Best Hijack of an EEVBLOG topic for 2012 - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: notsob
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 21, 2012, 04:37:36 am
content: OK so 2012 is rapidly closing, so time to see who posted the best hijack of a topic this year.I think my best was' third world weight and measurement system - not here! ', which led to a few pages of off topic posts.so who do you think, posted the best tangential comment on EEVBLOG in 2012

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 21, 2012, 06:24:11 am
content: The deity discussion.... Broke off and started a life of its own.. Bombarded with posts like hell

author: cwalex
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 21, 2012, 07:08:51 am
content: On a slighy different note. I find some of the discussions that end up with people arguing about details some of the most educational even if they get way over my head. It is really cool from someone like me seeing these discussions.Love this forum %-B

author: JuKu
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 21, 2012, 07:50:15 am
content: The weather is really cold here.<Now, what did I win?>

author: lewis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 21, 2012, 08:13:51 am
content: On the topic of French Polynesian political instability, it could be argued the same thing is happening in Russia under Putin. What people don't understand is that without one-world government, the disastrous threat of catastrophic climate change will cause a threat to humanity unlike anything seen before on 21st December 2012.

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 21, 2012, 08:38:21 am
content: I want to produce a variable PWM output, and the circuit has to be really simple and low cost.Can I just connect a 7805 regulator to a variac, and plug it into the mains? Surely it'll be OK if I turn the voltage down low enough?ugh, I feel dirty...

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 21, 2012, 09:12:40 am
content: That will work, but remember to use an isolation transformer!

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 21, 2012, 09:46:40 am
content: No, it's OK, I don't need isolation because it's not even earthed. Pls help.

author: JoannaK
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 21, 2012, 09:47:53 am
content: Apparently this thread becomes the target to hijack attempts for the last few days?

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 21, 2012, 11:12:47 am
content: well ok... God does exist i dont have to prove the proof is out there... next?

author: gxti
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 12:18:15 am
content: Any thread tangentially related to mains voltages will devolve into an argument about earthing.

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 12:20:38 am
content: Hey guys, I just bought this 5mm LED from eBay now I want to know how to power it from my plug socket. I've cut the blue and brown wires out of the sleeve but whenever I touch them together all my lights go out. How do I make this work?

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 12:52:06 am
content: Monkeys...

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 12:59:14 am
content: Quote from: tom66 on December 23, 2012, 12:20:38 amI want to hurt you so much.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 01:16:24 am
content: Think twice before using a palm tree!

author: ivan747
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 02:17:22 am
content: The problem with Dave's LeCroy must be related to that 2nd ASIC. He should get that sucker out.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 03:47:27 am
content: Quote from: tom66 on December 23, 2012, 12:20:38 amLEDs have a very low reverse voltage threshold, so you should put it in antiparallel with another diode like a 1N34A to keep it happy on the negative swings of the AC mains voltage.And if your house lights keep going out when you touch the wires together, you need to get either thinner wires or a higher-rated circuit breaker.

author: david77
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 05:06:59 am
content: I connected a 12V LED strip to my car battery but it keeps blowing the fuse every time I switch it off? I've tried a 40A fuse now and still every time I switch the light off I hear a loud pop and the fuse is gone. What am I doing wrong? I'm positive I've wired everything correctly!Btw, this really happened to somebody I know...

author: ModemHead
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 01:34:31 pm
content: I'm in the market for a DMM. Right now I'm using a compass with a coil of wire around it and I'm not sure it's calibrated very well. Should I get a Fluke 289/FVF package or a UT61E? My budget is $25. I might go $35 if I skip dinner tomorrow night.

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 01:40:39 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on December 23, 2012, 03:47:27 amI bypassed the breaker with a paperclip and a bit of blu-tac. So if I just touch the wires to the LED it will work? And do I put the diode in the same direction or in series with the LED?

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 02:05:38 pm
content: Quote from: tom66 on December 23, 2012, 01:40:39 pmNo, you must not use the paperclip, it affects the current flow too much in the wrong way. you need to use a M10 bolt and nut, and get it nice and firmly in the holder. The diode goes in parallel with the LED, and you must hold the wiring firmly to the LED, preferably by holding it, and making sure you have good contact by adding salt water to the leads where you touch them. Then it will glow brightly.

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 02:22:56 pm
content: OK, I've just plugged it in. So, I hold the leads.xcvvvvddakfsllllllllllllsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss]r56&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&[[Transmission terminated.]]

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 02:47:01 pm
content: Quote from: tom66 on December 23, 2012, 02:22:56 pmNo bright light or power outage over here. You've must done it the wrong way :-)

author: lewis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 05:19:10 pm
content: Did you use an oxygen free directional paperclip? It will affect the sound of the LED brightness if not. Also, ensure you deep-cryogenic-treat your blu-tack first for best results.

