I love the relationship you have with your dad. Particularly telling him to retire so he can come and work with you. Seriously cool.

@Dinco422

27 күн бұрын

So wholesome indeed :)

I don't care which way your dad faces, having him on the channel is always a treat! :) I would add lighting, glue a metal thingy in the bottom of a shelf to stick the metal picker upper to, a flat and wide drawer underneath the table to store your quick-to-hand stuff like pliers and screwdrivers. The drawer idea works better on stand up benches and worse on sit down benches. A power bar or two. I always liked having a very shallow shelf at the back of the bench, say about 6 inches deep and 8 inches above the desk, for holding alcohol and getting the soldering iron off the desktop. It doesn't have to go all the way across. And a 1 inch lip at the back of the desk to keep stuff from rolling off the back of the desk.

Originally came to this channel for the nerdy stuff, stayed for the chill "dad and son works on random projects" vibes. I love the shelving on the bench you're putting together!

You might need a special lighting setup for your bench too. Maybe getting a microscope with a camera is a good idea too.

@MikrySoft

28 күн бұрын

I second that: good lighting and a proper stereo microscope with a camera hookup (plus a good screen) is a must for a delicate work.

@GeerlingEngineering

25 күн бұрын

@@MikrySoft So begins a long hunt for the best value / quality microscope that I can also tie into recording / streaming. I may ask around some of the other KZreadrs who I know do a lot of scope work on streams. Some do better live, some have better camera options... just don't want to spend a lot and not get a good value!

I'm an RF engineer but my son is only 4. I hope when he's older we have the same relationship that you two have!

@sanjivoberoi5361

28 күн бұрын

Make it happen. Here's wishing you a dream that'll come true.

@currenlydying

27 күн бұрын

let him watch while you tinker or repair stuff, I got into electronics because I saw my grandpa repair a power supply while he was at my house when I was a kid. It made me try to repair stuff too, which I wasn't very successful at when I was like 8 😅 But my parent gave me broken stuff they would have thrown away anyway and I would try to take them apart (you should probably supervise because I nearly died like two or three times fucking around with power electronics haha).

@kikmedown

26 күн бұрын

This makes me wanna call my dad over to finish setting up my workbench. Nice and wholesome video. My dad has a variable power supply, an oscilloscope and soldering iron and... well a lot of things I want to have to.

@GeerlingEngineering

25 күн бұрын

@@currenlydying Broken stuff is always fun... and I think most of us have a few near-death experiences tinkering with power supplies. Then you realize how much you need to respect power supplies and large caps :)

@currenlydying

25 күн бұрын

@@GeerlingEngineering Yes!! Especially the hit of joy you get when you manage to fix something someone gave you and you feel like a wizard giving them back the thing in a working condition! So many key memories have been made when I was younger and finally managed to be the tech guy of the family and bringing people joy by fixing their laptop when they were strapped for cash. I remember vividly fixing the yogurt machine for my highschool sweetheart's grandma and their family is still in contact with me because their grandma LOVED me for it haha.

Not sure what Geerling is doing half the time, but his humbleness is truly compelling.

@lovebutnosoilder

25 күн бұрын

Yes! We need backstories, a day in the life vlog and other Jeff adventures. The people love you Jeff, we demand more! Obviously within reason ❤

Better lighting, magnifiying glass, different angle overhead cameras that stay part of the bench (think Adrian's Digital Basement), capture cards, streamdeck to manage cameras, perhaps even a mini-pc nearby or laptop to lookup things while working and I would go as far as saying an outlet that's isolated from everything on the bench to protect the tools from the test. Also a good Desoldering station both for large and tiny. Maybe even a reflow oven on the top shelf you can pull down when needed.

Rest in peace to Mark. That was beautiful to honor your uncle/your brother. This is awesome. Hoping to use some ideas from this to build my own desk/workbench combo.

Think about adding a strip of LEDs under the bottom shelf to give you heaps of light on the work surface. Only other pieces of equipment (you already mentioned multimeter/power supply that would be quite generic and useful for testing that come to mind are a variable load and fume extractor/filter, you can get some variable loads with network/serial control so that you can do automated testing if that is of use to you.

@GeerlingEngineering

28 күн бұрын

I think I'll order some aluminum channel and try to wire in a Zigbee LED controller, that way I can have it controlled with the overhead amaran video light I also installed. More light == better!

