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RE: Anyone Notice Stiff Tariff Increases On Goods?
I haven't seen formal figures but Mexico is a titan of an exporter for fruit and vegetables. It is not unbelievable to pass a swath of tomatoes roughly 70 miles by 30 miles wide north and south of Culiacan, Sinaloa.
Michoacan and Guerrero have a coastal crop of mangoes measuring almost 500 square miles. I could sell Haden mangoes to tourists for 25 cents a pound and prosper. Uruapan Michoacan produces 2,500 tons of Hass avocados and I routinely buy my favorite Ataufos for fifty cents a pound locally.
My question is about CREE LED lamps. Dried up and unaffordable lately by rural ranchers. Those folks are the heart & soul of this country. Honest to a fault. I sell the lights to them for what I pay for them. Then a gift of a half dozen dressed free range hens and a couple dozen true free range chickens show up. Or a few dozen dressed quail. Maybe a half wheel of queso cotija. Ranchers love to use a crop or product as part payment.
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MEXICOWANDERER
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05/26/19 10:48pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Anyone Notice Stiff Tariff Increases On Goods?
Echo
Sorry
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MEXICOWANDERER
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05/26/19 08:18pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Anyone Notice Stiff Tariff Increases On Goods?
BFL13, does Canadian Tire buy direct from source country of manufacture or from source middle men like Mexico does? Meaning USA importers? Inverter prices NOW not then would be a fair comparison. The hundred + dollar lamps are not superior to the non proprietary lamps.
There are a lot of companies buying a lot of stuff from a lot of distributors. I mentioned CREE LEDs because not only have prices risen but the selection has all but disappeared. Some USA stores have proprietary shapes and they cost $80 - $150 instead of the generic Chinese $20 - $25 and they all come from China.
Me hurt? No but there still are rural ranchos with minimum solar. They could afford twenty dollars for 2 or three 18 watt fixtures. But not twenty dollars each.
i
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MEXICOWANDERER
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05/26/19 08:16pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Anyone Notice Stiff Tariff Increases On Goods?
BFL13, does Canadian Tire buy direct from source country of manufacture or from source middle men like Mexico does? Meaning USA importers? Inverter prices NOW not then would be a fair comparison. The hundred + dollar lamps are not superior to the non proprietary lamps.
There are a lot of companies buying a lot of stuff from a lot of distributors. I mentioned CREE LEDs because not only have prices risen but the selection has all but disappeared. Some USA stores have proprietary shapes and they cost $80 - $150 instead of the generic Chinese $20 - $25 and they all come from China.
Me hurt? No but there still are rural ranchos with minimum solar. They could afford twenty dollars for 2 or three 18 watt fixtures. But not twenty dollars each.
i
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MEXICOWANDERER
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05/26/19 08:15pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Anyone Notice Stiff Tariff Increases On Goods?
"Trolling"
I am not sure my line of interest would include that many more buyers but I used to buy 25 - 30 LED CREE light fixtures for cars.
NOT
ANY
MORE
Prices have climbed 30% in 2-years
AND
90% of the various CREE models have disappeared.
I purchased a WEN roll-around plastic cart for $62.00 in August
Now the same cart from the same vendor costs $93.00
Power supply for $65 two years ago. Same part no. from the same vendor now $105.00.
Price for Catalytic heater $42.00 more expensive.
This has no choice but to negatively influence how I buy things. And no, there are no red-white & blue, alternatives.
I simply have to do without.
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MEXICOWANDERER
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05/26/19 06:04pm |
Tech Issues
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Anyone Notice Stiff Tariff Increases On Goods?
Not interested in nationalism, politics or other theater...
Solar panels or anything else? How about stuff from Taiwan. I don't see why their stuff would jump but then who knows...
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MEXICOWANDERER
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05/26/19 03:10pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Inverter/solar install questions
And here I have 1,600 USABLE amp hours @ 24 volts
And I wouldn't DREAM of extended bedroom use of a 5,000 BTU air conditioner UNLESS I had 50 amps worth of solar.
