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I realize I am asking for a technological solution to a behavioral problem, but here goes. My friend's wife had a 2001 Honda Civic and sometimes drove my friend's 2001 Toyota Camry. She has broken the passenger side mirror off of both cars multiple times. It hasn't been a big deal because aftermarket mirrors for those cars are cheap and easy to come by. They recently bought her an Infiniti EX35 and they want to avoid the same problem. She is thirty years old and her reversing skills probably aren't going to improve any time soon. Is there anything else they can do to increase the chances of not breaking the mirror? Strategically mounted mirror in the garage? Laser tracking system for the mirror position relative to the garage door opening? Explosive bolts that blow the mirror off if pressure is applied to it?
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Jul 9, 2015 14:16
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| # ? May 25, 2024 23:04 |
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Driving lessons.
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Jul 9, 2015 14:24
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Do the mirrors fold in? They look like they do. A) Fold the mirror in all the time to make it a smaller profile when reversing. This may make the rest of the car more vulnerable as now she can't see the side of the car in the mirror. B) Have her stop as soon as the mirror hits. Chances are she'll be able to reverse direction and fold the mirror back out with minor scratches on it. C) Teach her to use the mirror. If you can see the object in the mirror as you get closer, that object is going to hit the mirror!
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Jul 9, 2015 14:34
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PBCrunch posted:I realize I am asking for a technological solution to a behavioral problem, but here goes. Install a tazer in the drivers seat triggered by the mirror being hit. Or simply remove the mirror  (The answer is driving lessons or cut up her license.)
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Jul 9, 2015 15:02
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make her drive a crap can until she learns not to hit poo poo? I know this isn't the answer you are looking for, but for christ's sake.... take 30 seconds to size up the situation. what if its a kid she backs into and not ripping off the mirror.
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Jul 9, 2015 15:05
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If she's always doing it in the garage, hang a tennis ball from the ceiling such that it bumps the window if you're too far over. Or make her pay for her own mirrors. BrokenKnucklez posted:what if its a kid she backs into and not ripping off the mirror.
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Jul 9, 2015 19:09
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And it's a lot more fun to make new kids than it is to make new mirrors.kastein posted:(The answer is driving lessons or cut up her license.) This, before she breaks the mirror off on a motorcyclist / a child's head / somebody's balls.
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Jul 9, 2015 19:11
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InitialDave posted:If she's always doing it in the garage, hang a tennis ball from the ceiling such that it bumps the window if you're too far over. Alternately, give her something she can line the center of her car up with in the garage that is easily visible at all times of the day/night.
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Jul 9, 2015 19:15
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PBCrunch posted:I realize I am asking for a technological solution to a behavioral problem, but here goes. Get some of those rails they have at the car wash and install them in the driveway before she gets into the garage so it guides her gently into the right spot.
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Jul 9, 2015 19:34
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Buy a G01 7 series? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tmCLZOM8kw
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Jul 9, 2015 22:55
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Sadi posted:So I'm tired of my lovely multimeters. What's a popular option? I'd love to get my hands a fluke 87 V but its tough to find one cheap on Craigslist. Fluke. I just picked up an old 87 for $90. I checked it against my NIST-cal'd 87-V, my PowerDesigns 2005A, and a couple of precision Vishay resistors... guess what? Dead-nuts accurate. You just gotta be patient. I was in a rush, and needed my 87-V, so I paid $325 for it, with a couple sets of Fluke leads, and an NIST cal. You can get some, although not many, Fluke meters from Zoro and use a 25% or 30% coupon when they have them. (http://www.zoro.com/fluke-digital-multimeter-10a-50-mohms-1000v-fluke-87-v/i/G1608652/) I've owned Ideal, BK, Extech, Amprobe, and several other brands of meters over the years. For automotive use, whatever will work, including a HF freebie. For real electronics use (or anything on home wiring), I won't touch anything that isn't 600V CATII Rated, and I mean really rated, not rubber stamped. Proper MOVs, Proper PTC's, and real HRC fuses. Wanna see what happens with 660VAC and a cheap-o meter set on Ohms? