Julian's Electronics Postbag:

[@gcewing]

Holding those meters upside down is extremely dangerous. You were getting over 6000 volts there for a moment!

[@subigirlawd_7307]

Every time I watch Postbag, I go straight to EBay after, I get in the mood to solder something 😍 I already got in trouble for making all the night lights in my house change colors with RGB L.E.Ds 😢

[@JulianIlett]

You carry on converting those night lights - you have my support :)

[@sockstealer3345]

Ha ha ha I can imagine your house changing colors at night. Hope you didn't get in to much trouble but that was funny

[@DustinWatts]

Those Plato cutters are great! I use mine on a daily basis and they stay sharp and make a nice flush cut. Although the grip sometimes slides off a little. Thanks for you post bag Julian!

[@simonhopkins3867]

Yes I have a set. No complaints here.

[@RyanHannaProductions]

I use mine every day too. I have several pairs!

[@sparkyprojects]

Just wondering if you connect all the positives of the 3 wire meters to the most positive of the capacitors, and the measuring and ground to their respective capacitors would work.

[@DaveC3350]

Would be nice to see inside one of the audio cables? I've found there seems to be many that have no screen / shield just 3 wire cores, so not a lot of use!

[@thehappylittlefoxakabenji8154]

thats why I always make my own cables !

[@TheSandman614]

Love to see the flush cut side cutters! I love using mine, it leaves a better cut end, and can get into tight areas.

[@melkiorwiseman5234]

It occurs to me that the meters don't have to be totally accurate, so long as they are all calibrated as close to each other as possible. I'd do that by connecting them all to the same battery at the same time, then I'd select whichever one is "in the middle" and attempt to adjust the other two to exactly match its reading. If you want the meters to also be as accurate as possible, then I'd connect a proper multimeter along with one of these meters and calibrate it to the multimeter, then use the above technique to calibrate the other two meters to read the same. Edit: Or just use the voltage reference.

[@bernhardreinel]

You should have the tracking IDs of the parcels in your eBay order list (even though they are usually send untracked). I used them a few times when I received a wrong item and wasn't sure which seller made the mistake because I ordered similar items from different sellers at the same time.

[@Okurka.]

The problem with ordering from China is that shipping takes so long that you forget why you bought the item when it arrives.

[@callumBee]

Banggood priority shipping about £1-2 a shipment and its here in about 7 working days. Its great!

[@mrlithium69]

I really like those Plato 170 snips, theyre very low cost and I've bought 3 of them so far. First one, the sharp tip broke off, another one I tried to cut a coat hanger and it dented the blade, and the 3rd one is going strong now that I know the limits of it :P

[@chrishartley1210]

Exactly what's happened with mine, except I got a single then a further 3 when the tip broke. So I've got 2 still going strong.

[@thehappylittlefoxakabenji8154]

there were some cutters around years ago that dented when you tried to cut copper wire ! one supplier was practically giving them away !

[@JanJeronimus]

When testing the leds in the bottles perhaps also add a temperature sensor in the bottle.

[@curtstacy779]

I bought the Plato cutters a couple of years ago and they are holding up very well! by the way the plato is gone on my pair doesn't last long. lol

[@pileofstuff]

I've had a set for over a year and they held up well until I foolishly cut some steel wire with them. But I liked them enough to but another pair,rather than seeking out a different type.

[@curtstacy779]

@@pileofstuff Oh I hate when I do that, it is usually my favorite pair that I break. I have been trying hard to use the proper tool for the job. it is so hard!

[@JerryEricsson]

Careful with that Plato cutter, I had two of them, the cutters are not hardened on one, and dulled right off, the replacement 2nd one actually broke the jaw while cutting a fairly soft copper wire. I found some Xuron cutters used (read abused) for a good price for a set of 4, one of the 4 was good enough to use out of the box, a file and some stoning brought the others back to use, I have never had to mess with them again after a good sharpening on arrival and they are fabulous for cleaning up boards after building projects.

[@fibranijevidra]

I wonder are there some pannel mount 0-30 Ampermeters that are not complete trash. I have tested few and just discarded them all.