Must be a new kind of math? :)
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MEXICOWANDERER
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05/26/19 11:52am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Overloading A D.C. Inductive Panel Ammeter?
echo
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MEXICOWANDERER
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05/25/19 10:05pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Overloading A D.C. Inductive Panel Ammeter?
Well for AGM full charge usage leaving "E" at constant 14.4 and watching "I" wander a tenth for a few minutes should be good enough to assssume the half of one percent is good enough for hand grenade accuracy.
I like analog ammeters for casual glance-at ergonomics. IE "Halfway up now, so it's getting there aptitude".
My N.I.S.T. certified meters went the way of the auction block 27 years ago. I even had a 3 foot square gray panel with 10 pole decade switches and a full scale 3.0 4" round meter that was glycerin filled. WWII sub battery monitor? You got me.
ktmrfs
Chargerl' housing is plastic and it's a Meanwell 1500 watt RSP unit (aluminum) -- so good luck there :)
The analog amps will be dialed-in with 11 Bourns 3K 19 turn cermets.
And thanks for some intelligent info about the meter Landy. Why ignorant people respond to concise questions on eBay is beyond me. "Yeah. I own six. Dah meter shows "L" when out of range" (especially after smoking a quarter pounder?)
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MEXICOWANDERER
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05/25/19 10:03pm |
Tech Issues
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Overloading A D.C. Inductive Panel Ammeter?
I have no experience in this area.
I want to use an inductive DC PANEL AMMETER rated for 100-amps on a battery charger rated at 157 amps max.
Their 200-amp inductive gauge has a resolution of 3 numbers, obviously whole amps.
And that stinks for observing fractional amps when monitoring AGM batteries that demand fractional resolution.
The charger has an analog 200-amp meter on the front, and the digital is meant for the lid.
Supposedly after the digital inductive ammeter reaches 99.9 the over range is displayed as an "L"
I don't really want to spend another 36 dollars for a third ammeter as a user can see the "L" and know to defer to the analog gauge.
But obviously overload means overcurrent in the inductive sensor line. Do inductive DC ammeters have intrinsic circuitry to withstand 160% overloading for extended periods of time? Repeatedly? Meaning years of durability?
Mr. Wizard announced this meter on this forum. Like all inductive ammeters a button needs to be pushed to null the meter back to 0. How often? Every use?
There is a five digit voltmeter on the lid so I am not concerned with voltage resolution or accuracy.
Anyone here have hands-on experience with this :) ?
Thanks in advance !
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MEXICOWANDERER
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05/25/19 12:30pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Tiny Soldering "gun"?
Mexico?
Vice grips, nail, butane torch, fishing tackle weights?
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MEXICOWANDERER
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05/25/19 10:27am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Costco battery?
10-3/4 inches long GROUP 24
12" inches long GROUP 27
13" inches long GROUP 31, 30, 29
Measured by the jar, not rope handles, fratches, ledges, etc.
Gotta ruler or tape measure?
Or mark STRING and stuff it in s pocket and take it with you...
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MEXICOWANDERER
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05/25/19 10:21am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Tiny Soldering "gun"?
Don't like to clean constantly overheated soldering tips :(
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MEXICOWANDERER
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05/24/19 02:36pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Tiny Soldering "gun"?
Excellent for when a controlled amount of solder is needed. Closeout item-when they are gone no more will be made. Pellets are approx .500 x .100 x .030 thick. Melting point is 300 degrees. This alloy contains 50% tin, 32% lead & 18% cadmium. For all your manufacturing needs please visit alcanjewelrysupply.com. Contact us for possible volume discounts..
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Solder-pellets-low-melt-approx-500-x-100-x-030-1-lb-bags/223372160340?hash=item340204ad54:g:FtUAAOSwualcWyS7
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/FtUAAOSwualcWyS7/s-l1600.jpg height=500 width=500
DANGER! Poisonous to breathe smoke! A paper medical mask MUST BE WORN WHILE SOLDERING because of the CADMIUM CONTENT!!!
That being said this stuff is near miraculous when soldering near plastic. 300F is what, almost 50F lower than 63/37 electronics solder.
