EEVblog

[@FranLab]

VFDs are awesome - Yes! Those 'Popsicle' LEDs at 16:00 are pretty cool too - never seen that particular case style before....

[@JamesGarry]

André Silva At 16:00 the chap is showing a VFD, below which are some components that look like LEDs, and which have 'LED' written on the circuit board. Neat teardown, as I'm wondering about replacing the VFDs in an old desktop Fluke DMM - thanks Fran!

[@emusan]

André Silva They have semiconductor junctions in them and the silkscreen says LED, so what are they if not LEDs?

[@bigblumerstrikesback]

André Silva Fran knows what she is talking about. The LEDs are under the VFD. It even says LED on the silk screen.

[@TheBananaPlug]

we used to call them tombstone leds, back in the 'old dart'

[@Michael_Michaels]

André Silva vê-se logo que és português... Nabo!

[@mikeselectricstuff]

ER1400 was about the first nonvolatile memory chip - needs a 35V programming supply!

[@sarasifg]

Hey, Mike!

[@kalhana_photography]

***** It's 1400 bits, or 0.000175 MB!

[@redtails]

***** You can store a LOT on 175 bytes

[@redtails]

***** XD you can run tetris from 140b of code. See www.140byt.es/

[@kalhana_photography]

***** They must have designed the chip to be twitter compatible back in the 80's lol.

[@electronicsNmore]

Another Christmas on Monday video! Good stuff.

[@BurnabyAlex]

20:30 hold down clip is asking to break off in a vibration environment to turn into a floating metal bit. 24:30 - nice bag diving

[@ricoreyes6044]

Love mail bag Monday and the impromptu teardowns. I'd like to vote for a VFD episode, I have a few I've scavenged but I haven't figured out how to drive them yet.

[@JustinAlexanderBell]

I think a video on salvaging and powering VFDs would be interesting.

[@nicknack125]

I have an old vacuum display laying around - it would be awesome to see you make a recovery/hookup guide for them!

[@geeko321]

Great mailbag! Love the new knife! I hope it remains a regular part of the show!

[@redtails]

6:02 yeah it does look like an industrial device for monitoring fridge and freezer temperatures, where temperature needs to be maintained precisely

[@Kodachi123]

Thank You for opening my Box, Dave! :)

[@walterharriman]

I have a massive VFD from inside an dead stereo I took apart once. I would love to know how to power the thing up and maybe even use it for something.

[@hendrikhendrikson2941]

17:10 I clicked, but the video paused :P Thanks again for a wonderful mailbag with some really cool thingies!

[@OneBiOzZ]

I would love to see a VFT video, last time i tried to drive one i got a nice pop and blew the heater! also common go for the full hour ... we wont complain XP

[@Lskaggs63]

Great mailbag video! The Eurotemp was pretty cool, I remember back in the 1980's we had temp readers like that one test equipment for the Dept of the Navy at NAS, Norfolk, Va.

[@jenterl]

Dave, please do a separate video on the VFD and how to salvage and repurpose an old display. Thanks again for a great mail bag Monday.

[@llingnau]

At 28:00 the math for the "solar roads" campaign is still there on the white board, loved that video.

[@jeanious2009]

On the pacemaker you can use those two wrist bands as ESD wrist bands since they have the same hook up button.

[@Kingofkeks]

I would very much like to see a separate video where you explain how to salvage and power a VFD.

[@batterydudellc961]

Yes do a follow up video! I was just thinking to myself I need to grab a displays like that to mess with because they look really cool.

[@UberAlphaSirus]

I would love a fundamental Friday on closed loop control, PID would be a mind bend as it goes much further than an op amp:D

[@weilawei]

Stayed up all night waiting for this. ^__^ Did not disappoint. Keep up the great work! Love the show!