[@webchimp]

I've been looking for a 2 decimal place 3-wire meter. The only 2 place ones I can find are 2-wire or panel mount. Might have to go for the 3 place one instead.

[@SidneyCritic]

There's a mod to convert the small cheap white 2 wire volt meters to 3 wire, if that's the one you have, on the inter's. I think you cut a trace or remove a resistor, and then add a wire.

[@webchimp]

I have a one decimal place 3-wire meter, was looking for a two decimal place 3-wire meter

[@JWH3]

Are those four wire one's differential or is the negative on the sense connector tied to the same ground as the power supply? Because you might be able to use them on the same power supply if it's differential and the listed voltage is the common mode range.

[@brucegoatly]

Those cutters also work as wire strippers - the blades have a narrowing gap near the pivot that works quite well on single-core wire, though you may lose a strand or two with multi-strand wire. Good for quick'n'dirty work.

[@jollygreengiant]

With regard to the side-cutters, I actually had a pair of that model shatter on me the other day. One blade flew off to hit the ball of my thumb where it drew a pin-prick of blood before bouncing up to hit my cheek and again causing a bloody scratch. I wear glasses anyway, but I dread to think what would have happened if it had hit my eye. I was only trimming component leads, so it's not like I was using much force; it makes you realise how hardening these cheaper tools also makes them quite brittle.

[@Leftfield2k7]

When trimming component legs I always use my spare thumb to cover/hold it whilst cutting! Not only does that stop trimmed metal flying all over the gaff but it also prevents side cutters from hitting you in the face if they shatter.

[@MegaNumero6]

Since all those years, why didnt ever buy a descent calibrated multimeter?

[@pfeerick]

Julian's just a bit silly at times... although I secretly wonder if he's winding us up... He has multimeters... And adjustable power supplies... But never used them when you would think it logical!! 😂 I was thinking on the four wire meter he should check for continuity on the ground lines to see if it had a common ground... But did he check? :-P Sometimes it's stuff for a later video though...

[@MegaNumero6]

@@pfeerick by the way I cant remember a single video with a Julian using a good and calibrated multimeter. That is sad because some of the LCD volt/ ameter he unbag and "test" are very good and some are very big shit.

[@philiphoeffer7442]

I have a PLATO 170 cutter. I like it quite a lot. Should serve you well.

[@JulianIlett]

Yeah, I've used it to trim excess wire from PCB pads - it cuts very close - almost flush :)

[@jimb032]

Sooo looking forward to the post vocoder era!!! Great stuff ahead I'm sure

[@mahlapropyzm9180]

Why not do a panellised PCB for a ring oscillator station - then you can easily string them together to make an n-station system for this Christmas's decorations.

[@MrCalldean]

Missing your other project - the garden/workshop/leanto. Any progress or given up on it?

[@JulianIlett]

Well, the wife didn't like it and wanted it taken down. We've now reached a compromise where she uses it as an orangery. So I've given up on the idea of heating it in winter.

[@MrCalldean]

@@JulianIlett Oh no way! Is divorce an option here?!

[@jack002tuber]

Very nice, I may have to order some of these !

[@worriesinthedance]

i bought 2 of these volt meters before thinking i'd have one showing positive voltage and the other negative...but i cant seem to find any info how to wire up the volt meter for negative voltage?

[@melkiorwiseman5234]

Simple: Make sure the positive connection of the meter goes to the more-positive side of the circuit (and vice-versa of course). It really is as simple as that.

[@worriesinthedance]

​@@melkiorwiseman5234 Hi yes tried it..had to tag the negative voltage to ground and ground to meter's voltage measuring input. i think in my head i was hoping the 7 seg led would show the negative sign... :?

[@pulesjet]

I purchased a few of those Plato. Dang Good they are. Don't use them for anything other then copper or Component leads.

[@marks47]

work great on finger flesh, too.

[@pulesjet]

@@marks47 The wife appropriated a pair for her Gnarly Toe Nails.

