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Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

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mnementh:

--- Quote from: tggzzz on May 16, 2018, 12:40:41 am ---
--- Quote from: mnementh on May 15, 2018, 10:45:28 pm ---Nice photography.  :-+ That thing is the same age as me.   :o

I knew about needing silver-bearing solder for working with their ceramic terminal strips; it's a testament to their foresight, and the fact they felt it was important enough to do the job right to include some of "the right stuff" as a consumable along with this product. Back then, they designed their stuff to last indefinitely as long as one was prepared to maintain it; there was a time when automobiles, telephones, and even desklamps were also designed and manufactured with this mindset.

Funny how in this world of disposable utensils, plates, tools and even people, no matter how amazing the tech in our everyday lives becomes, we still harken back to those same generations when we need to evoke a feeling of quality.

It isn't just nostalgia; we took pride in a job well-done and a thing well-made, and we lived in our communities rather than each of us building ourselves a little island in the middle of a moat.

--- End quote ---

But there was also an awful lot of sheer crap back then, which really is best forgotten. Ted Sturgeon was spot on when he proclaimed "90% of everything is crap".

I'm sure 10% of what we do today isn't crap.

--- End quote ---

I disagree; I think we'd be lucky if 10% of 10% of what we produce nowadays isn't crap. DAMNED lucky. It is pretty much incontrovertible fact that crap is America's biggest export; with a close second being "Collateral Damage".


mnem
"It's all crap. Pick a level and dive in." ~ My Grand-dad

bitseeker:

--- Quote from: tggzzz on May 15, 2018, 09:48:54 am ---...I recently picked a Tek 115 up for £5, and that does one thing a pattern generator won't: have (independently) variable rise and fall times. Mind you, neither does that TTI.

...

Ob porn: the front panel showing rise and fall time controls, and one interior shot showing old-school wiring looks and, if you look closely on the left, 863pF, 908pF and 9.85nF capacitors.

--- End quote ---

Thanks for the peek inside. Very cool. Added to the POI index.

Speaking of the index, it's getting a bit long for comfortable browsing, so I made a few categories and re-organized the list.

bitseeker:

--- Quote from: mnementh on May 15, 2018, 10:45:28 pm ---Funny how in this world of disposable utensils, plates, tools and even people, no matter how amazing the tech in our everyday lives becomes, we still harken back to those same generations when we need to evoke a feeling of quality.

It isn't just nostalgia; we took pride in a job well-done and a thing well-made, and we lived in our communities rather than each of us building ourselves a little island in the middle of a moat.

--- End quote ---

Yep, even some mundane things, like cling wrap (a.k.a., Saran Wrap) used to be better. Alas, there are tradeoffs when trying to minimize pollution.

mnementh:
Yeah, except that wasn't the reason; that's just the reason their PR weenies schlepp to make them look like good guys. They produce more Saran plastic than ever; it is commonly used in high-pressure industrial and food-production applications of all sorts. They couldn't care less about pollution, just like every other corporate entity on the planet.

They stopped selling it to consumers because PVC film costs a fraction as much to produce, and that's really the only reason; they found the hard way that folks won't pay more than a buck or three for a roll of plastic wrap, no matter how good you make it.


mnem
It isn't easy being this cynical; you have to have it beaten into you.

Mr. Scram:
I'm not buying into all this pessimism. They used to make heaps of highly lethal crap compared to what's sold today. Things we would take one look at today and scoff at how it's a blatantly bad idea. We just romanticise and get fooled by survivorship bias. A lot of things are a lot cheaper than ever and also many times more reliable.

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