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2012, 09:40:31 pm
content: I've got a blue/green left handed anti-clockwise metric cross-point adjustable wrench that should do the trick.

author: ivan747
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2012, 11:25:27 pm
content: Don't forget to use gold plated connections for better sound. What I do is I buy a gold bullion and drill holes though it, then I use a gold-plated spade terminal screwed with silver-coated nuts and screws. It gives me a very solid connection, and more harmonic presence for a crisper, brighter sound. I don't think you will ever hear mains hum this good with other solutions.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2012, 12:40:19 am
content: Quote from: ivan747 on December 24, 2012, 11:25:27 pmpff amateur.. i used a chisel to chisel two channels in the floor from the amplifier to the speaker. i melted gold bars and poured my own solid gold custom cables in these channels. then i built the house on top of it so nobody could steal my cables. added bonus : the whole system is now really well grounded ...

author: notsob
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2012, 01:49:21 am
content: drag out those old vinyl records - they will truly beG O L D E N O L D I E S

author: David Aurora
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2012, 11:37:58 am
content: Dammit, I remember seeing an unbelievable hijack recently but can't think of what it actually was or where it occurred. I THINK it might have been a deleted post in the recent Sandy Hook tragedy thread. I'm guessing something along the lines of reptilian overlords/Jews/Dave Mustaine/Oprah/Obama/fluoride/Area 51... one of those things, surely.

author: David Aurora
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2012, 11:38:52 am
content: That, or that one dude who always whines about how much he hates tubes, even when nobody asked

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2012, 12:55:41 pm
content: Quote from: free_electron on December 25, 2012, 12:40:19 amAnother beginners fault. You have to pull down your house again to be able to add the cooling system to get the cables cooled down to -273 degrees C. BTW: Did you take care about the magnetic flow direction when melting those gold bars?

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2012, 12:58:50 pm
content: and a classic one:Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam!

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 25, 2012, 01:12:36 pm
content: Quote from: Mechatrommer on December 21, 2012, 11:12:47 amWhich one?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_deitiesPersonally, I think it is all explained by weakly interacting kaon decay.Please discuss...Dave.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 25, 2012, 01:18:13 pm
content: Quote from: free_electron on December 25, 2012, 12:40:19 amNothing sounds better mercury filled speaker cables. A garden hose with sealed conductive end clamps filled with pure mercury. Make sure it's pressurised to 100psi to prevent resonant standing waves.I recommend Gardena brand garden hose:http://www.gardena.com/au/water-management/garden-hose/premium-skintech-hose-12-mm,-18m/Dave.

author: Stephen Hill
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2012, 03:22:05 pm
content: I'm having trouble desolding a power connector from my laptop, will oxyacetylene do the trick?

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2012, 03:31:38 pm
content: Just remember to use foil to protect the GPU and CPU when desoldering.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2012, 04:13:11 pm
content: Quote from: Stephen Hill on December 25, 2012, 03:22:05 pmYes, but you need a lot of heat. Use a cutting tip and provide thermal shielding by placing a pile of aluminium powder and iron oxide around the area concerned, and be sure to use some magnesium foil to provide a sharp border to the area around the connector.

author: Stephen Hill
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2012, 04:22:59 pm
content: Quote from: SeanB on December 25, 2012, 04:13:11 pmSounds complicated. I was just hoping to apply some flame until the connector dropped off. It won't damage the PCB will it?

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2012, 05:51:35 pm
content: No, you might find some minor discolouration and a little smoke from the existing flux on the board, but otherwise it will drop off easily, when it is warm enough it will drop off in a flash.

author: ftransform
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2012, 10:59:23 pm
content: dave jones sleeps in a mercury filled coffin

author: JoannaK
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2012, 11:07:53 pm
content: Quote from: ftransform on December 25, 2012, 10:59:23 pmAs a Brit Rock fan... Ah well, that's joke better left unexplained.

author: nitro2k01
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2012, 03:28:04 pm
content: Hey guys, this thread is incredibly meta!

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2012, 04:18:22 pm
content: Quote from: Stephen Hill on December 25, 2012, 03:22:05 pmA plasma cutter would be a better tool as the heat is more confined and directed but dont forget to earth the board so the high frequency start current can go to earth safely.

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2012, 04:22:02 pm
content: Quote from: G7PSK on December 26, 2012, 04:18:22 pm

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2012, 05:46:54 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on December 25, 2012, 01:18:13 pmpfft... you know so little about pure sound. Its filled with pressurised mercury, it has to be 2.036026 inHG @32deg F

author: ivan747
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2012, 08:00:24 pm
content: Quote from: AlfBaz on December 27, 2012, 05:46:54 amListen, don't forget to get shielded hoses:It's better to use gold-plated shielding, but stainless steel is the bare minimum.

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2012, 10:17:26 pm
content: Brilliant!On a more serious note we better tone it down, Monster Cable may issue a cease and desist notice

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2012, 04:18:41 am
content: If we are going to go with the mercury filled stainless hoses then it will be best to add the extra insulation to allow us to use liquid Helium cool them to 2K, where the mercury will be a superconductor and will have essentially no effect on the audio, as it will cease to add resistance to current flow.