@Graham_Wideman

27 күн бұрын

@@GeerlingEngineering ... but watch out for LED PSU and brightness-control switching noise.

I miss some sockets directly mounted on the bench if it's moved around. Just to have only one cord instead of mutiple. An an indepentend light, maybe on an arm for the optimal lighting

I hope people realize that designing that kind of avionics system is really impressive and noteworthy. I think naming this bench is actually a nice gesture and I hope it inspires you in your projects.

That bench would be perfect in my ham shack. Every radio and PS would fit with room to spare.

@GeerlingEngineering

28 күн бұрын

I'm both excited... and a bit nervous about my Dad's idea of putting in 2kW dummy loads and new power feeds at the desk, haha!

@W0JMR

25 күн бұрын

You should build you own dummy load. I have one my late grandfather built that I inherited.

You might need under-cabinet lighting for beneath that first shelf. Get a fan to exhaust solder fumes. Maybe a hands-free magnifier with a light source (typically on a boom). I little tray or two for little screws you get when disassembling stuff. Fire extinguisher. Trash can. Power strip.

@GeerlingEngineering

26 күн бұрын

Yes to all those, good ideas!

Do you plan to document some of your ham radio projects or experiments ? I'd LOVE to see what you do with ham radio !

Really love the content you and your dad make. I miss my dad every day, and this reminded me of making shelves with him for the storage room of his store. 73 Jeff and Joe!

OK, that Screw Montage was awesome!

I see what looks like a silicone heat resistant pad. Maybe include a craft hobby cutting pad with some X-acto blades or utility blades. A tape dispenser with Kapton heat resistant tape would be nice. A wire spool dispenser with various gauges of wire. Love those shelf links it is giving me ideas. Thanks for the video.

Great bench! As someone who has put together a pretty decent little electronics lab on a budget, I can highly recommend getting a benchtop multimeter (siglent or rigol make good ones, but a little on the pricey end). For most equipment I would consider the offerings from Siglent or Rigol. A good budget PSU is the Korad KA3005D, it is great bang per buck and is a great bridge between the super cheap chinese switching PSUs and the more expensive siglent and rigol ones. I have seen a few comments about microscopes, and I definitely agree, I bought a cheap digital one, and as cool as it is to look at stuff, soldering with it is a bit of a pain because it is digital and you have zero depth perception. If you intend on soldering a lot of SMD stuff then an analog binocular microscope is your best bet. If you are doing RF work a little Nano VNA or a tinySA spectrum analyzer will allow you to look at what kind of noise your radios are putting out on what frequencies, as well as so much more in the field of RF.

@GeerlingEngineering

28 күн бұрын

This week I wound up buying a Siglent after watching far too many videos on multimeters :) God recommendation!

Those plastic blocks take up a lot of room. Steel flush plates from the bottom through the bench, construction screws, and it would be a much cleaner design. On the next level up, cut rectangles into a thick-high-quality plywood board and continue on up to the third level. Stiffen the plywood with a couple edge on strips of hardware. Hold the the middle level in place with dowels - no glue - to allow for future adjustments. For holding boards up while measuring, drilling, etc., clamps are your friend.

As a ham and an EE, I really like your new bench. If you're doing ham stuff definitely a cheap vna and spectrum analyzer would be nice. Also for electronics, you probably want an electronic load for testing batteries and power supplies.

I just started setting up my own electronics workbench on the other side of my office! Some good inspiration here.

Jeff, you shared an award your Uncle Mark received from Boeing. Since y'all are from St Louis, did he start with McDonnell Douglas? I moved from Bellingham, WA to St Louis in '75 to work at McDonnell Douglas Automation Company (McAuto). Our employee PC purchase plan started in '83. A lot of us spent about $4K on our first IBM PCs. That was the most I've ever spent on PCs ever.

@GeerlingEngineering

28 күн бұрын

Yes! He and my Dad both actually started for McDonnell Douglas, my Dad went off into radio land soon after but my Uncle Mark stayed for his whole career.

I love this Idea, the ShelfLink Shelf Brackets are quite expensive to the point where I'm going to try and 3d print them first but this will be the basis of my next workbench :) Thankyou Jeff

Very cool! Love the vibe between you and your dad, and remembrance of your uncle!

