EEVblog #606 - Mailbag - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 21, 2014, 11:37:02 pm
content: Dave flips the bird.A 1970's Mattel car racing game.Sex on a stick multimeter probes.Sagan, Mrs EEVblog, and a whole lot more in today's Mailbag MondayBob Widlar poster:http://www.theamphour.com/a-widlar-poster-for-the-ages/Easy EDA:http://easyeda.com/Channel Engineer:https://www.youtube.com/user/channelengineerWe Make Things:http://wemakethings.net/http://felitek.de/http://www.probemaster.com/

author: 8086
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2014, 11:41:29 pm
content: Oh you absolute bastard, putting this up just as I'm going to bed!Guess I will have to wait until after work tomorrow now...

author: TommyGunn
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 12:45:01 am
content: Wow, Those probes are only $14.50http://www.probemaster.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_36&products_id=296&CDpath=3BUYING

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 12:48:49 am
content: Quote from: TommyGunn on April 22, 2014, 12:45:01 amI don't think you want those, they're 2mm...Theselook like the standard 4mm ones.

author: TommyGunn
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 01:47:42 am
content: Quote from: c4757p on April 22, 2014, 12:48:49 amyup. Thanks, good catch.

author: Agent24
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 03:53:30 am
content: But what did the letter in the last package say? I can't sleep until I know...

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 03:59:04 am
content: Quote from: Agent24 on April 22, 2014, 03:53:30 amThe veroboard one?He forgot what they were fr and wanted to know if I could figure it out.

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 04:14:56 am
content: Quote from: Agent24 on April 22, 2014, 03:53:30 amProbably something like: this thing doesn't work what am I doing wrong?Nevermind Dave answered it while I was typing

author: 99tito99
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 04:26:39 am
content: Mr. Jones you better watch out, you might lose your job; you had a couple of co-hosts that could garner higher ratings.

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 06:40:55 am
content: Many thanks to the whole family for sharing their time with us. Before anyone starts complaining about the family being involved here, too bad! I enjoyed it and it is nice to see a happy family. I don't usually comment on videos here but I want to make sure that you, Dave, are sure that I appreciate the more personal touch here.

author: Impulse
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 09:00:26 am
content: I played the Mattel Auto Race game for hours on end when it first came to our local radio electronics stores.No offense (offence?), but Dave got the game's goal wrong.The player's goal is to pass as many cars as possible in the 99 second time limit.By not hitting other cars, the player's car moves forward until it gets to the top of the "screen".Then, the next lap occurs, with the other cars coming faster and faster.The player is rewarded with great fanfare upon success.I didn't know it back then, but according to Wikipedia, the game that Dave has is considered rare in working condition...potentially the first handheld, all-digital electronic game.This game is described in more detail there:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattel_Auto_RaceOh, to be young again.

author: vk3yedotcom
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 11:26:07 am
content: Loved the cordless phone.Old school analogue FM, crystal control.Looks like a 30 / 39 MHz or similar - the older ones used 30 / 1.7 MHz.No scrambling/encryption.Transmitter on the right / superhet receiver on the left (maybe using a CA3089 or similar?).Bit curious about the 3 position switch on the handset. Was thinking it's a channel change but there's not enough crystals for that.So it looks like a single channel - if your neighbours had one you'd probably overhear all their calls.

author: Excavatoree
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 12:42:34 pm
content: That game brought back memories of the fourth grade, when everyone wanted one of those "led blip" games. The most popular was "football. (US)" The "cool teacher" was playing one during recess duty.When one bought a piece of crap electronic item back then, one at least got a Nichicon cap!Sagan's only three (almost) and I can already see "father and son" blogs in the future. It was nice to see Sagan and "The missus" in a mailbag blog. You're a lucky man, Dave.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 12:53:06 pm
content: Quote from: Lightages on April 22, 2014, 06:40:55 amThanks.They happened to drop by, so just seemed fun to include them.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 12:56:37 pm
content: Quote from: Impulse on April 22, 2014, 09:00:26 amOh, rare, nice!I didn't even think to Google it, and had no idea it would be the first handheld electronic game, that's cool.In hindsight deserving of it's own video! Perhaps there is something else I can do with it?

author: Excavatoree
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 01:00:44 pm
content: Quote from: Lightages on April 22, 2014, 06:40:55 amThese are my sentiments as well.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 01:04:40 pm
content: Quote from: vk3yedotcom on April 22, 2014, 11:26:07 amI used a Tandy 200 channel scanner back in the day to listen in on analog cordless phones, as well as analog mobile phones.The novelty soon wore off, boring as bat poo!

