Bob's Shop

[ElectroGasMan]

[Bob Boyce]

[ElectroGasMan]

[Bob Boyce]

[ElectroGasMan]

[ElectroGasMan]

Hey Bob I'm back for a short.

The thing you said about getting the shop done to slow I think is fast for all of the work you did. That would take anyone all year trust me.

On the KVM switch. I see ps2 and usb. Is one better than the other? I seem them bother for around $40 for a 4 port.

Also what do you think about cutting slots in my acrylic sheets using a radial arm saw with an adjustable table to move for the next cut?
Or how about 8 table saw blades on one shaft using 3mm washers in between?

Wondered what you thought might work best in my shop setup.

Another thing. I been thinkin server or just use USB HDD cases for storage. BUt then I was thinking a server setup would recover storage way faster than a cheap USB HDD enclosure. Is this right thinking.

I would use what I can get cheap first then most effective within reason.

Before I go let me say again that your shop looks like it is going to be a great place for your research and if I had money to donate, I would like to. I know you are not asking, but you have earned it. Maybe if you had something I could use that you don't need we could make it so for me.

I should have asked about your 24 port switch last week before I sent for one. I could have just as easily sent you $40. See the switch was $18 and then they want to send me a screw driver and a DVD for free plus shipping. I wanted the switch so I said whatever. If you have any older computer stuff that I could use here at my shop let me know. Presently I am running some low end 233 mhz PC's and am wanting to do better.

My two scopes are the old 5mhz range. I want to use a PC as a scope, or is that not as good? My computers won't go fast enough for a PC scope. I am into trying and learning however old the parts are. What are you going to do with your server stuff?

Been lookin at the surplus liquid and wondering how I would get out to pick up a pallet. In Kansas there is one base within driving range. I am looking at their stuff. Fort Riley. Let me know on any surplus you have banked up from the auctions.

Later On.

[Bob Boyce]

Merry Christmas Michael

I prefer the PS2 KVM switches since they are compatible with more older hardware than USB.

You may want to think about swinging cutter blades on an arbor (threaded rod maybe?) seperated by 1/8" (3mm) washers, turned by a tabletop drill press on one end, with the other end supported by a bearing. Another experimenter said that Harbor Freight has these tabletop drill presses on sale a lot for $39 or so. Just set up a table that you can clamp the plastic down to and adjust the depth of cut, and a screw drive to pass it under the cutters.

Servers vs consumer PCs, no comparison. Servers are optimized for performance and data throughput, consumer PCs are optimized for low cost only. I use servers as most of my workhorse PCs. One drawback is the cost of memories. While they can be found on eBay, servers use a higher grade (hence cost) memory than consumer PCs. Typically they all use ECC and 72 bit vs most consumer PCs that can use 64 bit with no ECC. Some servers are configured to use SCSI drives instead of the more common IDE, but that is changing as IDE are becomming more commonplace in server duty. Pretty much everything else is the same as far as ports and accessories go. You are right tho, the cheap USB drive systems are designed for the consumer products and would bottleneck a server and slow it down.

I have mixed feelings about using PCs for scopes. I don't feel that PCs are really rugged enough for some of the abuse that scopes can handle. I guess it all depends on the use or abuse.

If you are wanting some PCs for use on the bench, I have piles of servers and consumer PCs here taking up space. I also have boxes full of motherboards, power supplies, hard drives, CD-ROM drives, and large assortments of various adapter cards, mostly of the PCI variety. Most of the servers and PCs are 400 Mhz and up Pentium 2 or newer, though I do have some multi-CPU servers that use the slower pentium pro processors. I gave away a matched set of 3 servers recently that used dual 400 Mhz PIIs because they were mainly SCSI RAID array boxes, and they only had 1 onboard IDE port. I put in a single IDE HDD as master and a CD-ROM drive as slave, and they booted up fine once the SCSI port was disabled. I have enough parts and pieces here to assemble dozens of workable PCs, and still have loads of parts left over

The machine I use for most of my bench work is a 1 Ghz Intel PIII with 1 GB of RAM and 64 GB HDD. It was built by Tobyhanna Army Depot and is a real nice benchtop workhorse. I run my CAD on a 1.7 Ghz P4 box with 200 GB HDD and 1.5 GB of RAM. The other 2 boxes I will be adding to the workbench network are 733 Mhz and 866 Mhz PIII servers. They will be used as programming stations for several different microcontroller platforms which require the use of several ports each.

The major lot of 24 port switches I have are a matched set of 4, one master and 3 slaves. I would not want to break up that set as they are already programmed to work together. I do have a good number of 3Com SuperSwitches and hubs of various models and configurations.

The way I do the auctions is, I try to figure my cost of going to get the stuff and that determines if it is worth bidding on. Small loads I can use my S-10 pickup, vehicles I use that and a tow dolly. Larger loads I use my GMC van, and the really big loads I use one of the 1 ton vans. Sometimes I have to make several trips. I passed on a whole bunch of shop equipment like milling machines and engine lathes because they were so heavy that it would have taken a forklift to load them.

Bob

[ElectroGasMan]

God Bless you too Bob

Well then plan on a letter from me in the future.

My 233 mhz Pc's are just to slow if you know what I mean? I want to learn the use of a server. What I will do is send you a donation this coming year sometime (Cause you done earned it) and I will leave it up to you to find something that works. There will be an additional amount enclosed for shipping. I know that the Hydroxy Overunity research shop that you have built has costed you many thousands and my small donation won't do much. It will make me feel better to give anything. You see I am a preacher and have not found many places I can bring myself to give to and this is bad.

You sir have given freely (your reseach, PWM3E, Circuits, Time spent teaching, ETC) and to you shall men give, press down shaken together and running over. This is your harvest time Bob.

Great going I will be getting in touch during 2007.

[kumaran]

Hi Bob,

Your shop coming up nicely. I like the way you plan and design before actual work. I don't really know how long it takes to do careful planning. Not everybody have all the talent as you do. You are really gifted person.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.

[Bob Boyce]

[ElectroGasMan]

[ElectroGasMan]