It is always a wonderful, memorable experience to build something with your father, I have lost mine a couple of years ago I wish everyone treasure their time with their folks, we are busy growing up and finding the meaning of life, often we forgot our parents are growing old too. I like videos like this that you guys work on a project together, it’s wholesome content ❤

Consider adding some built-in things for filming your work on electronics! Like a way to mount an overhead camera (or a dedicated one), mounted lights, things like that. Since you're not just engineer but you're also a KZreadr!

Always fun watching you Jeff and your Dad. Cheers!

In my 40+ years in electronics the best bench power supply I have owned is an old HP 6227B for low voltage applications. Common on eBay for 65$ and up. Nice work on the bench. Your father had some very good insights on bench design. Cheers.

At my college, we had something similar to what you have shown last video holding the little cat6 cables on the wall beside the server rack, but we used it to hold the jumper cables and alligator clips and multimeter leads and oscilloscope probes when they're not in use. It's a great way to get rid of the cable mess on the work bench 😅

@bader51500

28 күн бұрын

Alternatively, You might use the plastic cable duct without its cover (like the one you used above the server rack), but you'll need to file the edges so the cables don't get damaged by them. By the way, the video I was referring to was on your third channel where you installed the security camera, I got confused and thought this channel was it😅

lighting on the underside is a must. also you could put a camera mount so you can have a face down shot of stuff you are working on. maybe a power strip or two with ground fault protection and surge protection too.

Needs a bench top variable power supply! I added one I picked up from a ham swap meet, and I use it several times a week! How did I live without it before? I spent way too much time digging through boxes of wall warts

What a beautiful video. I've been working on the same project. Your video's keep amazing me like you're always working on the same projects as I do, even before the video gets released. Wonderful job, working with your dad and realising things like this. I'm all on my own on these projects, so the advice you're giving is really helpful. Thank you.

Great workbench for dad! Thanks for sharing Regards

ideas for extra gear: perhaps a multiwave signal generator? an overhead camera and mic? uss enterprise warp core... or just a very variable power supply! isolating power transformer (so not to trip the main breakers) keyboard/mouse shelf underneath floor grounding mat components rack just ideas hopefully useful

Power strip(s)/bar(s) with optional local switches and fuses. Good down lighting to the desk surface (LED light strips or Ikea style LED light "pucks"). A lamp on a swinging hinged arm (with our without magnifying glass). A microscope with a camera, like Louis Rossmann has & sells, (or an USB camera microscope) is definitely a luxury, but I can see it being very useful as well if ever used for these videos. Power supplies or variable voltage power supplies. Maybe a signal generator. Swinging hinged iPad holder and/or monitor arm.

Ha, now we know why you are so amazing, you have a Dad and an uncle that makes you proud, what a great family!❤🏆

Just last week I was working on my own bench and now I find this! I'll bring in some of your ideas and from the comments too, thank you

I also would add an ultrasonic cleaner, to clean the nasty flux. And maybe a fume extractor.

Lighting! You gotta mount a light bar under that first shelf. There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to see what you’re working on.

My dad was also an engineer. I got my electronics degree because of him. Enjoy your dad, he won't be with you forever.

Love everytime your dad is on! I’d have a pair of speakers and and a small amp for testing outputs and a bit of music too. Those could be underhung to save shelf space. Also a small monitor for checking outputs of devices and computers and such.

@GeerlingEngineering

28 күн бұрын

I actually just ordered a little single-USB-speaker, might order a couple more, and a little 3.5mm speaker too.

Nice bench: Power supply: I like the old HP 66xx series supplies. Noisy as a jet engine, but very solid. You also need all sorts of tweezers and I certainly couldn't live without a microscope or at least one of those magnifier lamps.

@GeerlingEngineering

28 күн бұрын

I think microscope will be essential for any SMD work I plan on trying out. Plus for my Dad, he always mentions magnification since his eyes don't quite have the resolution they used to :)

@MaryBrownForFreedom

28 күн бұрын

Video microscope for surface mount stuff, amazon has them and you can get a decent one under $100 now!

Love the jump cuts at 9:30!

You may have this but I don't see it -- a long or multiple power strips mounted on the wall or the back of the desk. And a dummy load with a switchable input for various antenna connections. I also have found that a circular, lighted magnifing glass on an adjustable swing arm is super handy for detailed work. Condider some alligator clips on an adjustable arms that are attached to a heavy base for holding compinents and connections for soildering AKA and extra set of hands. Drawers under the desk for holding parts and a especially a keyboard/mouse -- needed yet out ot the way until. Good luck!