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEoazQ1zuUM#t=5m29s Notice that the Fluke (not even a high-end meter) just took 660VAC across the ohms setting without doing anything. There are countless threads on EEVBlog forums about multimeters and safety ratings. It's good to check that the meter you are looking at is not on the list of failures: http://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/a-list-of-multimeters-that-do-not-appear-to-meet-their-claimed-safety-specs/ Dave Jones does several multimeter shootout videos at certain price points. Choose one of his recommendations, and you'll be fine. Note, that doesn't include ANY EX-series Extech, which can be good, or can be complete crap, and don't meet safety req's. Good listing of features/specs: http://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/multimeter-spreadsheet/ Last page, download the XLS, and start sorting. Just to give you an idea of where I'm coming from, I routinely measure 350VDC on big photo-flash capacitors, the trigger transformer for the flashtube is 14kV, and the current during the flash (2ms duration) is ~1400A. When I check for current leakage or need to ring out a cable, I use a 1kV source. Needless to say, I'm very happy to spend some extra money and make sure that I've got good, safe meters. sharkytm fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Jul 10, 2015 |
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Jul 10, 2015 02:32
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That's all well and good, but plenty of people do hobbyist electronics (I do mostly musical instruments and scale model wiring) and never have to use a meter on any source pushing more than ~110v (most frequently 12v and below). Making sure it's rated to handle the voltages and amperages you're working with is important, but if you're not dealing with mains power or stuff like flyback transformers, there's no point in getting worked up into a lather and spending the big money for a 1kv+ rated meter over making sure it's category rated when all you're doing is chasing shorts in an automotive 12v system trying to diagnose what's wrong with your car. For automotive poo poo, unless you feel like cracking open a xenon ballast, even the cheapest HF meter will probably meet 99% of your diagnosis needs. (I got a nicer midrange meter because I needed something that could test beta on transistors for putting together matched pairs for ladder filters, and also a decent frequency counter and capacitance tester for finding matched pairs of capacitors for making and calibrating oscillator circuits, but for working on my car half the time I just use an old cheapo ratshack meter I've had forever since on cars I pretty much am either checking continuity or checking battery/system voltage to see if it's the battery or the alternator). Militant Lesbian fucked around with this message at 04:43 on Jul 10, 2015 |
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Jul 10, 2015 04:34
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If you are putting a DMM of any sort anywhere near a flyback transformer please please please reconsider, you want an HV meter/probe for that for your sake and the meter's sake as well. It will end very poorly, the probes on DMMs (even high voltage ones) aren't designed for that voltage and neither are the meters.
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Jul 10, 2015 12:35
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HotCanadianChick posted:That's all well and good, but plenty of people do hobbyist electronics (I do mostly musical instruments and scale model wiring) and never have to use a meter on any source pushing more than ~110v (most frequently 12v and below). If you only work on low voltage (<24v), like I said, then even a HF freebie will do just fine. I keep one in both cars for just that use. But for someone just starting out, it doesn't seem like much of a deal to try and fix an LCD monitor, or maybe a printer. It's not a far jump to "Hey, I saw on YouTube that a lot of problems with consumer electronics are from bad power supply capacitors. Let's just check the output." And they hit the input side because they don't know any better. There's no way I would touch mains voltage with a HF meter. I'm not getting into a lather, not am I suggesting spending "big bucks" on some crazy arc-flash-suit meter. $50 will get you a decent meter, and $75 will get you a second hand Fluke. I still have my first meter, which was a Craftsman digital. It cost about $50 when I was 8, and it had HRC fuses along with decent input protection. It's still kicking, and lives in the garage for general use. I've used it on mains voltage up to 240VAC, no problems.
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Jul 10, 2015 13:03
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I can finally consolidate all my tools down to one essential multitool. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OEXRFup0h0
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Jul 10, 2015 20:54
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mod sassinator posted:I really like these Amprobe PM-60 pocket multimeters: http://www.ebay.com/itm/PM-60-Digital-Multi-Meter-Amprobe-/181778942933?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a52de8bd5 I'm picking one of these up. It looks like it should hold me over until I find a good deal. I spent some time on eev and I think I'm going to wait out finding a ~$100 fluke 87 or the like.