[@maximilianmustermann8172]

haha, I didn't wait for it that die hard, but I was in a "happy expectance" mode :) just curious, what did you do all night long? :D me: study

[@HardDiskLover]

The followup on how to power up vacuum fluorecent displays would be great! I've got a lot of these displays which I would like to reuse and have no Idea on how to power them up

[@g6qwerty]

Yeah the Florescent display in our car's dashboard for the millage went out at about 230,000 miles

[@MrKaizen75]

The 'Mark" output on the chopper amp is most likely for use with a roll chart recorder. The Mark output generates a little pulse when activated which makes the recorder pen move up and down quickly for about 1cm. This way you can mark the start of a new recording...

[@EEVblog]

I figured it was something like that.

[@OpheliaY1948]

I love how in your last mailbag Monday thingy the knife intro was a Crocodile Dundee reference :-D *thumbs up, as always*

[@Coolkeys2009]

Interesting mailbag. It would have been nice to see that industrial controller powered up(if it was working), may be the bar code scanner as well to see the display.

[@redtails]

21:33 wow that's one hell of a big foil bag..

[@ChrisNorris]

wow the coin validator 24:30 brings back memories. i used to work for the company!

[@mikelemon5109]

1:00 the moment you can say "This is not a knife, THIS IS A KNIFE"

[@kalhana_photography]

Check out the Daewoo capacitor at 13:54

[@blueskiesflyer]

This knife is a classic :) great choice Dave!

[@FennecTECH]

LOOK at that crystal flapping in the breeze! one good gust of wind and the thing will blow away!

[@bean2594]

I'm the one who sent in that pacemaker communication box. Looking forward to the teardown.

[@flaviaduna]

Hi Dave, We are living in a strange world where people like to watch other people opening mail (or even eating :)), but I miss the old you.

[@thecooldude9999]

That's not a knife. THAT'S a knife!

[@stevecoatesdotnet]

I'd like to see a video on VFD displays :)

[@redtails]

3:25 I do wonder how the inductive coil that communicates with the pacemaker is supposed to stay on? Well I guess we'll hear about it soon during the tear down, maybe it's not for pacemakers at all, or maybe it's actually close-range radio-communication, because I do believe modern pacemakers have some RF stuff in them (which led to the whole hacker conference meetings focussing their attention on pacemakers, as they had no security in them whatsoever). So I guess the round thing might just be an antenna that you need to place near yourself and not directly on yourself

[@maximilianmustermann8172]

YEAH! Finally I get to rate video before I could have possibly seen it! :D So now to my review: the episode of mailbag monday was great... Especially because of the new knive!

[@thatguyb3rt]

I have a VFD in a clock I built from a kit and the thing uses 70 volts, Crazy!

[@nikkershaw4785]

thought he said Gatorade 29:24 but it's actually Gate Array :)

[@cartti]

VFD video yes please! :) I'm doing diagnostic work every now and then on one of mine that doesn't work and i'm sure it would greatly help me out.

[@CookingWithCows]

Have you ever thought of getting a surgeon's "Videoendoscope" ? Like they use to look into a human's body through a tiny cut in the skin. They are flexible and you can look very closely into things that you don't want to break/tear apart but still want to look at the components.

[@eternalblue2119]

Also good for tearing down humans without doing any damage

[@redtails]

You'll actually be surprised how thick endoscopes are. Ask anyone that underwent an endoscopy and they'll tell you they're usually about a centimeter thick. They're that thick because they usually also have tools inside them to take samples..

[@albinekb]

Thumbs up from just seeing the huge knife again @ the thumbnail!

[@ryanwinklevoss]

You should make some tutorial videos on how to get started in electronic engineering and circuit design. I want to get into it but i don't know where to start.

[@spongebob7285]

Just found that knife on Amazon! there's a whole range of them. did you use the new camera dave?

[@midnight_commander]

I was really hoping the foil bag would just be empty...

[@GroovThe]

Yes, Please make a "How to salvage a VFD" video. :)

[@MACPCOSX7]

Would really like to see a video with the display powered up.