@KameraShy

27 күн бұрын

I think I saw one tucked way in the back.

this was great to watch. gives me ideas for my bench.

I like standing height benches but I usually pair it with a bar height chair instead of moving a standing desk up and down.

Siglent makes some nice dual-output linear power supplies; I have the SPD3303X-E but there's also a non-E variant if you need higher precision (you can set it in 1 mV increments rather than 10 mV increments). Other stuff: get a fume extractor for soldering (the Hakko one is well-regarded); flux has stuff in it that you don't want to breathe. For multimeters, I've always used portable multimeters (I like my EEVBlog blue Brymen), but a benchtop one might be nice to have for a permanent workbench like this. And the more lighting, the better-- I'd get some LED strip lighting to go underneath the shelves, a nice bright task light on an arm for work on the desk top, and maybe one of those magnifier light thingies (technical term) to help with really fine work.

Awesome tribute

Good overhead and adjustable lights. I like two tone color temperature. After many years of using workpads for work and home, I suggest finding what I bought at MCM Electronics years ago. Heavy duty antistatic grounded paads. Wonder if any company sells them. They are similar to rubber, will not melt, and have a slight curl that keeps parts from rolling off. I have an optical bi scope viewer but digital camera a good option. AC outlet strips on two levels.

Oh. Wow. At [0:32] you show the old Mac, and an old Apple computer in a brown carry case. I have what appears to be that very same case, containing my one-owner Apple ][+ from 1978 or '79. Mine was an Apple ][ that the computer store upgraded to ][+ (with Apple's permission) by swapping in the Applesoft BASIC autostart ROMs. I wish you well with the workshop, bench build, and your vintage Apple systems.

@GeerlingEngineering

25 күн бұрын

Very cool! That Apple ][ belonged to my Uncle Mark (his wife passed it along to us after he died)-it will be an honor cleaning it up lightly and making it run again. My Dad actually helped convince him to buy the ][ and it includes a bunch of (hopefully working) cassettes. One of the very early models with no floppy disk drive!

@bobblum5973

25 күн бұрын

@@GeerlingEngineering Same here, I used cassettes (still have the Panasonic recorder the store bundled with it!). I finally bought Franklin floppy drives at Children's Palace or Toy Chest because they were cheaper. There's an online registry of vintage Apple computers, I keep meaning to add mine to it. You provide the serial number and such. They even have the black Bell & Howell versions.

Few adjustable ( articulated ) sources of good light is a must on every workbench.

Great video!

I would add a small clamp on bench vise with a swivel base and soft jaws and a digital microscope on a stand, You will need some heavier duty soldering irons for bigger stuff like heavy terminals on large wire and solder style N and PL259 connectors.

For heavy duty monitor stands/swivels, very happy with Ergotron brand. I have one for my standing desk setup in the home office.

@GeerlingEngineering

28 күн бұрын

They are built incredibly well. Much nicer than the cheap "torque it until it almost strips, and it barely holds the monitor" arms I have at my main desk :O

love the bench, but I love the tribute to your uncle even more

This video definitely makes me want to have my dad come over and help set up my workbench. Thank you.

Hi! I just discovered your videos a few days ago and I'm obsessed! Towers and other pieces of the industrial landscape have fascinated me for years but usually the interworking are too confusing for me to understand. You both are great at explaining stuff in a way I can mostly understand and I love that you put accurate subtitles on your stuff. Would you consider making a video about how tower lighting works and the regulations on the lighting types? I've always found it so interesting but the rules (red vs. white, blinking or not, etc.) seem really confusing whenever I've looked into it on my own. Thanks, and keep up the great work! 🥰

@JeffGeerling

23 күн бұрын

That's a great idea! We might not get to it for a while, but I will put it in our idea backlog, for sure. I'll also try to get more closeups of different spare lights and bulbs for that video when we do make it!

@456puff

11 күн бұрын

@@JeffGeerling Thanks for responding! I'll happily watch whatever you put out in the meantime. 💖

When working alongside my dad when I was younger was always yelling and screaming 'you didn't do this right, didn't do that right' etc... Glad to see something like this :)

I used the exact same bench for my workshop build. Fantastic quality for a good price.