Melt a pellet onto the tip then transfer to the work.
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MEXICOWANDERER
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05/24/19 01:55pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Tiny Soldering "gun"?
'decades 'ago'
THAT'S ME !!!
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MEXICOWANDERER
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05/24/19 01:39pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: TST 507 parts are expensive.
A lot of eBay items are like that. My favorite reply. "Set of four new Michelin tires, all sizes $49.95 each complete. $1,395.00 shipping. I have gotten some pretty saucy replies, usually by women."
But some folks charge ridiculous prices like the above. Absurd shipping at 150% of the going eBay price. I forward the ad to the California state resale board --- obviously cheating on state tax. The ad disappears after a few weeks.
I just had it out with an eBay seller. Weatherpack sets with gray silicone plugs which matches the picture in the ad. Red silicone plugs are half the cost and red is what I received. Cannot force it over an 18 gauge wire to save your ass. I 1-starred the vendor and issued a public warning. He wanted to send me a check. I told him it would cost more in gasoline than the five dollar check was worth. He ended up crediting my Visa account $7.50 I sent nothing back.
On O Rings. WW Grainger sells a huge variety of o-rings. Worth a visit. Probably will find far better product at one quarter the price.
Beware of counterfeit junk.
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MEXICOWANDERER
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05/24/19 01:32pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Watts Help Needed.
Just fine. Smart chargers fill the battery to 80% which allows them to start sulfating right off the starting blocks. They end up ruined maybe 3 or 4 months after the warranty ends. Always wanted a SMART charger that turns a 100 amp hour battery into an 80 amp hour battery. You can thank the Socialist State of Californiagrad for outlawing the importation of ANY manual charger. Companies like Harbor Fright REFUSE to ship manual chargers to zip codes in Californiastan. A place where failed lawyers in Sacramento think for you. Even manual chargers with timers to shut off automatically are outright BANNED. Soon, don't laugh, they will be playing the part of doctors and electrical engineers and dieticians. Without a shred of proof they damned near got to the first stage of banning coffee (enforcing the law of putting a cancer warning label on packaging). Instead of insisting on a right out way of thirty feet clearance around power lines, when it's windy they are going to shut the grid down. Remember, you cannot cure STUPID
The MEGAWATT or converters like what BFL 13 likes are the SOLE sources of battery chargers that do not murder batteries in California.
Don Pianotuna, here are the SPECIFICS I have found in repairs to Harbor Freight chargers.
Button diodes that release their bond to cheap aluminum heatsinks. They will then instantly overheat and burn up.
Cheap 19 gauge POWER WIRES inside that attempt to pass 20 amps of current. BRASS fast-on terminals that overheat, then anneal, get soft as butter then the terminal burns up. Selector buttons that burn out, and their function means trying to switch six terminals at once. A DO NOT BUY even at a 90% discount recommendation from me. They are total 100% garbage.
Down here in Mexico, wheeled Schumaker manual chargers are sold in COSTCO for $107 dollars + 8% tax. Mexican batteries are not worth their cost.
Cut out the fan cutout atop a MEGAWATT then place s correct WIRE fan guard using GOOP and this will drastically increase cooling airflow through the unit. Credit where credit is due to LANDYACHT for finding this. For the last year MEGAWATT switched to a higher airflow ball bearing cooling fan that quadruples fan life.
Always use a reliable timer on the AC of a manual battery charger. Unlike a Failed lawyer you can THINK to resolve a problem.
Yeah CALIFORNIA. The home of Ocasio Cortes who wants to ban RV's and air travel. "Take the midnight train to Tashkent and Tokyo?" Because I am a battery engineer I despise the double-digit IQ in Sacramento. Sue me.
Either charge a battery right or spend $500 by destroying them regularly by boondocking with a SMART charger.
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MEXICOWANDERER
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05/24/19 10:45am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Watts Help Needed.