[@williamsquires3070]

You can always use the little plastic bottles to hold SMD components for a project build; just stick a piece of masking tape on it to write on (the component values, such as 104R, 224C, 330L, etc...) No point letting these go to waste, now! 😋 Furthermore, the masking tape is fairly easy to remove once you use up all the components in it - brilliant! Cheerios. You can also fill the bottles with IPA (IsoPropyl Alcohol) for use with Q-tips to remove solder flux from circuit boards! Just label it so you don’t drink it by accident - blech! 🤮

[@hobbyrob313]

Hello Julian, I also wonder if the cables that you have bought are so good now!? of course these cables do transmit the sound, BUT are these cables really well shielded ??? What I mean is are they good HF impact resistant? For example, if you keep a cell phone with it, does it not hit the cable? also something like this, i have radio transmitting equipment here, if sometimes i get too close to an audio cable with this equipment ( for example a transceiver ) then that sometimes strikes as a BOM! VrGr Rob.

[@borayurt66]

Julian, just a quick question: How is the customs duty situation in UK? Is there an exemption limit or do you pay customs for everything you buy from overseas?

[@JulianIlett]

There's no VAT on any package under £15 in value. The duty threshold is £135. So most small envelopes are delivered with no duty or VAT.

[@borayurt66]

@@JulianIlett Thank you... Over here in Turkey, our fantastic government just passed a new law cancelling the €30 threshold (previously came down from €100) and adding a new fixed value "customs handling fee" to every package that comes in. In other words, now we have to pay %20 (customs duty & VAT) + 7 TL (around €1) "handling fee" for every item we buy from AliExpress etc. So even a $0.1 valued item will be taxed and we have to pay at least €1 to receive it. Oh, the joy of living in a banana republic... :-(

[@davestech6357]

Watch out with those cutters. Dont try to cut anything thick one tip breaks off and will fly. A while back you bought those tiny little dc to dc converters you can use them to isolate the power on those meters. Like b0505s I think they were.

[@pauly9336]

Yep. Been there done that. If you don't cut anything too thick they last fine

[@Whigu]

9:38 Interesting that seller has tried to blur out the "plato" text from the pliers

[@Markus0021]

Maybe they just send whatever they have on hand, and sometimes it is Plato, sometimes some other brand, so they tried to blur it out to prevent buyers from getting upset if it isn't really Plato they receive (?)

[@Whigu]

@@Markus0021 Maybe... Normally they do that when they are selling some fake product of name brands.

[@Mark1024MAK]

These and similar wire cutters are often marked or made to look similar to more expensive types... I’ve bought some before, shorty after the listing was taken down, and I don’t mean sold out.

[@gordonlawrence4749]

With the meters you'd be lucky to get 3% accuracy even when calibrated as those cheap pots have a 200ppm/C drift as a minimum. Anything more than 1 decimal place is really only any good for comparative purposes and not absolute values, and even then only if you have an ambient that does not drift by more than about a degree. Temperature compensated meters cost an absolute fortune and even ones with 0.5% drift over the temperature range make a Fluke look cheap. Also they will not do negative currents (and often not negative voltages) as they are using a standard Microcontroller ADC input with just some prescaling resistors etc. They don't have an offset circuit and diff amp input which would give them more accuracy and ability to go negative.

[@G1ZQCArtwork]

I tend to get all my cables from an Ebay seller called Kenable. Very good quality, fast post and low prices.

[@maicod]

every year I buy new solar lights as I had been too lazy to take them indoors during winter time :)

[@webchimp]

See big Clive's channel for solar light maintenance and repair.

[@maicod]

yea I keep te guts for my electronics frenzy :) They are so dirt cheap that it is not worth it anyways to keep them for the next year. During summer the wind and weather damages them often already

[@iceberg789]

use twisted pairs, instead of ribbon cable.

[@Mark1024MAK]

Use twisted pair ribbon cable...

[@grantrennie]

Where can i find the postal address for you Julian?

[@keithking1985]

Could you leave me a link to the accurate voltage reference please?? Thank you. Or it's name/number would do👍

[@0RDClark]

Search for 4-Channel 2.5/7.5/5/10v High Precision Voltage Reference Module on ebay, there's plenty to choose from. Also you'll need to source a 12v or 15v battery. Hope this helps.