@GeerlingEngineering

28 күн бұрын

The bench top is quite thick; I have no qualms about mounting anything on it. I could probably sand it down 100 times if need be, makes it more likely I won't worry about messing up the surface too much.

@moelassus

28 күн бұрын

@@GeerlingEngineering No doubt! For my bench I wanted a backspash to prevent stuff from potentially rolling off the back. I bought some nice maple 1x6's, varnished them clear to match the worktop and screwed them onto the back. I then ran a bead of clear silicon where the board met the worktop. It looks really slick!

@markpitts5194

20 күн бұрын

@@moelassus I used kitchen counter, and used the upstand that matches screwed on the back to stop things disappearing, all supported on some nice chrome table legs. My shelf is at 12", could do with another like shown. I think if my scope was at 17" I would look like i was at a heavy metal concert head banging!

Great build. At some point (as test articles get older) a Variac would be a good addition.

Definitely missing a (long form) light mounted to the shelves to light up your work area, also a bench mounted magnifying glass, might take some advantage of a digital microscope

That's awesome. I got my career by tinkering with computers and electronics. If you are going to do a lot of RF what about a service monitor/analyzer? I have an IFR 1600 but there are much smaller ones that don't need an anvil case to transport. I hope to inherit some motorola ones. Pretty much everything you need in one box. Sure your dad could recommend one. I think we all have/use one at some point.

A decent multi output power supply with PC interface for programming; Equally a decent electronic load for testing power supplies. Maybe a small ish monitor, keyboard and mouse options.

A bench is a living organism, you will change and adapt it over time for comfort, efficiency as your interests evolve. A few things though are always needed, maximum horizontal work surface, lots of lighting, magnification options (plural), easy access to stable power (ac, dc, usb, variable, with safe turn on), instruments with large easily readable fonts, safety gear (fire, ventilation), quick access (in eyesight, no drawers) to common hand tools like cutters, strippers, etc. Best thing to do in my opinion is to watch folks doing real work and look how they configure their workspace.

i would say you need some forest mimms books and radioshack phamplets - he talked about all kinds of electronics - lots of op amps and timers etc, this project worked out great basically imo even with a distinct absence of rsj. you do need a variable ps, you need some ref books (mims), you need a smaller whiteboard or chalkboard - you probably need a laptop or a pi and small monitor. you need a fire extinguisher and vent for fumes, you need antenna making supplies and you need one of those small antenna lcd gadgets to look at swr and smith chart of antenna, you need analog swr meter, you may need a tiny tv and a radio of some sort plus you need a scanner and a phone and you need a cube with all the drawers for parts. the magnetic bars so you can have quick access to tools is nice but don't forget the demagnetizer also - a wiha works, you do need multi antenna and some rols of lmr 400 and maybe even helical, get a total spectrum awareness campaign going and you do need the ips/ids for network plus just surprise us with odd things people may never have thought of - combine all the best suggestions into a list and then order them in terms of acquisition - make some custom circuits - random number gen and such - bargain hunt on ebay. you need the little adjustable arms setup to hold components and you need anti static considerations

A beautiful homage to your Uncle, Jeff. May he rest in eternal peace de 2E0TWD

It might not be useful in your normal computer based endeavours, but if you're interested in exploring antenna theory more I would highly recommend a VNA. If pocket size is okay over bech top, you can get a nanoVNA for relatively cheap, or for a higher frequency range the liteVNA. Personally I'm still learning a ton, but mine helped a lot with understanding impedance and building matching circuits 😊 Also worth a shout-out is the tinySA spectrum analyzer! Love the videos!!

2mm flat blade "terminal" screwdriver works great as a centerpunch in wood.

Too clean and neat for an electronics workbench! 😋

@GeerlingEngineering

28 күн бұрын

Heh, I already made a small gouge in the ESD mat while I was testing an antenna this morning. It shall become 'used'!

@radijoe

28 күн бұрын

My home workbench makes up for any overly organized issues at Jeff’s studio!

@KarldorisLambley

22 күн бұрын

don't forget bigclive's law of benches, i am paraphrasing, but a bench's utility is inversely proportional to how tidy it is.

If you want to do some digital RF modes, you'll need a PC. If you want to get on HF or VHF, get a skid weighted down with some cinder blocks on that flat roof and stick a vertical on it. You could easily put an VHF/UHF antenna + HF vertical and work the world! Can't wait to see what's next on the electronics bench.

