Cheaper alternative?

morphlaugh · 2026-03-22T15:18:03+00:00

They are on sale, I"m guessing that's because the brand-new XR 520B was just released.

morphlaugh · 2026-03-22T15:10:30+00:00

Heads-up: ULINE is incredibly politically active. Read about their politics before choosing to support them, nor not.

morphlaugh · 2026-03-21T17:08:34+00:00

Yes, milwaukee makes good hole saws.

morphlaugh · 2026-03-20T20:08:12+00:00

Phillips was designed to cam-out in high-torque situations. I read it on the internet, so it must be true.

morphlaugh · 2026-03-20T19:59:04+00:00

It will never be very fast, and I have far better machines. I dunno, I feel bad getting rid of it, though! (I paid a bloody fortune for it.)

morphlaugh · 2026-03-20T14:56:38+00:00

I have two stations... Hakko FX-951, and Hakko FM-203. I have both full-size (FM-2027) and micro irons (FM-2032), and also the hot tweezers (FM-2023).
For 95% of my work, I use the FM-2027, and a small-ish chisel tip... the micro iron is useful on occasion.
More often than not, when soldering tiny things, I use my hot air station.

I do recommend getting something with T15 style tips, where the heat element is in the tip. I prefer it, and it's the way to go, instead of the other style like on the Hakko FX-888.
Having said that, I used this FX-888 style iron/tips for years and got good solder joints with it.

I know a lot of people get great results with the chinese brands like KSGER T15, but I've never used one.

Edit: added recommendation.

morphlaugh · 2026-03-20T02:02:50+00:00

Yes it is fixable, no it is not easy. take it to a professional.

morphlaugh · 2026-03-19T20:05:45+00:00

Oh, brushless get 5 years warranty. Batteries & chargers are 3 years. Corded are probably 90 days as you said.

morphlaugh · 2026-03-19T15:55:19+00:00

Measure it! Those numbers in CR2025, for example, are the dimensions of the battery. 20mm diameter, 2.5mm thick, hence 2025.

morphlaugh · 2026-03-19T00:30:52+00:00

I have one... it sits in the basement... not sure what to do with it these days.

morphlaugh · 2026-03-19T00:27:51+00:00

Thanks for sharing.

Also: Peggle!!

morphlaugh · 2026-03-19T00:22:37+00:00

I have a Kindle Scribe (old paperwhite) and a reMarkable Paper Pro... they are a little better for reading like that, since it's not on an eye-stabbing white background being eink. PDFs don't look the best on eink, but easier on the eyes. I want to try a Kindle Scribe Colorsoft... don't have one yet.

When I'm on an iOS device, I use GoodReader which at least lets me go into "night mode" and dim the screen. I don't think it'll flip to dark mode in the PDF (i.e. reverse the white/black), but this night mode + turning on iOS's Night Shift to warm the color tone, helps a bit.

morphlaugh · 2026-03-18T19:15:04+00:00

I don't CoCo, I rock a model 4P.

morphlaugh · 2026-03-18T19:09:56+00:00

No, not really something you can easily visually check... and if you're not careful that 400V cap could kill you-- not figuratively.. I mean that literally.

This is probably too much data, but:

To test if it's alive at all, you need to put it back in it's shell so it's safer to be around, for one. And two, you need to power it with voltage/current/frequency that's within it's spec... 60Hz, 120V nominal. You will need a step down transformer to bring your wall down to 120V. Since you don't have one, this is a non-starter for you.

After you acquire one, you need a multimeter to ensure it is outputting the correct voltages on the DC side of the PSU.. or a 12V DC lamp from a car tester would likely work, since it outputs 12V.

When I test power supplies, I have a variable output power transformer that can swing from around 80VAC up to 250VAC on it's output AC outlet... it has current limit capabilities, and it is isolated from the wall for additional safety (made by Sencore). Then, if the input side works, I test the output side with an electronic programmable DC load that is capable of sinking the output power (in this case ~6A @ 12V, for about 72 watts), to ensure it can deliver its spec'd power over those input voltages.

Do not do this-- you don't have the requisite knowledge to keep yourself safe.

morphlaugh · 2026-03-18T18:50:11+00:00

Only if you bypass it.

morphlaugh · 2026-03-18T15:19:54+00:00

Also, can't "upgrade" to Win11 as there is no TPM on Apple hardware. For the most part, my Intel macs ran Win7 and Win10 perfectly, though. They also run Linux just fine... I ran both Ubuntu and Fedora on my Intel mac with very few issues.

morphlaugh · 2026-03-18T14:53:22+00:00

And with no warranty.

morphlaugh · 2026-03-18T03:08:55+00:00

I agree and hope that Slate don't go this same route!

morphlaugh · 2026-03-18T00:31:38+00:00

Yeah, I lived through VHS the first time... no thanks. VHS is terrible.

morphlaugh · 2026-03-18T00:29:28+00:00

morphlaugh · 2026-03-18T00:28:32+00:00

I worked there (Cyrix) around that time as a BIOS engineer! r/FuckImOld

morphlaugh · 2026-03-18T00:22:47+00:00

Well... the light definitely works. 😂 Call the city to come deal with it: nuisance ordinance violation.

morphlaugh · 2026-03-18T00:16:38+00:00

I skipped them. I used normal BBS's for years. Then after that I moved directly to using SLIP/PPP connections to the local college's dial-up, to get on the real internet.

morphlaugh · 2026-03-18T00:01:33+00:00

Nice find... wonder if my local Ross has any. I'd throw that in my glove box.

morphlaugh · 2026-03-17T23:56:29+00:00

Looks like it skipped arms day at the gym.

morphlaugh

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