Things I've learned the hard way . . .(Part 2)

[PhotonWrangler]

@PhotonWrangler, I think I found the cause of your issues.

View attachment 83517

Wait, it was caused by a calculator?!! That damned thing! :yellowlaugh:

 

[hsa]

Uhhhhh, no.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

Wait, it was caused by a calculator?!! That damned thing! :yellowlaugh:

Well I've just gone back and read Joakim's excellent review of this bulb and it does look like the culprit is the spectral distribution, both the muted reds and the blue-green oddities. I've also just scoped the bulb and found no measurable flicker, so the smoothing capacitor is doing a good job. This rules out the possibility of strobing effects.

This lamp might be a good fit for a basement or workshop, but it's too harsh for using in my office. Mystery solved and lesson learned!

 

[AMD64Brunette]

Package deliveries always seem to take longer to arrive,just to spite you.

(Waiting on a new pair of Vibram Fivefingers KSO Evo shoes,and FedEx is currently in Utah as of 3:15 PM PST.)

The delivery day is listed as today. Ugh...

 

[dc38]

@PhotonWrangler, I think I found the cause of your issues.

View attachment 83517

Yeah, the bottle is damned near full.

 

[Jean-Luc Descarte]

To revive this thread: learned the hard way to not make too-big solder blobs when soldering driver wires to LED stars.

My brother and I were assembling a Convoy S15 out of a spare emitter and driver I had and a host I purchased, but we made the blobs far too large. It seemed fine at first, the torch worked, but later it completely stopped working. My theory is, only the positive contact was touching the reflector, then the solder cooled down and reduced in size, and the negative contact also touched the reflector, shorting the whole thing.

Now despite removing and remaking the solder, all the light does is blink at more or less 0.1% brightness. The driver is fried, and I don't have any spares - had to purchase more and hurry, because Chinese New Year is right around the corner.

Mind your solders, folks.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

To revive this thread: learned the hard way to not make too-big solder blobs when soldering driver wires to LED stars.

My brother and I were assembling a Convoy S15 out of a spare emitter and driver I had and a host I purchased, but we made the blobs far too large. It seemed fine at first, the torch worked, but later it completely stopped working. My theory is, only the positive contact was touching the reflector, then the solder cooled down and reduced in size, and the negative contact also touched the reflector, shorting the whole thing.

Now despite removing and remaking the solder, all the light does is blink at more or less 0.1% brightness. The driver is fried, and I don't have any spares - had to purchase more and hurry, because Chinese New Year is right around the corner.

Mind your solders, folks.

Dang! I've been there and done that, although not with flashlights. I can relate to your frustration! I've also damaged some printed circuit traces by overheating them with the soldering iron. Live and learn.

 

[Monocrom]

Have learned this lesson awhile back, but the other night at my 3rd Shift job, I got a reminder of the following.... Sometimes it's best to just leave $#&% alone!

Bought a new belt a few months back at Wally World. D!ckies brand with a rotating cylinder on the front of the buckle, and an insane number of holes punched into the leather. This belt will fit ANYONE who isn't horrendously morbidly obese. Belt of many holes! No need to notch new ones in because of weight loss. Then, I started regretting it. Why? One time with a different belt, I popped off that rotating cylinder while tightening the belt. Underneath that cylinder was nothing! Just a bit of curved metal, top and bottom. That's it. Happened at work. Thankfully, yes I do keep back-up belts in the trunk of my car. So now, belt of many holes caused enough concern that I ordered a new belt. No-Name from off of Etsy. Apparently a custom belt maker. Turns out, just a scammer.

So the other night, I'm tightening my belt, and it snaps! No, not the leather. The buckle! The one without a rotating cylinder on the front of the buckle. Some of you might recall that is NOT the first time that an actual metal buckle has snapped on me from yet another different belt. Again, I was tricked thanks to pot-metal junk disguised as a brass buckle. So, I go out to my car (been wearing this Etsy special for 2 or 3 weeks) and retrieve the belt of many holes from the trunk.