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Jul 11, 2015 00:09
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Sadi posted:I'm picking one of these up. It looks like it should hold me over until I find a good deal. I spent some time on eev and I think I'm going to wait out finding a ~$100 fluke 87 or the like. That's a good deal. $10 for a disposable micro meter that will probably last a long time, so long as you don't whack it with too much current (I see no mention of a fuse). The non-removable leads will eventually fatigue and snap near the base, but it's  ... who cares. Cat II 600V, and some sort of input protection according to the spec sheet. I'd stick that in a wall outlet. I'd love to see what it does if you put 240VAC across it in ohms mode.
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Jul 11, 2015 03:16
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Yeah I'm curious myself what it's like inside so I popped one open (pretty easy, just one screw holds the back on with some clips):  I'm not a multimeter expert but it seems about par for course given the price. Those AG20 Taiyo blocks must be fuses--unfortunately I can't see any details on them and they really aren't made to be replaced given that they're soldered in to the board. I have a feeling this is pretty much designed to take a surge of voltage/current and kill itself, never to be used again. Much beyond 600V and the close proximity of where the leads are soldered on to the board would probably be a trouble spot. So yeah, it can probably handle mains voltage without any trouble but I wouldn't go probing stuff beyond that.
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Jul 11, 2015 03:45
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mod sassinator posted:
Those grey blocks look much more like spark gap over voltage devices than anything else. If anything they will protect the meter from damage but not you (think ESD or the like). The only fuse like device I see is the green roundish blob at the bottom labeled PTC1. This is a self re-setting fuse and I would not, in anyway, trust one of those to clear an high capacity over current event like using the current mode to measure voltage. In a real high capacity fault the let-through current would be enough to slag everything around it (ie, you). Cheap meters are like any other cheap tool. If you do know what you are doing, you can use them and deal with the issues they inevitably cause. If you don't know what you are doing, you get incorrect results and never know why. In the worst case they explode in your hand. I saw a guy in high school get very close and personal with arc flash when he measured voltage using the current setting on a multimeter. I don't recall the brand, but it did not have the expensive big fuse to protect against this and so the whole current mode tract vaporized from the PCB. He was lucky in that the source was just a normal 120V outlet but he still had some melted plastic from the case splashed in his face. The second  time he did it he was kicked out of the class If you look an a high quality meter you will find a fuse that cost in the range of $20 to replace (quantity one). It is a very fast acting fuse with a very high interrupt current rating. I don't think you can make a meter safe without one of these if it has a current measuring mode. The other problem I have with cheap meters is their tendency to give interesting results when the battery gets low. I threw out a bunch of no-name meters when I realized they would show 4.5V on a 3.3V voltage when the battery got low (but not low enough for the low battery indicator to turn on). For 12V systems, you are probably safe as even a PTC fuse will likely protect you. The low battery issue is more of a concern as trust in your diagnostic instruments is critical.
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Jul 11, 2015 05:55
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Fluke meters give goofball results when the battery is low. The phenomena is not unique too cheap meters.
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Jul 11, 2015 14:37
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Huh, my cheap HF meter was reliable for a while but started showing ~11v on a fresh car battery lately. I just figured it'd poo poo the bed; guess I should open it up.
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Jul 11, 2015 15:17
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PBCrunch posted:Fluke meters give goofball results when the battery is low. The phenomena is not unique too cheap meters. Never had that problem with good quality meters. They all have battery change or status indicators and will give good results at least until the point they tell you to replace the battery,
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Jul 11, 2015 15:20
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ZincBoy posted:Those grey blocks look much more like spark gap over voltage devices than anything else. If anything they will protect the meter from damage but not you (think ESD or the like). I blew the fuse on my 87-V a couple of months ago, $14 for a replacement 440ma fuse. I've also got an old 87 (Which I installed HRC fuses in when I got it), a 179, a 45 benchtop, and my new 8842A. Plenty of meters to go around!