author: Excavatoree
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 01:12:42 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 22, 2014, 01:04:40 pmI had a scanner when I lived in a large apartment complex. I guess I was lucky, because I heard some non boring stuff. Yes, some of it was stuff I didn't want to hear, but at least it was interesting.

author: station240
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 01:41:13 pm
content: Yeah oddly I was pulling apart a similar cordless phone a week or so ago.Mine has a daughter board under the main PCB in the handset, which has a digital chip and contacts for the push buttons, connected via a set of SIL pins. Mine had a ball of solder stuck to the PCB by flux, just a hair's breadth from shorting the crystal that drives the chip.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 01:53:42 pm
content: Widlarising components.When did he invent that? I have been doing that since 1979, albeit on rare occasions.A classic was a D-Link routerthat was a complete piece of crap, both by design and after sales support.My relationship with the router and D-Link ended when I SMASHED the entire router PCB into tiny pieces with a large hammer, put the particles into a zip lock bag, then into a box and mailed the entire mess to the Managing Director of D-Link Australia, with a letter detailing explaining what I thought of D-Link and their product.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 04:37:22 pm
content: National advert according to widlar

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 04:47:12 pm
content: more goodies :http://edn.com/electronics-blogs/anablog/4311277/Bob-Widlar-cherry-bombs-the-intercom-speaker-item-2http://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/analog-computers/3/156/402

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 05:43:25 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 22, 2014, 12:56:37 pmOh the memories... My brother and I used to play with one of those for hours at a time.... I wonder what happened to it..

author: koppadasao
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 22, 2014, 09:28:22 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 22, 2014, 03:59:04 amAt least, that's what I said, but there was one more board in there.

author: Tothwolf
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2014, 02:45:47 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 22, 2014, 12:56:37 pmHow does the custom led look under the Tagarno? Did you also notice the Rockwell logo on the pc board and processor? I guess Rockwell designed both?I wonder if the cordless phone is a 49MHz model? I disassembled a lot of those when they were being tossed out in large numbers, and it looks very similar to the phones I disassembled. Now if I could only figure out what to do with all the NOS spare antennas I have still in a box somewhere...

author: nitro2k01
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2014, 08:04:15 am
content: Quote from: free_electron on April 22, 2014, 04:37:22 pmShould have gotten the full size, so you can read the subtext. (Upload. Click to view full size.)

author: Rigby
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2014, 01:11:19 pm
content: Corporation666 - really Mickey Dolenz? I was such an insane fan of that band when I was a kid.

author: firewalker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2014, 02:44:34 pm
content: Did anyone tried EasyEDA?Alexander.

author: gemby
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2014, 04:18:33 pm
content: Quote from: firewalker on April 23, 2014, 02:44:34 pmI did last night, a little bit of struggle, some menus are weird, but it seems like it can be usable, will give it another go. Anyone else?

author: ElektronikLabor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2014, 06:07:31 pm
content: Hello Dave, many thanks for the video!For the next time: can you spend more time with playing with the mailbag content?I find the Tek demo board very interesting. I also would like to see you experimenting with the nixies!

author: Mr Simpleton
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 23, 2014, 09:02:19 pm
content: I'd say MC3357 in the base and MC3361 in handset as NBFM receivers, they seem to use 455 kHz ceramic filters too. Bet they are double super with 10.7 MHz as first IF. No low frequency ferrite antenna so yes it seems to be a VHF unit only (Base: 43.72-46.97 MHz, Handset: 48.76-49.99 MHz).Switch on handset: OFF/STBY/TALK... just one channel.Quote from: vk3yedotcom on April 22, 2014, 11:26:07 am

author: orion242
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 23, 2014, 10:51:35 pm
content: Just picked up Bob from the printer and I must say....He is looking pretty good looking down on the lab!

author: Corporate666
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 24, 2014, 12:28:48 am
content: Quote from: Rigby on April 23, 2014, 01:11:19 pmFinally, someone got the joke!

author: deth502
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 24, 2014, 12:36:38 am
content: Quote from: Corporate666 on April 24, 2014, 12:28:48 ami got it, and was a bit surprised dave didnt, i would think that he would have heard that at least a few times before.

