What is your next machine?

[woodchucker]

FL has gotten crazy expensive, and my wife has no interest in moving there, so I’m safe . My parents moved I think 18 years ago. They got a good price from their house in NJ, I grew up not that far from you in Branchburg, and were able to get into the Villages before prices really spiked. Their property taxes are much lower than what they paid in NJ, no schools to pay for in the retirement community I guess. Their house is valued at about the same as ours here in CT, but their taxes are less than half of what we pay. My brother lives in FL and mentioned something about taxes being capped at a percentage of the house value when you bought it, I would be curious what the taxes would be if we bought something there.

no desire to go sweat down there. I melt...
I always preferred the cold to the heat. Although as I am getting older the cold is tougher, but I still can't take the heat. I had no problem with the heat in AZ, but was never there in the summer. I like the dry heat that they had.

I feel more alive in the weather we are having right now.

 

[Ischgl99]

no desire to go sweat down there. I melt...
I always preferred the cold to the heat. Although as I am getting older the cold is tougher, but I still can't take the heat. I had no problem with the heat in AZ, but was never there in the summer. I like the dry heat that they had.

I feel more alive in the weather we are having right now.

Same, I need the seasons and really don’t like hot humid weather. I worked a project in Phoenix arriving mid July when it was 115. It was really hot, but not as bad as you would expect.

 

[dkemppai]

Nice pc. The 10Gb Ethernet is used for the machinery? Or an sdr/oscilloscope?

Why, lightning is expensive! Lost several PC's a few years ago from lightning hits two summers in a row. Used Solarflare dual SFP+ server network cards for $17 from eBay. (The new PC is replacing one that I *think* took damage, and is finally failing from lightning).

LC SFP modules are about the same price for 1.25G or 10G. So bought some 10G hardware for main PC's and fileserver.
Just broke down and bought a 10 port SFP/SFP+ switch, so some of the less expensive PC's can go from WiFi to fiber also.

And, once you have 10G, it's hard to go back...

 

[tim81]

Why, lightning is expensive! Lost several PC's a few years ago from lightning hits two summers in a row. Used Solarflare dual SFP+ server network cards for $17 from eBay. (The new PC is replacing one that I *think* took damage, and is finally failing from lightning).

LC SFP modules are about the same price for 1.25G or 10G. So bought some 10G hardware for main PC's and fileserver.
Just broke down and bought a 10 port SFP/SFP+ switch, so some of the less expensive PC's can go from WiFi to fiber also.

And, once you have 10G, it's hard to go back...

Hemmm interesting. I guess I need to switch to shielded cable too. The 10G will have to wait for me.

 

[dkemppai]

Hemmm interesting. I guess I need to switch to shielded cable too. The 10G will have to wait for me.

Well, I spent the weekend replacing yet another PC that died a long slow death from lightning. That one was just a data logging PC, and I have been able to remote desktop into it since the video port was damaged a few years back. It finally died, and with no monitor it was impossible to try to repair/troubleshoot. It's an All-in-one PC, so no replacing cards.

With lightning my concern is inductive pickup loops. With only a power line coming in, there is no loop to couple currents into. If you have power and ethernet/USB, or anything else tied to another device with power ground you can get a loop. Even though ethernet is supposed to be isolated with transformers, lightning can easily overcome the few KV isolation spec of the transformer. So I don't know that shielded cable helps in a lightning situation. This is why fiber was chosen, specifically fiber without any metal in it.

Of course, the insidious nature of high voltage damage to electronics (lightning or static) is that the damage may not be apparent for months or years. The main PC that's being replaced lost the PS2 ports and then Audio chips a couple years after the event. Perhaps it wasn't the lightning, it's hard to tell at this point. This little data logger WAS damaged by lightning, but managed to chug along for while.

The freeness server got a new mainboard because the Cyber Power UPS let the surge travel through the USB cable and fry the mainboard. Learned my lesson there. NO USB to UPSs.

 

[matthewsx]

Well, I spent the weekend replacing yet another PC that died a long slow death from lightning. That one was just a data logging PC, and I have been able to remote desktop into it since the video port was damaged a few years back. It finally died, and with no monitor it was impossible to try to repair/troubleshoot. It's an All-in-one PC, so no replacing cards.

With lightning my concern is inductive pickup loops. With only a power line coming in, there is no loop to couple currents into. If you have power and ethernet/USB, or anything else tied to another device with power ground you can get a loop. Even though ethernet is supposed to be isolated with transformers, lightning can easily overcome the few KV isolation spec of the transformer. So I don't know that shielded cable helps in a lightning situation. This is why fiber was chosen, specifically fiber without any metal in it.

Of course, the insidious nature of high voltage damage to electronics (lightning or static) is that the damage may not be apparent for months or years. The main PC that's being replaced lost the PS2 ports and then Audio chips a couple years after the event. Perhaps it wasn't the lightning, it's hard to tell at this point. This little data logger WAS damaged by lightning, but managed to chug along for while.

The freeness server got a new mainboard because the Cyber Power UPS let the surge travel through the USB cable and fry the mainboard. Learned my lesson there. NO USB to UPSs.

Isolation transformer

https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-Isolation-Transformer-Outlet/dp/B00006HPFH/ref=sr_1_6?hvadid=557593197581&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9032160&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=15089243421258284265&hvtargid=kwd-26982980&hydadcr=18912_13357708&keywords=isolation%2Btransformer&qid=1699293173&sr=8-6&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.f5122f16-c3e8-4386-bf32-63e904010ad0&th=1

 

[woodchucker]

I would recommend a ZeroSurge protection unit. Most of them protect commercial and highly sensitive stuff. But They are affordable, and since they don't break down like normal surge protectors, they are good for multiple strikes. I have a friend that bought the company because he was so impressed with them. I have one, and my son has one.. I wish I could afford to put one everywhere . He told me it's a waste to do a whole house unit, that you need to protect at the equip.. because even turning on equip can cause a surge that needs to be taken care of.

 

[wachuko]

I would recommend a ZeroSurge protection unit. Most of them protect commercial and highly sensitive stuff. But They are affordable, and since they don't break down like normal surge protectors, they are good for multiple strikes. I have a friend that bought the company because he was so impressed with them. I have one, and my son has one.. I wish I could afford to put one everywhere . He told me it's a waste to do a whole house unit, that you need to protect at the equip.. because even turning on equip can cause a surge that needs to be taken care of.

Wow!

 

[tim81]

If the line is long, he needs a 5kw transformer to properly dissipate the over voltage. Make sure to properly ground the electrical system. With lightning that powerful you need to be worried about the house. Make sure to rent or asks friends for the tool to measure the grounding resistance.

 

[Ken from ontario]

I am not really in a buying mood, turning 79 next week.

Age is an important factor whether we like it or not, at least for me it is, I'm 69 years old now and have already sold most of my woodworking machines,(~5 years ago), at that time I still felt I had a good few years ahead of me so I bought a lathe a mill and a couple of other metal fabricating stuff but now that I'm almost 70 years old I can't help wondering if I'm creating more headache for my family (wife, son) if I keep buying more expensive toys.