November 2011

Uses for Electrical Meters Part 1

by Andy on November 30, 2011

There are many types of electrical meters, but their uses are not always clear. It can be especially confusing for people who are just starting to work on electrical projects, who may not know what each meter is for. As always, we are here to help with a guide to different meters and their typical uses. This week we are going to focus on voltmeters, resistivity meters, and nanocoulomb meters. Be sure to check back next Monday for more!

Voltmeter:

As the name suggests, these meters measure voltage. Voltage is the “power” of the electricity going through the wire. If you think of it in terms of a pipe full of water, it would be similar to the water pressure. Voltmeters can be used to test if a circuit is working, such as a wall plug in your house. If you test the voltage in a socket in typical US houses, it should come out to 110-120 volts.

These meters are very flexible and can be used in a large number of other situations as well. Not only can voltmeters test electrical objects, but with the proper equipment, they can also be used to monitor bioelectric processes such as nerves firing. Very sensitive equipment is needed for this type of application (as well as extremely clean standards if working with live samples), but the general properties are similar to the voltmeters that are found in an electrician’s tool belt.

Resistivity Meter:

Again we luck out with products being labeled literally, as this meter measures resistance. Resistance is how hard it is for an electrical current to flow over a specific area. If you use the water pipe analogy, a place with high resistance would be a smaller diameter. As resistance goes up, it is harder for the current to flow (like a pipe whose diameter keeps getting smaller).

These meters can be used to check how much resistance a component in a circuit provides. Another type of this meter is the surface resistivity meter. This can measure the resistance of a surface, which is important for testing ESD-safe mats or work surfaces. Using a surface resistivity meter can help you tell if a surface is insulative, dissipative, anti-static, or conductive.

NanoCoulomb Meter:

This meter is a bit less common than voltmeters and resistivity meters, but it is an important piece of equipment. Its name again points towards its use, as it measures nanocoulombs. Coulombs are the standard unit of electric charge, defined by how much charge is transported by a current of one ampere per second. A nanocoulomb is one billionth of a coulomb, so this device is able to measure very small charges.

A nanocoulomb meter can typically test objects using either a Faraday cup or a contact probe. With the Faraday cup, you just place the object inside the cup and take a reading to find the item’s total charge. It also has the benefit of being able to tell you the mobile charge if you lift the item out of the cup with wooden or insulative tongs. With this, you can even calculate the immobile charge of the object by subtracting the mobile charge from the total charge. The contact probe is better for getting the charge of a specific point on an object. This is particularly useful if you are testing individual pins on a circuit board.

These are just a few of the many meters that we have at www.All-Spec.com. Be sure to check them out, especially our upcoming Monroe Meters! Also next Monday we will have another article on more meters and electrical testing equipment, so keep an eye on our site for information.

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Holiday Gift Ideas at All-Spec.com

by Andy on November 25, 2011

Cyber Monday is today and of course we all know what that means… People looking everywhere online to get the best deals for their holiday shopping from the comfort of your own home! Here at All-Spec, we want to make sure that the holidays are as stress-free as possible for you, so we offer great gifts that are shipped right to your door. You don’t have to brave the holiday traffic and you can get a great deal as well. It can be hard to figure out exactly what to get others, so we have gathered a list of some of our best items, as well as who would love to receive them!

For the unorganized do-it-yourselfer:

Bucket Boss: These tool organizers are extremely durable and give plenty of space to keep tools in the right place and easy to reach. Not only that, but Bucket Boss offers a wide array of options, from tool belts to large bags, and even the Mug Boss desk and workbench organizer.

MegaPro Driver MegaPro Screwdrivers: I know for my house you can never have enough screwdrivers around. They are always useful, and the MegaPro screwdrivers have the added benefit of being extremely versatile without taking up much space. The 15-in-1 screwdrivers are especially nice, as they have most of the tips that you should need on a day-to-day basis without any external kit! Also the MegaPro screwdrivers have some accessories that make them stand out even further such as clip-on LED lights and a tool belt holster.

General Tools Screwdriver General Tools 500 Cordless Screwdriver: This is a nice item for anyone who wants a bit of extra power in their screwdriver without the bulk of a cordless drill. The General Tools 500 also gives some extra power and reduces fatigue on any project where someone needs to fasten or undo a bunch of screws in a row. It also fits nicely into a tool pouch for greater convenience. For more high quality tools make sure to check out the rest of the General Tools product lineup.

Coast Multitool Coast Pliers and Knives: Here are more items that all do-it-yourself people need. The pliers are great because not only are they full multi-tools, but they also have a built in LED light. The knives have a cut out handle and a titanium coated blade so that they give you a great cutting edge while staying light.

For the repair person:

ECG Boroscope ECG Borescopes: These items can really take a person’s repairing skills to the next level. Borescopes are handy for troubleshooting drain problems as well as working in and around cars and other tight spaces. It can also help save time, as you can figure out if anything is cracked or broken without having to take apart the item.

Coast Flashlights: If you have someone that is always fixing the sink or going through the attic or crawlspace, then a good flashlight is essential. One type of flashlight that can be very useful is the Coast headlamp, as it leaves both of your hands free to work while lighting up your workspace. If you want to go all out, there is the new Coast A25 flashlight. This heavy duty flashlight has a ridiculously bright 196 lumen beam that can shine up to 211 yards! The beam is adjustable so you can dim it if you do not need all that power all of the time, but it certainly is one of the most powerful flashlights that we carry.