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Jul 11, 2015 15:40
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Yeah, those fuses for flukes are exxy. I bought a 87-III about 9 years ago, got it for about $190 from US ebay from someone in an industry where they needed them serviced/calibrated, so it was in good condition, came with recent calibration paperwork and was way cheaper than buying one in Australia. It served me well and was ultra accurate but it died a couple of years back (too much exposure to water and falls, plus being thrown around in a knapsack during my HVAC job I think). I have a back up chinese fluke (China made, for china domestic market), it's a 17B I bought 4 years ago that cost me $120. While accurate - I owned it at the same time as the 87-III was working in order to test- it's very very slow to read, the 87-III was very very quick in general compared to any meter, and this China one is one of the slowest compared to any meter. I've got a couple of clamp meters anyway as well as back ups for a meter so not bothering on replacing the 87-III even if the 17b is sooo slow. Fo3 fucked around with this message at 12:09 on Jul 12, 2015 |
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Jul 12, 2015 12:06
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Getting real sick of digging out 5 different tool boxes when I need to do something even slightly involved so I figure it's time I got a proper cabinet and top box. It's mainly gonna be used for occasional auto and woodworking poo poo, so does something like this look okayish for a start? Supercheap are doing a deal on that brand and selling a set for less than the price of the base alone would cost.
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Jul 12, 2015 15:07
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A Harbor Freight store is opening in town this month. Is there anything to specifically avoid there or is it all decent enough
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Jul 12, 2015 22:05
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Avoid anything that needs a lot of precision or that will kill/hurt/strand you if it fails (stupid battery terminal disconnect switch, I'm looking at you--thanks for stranding me in a parking lot multiple times).
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Jul 12, 2015 23:30
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Consumables like sawzall blades, grinder wheels, etc really suck there and I have purchased a few pairs of pliers that didn't even work one time. I also wouldn't buy anything electronic that was even a little bit mission critical. I have had great luck with their impact sockets, breaker bars, etc. I also have a Chicago angle grinder that has been going for 10 years. It sounds like hell but keeps on grinding. Never used any of their other power tools.
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Jul 13, 2015 00:00
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The air tools generally seem to be OK. I like my "Earthquake" 1/2" impact gun. If you don't have one already, get the oil filter vise grips. The cutoff wheels and drill bits are terrible.
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Jul 13, 2015 00:30
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rally posted:I also have a Chicago angle grinder that has been going for 10 years. Best $9.99 I ever spent in my life. I can't believe it still works after all the terrible things I have done to it.
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Jul 13, 2015 01:05
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0toShifty posted:Best $9.99 I ever spent in my life. I can't believe it still works after all the terrible things I have done to it. For real. I used to be an elevator mechanic and I used that angle grinder to chop up countless hunks of old steel in elevator shafts in DC. I originally bought it for a job where we had to chop up a series of old elevator rails into ten foot sections to get them out of an old shaft expecting it to break on the one job and 10 years later I'm still using it all the time.
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Jul 13, 2015 01:16
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The HF hoseclamps are worse than worthless.
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Jul 13, 2015 01:17
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IOwnCalculus posted:The HF hoseclamps are worse than worthless. Holy poo poo this. I bought a box of them and have literally stripped them out tightening them without them being on anything. I dumped the contents in the trash and use the box for the few decent clamps I still had.
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Jul 13, 2015 02:01
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PBCrunch posted:The air tools generally seem to be OK. I like my "Earthquake" 1/2" impact gun. If you don't have one already, get the oil filter vise grips. The Earthquake gun is worth it. Not perfect but its blasted off lots nasty bolts. Also the 9.99 grinder is amazing. I have beat the poo poo out of mine and it still keeps going.
