Air Compressor

Tamyka Bell said:

hippy said:

Holding the power supply's circuit breakers open (or is it closed?)
while pencils turn into a very smokey mess or capacitors explode,
sending that little plastic bit flying around the class.
Those were the days! Ya know.. I don't even think anyone lost an eye! 😄

pacer leads were good.

We used normal pencils with both ends sharpened.

Quoted message said:

paper clips were better.

What do these do? Heat up and melt the desk? 🙂

Quoted message said:

little fireballs were the best.

Which reminds me of bunsen burner and oxy-acetaline fun.. 🙂

hippy

hippy said:

Tamyka Bell said:

hippy said:

Holding the power supply's circuit breakers open (or is it closed?)
while pencils turn into a very smokey mess or capacitors explode,
sending that little plastic bit flying around the class.
Those were the days! Ya know.. I don't even think anyone lost an eye! 😄

pacer leads were good.

We used normal pencils with both ends sharpened.

Quoted message said:

paper clips were better.

What do these do? Heat up and melt the desk? 🙂

usually destroy the circuitry, and shoot out little fireballs -->

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

little fireballs were the best.

Which reminds me of bunsen burner and oxy-acetaline fun.. 🙂

hippy

And highly reactive metals in water, and teachers that wouldn't wait for
the little amounts to burn...

I've lost my initial now so I won't even sign off.

On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 at 22:05 GMT, hippy (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

TimC said:

Myself, I'd just use my 80A surplus power supply from some kind of
router -- good for turning pencils into red-hot heating elements 🙂

Ahh.. you've brought back some fun memories of chemistry classes..

Holding the power supply's circuit breakers open (or is it closed?)
while pencils turn into a very smokey mess or capacitors explode,
sending that little plastic bit flying around the class.
Those were the days! Ya know.. I don't even think anyone lost an eye! 😄

Poor kids these days. You're not allowed to do fun things anymore.

--
TimC -- http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/staff/tconnors/
[transporting bed]... across several suburbs and a large salt water
harbour. Well, they thoughtfully bridged the harbour in the 1930s, so
the problem was actually transporting it across several suburbs and a
long single span bridge. -- Hipatia

"[]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Only 75 PSI?

I need at least 100 PSI for my MTB tyres.

I think the one I have would be struggling to go beyond 90. But then, it's a
bit old in the tooth, with loose connection to the gauge.

Henry.

I also have a proper large 240 volt compressor - small industrial rather
than for pumping up bicycle tyres. Trouble is that it's very noisy and takes
a long time before the cylinder fills up. Even then it struggles on the
higher PSIs.

Henry.

TimC said:

On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 at 22:05 GMT, hippy (aka Bruce)

Quoted message said:

TimC said:

Myself, I'd just use my 80A surplus power supply from some kind of
router -- good for turning pencils into red-hot heating elements 🙂

Ahh.. you've brought back some fun memories of chemistry classes..

Holding the power supply's circuit breakers open (or is it closed?)
while pencils turn into a very smokey mess or capacitors explode,
sending that little plastic bit flying around the class.
Those were the days! Ya know.. I don't even think anyone lost an eye! 😄

Poor kids these days. You're not allowed to do fun things anymore.

Sure you are! Emptying a can of Gloss Black into a plastic bag and
taking a good ol' snort.. it just don't get any better than that!

hippy

Quoted message said:

"hippy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

What's wrong with the occasional servo fill?

Nothing *really*.
But there are a few issues:

- Half the time the servo pump is out of order.

I don't drive much but it's not that bad where I do drive.
You know if the 'jigger' (yes that is its official name!) isn't on the
end of the hose you just have to ask inside for it? Servos don't leave
them out as much as they used to.

Quoted message said:

- It's best to check tyre pressure when the tyre is cold.

Didn't know that. Does it actually make a difference?

Quoted message said:

- Convenience of regularly checking tyre pressure (esp. for cars).