Channellock Pliers: If you think the repair person in your life needs a bit more heft to their pliers, you can never go wrong with Channellock. All of Channellock’s pliers are heavy duty and many come with ergonomic handles.

For the electronics hobbyist:

Hakko FX-888 Soldering Station: This soldering station is a great choice for anyone looking for a new soldering iron. It is very affordable, and it comes with everything you need to get started except the solder wire. Another great accessory for the soldering iron is a wire holder and dispenser, which can help keep a work area organized while giving easy access to more solder.

ECG Butane Soldering Irons: Sometimes you need more portability and faster heating times than a traditional soldering station allows. Butane soldering irons are a great choice as a backup iron, as they allow for portability without sacrificing power.

All-Spec Magnifiers: These magnifiers are great for anyone who works on small circuit boards or other items at a workbench. They provide illumination and magnification to allow greater attention to detail for all sorts of projects.

Channellock Strip and Crimp Channellock Wire Strippers and Crimpers: These strippers and crimpers are great for people who like to do custom wiring for speaker systems or networks. Having a quality tool for these jobs is essential, and Channellock provides one of the best products on the market.

These are just a few of the hundreds of great gifts that we have at www.All-Spec.com. Beat the crowds, avoid the road rage, and order comfortably from your own home! Our ground shipping deadline for Christmas is December 15^th, so make sure you order early to have all of your presents in time.

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All-Spec Celebrates Thanksgiving In The Community

by Andy on November 23, 2011

All-Spec Industries helped celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday a few days early this year. On Tuesday, November 22 employees took part in organizing and delivering Thanksgiving food items to five local families in our community.

Some items on the menu included Butterball turkeys, rotisserie chickens, stuffing, golden potatoes, string beans and mixed vegetables, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, apples and oranges, holiday sugar cookies, dinner rolls and, of course, pumpkin pie.

All-Spec employees packaging and boxing up yummy treats!

Loading up the car before delivering.

From everyone here at All-Spec, we wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!

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How do Sonicators Work? An Introduction to the Branson Sonifier®

by Andy on November 21, 2011

The Branson Sonifier®, an ultrasonic cell disruptor, is next in a long line of laboratory equipment that All-Spec Industries will provide for consumers. While their name seems to come out of a science fiction novel, these ultrasonic cell disruptors are versatile tools used in current biological and chemical processing. Sonifier® is the specific name for Branson’s product, but in general this type of machine is commonly called a sonicator.

At the heart of a sonicator is a piezoelectric crystal such as quartz. These crystals have the odd property of generating an electrical current when compressed. This property is actually what is used in devices that contain a piezo lighter. The electrical charge generated by compressing (or often striking) the crystal is used to spark the gas, which ignites a flame in devices like butane soldering irons.

However, a secondary property of the piezoelectric crystal is used in sonicators. Not only do they generate electrical current when compressed, but they will also expand when a current is passed through them. To take advantage of this a sonicator will pass an alternating electric current through the crystal to make it expand and contract rapidly. Often times the current will be oscillating at 20-50 kHz, which is 20,000-50,000 changes in current per second! Each time the current changes the crystal will expand or contract, causing it to vibrate rapidly and produce an ultrasonic wave. This is where sonicators get their names, and it leads to sonicators being extremely loud when used. Many sonicators have special sound-proof housing available to help counteract this noise. Also sonicators must be tuned to the frequency of oscillation so that it vibrates the same way as the crystal. This allows the machine to resist the destructive vibration of the crystal and focus it onto the sample that needs to be disrupted.

The vibration of the crystal is not the only thing that allows a sonicator to disrupt cells. When immersed in liquid the tip of the sonicator will go through a process called cavitation. While the tip is contracting the liquid can not keep up, and little vacuum cavities are created. Before the liquid can fill in these cavities the crystal will expand again, causing the vacuum to implode and send out a shockwave. This will release a huge amount of energy, quickly destroying the membranes of cells in the solution. Another byproduct of this energy release is heat, which can easily cook any material that is too big to be disrupted. Any large tissue must be broken down and partially homogenized before disruption, and operators must be careful to not touch an active probe. Also care must be taken to only use sonicators in short bursts as it will cause any water it is in contact with to boil within just a few seconds. This is especially important when processing heat sensitive chemicals.

Sonicators have a large number of uses, making it a very versatile piece of lab equipment. Due to its ability to disrupt cell membranes it is a perfect machine to emulsify materials. It can also homogenize samples, disrupt cellular structures, disperse or mix compounds, and accelerate reactions. Look for Branson Sonifiers® at www.all-spec.com today!

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New at All-Spec: Brady BMP21 Portable Label Printer

by Andy on November 18, 2011

It always seems that portable tools lose out on the quality of their bulkier counterparts. That is not the case with the Brady BMP21 printer, as it is specifically designed to be rugged and precise without having to be tied down to a work bench. All-Spec Industries is very excited to carry this printer, as it is looking to be a rather impressive machine.

One of the defining traits of the BMP21 is the durability of its labels. Brady put a lot of effort into making the labels last as long as possible. According to their site, the labels are built to last for years in both indoor and outdoor environments, as well as in extreme temperatures.

Not only are the labels durable, but they are very flexible in what you can print on them. The BMP21 is able to print out a wide variety of labels, from simple text to UPC’s. It also has two buttons on the grip to activate the cutter and once cut, the label doesn’t fall out of the device. This makes the device convenient to use while decreasing operator fatigue.

If you would like to learn more about the BMP21 portable label printer make sure to check out Brady’s video on the product. If you already own this printer, make sure to leave a comment below to let us know how it works for you!

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