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Jul 13, 2015 03:07
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My toolkit is like half harbor freight, half old craftsman yard sale stuff. I've used their sockets a lot and they're fine for the price. The black impact 6pt sockets are actually really nice if you ask me. I also got a set of extensions there and they've been really good. The composite ratchets are a solid deal. I have both the 3ton steel jack and the 1500lb motorcycle lift and have used them for years now with no complaints (the motorcycle lift has doubled well as a transmission jack). Gotta keep em lubed or they squeal. I've got a ton of those gold-handle HF screwdrivers around; they hold up well to abuse. I've almost bought pliers there but they all seem really lovely even for a couple bucks. I have a set of combination wrenches, but I'm not nuts about them - they don't seem to fit tightly, and combined with them being really thin they want to round off bolts. They're spares at most. Their sledges and deadblows are cheap and good. I like my 3/8" Earthquake impact, and have a few of the coily compressor hoses w/HF fittings that haven't let me down yet. HF really shines when you need some stupid tool fast, and know you're only going to use it once or twice (like the macpherson strut compressors). I bought the $15 angle grinder and it got me through a couple of months of heavy wirewheeling on my Jeep, but the disc wobbles now and feels like it's going to fly off. I must have got a bad one, but for $15 who cares. The wirewheel held up great. As a side note, my Car & Driver magazines and my dad's NRA subscription always come with a HF 20% off/free flashlight etc. coupon in the back. I tear them out and keep them in the car for when I buy stuff $25+. I now have those little LED flashlights everywhere and I love them because they are simple on/off, not low/high/strobe/vibrate/red/highlow/aaaghghh like most LED torches. One of my most used tools is one of those wrapped in electrical tape so I can hold it in my teeth comfortably while working in tight spaces 
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Jul 13, 2015 03:32
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SD-455 posted:A Harbor Freight store is opening in town this month. Is there anything to specifically avoid there or is it all decent enough Avoid just about anything without a lifetime warranty, enjoy the cheap hand tools.
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Jul 13, 2015 05:58
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SD-455 posted:A Harbor Freight store is opening in town this month. Is there anything to specifically avoid there or is it all decent enough N-thing the cheapo grinder. Once you get it home, rip it open and clean out all the old earwax/lovely grease and replace it with some good hi-temp stuff. I did that right out of the gate and I've been kicking the poo poo out of mine recently. No complaints. Sacrificed one of their 8lb sledges to make a nice heavy beater, too. The cheap magnetic trays are nice, too.
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Jul 13, 2015 15:30
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Jackstands are good Engine hoist, 12 ton press, 3 ton floor jack, etc are great 2 ton chainfall is great 3/4 drive socket sets and breaker bars are great (I have put over 1000 foot pounds through their 3/4 breaker bar without it even deforming the square drive corners) Orange deadblows are great Their extendable handle ratchets are AWESOME though I broke the plastic handle off my 1/2 drive one barehanded yesterday The small red metal bandsaw is great Their wood handled hammers are loving garbage Angle grinder I'm gonna go against the flow and say they are loving garbage too, the one time I used a friend's it tried to murder me by chucking fan blades at me through the vents. A decent brand at HD/lowes is like 20 bucks more, just buy a good one. Cutoff wheels are garbage, and have cancer warnings on them, I get better quality ones for 30% less from heleta.com anyways Drill bits are garbage Hoseclamps are garbage HNBR oring assortment is hot wet garbage and wasted hours of my time chasing leaks caused by them AC gauge/manifold set is great, I have used mine 3 or 4 times now with great success 4 wheel engine stands are great Welding consumables are absolute trash, buy miller/lincoln wire at a real store long reach welding clamp visegrips are garbage 3-4 inch reach ones are alright Welding ground clamp (the cast brass/bronze one) is great Knotted 4.5" wire wheels are alright, they wear faster than name brand but cost like a quarter as much so who cares Air nibbler is loving TRASH Drywall mud mixing paddle is maybe alright for that, but turns into a pretzel when used on concrete, the ones HD/lowes sell will handle concrete at full throttle so buy those instead E: oh yeah, their dial indicator, digital caliper, and verynear mic are alright. Not something I would show up with as a pro or a machinist but did just fine for a ring/pinion setup I did. That is about all I can think of atm. kastein fucked around with this message at 16:23 on Jul 13, 2015 |
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Jul 13, 2015 16:19
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Awesome thanks guys
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Jul 13, 2015 16:32
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| # ? May 25, 2024 23:04 |
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kastein posted:That is about all I can think of atm. Zip ties are trash.
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Jul 13, 2015 16:34
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