Just fine. Smart chargers fill the battery to 80% which allows them to start sulfating right off the starting blocks. They end up ruined maybe 3 or 4 months after the warranty ends. Always wanted a SMART charger that turns a 100 amp hour battery into an 80 amp hour battery. You can thank the Socialist State of Californiagrad for outlawing the importation of ANY manual charger. Companies like Harbor Fright REFUSE to ship manual chargers to zip codes in Californiastan. A place where failed lawyers in Sacramento think for you. Even manual chargers with timers to shut off automatically are outright BANNED. Soon, don't laugh, they will be playing the part of doctors and electrical engineers and dieticians. Without a shred of proof they damned near got to the first stage of banning coffee (enforcing the law of putting a cancer warning label on packaging). Instead of insisting on a right out way of thirty feet clearance around power lines, when it's windy they are going to shut the grid down.
The MEGAWATT or converters like what BFL 13 likes are the SOLE sources of battery chargers that do not murder batteries in California.
Don Pianotuna, here are the SPECIFICS I have found in repairs to Harbor Freight chargers.
Button diodes that release their bond to cheap aluminum heatsinks. They will then instantly overheat and burn up.
Cheap 19 gauge POWER WIRES inside that attempt to pass 20 amps of current. BRASS fast-on terminals that overheat, then anneal, get soft as butter then the terminal burns up. Selector buttons that burn out, and their function means trying to switch six terminals at once. A DO NOT BUY even at a 90% discount recommendation from me. They are total 100% garbage.
Down here in Mexico, wheeled Schumaker manual chargers are sold in COSTCO for $107 dollars + 8% tax. Mexican batteries are not worth their cost.
Cut out the fan cutout atop a MEGAWATT then place s correct WIRE fan guard using GOOP and this will drastically increase cooling airflow through the unit. Credit where credit is due to LANDYACHT for finding this. For the last year MEGAWATT switched to a higher airflow ball bearing cooling fan that quadruples fan life.
Always use a reliable timer on the AC of a manual battery charger. Unlike a Failed lawyer you can THINK to resolve a problem.
Yeah CALIFORNIA. The home of Ocasio Cortes who wants to ban RV's and air travel. "Take the midnight train to Tashkent and Tokyo?" Because I am a battery engineer I despise the double-digit IQ in Sacramento. Sue me.
Either charge a battery right or spend $500 by destroying them regularly by boondocking with a SMART charger.
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MEXICOWANDERER
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05/24/19 10:45am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Tiny Soldering "gun"?
After a few tens of millions of solder joins (15,000 alternators drag boats like the Kelley II, soldering is not unknown to me :). But finding a non clumsy heating tip is/was a challenge. If the 5vdc unit heats up fast enough I'll use a foot switch on the AC to 5 volt power supply.
When they were wheeling me into the surgery ward for a pacemaker implant, I yelled "STOP!" at the doorway.
Over the table was a monitor that must have measured 80" x 30" probably at 10x diopter. A cellphone is way too small of a display but a gooseneck camera and a 24" flat panel isn't. Now to find the parts...
At surgery someone quipped "Anxiety Attack" and the next thing I knew I woke up 2 hours later. They had jabbed the IV with some unknown drug. Explaining it to the recovery RN was fruitless. She kept giving me knowing looks.
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MEXICOWANDERER
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05/23/19 09:50pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Tiny Soldering "gun"?
After a few tens of millions of solder joins (15,000 alternators drag boats like the Kelley II, soldering is not unknown to me :). But finding a non clumsy heating tip is/was a challenge. If the 5vdc unit heats up fast enough I'll use a foot switch on the AC to 5 volt power supply.
When they were wheeling me into the surgery ward for a pacemaker implant, I yelled "STOP!" at the doorway.
Over the table was a monitor that must have measured 80" x 30" probably at 10x diopter. A cellphone is way too small of a display but a gooseneck camera and a 24" flat panel isn't. Now to find the parts...
At surgery someone quipped "Anxiety Attack" and the next thing I knew I woke up 2 hours later. They had jabbed the IV with some unknown drug. Explaining it to the recovery RN was fruitless. She kept giving me knowing looks.
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MEXICOWANDERER
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05/23/19 09:50pm |
Tech Issues
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