[@PinBallReviewerRepairs]

Wow and I thought my knife was big yours wins. :) It would be cool to get some stuff just to tear into it. I always did like getting into electronics.and seeing what was inside of them.

[@DanafoxyVixen]

Hi Dave! you said if we get on our knees begging you might do a video on VFD displays! I hope you do! I love VFDs, I think their sexy and a nicer alternative to the LCDs and LED displays most new comers use in their projects. I think many see how VFDs work as voodoo, an explanation on their working and some demonstrations might help SAVE THE WORLD from the grip of display blandness. keep up the good work! :3

[@TheAdminist]

Dave, please do a video on VFDs!

[@TheChipmunk2008]

Those open multiturn pots used to be quite common in electronic tuned tv sets in the 80s . I wonder if they'd borrowed them from a TV manufacturer? The knobs look similar to TV channel tuners on british tv sets of the time too... so they may be off the shelf items. (They were used to adjust the tuning voltage on varicap pushbutton tuners)

[@akshaykeertisharma1801]

It'll be so cool to switch on that vfd! I've used one by noritake and they are awesome!

[@ChipGuy]

ER1400 the oldest serial EEPROM as far as I know. Uses a supply voltage of -30V (yes, minus). Hence all those transistors and 4000 series stuff there to adapt the voltage levels. It was originally designed for storing 100 different TV frequency settings of 14 bits each for top notch TV sets in the 70s. There is another GI chip going with that, also using that weird -30V NMOS technology.

[@spongebob7285]

I'd like to see the VFD video!

[@robehickmann]

The tempriture controller is a kiln controler.

[@powder-phun949]

Do a video on VFD-s!

[@Elfnetdesigns]

I have a temp control module that is read in Fahrenheit and is half that size with LED display. It came from P&G factory that makes Tide Soap.

[@acolombo]

Where's the old coin validator video?

[@nickkinnan7485]

Would love to see a VFD salvage video!

[@denismckenzie1991]

I have a cat named Flynn, and anytime I open my bedroom door he runs inside my room. He's pretty quick so I can never prevent him from getting in. Every time he gets into my room I think of you 😂

[@ElectricEvan]

He is right about the knife thing. A knife that size in Massachusetts would be illegal.

[@bensthingsthoughts]

Yeah PB screwdriver are the ultimate tool. Greetings from Switzerland.

[@masonringbinder684]

Nice retro temp controller for your reflow oven with its ramp and dwell functions perhaps??? (If it worked and you had the instructions)

[@STRATOS13PAO]

that vacum display tutoreal would be nc ;-D good video dave

[@uriituw]

GI made some cool chips that were used in the Intellivision.

[@maximilianmustermann8172]

btw. I noticed that the video was quite out of focus (on you) at times, example: 22:00 is that filmed with the new camera or did I just play closer attention now that you got a new camera and that going out of focus is a normal thing? It's not really bad or anything, but I couldn't help but notice.

[@EEVblog]

Didn't you see my overlay message at the start of the video?

[@maximilianmustermann8172]

EEVblog oh, nope, because I am watching your videos through VLC (I'm currently away from my main machine, and this mobile computer is far too under-powered to view KZbin videos in HD inside the browser. But in VLC it runs like a charm, all one has to do, is paste the youtube url into it and well... miss the annotations :D ). Overlays don't work there. Well, never mind then :) PS: oh well great :D those weren't annotations, now I noticed it too. Sorry, but I just missed that message at the beginning of the video, not sure why^^

[@terrencestewart7373]

EEVblog I did not see your overlay message either!

[@gregc3600]

Hi Dave just a note on the Eurotherm Controller. Its a very versatile bit of equipment where i worked we had a number connected to a horizontal furnace controlling "zones" of heaters so they ramped up along the funace to control the melt of the material inside they can be connected to a pc and using their software you have a graphic indication of the temps and zones along the furnace and can control as you go and you can program each one separately to control a ramp and dwell for each zone

[@smbrob]

BBC makes a lot of high quality stuff like meters and other professional electronics in Europe

[@1ManWrenching]

Heck yeah I'd love to see a how to power up a VFD! Please do.