Lighting! If it were my setup, I'd mount a bright LED strip that spans the entire length of the underside of the 1st shelf. That way you don't end up with shadows from your hands/probes/etc. while you're working on tight components. Your needs will likely be a little different since you also have to consider how it will look while being filmed.

You need Signal Generator and Spectrum Analyzer

Love you 2 so much fun

Suggestion in case you still need a power supply - I recently was looking at them for my workstation and ended up getting an OWON SPM3103. It's a combination power supply and multimeter, with the same footprint as other common desktop power supplies. Has a nice LCD and is super convenient, would recommend! They have a few options for voltage/amperage but the 30V 10A was the most useful for me.

A digital microscope for soldering would definitely be worth picking up!

You need a good multimeter! Make sure you get one that is good high sampling rate for electronic work. I have a few and one of them is better for electrical work for high voltage that has an amp clamp and stuff but if you try to measure DC voltages or amperages it is very slow so you don't get a good picture if something draws up a bunch of power suddenly and then goes down and stuff like that. I highly recommend getting a good name brand like a fluke! Ready precision electronics work a good multimeter will be your number one tool! When my grandpa died i got his Fluke 77 that he purchased in 1988 when I was 4 years old lol still in the original case and the screen was a little messed up but wasn't no issue, so I took the screen out took isopropyl alcohol and cleaned the lines of contacts on the board and the screen assembly and put it back together all clean and nice and it works perfect. Sent it in to get recertified by fluke and that thing is honestly my favorite tool for any electronics work! I can measure anything and it reads any my new sudden changes in voltages and is amazing! I need to invest in a new like flute 117 or something like that, but this one being my grandpa's who repaired arcade equipment under his own company for 20 plus years, from pinball machines to cigarette machines to slot machines and any other machines and arcade gaming equipment, I grew up with his garage full of every game you could imagine and I never had to go to an arcade to play!

Digital display microscope for looking at surface mount components, solder bridges on pins etc would be a good addition. Cheers

The left handed life. I feel you, Jeff. 🤣 🙏

For a truly retro setup, have a word with Mr Carlson. He has a few (lol) Tube valve volt meters and such. The man is incredible. If nothing else he will be a mine of information :)

You will get value out of having some scheme for hanging a variety of oscilloscope probes with all of the different types of alligator and banana connectors near the bench and scope. If you do any serious PCB design and repair, a bright light, magnifying glass and/or camera / microscope will be virtually required given the size of modern surface mount devices.

If you're going to keep chemistry on that top shelf, it might be a good idea to glue a strip of 1"X1" to the top-front to help keep the bottles from tipping over onto your head.

@Graham_Wideman

27 күн бұрын

Yeah... Chemicals on the top shelf above your head... not conducive to a relaxing work experience at the bench!

A sand-catch for burying fires from lithium-ion batteries. Also handy to extinguish wooden sticks to light commemorative candles in memory of our beloved ones.

@GeerlingEngineering

28 күн бұрын

Ah yes! I actually have my nice sand bucket at home... forgot to put another one together here.

As a amateur deluxe, wall hung tools needs to get in there, and zipties - and quick-access tape of different kinds :P. Oh, and someone else mentioned it - lighting!

Power distribution for the equipment you have on there so that you only need to plug the bench in would be a nice thing

Would love to have the space for one of these. My suggestions would be a [1] Fume extractor and a [2] Microscope

"Jumpery cablery things", techo-babble at it's best 😀 I love how Joe drops those phrases in there. Question for you new Radio Hams, what is your current farthest DX connection? Mine was UK to SA.

@KameraShy

27 күн бұрын

And we all understood exactly what he meant.

I was thinking if you had a T slot embedded into the front edge of both shelves, you could mount spot lights and or a camera over whatever you are working on... You could even make a helping hand that mounts on the T slot that moves any direction like a CNC head...

Maybe a variac? Always handy, btw R&S has some analyzers for FM, DAB etc and don't weigh a ton like back in the days. I'm not sure if you are into audio, you can build your own dummy loads and at the end measuring probes for measuring power, THD it's a small circuit you can make yourself for measuring amps. We hams make our own stuff. The less you have to buy, the better it is, and you can spend on other valuable things, I also have frequencies counters. And a lab multimeter is also a great thing to have, multiple ones, depending on the circuitry you have to measure. Good luck.

