Month: February 2018

3590S-2-103L 10K Ohm Rotary Wirewound Precision Potentiometer Pot 10 Turn vs genuine Bourns and Vishay pots (WHL #36)

Visiting the dark side of China today – product piracy.

First things first, I actually bought this item twice from two different sellers on AliExpress. One back in September for 1.07€ and now two more for 0.95€ each in early January, just to be able to kill one during inspection. The seller may be the same (I’ve seen that recently from BME280 sensors, review to come), but the shop name is different. It is intended as replacement for the current adjustment knob on my electronic load, as I am an idiot and during build I set the voltage over the pot not to the two end pins, but to one pin and the wiper. […]


OJADE Mini Plastic 21-Cell Toolbox, Electronic Components IC Chip Storage Box Case (#R4)

I wonder if I should extend or split the “Rant” category? After all, there’s another thing to mock…this time on DX :mrgreen:

Haven’t bought it, but it appeared in my heavily filtered RSS. DX has a limited and apparently redactionally populated inventory, so somebody at DX has to have put this turd online.

What is it? Well, a plain storage box. SKU 504263. 21 cells. 7 per week (starting with Sunday), one for each evening, morning and noon. In that order. Whoever the fuck thought that was a proper arrangement.

“Gramps, did you take your four imperial screws and the one nut for breakfast yet?” […]


DC5V USB PORT 10X10CM El panel Electroluminescent BackLight panel el foil el paper el sheet Led Board Display with Inverter (WHL #35)

Here’s another random thing from a colleague: A small Electroluminescent panel!

I was asked for an area lighting thingy that is slightly flexible. So unless one wants to bend the stiff backing of a mobile phone backlight unit, EL foil seems to be the solution. I’m not sure if that fits his needs, but I’m confident he’ll tell me if it’s not ;) I bought this thing quite recently on AliExpress (mid-January 2018) for 5.22€ including shipping. Yes, shipping cost have increased by a bit, but shipping times have improved as well. […]