Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[rdenney]

And where is the sliderule? 

I don't have one. I use a HP 41C RPN calculator.

Reminds me of a recent experience. During Covid, I was teaching (engineering) classes online (given the inability to teach them in person). I thought it would be a funny joke and a bit of self-deprecation of my gray hair to tell the students to get out their calculators, and then (on video) pull out my Keuffel & Esser Decitrip Log-Log slide rule that I had used in high school. Nothing but crickets and blank faces. Then, I rather sheepishly put it down and pulled out my HP11C calculator (a grad-school purchase), and everyone laughed.

The joke was on me. The slide rule was so archaic that nobody even knew what it was, but for them the 11C was a museum piece--only one row of numbers on the display. Their calculators all had screens large enough to graph functions, etc.

Rick "found an 11C emulator for the iphone--unwilling to deal with non-RPN anymore" Denney

[wkb]

I own multiple slide rules, inherited from my father who was a building engineer. My problem: his best intentions notwithstanding in trying to teach me their use I never remembered how..

Wilko
heads back to his TI30

[m k]

Put tongue scale start to match first value on core scale and cursor on second value on tongue scale, answer is on core scale.
All answers of different second values are present by placing the cursor.

The purpose of the thing is to drop difficulty level of the operation, like multiplication to addition.
Up to '70s the world was practically built on slide rule calculations tops.
Apollo Mission Control Center monitors were mostly TVs picturing spreadsheets.

[Robert763]

While I use a real HP 41C at my desk  (with a 48 in the drawer) I have an emulator on my phone and all my PCs and devices. It looks a bit big on an tablet though..

[tggzzz]

Put tongue scale start to match first value on core scale and cursor on second value on tongue scale, answer is on core scale.
All answers of different second values are present by placing the cursor.

The purpose of the thing is to drop difficulty level of the operation, like multiplication to addition.
Up to '70s the world was practically built on slide rule calculations tops.
Apollo Mission Control Center monitors were mostly TVs picturing spreadsheets.

The core concept is simple: the scales are logarithmic, and adding the logs of two numbers gives the log of multiplying the two numbers. So if you add the lengths you multiply the numbers. Ditto subtracting one length divides the numbers.

[Shimonu]

It's a great feeling when multiple pieces of equipment come together.
Using my Keithley 2000 to measure a 10 mV output from my E3630 and putting that over a 1% resistor decade box set to 10M so I can verify my Keithley 480 and get 1 nA.

It's a beautiful thing. 

[vk6zgo]

Put tongue scale start to match first value on core scale and cursor on second value on tongue scale, answer is on core scale.
All answers of different second values are present by placing the cursor.

The purpose of the thing is to drop difficulty level of the operation, like multiplication to addition.
Up to '70s the world was practically built on slide rule calculations tops.
Apollo Mission Control Center monitors were mostly TVs picturing spreadsheets.

I had a slide rule but never became competent at its use.
It was usually easier just to look up the log tables & do the rest on paper.

[tggzzz]

Put tongue scale start to match first value on core scale and cursor on second value on tongue scale, answer is on core scale.
All answers of different second values are present by placing the cursor.

The purpose of the thing is to drop difficulty level of the operation, like multiplication to addition.
Up to '70s the world was practically built on slide rule calculations tops.
Apollo Mission Control Center monitors were mostly TVs picturing spreadsheets.

I had a slide rule but never became competent at its use.
It was usually easier just to look up the log tables & do the rest on paper.

I remember having to use 4-fig tables, and still have a book with some in.

I don't remember how to use the "bar-1" notation for numbers less than 1. I feel I ought to re-learn it, but can't work up the enthusiasm

[wkb]

Put tongue scale start to match first value on core scale and cursor on second value on tongue scale, answer is on core scale.
All answers of different second values are present by placing the cursor.