Get a proper gauge - the servo ones and the ones on cheap home
compressors are both [censored]. I've never worried enough about getting
'that' accurate with my car and with a good gauge you can check your
tyre pressure anywhere, any time.

Quoted message said:

- At the end of the day, the air compressor is cheaper (might not last as
long though as you said).

So it's not actually cheaper (unless you never inflate tyres again).

hippy
"Silca Silca Silca!!"

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

- It's best to check tyre pressure when the tyre is cold.

Didn't know that. Does it actually make a difference?

It does, in as much as you'll see a higher pressure when the tyres are warm
(air expands, or tries to, as temp goes up) but if you always check when
they're warm, them you'll be consistant anyway.

On Fri, 18 Mar 2005 at 00:30 GMT, hippy (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

Get a proper gauge - the servo ones and the ones on cheap home
compressors are both [censored]. I've never worried enough about getting
'that' accurate with my car and with a good gauge you can check your
tyre pressure anywhere, any time.

Where from? The two BSes I alternate between don't have any pressure
gauges.

--
TimC -- http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/staff/tconnors/
Special Relativity: The person in the other queue thinks yours is
moving faster.

On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 at 22:14 GMT, [] (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

Only the $69 compressor has the current listed (23 amps).

Someone suggested I go to Jay Car and buy a 240V power supply which has room
for the alligator clips? If it's not too expensive then thats an ok option.

Alternatively someone said I could get a 'portable 12v power supply' from
Super Cheap Auto to power the compressor.

Nope. Don't do it. A commercial 12V power supply that can supply 25
amps (plus more for the surge that happens at switch-on and if it
stalls) will cost an absolute fortune. As in $200-$400.

A battery, or a rediculously overrated power supply from an old router
rescued from a skip 🙂

--
TimC -- http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/staff/tconnors/
A mouse is a device used to focus xterms.

TimC said:

On Fri, 18 Mar 2005 at 00:30 GMT, hippy (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

Get a proper gauge - the servo ones and the ones on cheap home
compressors are both [censored]. I've never worried enough about getting
'that' accurate with my car and with a good gauge you can check your
tyre pressure anywhere, any time.

Where from? The two BSes I alternate between don't have any pressure
gauges.

I was referring to cars not bikes. This is what I mean (for cars):
http://www.hella.com.au/cgi-bin/catalogue.pl?flcmd=preview&flmaint=1242

I have a Silca with a built in gauge so I don't need another gauge. 🙂

hippy
"did I mention Silca track pumps yet?"

That's a stupid theory. It will be consistant. That is, consistantly
under-inflated.

It's not such a big deal with cars etc but on a motorbike, tyre pressure is
very important.

I already have a high quality tyre pressure reader. The problem is that I
ride down to the service station and hence warm up the tyres.

I thought I could score a bargain with one of these super cheap auto
compressors but if they can't even pump up to 100 PSI (yet the ad claims at
least 120 PSI) then there is no point since I need 100 PSI for my new MTB
slicks.

"Resound" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

- It's best to check tyre pressure when the tyre is cold.

Didn't know that. Does it actually make a difference?

It does, in as much as you'll see a higher pressure when the tyres are

warm

Quoted message said:

(air expands, or tries to, as temp goes up) but if you always check when
they're warm, them you'll be consistant anyway.

"[]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am looking at a Super Cheap Auto catalogue and there are some cheap air
compressor for sale. Does anybody use one of these for their bike tyres?

In the picture the compressor comes with Alligator clips for connecting to
a
battery but it doesn't look like there is a power cord for a normal
powerpoint? Is there any easier of powering the unit rather than having a
spare 12V battery?

If you are after quick inflation, forget using a small compressor from
SuperCheap or similar, you'll get higher pressure and faster inflation with
a good hand pump or a floor/track pump. Those little compressors have
no/very small storage reservoir and tiny little pistons that probably won't
be able to reach 100psi after 6 months of use. Spend your $ on a good manual
pump.