[@JulianIlett]

Or search for the chip name - AD584

[@keithking1985]

@@0RDClark Thank very much Roger this dose help. If been wanting one for a good while but keep forgetting to look one up when I'm buying stuff.

[@keithking1985]

@@JulianIlett ad548 will do. Cheers👍

[@0RDClark]

@@keithking1985 Also I managed to heatshrink (28mm works great) 5 CR2354 cells together for the 15v - gives a battery length of 27mm which is just about right.

[@RaymondJerome]

i got a led volt/ammeter 100v/10A at a not so local electronics store in a neighboring state. got home and the diagram in the package shows the expected 2 wire thick cable for the current and a 3 wire cable to power the unit and give a V ref to it. the meter though only had two 2 wire cables and no matter how i wire it i only get to measure the current. oh, this has no name, no identification numbers visible on the circuit board. i can't return this because i do not want to drive 100 miles each way. i want to characterize some solar panels and cells but this is useless.

[@jagardina]

I bet you adjust it through the programming header.

[@MalcolmCrabbe]

Anyone else see the similarity between Julian and the late Sir Patrick Moore - its the raised left eyebrow that does it :)

[@JulianIlett]

I met him a few times

[@MalcolmCrabbe]

@@JulianIlett Same here... he was a true gent... sadly missed.

[@californiakayaker]

hoping you'll have a video where you hook all of these up. I have a bunch and I need to address this.

[@JulianIlett]

Yep, I'm building a few 18650 battery packs very soon - the voltmeters are for that project :)

[@californiakayaker]

@@JulianIlett Cool . It looks like the current versions would need to be powered with 9v batteries. The voltage ones could take a little juice from the 18650 circuit .

[@alynicholls3230]

i have used 100ua and 10ua meters in detectors, they are quite good though the single mode versions are better, the ones that do volts and amps are nowhere near as good. they make good meters for home made bench power supply projects, just buy a separate volts and amp meter, be careful when you buy the differences between 100ua, 10ua 1amp 10 amp and 50a, are not as clear as they could be, same with volt ratings just select the correct one for you.

[@twotone3070]

Lots of digits doesn't make it more accurate, just you are able to see more accurately how inaccurate it is.

[@RFADICTOS]

excelente compañero muy buen informe 100% recomendado...

[@lingcod91]

The links don't work, so why include them? Is it because of countries ? Oh . . . I should know. I don't. Why include them. ?

[@LariFariYoutube]

Oh my goodness^^...all this plastic garbage... It will end up in the plastc - swirl..

[@JulianIlett]

It's a worry.

[@callumBee]

Only if he bins them in the sea!

[@karlramberg]

You probably have to clean your browser history after searching for "short straight female to male jack"

[@JulianIlett]

Google image search is mostly electrical connectors and dogs :)

[@jamest.5001]

Today's episode: ebay fail bag!!

[@thepvporg]

No, they didn't pick the wrong one, they will substitute parts because they want your money not refund you. Call ebay and complain, I have been complaining about these issues for 6 years now and I have given up using ebay because of all the rogue Chinese sellers who advertise an item as one thing and you get something different.... Another trick they like to pull is to use the "Other courier 3-5 days" and you are waiting 8 weeks for an item. So ebay IMHO needs renaming to shitbay.

[@TKomoski]

Vocoder sign me up for one

[@thomasw6169]

This is a bit frightening. Buying stuff you maby dont need cause some packaging waste and co2 footprint. Maby limit the shopping a little bit ? Nah, as long as its still cheap, buy what you can, will get expensive soon enough, when the chinese find out they have the monopoly for most electronic products...

[@JulianIlett]

Yep, my electronics shopping habit is in direct conflict with my environmental concerns - and I'm not sure what to do about it :(

[@thomasw6169]

@@JulianIlett maby,just maby not just order every cable seperately, but a bunch at once ? Just joking, i have the same shopping illness.

[@Okurka.]

Thomas, how big is your car?

[@josephnealescratchcards]

A

[@Whigu]

Wrong! Right answer was B

[@TKomoski]

@@Whigu Could be C in my part of the world

[@simontay4851]

or even D

[@nightshadelenar]

8192 views at the timw of this comment.

[@breadwarandcircus]

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