It's Thursday, and you know that that means. It's New Product Post day! We just have a few products to talk about this week, but we have some hot stuff in here.
Don't worry, Dave made it inside just fine, eventually. But it really was -15F at the time, he's such a trooper. OK, enough messing around, let's see the short list for this week.
Aside from having the slickest name ever for a heat gun, the SparkFun Heaterizer XL-3000 is one cool hot product. All of your heat shrink will tremble in fear of the awesome power that is the Heaterizer XL-3000. Use it for heat shrink, melting chocolates, or even minor hot-air rework. For a detailed description, I highly encourage you to read the detailed instructions.
Last week we announced the PowerCell, which combines combines a MCP73831T-based charger and a TPS61200-based boost converter in one board. Well, what if you don't need the charger? Well, then you need the LiPower. The LiPower is a simple boost converter for a LiPo battery based on the TPS61200.
RFID is neat. You can use it for all sorts of things, even marrying your wife! We now have SparkFun branded ID cards. These are the same as our plain RFID cards we had before, but have graphics on the front, and are left blank on the back. We have a good supplier of these and we shouldn't run into stock issues like the last ones. These work with our 125kHz readers.
We have a new revision of the Logomatic V2. This popular data logger gets a new battery charger circuit and a few minor revisions. Other than that, it's the same logger you've come to know and love tolerate.
We also have a new revision of the GPS Shield Retail Kit. This kit comes with the EM-406 GPS module, some headers for an Arduino, and the new revision of the GPS Shield. The new revision of the shield has a space for the now-discontinued SUP500 GPS module. However, the space can be used for holding a GPS module, and you can use the headers as well.
Sadly, that's all the products we have for this week. But, I can promise you that next week will be epic. I'm serious, we have some really cool stuff coming up, so try your best to wait until next week. Thanks for reading.
I think it needs to be stated that Dave's a California kid.
Upgoat for the truth!
Plus, why would anyone go out in -15F weather with no coat on?
to catch some rays...
Patrick -Duluth, MN
You mean sheep?
(I'm a SoCal guy too.)
To defrost a window.
...duh.
Besides, the thing gets hotter than the surface of the sun, you don't wanna get too close to that thing wearing too many layers... In fact, a warning might need to be added to the instructions as to the "Clothing Maximum" for operating it.
I needs me a heat gun!
Hmmm---the Heaterizer XL-3000 manual said "...fixing to heat"....in this case wouldn't it be heating to fix? :D (And, yes, I know---I lived in the south for 7 years ;) I also am guessing this is MUCH more powerful than the Fireball XL-5
http://www.fortunecity.com/tatooine/andersen/249/
So is 3000 the new 2000?
If SparkFun had released the "SparkFun Heaterizer XL-3000" ten years ago would have it been named "the SparkFun Heaterizer XL-2000"?
Ha, I wrote the above before reading the instructions. It's refered to the Heaterizer 2000 in the instructions! I knew it! 3000 is just 2000 with 1000 added.
Uh-oh...he's on to us. Where are the Men In Black with their memory eraser thingy when we need them?
Yeah I've been meaning to ask when you'd get those things in stock, i have some people i need to 'flashy thing'
I would not recommend attempting to defrost too many windows with the XL-3000. It seems that automobile safety glass is not the same as Pyrex (which is safe to go from the oven to the freezer).
Every once in a while someone gets the bright idea to use boiling water to de-ice their windshield. This results in a loud cracking noise being heard as the windshield cracks into hundreds of pieces.
It is likely that if one is not too careful, a similar fate awaits the XL-3000 window defrosting users.
Perhaps a Mythbuster's like disclamer is in order: "Don't try this at home, we are professionals..."
Love the XL-3000 manual, though.
Think of the lawers it is likely to frustrate.
"Honestly, your Honor. We state quite clearly in the manual that our product gets hotter than the Sun!"
Actually as I recently learned the new version of Pyrex is no longer safe to go from the oven to the freezer. :(
I think it's generally assumed not to try any of our shenanigans.
Ha! The thought crossed my mind as well, "I'm not sure I'd do that..."
Funny though.
And yeah, the manual is brilliant, haha. I like instruction number 2, I think that's the most crucial to proper operation.
More engineers could probably do with a good primal scream, anyway.
Ohhh, Hey IT, good on ya for the changes to the comment system, this is sweet not getting dragged up to the top of the page. lol
Ironically I think you can thank Dave for that.
Glad y'all noticed :)
nah, it rocks. well done Dave.
Nice instructions for the heat gun XD
Sometimes it is hard to tell which comment or description goes with which image (is that the one above or the one below?) .. would be nice to have some 'grouping' hint?
Mike
I agree. Maybe an extra space or divider between paragraphs would make it easier to read.
It's always picture of a product, and then comments/description/puns about it below the picture.
Besides the logo, is there anything different about the new RFID cards?
Nope, same as before. We had an issue getting them with our last supplier, so they are from a new place, but they're the same card essentially.