Tyres may want 100psi, checked if your tubes are good for it ?

If you are just "labour saving", watch out for distractions that take you
away from the compressor whilst it is running, lest you hear the odd "pop"
which will probably be a big tear in a tube, usually not repairable.

Andrew D

Thanks for the advice.

"Andrew D" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"[]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am looking at a Super Cheap Auto catalogue and there are some cheap air
compressor for sale. Does anybody use one of these for their bike tyres?

In the picture the compressor comes with Alligator clips for connecting

to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

a
battery but it doesn't look like there is a power cord for a normal
powerpoint? Is there any easier of powering the unit rather than having

a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

spare 12V battery?

If you are after quick inflation, forget using a small compressor from
SuperCheap or similar, you'll get higher pressure and faster inflation

with

Quoted message said:

a good hand pump or a floor/track pump. Those little compressors have
no/very small storage reservoir and tiny little pistons that probably

won't

Quoted message said:

be able to reach 100psi after 6 months of use. Spend your $ on a good

manual

Quoted message said:

pump.

Tyres may want 100psi, checked if your tubes are good for it ?

If you are just "labour saving", watch out for distractions that take you
away from the compressor whilst it is running, lest you hear the odd "pop"
which will probably be a big tear in a tube, usually not repairable.

Andrew D

Andrew D said:

If you are after quick inflation, forget using a small
compressor from SuperCheap or similar, you'll get higher
pressure and faster inflation with a good hand pump or a
floor/track pump. Those little compressors have no/very small
storage reservoir and tiny little pistons that probably won't
be able to reach 100psi after 6 months of use. Spend your $ on
a good manual pump.

This isn't my experience. They inflate bike tyres reasonably
fast (about a minute from flat), and retain the ability to pump
to high pressures until they fail.

I've disassembled the failures, and found that it's either
deteriorated rubber flap valves, or wear on the "big end
bearing" (too sloppy to stay connected) that causes the demise.
From either cause, my units have failed quite suddenly when
their time's up.

4WD magazines I've read in waiting rooms (to see how the other
half lives) suggest strongly that it's the cheap 12V
compressors that don't last long.

John

Quoted message said:

Tyres may want 100psi, checked if your tubes are good for it ?

If you are just "labour saving", watch out for distractions
that take you away from the compressor whilst it is running,
lest you hear the odd "pop" which will probably be a big tear
in a tube, usually not repairable.

"TimC" wrote in message ...

Quoted message said:

On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 at 11:17 GMT, Jay Woo (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

Yep, I use it for both my roadie and my MTB. I can get 120psi no
worries🙂
Mine's got a cigie lighter connector on it. They would draw a bucket
load of current, so if you wanted to run it off mains you would need a
dirty great big voltage converter. That's why they run off car batts,
it makes them cheap to make.

Do they have pressure gauges?

I might just have to investigate...

Yes. I have one too but keep losing presta valve adaptors. A track pump is usually more convenient and quieter.

Parbs

"Andrew D" wrote in message...

Quoted message said:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Tyres may want 100psi, checked if your tubes are good for it ?

<snip>

Or your rims?

Parbs

"hemyd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"[]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Only 75 PSI?

I need at least 100 PSI for my MTB tyres.

I think the one I have would be struggling to go beyond 90. But then, it's

a

Quoted message said:

bit old in the tooth, with loose connection to the gauge.

Henry.

I also have a proper large 240 volt compressor - small industrial rather
than for pumping up bicycle tyres. Trouble is that it's very noisy and

takes

Quoted message said:

a long time before the cylinder fills up. Even then it struggles on the
higher PSIs.

Don't see what is wrong with a good track pump. My Silca is good value, uses
a renewable power supply, has an accurate gauge, is fairly quiet, gives me
an upper body workout and the batteries don't run out. Hell I sometimes even
use it to check the car tyres too.

Cheers
Peter