@GeerlingEngineering

28 күн бұрын

My Dad has a nice old variac, would love to have one at minimum for making things heat up or pop :D

To that extent that you are interested in commentary from the peanut gallery, I'll offer this: 1. A good power supply is definitely a critical item. I use a Rigol DP832A and I recommend something similar. 2. I bought a nice Rigol bench-top DMM when I was putting my lab together... and have basically never used it. I always find myself reaching for one or more of my handheld DMM's instead. It's hard to explain exactly why, and I'd probably still suggesting getting a bench-top DMM at some point but I'd suggest starting with two decent quality handheld ones first. 3. It's not one of the tools that usually appears on "must have" lists, but since I got my Rigol DL3021A programmable load, I find myself using that thing all the time. It's insanely handy for testing anything power related - power supply circuits, batteries, PV solar panels, etc. I would say it's the third most frequently used bench-top tool I have after my power supply and my oscilloscope. 4. I own a bench-top logic analyzer (actually a couple, I sort of collect logic analyzers) but again, I find myself infrequently using the big honking bench-top tool and instead tend to grab a $25 USB logic analyzer connected to a laptop running Sigrok. Beyond that, the kinds of tools you'll find yourself needing depends a lot on what kinds of things you work on. For example, if you're into RF electronics you might want a dedicated spectrum analyzer, a frequency counter, RF power meter, dummy loads, etc. Or for some applications you might want a good high-voltage AC power supply. A power analyzer can also be pretty useful. And so on. One last comment: one thing I am personally a fan of is having test gear that has an Ethernet connection and support for the LXI standard. This lets you control automated test scenarios and do data logging to a PC in software. If you like the idea of being able to write code in Python or Java or whatever to control your test equipment and get data off of the devices, this is the way to go. And even though LXI is nominally a vendor neutral industry standard, I think these things tend to work better (in multi-device scenarios) when all of you kit is from the same manufacturer. That's one reason almost all of my test equipment is Rigol. I just decided to standardize on their stuff since I had a Rigol oscilloscope already. I do a have a few pieces of HP/Agilent/Keysight kit that I bought used on Ebay and one or two other random items that aren't Rigol, but the core stuff I use all the time is all Rigol. But any other manufacturer would be fine as well, I'm sure.

Those montages were UTTERLY glorious Jeff, I wonder how long that took you in the edit 😂

Funny... your dad at the almost end of the vid said to use a pc psu... that was my first ever bench psu that I made from a psu and made it variable as well, very reliable and powerful supplies and cheap too for diy.

Congrats on your appearance in the June 2024 issue of QST.

@JeffGeerling

12 күн бұрын

Thank you!

I think you are going to have to build a 2nd identical, connecting bench. You will eventually need more space. Thanks for the enjoyable videos.

Have you considered adding a video microscope to the bench? perhaps something like the Lapsun 4K Microscope or a trinocular amscope with a video camera?

A can of minwax to finish / match the bench top would help protect it and make it look even better. An inexpensive change that will go a long way.

A digital microscope, one of those with a HDMI output, are extremely handy for an electronics workbench.

AC powerstrip, where are you going to plug things in?

A function generator, an isolation transformer, and a computer to program Arduinos and similar without leaving the bench.

I need to build a new lab desk. I setup my office with a new electronics desk for me to do on my soldering. I do have to set up a fume extractor as I do like to use leaded solder. But I do need to set up some shows for power supplies and I need a new oscilloscope. But I took the closet apart and built a workbench in there and I have my FDM printer and my resin printer two of them and my cure stations and then pull out bins full of hundreds of electronics parts. It took forever to categorize. And now I also have these little book things that open up for SMB parts. I like to work with the size 1206, because anything smaller my hands are too shaky for lol. And then the hot plate too melt the solder in place.

Two items, one I'll get shot down for but I still think it an essential, a hook and a pair of safety glasses and the other is a tape dispenser. I often use Capton Tape and masking tap (just for holding small things while I solder them and sometimes its handy to label wires with). The wide tape dispenser I have has the roll carrier made in two parts so it can carry two, inch wide rolls.

@GeerlingEngineering

28 күн бұрын

Ah yes, a few tape dispensers, one for kapton, one for scotch (clear) tape, would be handy.