Products > Test Equipment
Does old test equipment really ever become truly obsolete?
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pdenisowski:

--- Quote from: coppercone2 on May 23, 2024, 07:54:47 am ---and there is the over looked fact that laboratory equipment is sometimes used the same way as sky spot lights at a boxing arena, to give something a ritzy confident look, where it actually performs no real function at all

--- End quote ---

I once had a customer who was adding RF functionality to their product for the first time.  One day I went in their lab and saw a really ancient spectrum analyzer on their bench. Someone (jokingly?) told me that it was to give them credibility: anyone touring their lab would see that boat anchor and say "Boy, these guys have been doing RF forever..."    :-DD
coppercone2:
that is like coral reef don't disturb it because the results are difficult to predict and its not well understood
coppercone2:
but more specifically their usually smart when they use it to show off. its usually extremely expensive. The people that do this ONLY know the manufacturing date and cost. I have trouble making a example because i always think they can use it for something no matter how ridiculous it seems to the people in the lab..... there is always something you can do. i only learn of the true motive by learning who bought it, why, and what meetings lead to it. And it will be usually covered by something official, like iso, and its like some utterly ridiculous specification that just stands out like crazy, say 100 times in excess of the spec of what they actually work on. you see 5% 5% 10% 10% 5% and then suddenly some inane unstable thing is like measured to 0.0001% , when commonly in the trade they measure it  to 20% LOL (and its only ever changed if something stops working, i.e. no spec)

say, measuring electrolytic capacitors with a random ass aging and nonlinear characteristic to femtofarad levels of precision

its like those people that can sell you something from 1920 that has been upgraded with miter cuts on the edges and jetblack anodizing as cutting edge technology

like it or not, its how billion dollar deals are made regularly :-DD
xrunner:
The definition of obsolete is


--- Quote ---no longer in use or no longer useful

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obsolete


--- End quote ---

But then the word "truly" was added to it in the thread title, so we have "truly obsolete" ... what does adding "truly" even accomplish?

But anyway, the question is completely subjective as it means different things to different people regarding their needs or desires.  :P
newbrain:

--- Quote ---Does old test equipment really ever become truly obsolete?
--- End quote ---
Yes.


When I was twelve, it was a wonderful experience.
I bought it for peanuts (mine was marked Fairchild, not Dumont), but my parents weren't so amused to have my desk repaired, as it almost collapsed under the weight.
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