[@youtubasoarus]

That's not a knife... oh wait, yup, that's a knife.

[@ratdude747]

The temp controller I find interesting... I'm working with a similar device for my senior capstone project (re-engineering the low-current interface of an Inresa Vacuum Smelter).

[@zeuss194]

These eurotherm controler, a lot of not so new ( 1970/80) machine use this kind of controler, I work in a wire factory and they are everywhere ! Looks this one is a "all in one" so you can control the heat management on several stage on the screw (check wikipedia "extrusion"). Nowaday T° sensor goes straight into a specific PLC which manage solid stat relay for the heating element. Sorry for my english

[@Ivo--]

The video is looking a bit blurry today Dave. (And it's not my youtube setting :) )

[@gorak9000]

Heh, love the solar freakin roadways calcs still on the whiteboard!

[@rizkyp]

Why is the video blurry?

[@uriituw]

It would be cool to see tear downs of medical devices.

[@snipes1259999]

Would love to see a video of powering up the vacuum florescent display.

[@GogetaX1]

is it me, or 12:29 capacitor is blown? :) lets fix it!! :)

[@Blissy28]

What soldering iron is that ?

[@icomba]

I would love to know the make an model of that knife so i can add to my collection of big knives?

[@atraxr603]

"The knife", more like a sword almost, haha. Great stuff! Must be Dundee's knife :D

[@Spacebirdy]

Has the Sinclair C5 been forgotten?

[@ilanmagen]

checkout the contemporary product size compere to the controller on this video

[@royceaxle5749]

Does he say where he got the knife in the video?

[@1986tessie]

Nice stuff, I like playing with dated stuff lol no matter if you break it lol.

[@dtiydr]

Yes! I have the exact same solder vacuum sucker. Really good btw, no recoil.

[@kyoudaiken]

BBC Metrawatt is propably a doughter company of BBC (Brown Boveri & Cie., Mannheim) in Germany. Part of a workforce (BBC, SIEMENS, Kiepe, DÜWAG), they built the older Subway-Trains (B-Wagen) in Düsseldorf and Duisburg. This was around 1986-1989. The trains are still in service!!!

[@WillowFox]

I work with payphones, if you want one, I would have to find out how much it would cost to send a 40lb payphone (with extra board and for you to rip apart) if you are interested lol

[@jaymo1011]

"Australians every day carry knife" DAMM RIGHT

[@redtails]

6:23 XD huh, that's almost my zipcode, that's where I live, wow that's a first

[@HNedel]

That catch you next time at the end sounded a but threatening... might be due to the knife

[@HHHarry09]

METRAWATT was mostly taken over by the BBC in 1968 and then was called "BBC METRAWATT". After the merger BBC ASEA in 1988, the company was renamed to "ABB METRAWATT". 1992 ABB METRAWATT was then sold to Röchling. Röchling then bought Gossen GmbH, Siemens and combined both into "Gossen-Metrawatt". Since 2005, the company is owned by private equity firms.

[@michaelhawthorne8696]

I reckon you could sort out a lot of Huntsman Spiders with that knife....lol

[@IdealIdeas100]

He is just like my friend, uses the biggest knife or sword (yes I said sword) nearby to open any and all packages.

[@devilmastah]

put the temprature controller on your smd toaster

[@bsacco64]

Hey Dave, why does it matter if a board is layed out neatly?

[@LukasBonny]

My Oscilloscope is from Goerz Metrawatt. It's basically the same as the HM 205-2 but in grey/black color. I don't know anything else about this company.

[@DrewWalton]

Dave, don't be sorry about anything. Your videos are awesome, manual focus be damned.

[@arcadeuk]

E2 PROM in a coin validator? Don't be silly Dave, that's an oldschool Bipolar PROM ;)