Then I notice something.... The rotating cylinder has another inner cylinder inside of it. Obvious reason, to prevent it from popping off. Of course it does. It's from a dedicated Work Wear brand. For people who do actual physical labor, and need a dependable belt.

So yeah, the belt I was afraid would snap apart on me at the buckle, didn't. The one I bought to prevent that from happening, did! So, belt of many holes is back as my EDC belt. When I get a chance, going to make a special trip out to Wally World to get two more of them. Before some genius executive at D!ckies decides to discontinue it in favor of an "improved" model. Did I mention the Etsy special cost significantly more than the belt of many holes? Of course it did.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

So the other night, I'm tightening my belt, and it snaps! No, not the leather. The buckle! The one without a rotating cylinder on the front of the buckle. Some of you might recall that is NOT the first time that an actual metal buckle has snapped on me from yet another different belt. Again, I was tricked thanks to pot-metal junk disguised as a brass buckle.

Gads. This happened to me also. Same exact failure from some material that looked like brass but didn't behave like it!

 

[PhotonWrangler]

Gads. This happened to me also. Same exact failure from some material that looked like brass but didn't behave like it! I had to make an emergency repair with some gaff tape.

 

[bluflaam777]

echo ...echo ...cho ...ho ...o

 

[Chauncey Gardener]

Five months ago, I purchased my first high-quality leather belt and wallet from Hanks. They were both on sale and were the least expensive ones they offered. No regrets on spending the most I've ever spent on these two items. Top quality!

Hanks offers a 100-year warranty.

 

[russprechtl]

Great lessons! Things to never buy on "low bid": belts, knives, lights, shoes, spouses, and surgeons.

 

[TPA]

Five months ago, I purchased my first high-quality leather belt and wallet from Hanks. They were both on sale and were the least expensive ones they offered. No regrets on spending the most I've ever spent on these two items. Top quality!

The prices on those Hanks wallets isn't too bad.
I haven't bought a wallet since I was 14 or so. Somehow each time I needed a wallet there was a woman in my life who bought me one. 16, my 1st girlfriend. Around 24, a pleasant med student bought me one, around 33 my 2nd girlfriend bought me one, and 5 years later my fiancé bought me one, which is worn but still holding together.

 

[Jean-Luc Descarte]

I've long since been done with leather belts and their uber-fragile buckles. In regular day-to-day I only ever use military nylon ones with matching buckles. Almost 25 years and not once have they ever failed me.

Good entry for the {{Stuff that just works}} thread, come to think of it.

 

[Monocrom]

Five months ago, I purchased my first high-quality leather belt and wallet from Hanks. They were both on sale and were the least expensive ones they offered. No regrets on spending the most I've ever spent on these two items. Top quality!

View attachment 87712

Hanks offers a 100-year warranty.

My Writer's imagination kicked in. Suddenly picturing a Vampire walking into their company headquarters after 99 years. Politely asking for a replacement, for his belt. Hanks customer service employee saying "Yes, Sir." Handing him a new belt. Only realizes later that was a vampire. Oh well.... Living or Undead, still a Hanks customer. Got to honor that warranty!

 

[Monocrom]

Great lessons! Things to never buy on "low bid": belts, knives, lights, shoes, spouses, and surgeons.

Before selecting your Russian or Vietnamese mail-order bride, be darn sure she knows how to cook! That'll cost you extra.

 

[Monocrom]

The prices on those Hanks wallets isn't too bad.
I haven't bought a wallet since I was 14 or so. Somehow each time I needed a wallet there was a woman in my life who bought me one. 16, my 1st girlfriend. Around 24, a pleasant med student bought me one, around 33 my 2nd girlfriend bought me one, and 5 years later my fiancé bought me one, which is worn but still holding together.

Whatever you do..... Don't you dare let her catch you with a new wallet!

 

[dc38]

Before selecting your Russian or Vietnamese mail-order bride, but darn sure she knows how to cook! That'll cost you extra.

And when the alphabet people pay you a visit for illicit purchases from communists...

 

[Monocrom]

And when the alphabet people pay you a visit for illicit purchases from communists...

The money is just a loan. She's here on vacation. She'll love it enough to stay.... after an American citizen marries her. All perfectly legal.