opening price........ £0.99. Yep, 99p plus £18 shipping. My week just improvedThe camera comes with its travel case, batteries and a monitor. I fully expect the Stirling Cooler to be dead so there will be no disappointment if that proves to be the case. I just want an example of this great camera in my collection. If it works, it will be a bonus.I will post about the camera once it arrives but for the moment, will keep readers guessing what I have purchased for £18.99 deliveredSo even cr*ppy weeks can have a happy ending if good Karma is smiling upon youFraser

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2019, 01:33:33 pm
content: For anyone wondering, I have been in contact with the seller regarding the camera. He is honourable and willing to honour the sale and ship the unit. I do not think he knows much about it. I have offered to boost his “Beer Fund” if he provides me with his PayPal details. That is just Good Karma paying forwardsFraser

author: Cat
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2019, 06:04:55 pm
content: Quote from: Fraser on November 30, 2019, 01:26:14 pmSo this was the 99$ imagerhttps://www.ebay.com/itm/283685923883?A day prior a similar TI sold for 39$ with 4 PCBs (the last one damaged)https://www.ebay.com/itm/283685828600Quote from: Fraser on November 30, 2019, 01:26:14 pmFraser and his bargainsSpoiler alert:Looking forward if the AGEMA Thermovision 550 is still working

author: Vipitis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2019, 06:30:34 pm
content: Well, you keep optimistic. I talked myself with buying parts this week, but since my cores are old I found no shop that had the old 30pin Harwin connectors for example. So now I want to use the UF.L instead. Will be a bit of a task to connect he coax and ground to a TRRS breakout.I hope to have the update on my project by next week but I am missing some commodity items - how hard can it be to find a USB A to USB C cable that is short?I hope to get an order in for 2-3 parts tommorow if I found a good shop that has all of them locally.Your bargains are crazy tho, soon you will aquire one of those telescopes.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2019, 07:24:08 pm
content: Hi Cat,Yes that was the ‘mystery’ core. I had not seen the previous auction. The core I bought did not have the controller PCB but the seller found one for me. The purchase was a poor one really. Unknown condition core, possibly faulty or incomplete and without its lensNot be finest purchasing decision ! The shipping and tax made it relatively expensive. Had I known that the core was an ISG in-house unit from an Elite series camera I would likely have passed on it. Such is life.Fraser

author: Wendy_Preston
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2019, 08:44:10 am
content: Quote from: Vipitis on November 30, 2019, 06:30:34 pmHi Vipitis, what 30 pin connector are you looking for? I might be able to suggest a comparable alternative, depending on what it is. I've got a good handle on old Harwin stuff, being an old Harwin person...

author: artag
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2019, 12:25:16 pm
content: There's a BGA X-ray machine in this auction and it's on your doorstep.Maybe that would do ?https://www.johnpye.co.uk/auctions/administrators-precision-manufacturing-ltd/?utm_source=IDS&utm_campaign=f843f17fcc-EFLBusinessAssets021219IDS&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_73360481c1-f843f17fcc-110466969

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2019, 01:17:46 pm
content: Hi Artag,Thanks. As you say, virtually on my door stepI must resist the temptation though. I find it very sad to see such auctions as it is the guts of another small British company that has gone into liquidationI note that the equipment fitted with PC’s do not include the OC obese unit or software. That will be for DPA and corporate confidentiality reasons. The software for specialist equipment can be both very hard to source and very expensive. The Pace rework station being a good example. It needs Bespoke Pace software to work and Pace charge a small fortune for that softwareThe 22% buyers premium plus 20% VAT gets painful on higher bids as well !Fraser

author: artag
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2019, 02:19:37 pm
content: The PC unit might also include custom cards for the X-ray as it has on some medical units. I'd want to inspect before bidding on those.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2019, 03:05:11 pm
content: Post removed as it did not really belong in the thermal imaging forumIt only detailed how great the last week has beenFraser

author: Vipitis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2019, 04:11:08 pm
content: While this is becoming more and more a personal blog/diary. I'd like to share that my week is good so far as well. I got two of the parts I was looking for and got all the pieces to put my camera together as a handheld device. I avoid using the 30pin and now use the UF.L coaxial for video instead. how to solder signal and ground of a tiny coax cable is still a mystery to me, but I will find a way. Current issue that is holding me back is my 3D printer not being that alive and the power connectors. from what I can tell the connectors are JST PHR-2; those aren't meant for frequent removal. both that I had ripped the ground line out, so I have to either find new one or somehow fit a better wire in. I had hoped to have it ready by tomorrow for "special lens day". but likely do not. I will post first results into my thread very soon.As for auctions, I took a peak at eBay and found some very interesting listings. A bigger seller that has some used cores for high prices and various selection of lenses and elements, has listed self developed 3D printed zoom lenses. While they are expensive and likely bad in quality, I am surprised by the engineering for a refurbishment reseller. I am thinking about inviting them into the forum. I also spotted a QVGA core from 2002 very locally to me, it is still 2 days to go but currently very cheap.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2019, 04:04:27 pm
content: The ISG thermal imaging core has just arrived from the USAIt turns out to be an interesting little unit. It uses a VOx microbolometer from L-3 Communications InfraredVision Technology Corporation (ITC)The unit is dated 07/06 so could be 2006 or 2007 depending upon how they order their date code.I am very pleased with this unitFraser