Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bitseeker]

Cool combo of colorful controls!

I've been thinking of going the other direction and getting a keyboard with blank key tops. It both acts as a deterrent ("can I borrow your comput...err...nevermind" ) and eliminates irregular wearing of the lettering.

[Berni]

Or just keep using a keyboard until the letters get worn off.

I had a trusty old PS2 keyboard for a long time. To the point that half of the letters have almost completely worn off and some keys got indents from a fingernail.

And yeah i had people come over and when they tried to log into something they paused for 5 seconds before asking me what key is A. Or asking me to type in there login for them.

[Specmaster]

Yeah, I'm hoping that my 210 arrives tomorrow but something tells me it won't get here till Thursday. If I sell things I try to post them same day or next day, they had 3 days last week they could have sent it, why leave it till Monday? [emoji83] So if it does get here tomorrow I'll be playing around and getting that Tek experience at last [emoji6]

Good luck. Hope it hasn’t been “Hermes’ed”.

Just checked the tracking number (only just been added by the seller) and it is shown as being at my local depo (still to be sent to my local courier) so I have a web chat with them and they don't have any means for customers to collect from their depo because of health and safety reasons but they are certain that it will be with me today. So its a mixed bag at the moment, the whole transaction experience is far from the normal ones that I've had with almost 1,000 of them on Ebay so I'm nervous enough about this without it being in the hands of Hermes 

[med6753]

Is this the school where the Hermes folks learn their skills?

[Specmaster]

Is this the school where the Hermes folks learn their skills?

Yeh, looks like it 🤣

[bd139]

Hermes are just the worst.

Package 1: wife’s designer China. Great big sign “fragile”.  Chucked over the back fence

Package 2: valves/tubes with big sign on saying “don’t chuck over the fence”. Chucked over the fence.

Package 3: feed cables with big sign saying “don’t chuck over the fucking fence for God’s sake”. Neatly nudged over the back wall instead and stuck between shed and wall.

Package 4: clothes. Chucked over the back fence in the pissing rain.

Even shitposting on twitter and trustpilot doesn’t solicit a response after they ignore your complaint.

And that’s Hermes.

However specmaster, if they said it was going to be shipped by another courier and they shipped Hermes then everything is on your side as Hermes don’t insure any electrical items.

[med6753]

Hermes are just the worst.

Package 1: wife’s designer China. Great big sign “fragile”.  Chucked over the back fence

Package 2: valves/tubes with big sign on saying “don’t chuck over the fence”. Chucked over the fence.

Package 3: feed cables with big sign saying “don’t chuck over the fucking fence for God’s sake”. Neatly nudged over the back wall instead and stuck between shed and wall.

Package 4: clothes. Chucked over the back fence in the pissing rain.

Even shitposting on twitter and trustpilot doesn’t solicit a response after they ignore your complaint.

And that’s Hermes.

However specmaster, if they said it was going to be shipped by another courier and they shipped Hermes then everything is on your side as Hermes don’t insure any electrical items.

I guess they do suck. How's your ankle doing?

[bd139]

Well the codeine (30mg no less) isn’t touching it now so grr. Going to try cider later. That worked last time I did this 

[Specmaster]

Well the codeine (30mg no less) isn’t touching it now so grr. Going to try cider later. That worked last time I did this 

Nah, the local courier they refer to is some block who runs around in his private car who is currently between jobs, this is how they can do the service so fucking cheaply, they only directly employ a few people, the rest are on a times delivery service, so many an hour type thing, I expect a bit like Amazon pickers, if they don't deliver, they don't get paid.

Codeine not hitting the pain spot anymore, be careful with the cider, as you need to keep your eyes focused for more effing Lego on the floor. Incidentally which foot is it, mines the left one, so I'm thankful I drive an automatic car which managed to relieve me of £498 yesterday, more next month with MOT and brake fluid change at the very least plus tax and insurance, need to sell something soon to stuff some money back in the bank.

[med6753]

OK, what is "MOT"? Some kind of automotive tax or registration fee?

Edit...if that 498 pounds (approx $640 USD) is for the cam belt/water pump change that's about same you'd pay here.

[glarsson]

MOT is a vehicle test in the UK. The vehicle is rested to ensure it meets the legal standard. I guess MOT simply stands for Ministry Of Transportation.

[Specmaster]

MOT is a vehicle test in the UK. The vehicle is rested to ensure it meets the legal standard. I guess MOT simply stands for Ministry Of Transportation.

You are quite correct.

[Specmaster]

The 210 has arrived in a rather tatty looking box, poorly packed as it was still able to move around in the box, so I feared the worst.    Photographed the box and the stages of unpacking to reveal the unit wrapped in a double layer of bubble wrap, the same for the mains lead and surprise surprise, it was all intact. 

Plugged it in and powered it up and it works a treat, all the BNC's are securely attached and the only thing wrong with it is that is generally filthy so needs a good clean up.