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 24, 2014, 08:36:27 am
content: Cute kid opening the parcels and a pretty blonde reading the letters, Mr Jones, you could be out of a job

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2014, 04:34:19 am
content: Quote from: orion242 on April 23, 2014, 10:51:35 pmI would hang up that poster in my school locker... but something tells me staff might not be so pleased.

author: xDR1TeK
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 26, 2014, 07:58:58 pm
content: Quote from: echen1024 on April 25, 2014, 04:34:19 amFor his living memory, I would do it.

author: codeboy2k
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2014, 08:50:19 pm
content: Due to Dave's raving about the Probemaster probes, I decided to buy a set to use with my Keithley 197a I just bought on the 'bay, as it was lacking probes. I received the probes on Friday.Wow! I must chime in with Dave here... These are great probes, and really not expensive at all.The silicone cable is like silk.. The tips are sharp as a tack... and it fits comfortably in my hands. I bought the straight banana jack ends with retractable sheath, and some accessories such as the screw on alligator clips and extended tip for long reach.My only gripe is that you need to buy the tip covers separately (which I did not buy). The picture shows something included that looks like tip covers but these are not, they just cover the screw and the major portion of the tip extension, but leaving just the tip exposed still for probing.These are so sharp that you really need to cover them, so remember to order tip covers too.Despite this, I think it's well worth supporting this family owned business

author: electrolux
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2014, 10:10:36 am
content: It's an awful posterand I thought you didn't like puffing smokers

author: Corporate666
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 04, 2014, 08:10:10 pm
content: Quote from: codeboy2k on May 03, 2014, 08:50:19 pmBig thumbs up for Probe Master... that's why I sent them to Dave. I have a ton of probes, mostly ones that came with meters (i.e. crap). So when I got the Probe Master ones, it was like "wow, these things are great! Dave will love those". I picked up a few more sets and sent a couple to Dave.I have a set of the unsheathed banana style ones (like those Dave has) hooked up to my power supply and I use them when batch testing panels of PCB's. It makes it easy to test boards without having to depanel and solder wires on, and the sharp tips cut right through flux residue.I also received their scope probe set last week - also very high quality. The 1/10 probe has a very nice clicky feel, the connectors are metal, and they just have a really nice quality feel overall. Highly recommended.

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 02, 2014, 04:00:17 am
content: Corporate666 and codeboy2k, I ordered somewhere around $200-$250 with of probes from them, they were all really great apart from their SMD tweezers which where terrible. In the 7 or so pairs of multimeter probes, they all came with tip covers, so they are included, Maybe you missed out on them accidentally codeboy2k?Also, when I ordered, the lady mentioned daves video and asked if thats where i saw it and that a few people had bought from them because of it.

author: orion242
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 03, 2014, 03:10:42 am
content: Quote from: xDR1TeK on April 26, 2014, 07:58:58 pmI would tell them its my uncle and that is the best memory I have of the dearly departed...

author: mayor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2014, 02:27:23 pm
content: Quote from: firewalker on April 23, 2014, 02:44:34 pmFigured I'd report back here after a few week's use of EasyEDA. My previous experience is with the free version of Eagle.Disclaimer : I have always found Eagle's UI and workflow to be absolutely horrible, painful and frustrating, especially the PCB layout part. The only reason to use Eagle is that so many hackers are also using it, like SparkFun, Adafruit, etc, and the huge parts libs.The first thing with EasyEDA is that it happily imports Eagle libs (and Kicad), schematics and boards. So, as it stands, I think EasyEDA's library is actually the largest, and if not, could easily be by just importing what's out there.The second thing is that while it takes a little bit of getting used to, it IS, imho, a million times better in terms of usability than Eagle. There are still things that need refining, but the good news is that the there is a team working on improvements.I've made a couple of boards and they came back pretty much as expected.I may sound like I work for EasyEDA, but really, I'm just sold on the idea, and feel liberated from Eagle's terrible UI and workflow.That was my 2c, for anyone who cares :-)

author: mechtheist
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 28, 2014, 09:21:04 am
content: Quote from: Rigby on April 23, 2014, 01:11:19 pmHi, I'm new, really new, but a quick fan of EEVBlog, so of course I started binging on them for awhile. During one of the mailbags, Jones got a something from 'Mickey Dolenz', addressed to 'Davey Jones', and there was no reaction. I didn't know if it was a really old joke or what. I searched and this is the closest thing to any mention, and I can't figure out what your post here refers to. is that it? I thought it was pretty funny, but I saw nothing to make me think Dave Jones got the references. Anyways, y'all will surely hear more from me, great forum, web site, blog etc. Have a good one.