It has had the recall mod carried out so all's good in that dept and it has only had 234 power cycles so its almost like new with only very light usage, sweet and as a quick and dirty guide, I connected some probes to the test point and it reads bang on 5vpp and 1KHz so it would appear that its still well within calibration. Did a self cal and it passed that all OK. That so far makes me officially a very happy bunny.

[bd139]

Excellent news. Sure that will clean up really nicely 

Congratulate it for surviving Hermes. TBH these digital scopes are a lot less likely to get knackered by transport which is a damn good thing.

[GreyWoolfe]

Both types of bacon are great. But you have to know where to apply them:

Streaky: burgers, salads, soups, wrapped around chicken.

Rashers: grill up, sandwiches.

Mmmmmmm, bacon.  Streaky bacon is best consumed right out of the frying pan, whilst sitting on the paper towel to absorb the grease, to make Mrs Greywoolfe happy.  However, I will toast bread in the bacon grease when she isn't looking because she hates when I do that.    There is uncooked bacon in the fridge and she is at work, hmmmm.  She and I will use the same bacon to make bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches, yum.  The other day a friend gave us some jalapeno poppers wrapped in streaky bacon that was awesome.  Sadly, finished the last of the applewood smoked Canadian bacon yesterday with eggs on toast.

Maybe we need to start a BEA thread, bacon eaters anonymous thread.

[bd139]

Hahaha I do that when I cook a bacon sandwich  . It tastes sooooo deadly when you fry the bread in it

[Specmaster]

Here's the after cleaning shots, its come up like a new one, well pleased, will have to move my Hitachi now to compensate for it but its got magazoom as well and all that shit

I really just don't understand why people let their equipment get into such a filthy state just fails me to understand the logic behind it 

[bd139]

Nice - looks like new 

It's amazing how small and light these are. I love mine.

[Specmaster]

Yep, very pleased with it and considering that it has the same bandwidth of my Iwatsu CRO which is a massive boat anchor by comparison, its very impressive. I may even get rid of the Iwatsu yet, I'll have to think about it and just rely on my Fluke PM3390B which is a lovely scope and this TDS210, both are digital and have cursors for measurements but the 3390B also has the advantage of being 200MHz and a CRO at the same time, what more could I need?

I agree with you about the compactness and weight and also this Tek will fit on my bench, beneath my Monitor shelf, brilliant.

[Cerebus]

OK, what is "MOT"? Some kind of automotive tax or registration fee?

Edit...if that 498 pounds (approx $640 USD) is for the cam belt/water pump change that's about same you'd pay here.

Annual roadworthiness, safety and emissions testing. For typical private vehicles it only has to be done after the vehicle is 3 years old or more. List of the items checked and tested here.

[Cerebus]

Hahaha I do that when I cook a bacon sandwich  . It tastes sooooo deadly when you fry the bread in it

As the son of a Northern lad I regard that as heresy. Bread should be fried in beef dripping. Besides, you don't get enough rendered fat off of modern bacon to do a proper job of it, you'd have add some lard.   

[bd139]

stop making me hungry

My grandmother used to cook chips in lard. Bloody amazing those were.

Yep, very pleased with it and considering that it has the same bandwidth of my Iwatsu CRO which is a massive boat anchor by comparison, its very impressive. I may even get rid of the Iwatsu yet, I'll have to think about it and just rely on my Fluke PM3390B which is a lovely scope and this TDS210, both are digital and have cursors for measurements but the 3390B also has the advantage of being 200MHz and a CRO at the same time, what more could I need?

I agree with you about the compactness and weight and also this Tek will fit on my bench, beneath my Monitor shelf, brilliant.

I'd keep the TDS210 and the PM3390B and get rid of everything else. TDS210 as a daily driver and the PM3390B when you need some more wumph

[Cerebus]

I really just understand why people let their equipment get into such a filthy state just fails me to understand the logic behind it 

Especially when you're trying to flog it. I'd have thought that the first rule of getting stuff ready to sell is to try and make it look as close to brand new as possible. Like you, I just don't get it; ten minutes work would net one either a higher price or a faster sale. 

Probably a combination of the "youth of today" being frightened of a bit of hard graft* and the throwaway society^TM.

*Said by every generation of the following generations since it was pronounced "Ug ug ug yoof ug ug". 

[Brumby]

FYI: "Cure" is a word that is only used here in reference to resins and, sometimes, the flu. 

And bacon. For goddess' sake man, don't forget the bacon, or the hams, or the smoked salmon, the pastrami, the bresaola,...

* Hangs head in shame *

MOT is a vehicle test in the UK. The vehicle is rested to ensure it meets the legal standard. I guess MOT simply stands for Ministry Of Transportation.

You are quite correct.

In Australia, this is administrated on a state basis.  For NSW where I am, it has gone through some name changes.  The latest change has incorporated some marine responsibilities.  It is now called Roads and Maritime Services.  Yes .... it's the RMS.

[Cerebus]

stop making me hungry

I regard it as part of my mission in life. Food, bloody wonderful stuff!