The purpose of the thing is to drop difficulty level of the operation, like multiplication to addition.
Up to '70s the world was practically built on slide rule calculations tops.
Apollo Mission Control Center monitors were mostly TVs picturing spreadsheets.

I had a slide rule but never became competent at its use.
It was usually easier just to look up the log tables & do the rest on paper.

I remember having to use 4-fig tables, and still have a book with some in.

I don't remember how to use the "bar-1" notation for numbers less than 1. I feel I ought to re-learn it, but can't work up the enthusiasm

Well, exactly that. Nice to know how, but hardly worth the trouble.

[Robert763]

I've gone and started down a new TE rabbit hole 
Computer controlled modular instrumentation. Mor specfically a NI PXI 3U system. As well as a relay card and multifunction I/O card it has a high performance 6.5 digit DMM  and dual channel 100MHz 'scope with 14 bit vertical resolution. Very unusually it came complete with all the leads, interface modules, software and paperwork. The software includes LabView comlete with licences.
And it works 

[PascalNE]

Very nice system and lucky you got the licences. I've long been interested in PXI but it's hard to find complete systems. Where did you find this one?

[Robert763]

It was on ebay. Collection only  about a hours drive away from me. It was very low cost <£300 
I saw it very soon after it was listed.
It's so rare to find a complete working system. It's hard work and some risk to build up a system from bit's when you've never used a working system and have no support contract.
 

[PascalNE]

Yeah for £300 that's great is the DMM an NI PXI-4070? Even that alone is worth the price tag.

[Robert763]

Yeah for £300 that's great is the DMM an NI PXI-4070? Even that alone is worth the price tag.

Not a PXI-4070, Even better, it's a PXI-4072. That adds capacitance and inductance measurement 

There were two bins of "extras". Scope probes, leads, I/F boxes etc. All with original packing documents etc. Cleary a well cared for system. Probably a single user. Not been through it all yet. Just the cards are over £15,000 worth.

[Cyclotron]

I can't believe this thread is still going. There must be a cure!
My itch caused me to saddle up with this old Stanford DG535 to repair and get back to pulsing.

[tggzzz]

I can't believe this thread is still going. There must be a cure!

Regrettably so far the literature indicates there is only an amelioration (not cure), one that comes to everybody sooner or later.

[Hydron]

Regrettably so far the literature indicates there is only an amelioration (not cure), one that comes to everybody sooner or later.

Is that when you hit 8.5 digits and can't go higher?

[tggzzz]

Regrettably so far the literature indicates there is only an amelioration (not cure), one that comes to everybody sooner or later.

Is that when you hit 8.5 digits and can't go higher?

More like 85 and can't go any further.

Besides, you need an 8.5'er to check your 8.5'er. Recursively, with no exit condition.

[Cyclotron]

More like 85 and can't go any further.

Besides, you need an 8.5'er to check your 8.5'er. Recursively, with no exit condition.

Now I know why my journey is so far but not far enough. I am only at 7.5 and a bit noisy 7.5 at that. One day, I will 8.5.  Do you even 8.5 bro?

[wkb]

I can't believe this thread is still going. There must be a cure!

Regrettably so far the literature indicates there is only an amelioration (not cure), one that comes to everybody sooner or later.

"You can checkin, but you can never leave"

[Robert763]

I can't believe this thread is still going. There must be a cure!

Regrettably so far the literature indicates there is only an amelioration (not cure), one that comes to everybody sooner or later.

"You can checkin, but you can never leave"

Was that a deliberate misquote?
"You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave" (check out TE?) is the line.

Hotel California the Eagles.

[Peter_O]

Despite having the DE 5000 LCR meter the addiction wanted a 19" one.
The HP 4262A always looked very usable and nice.

I managed to shoot one from the well known bidding platform after months of waiting.

It's complete, not tinkered with, and will be in good shape after removing dirt and stickyness.

It shows some live: Start up shows all leds and displays and range switching seems to work ...







... but it shows no measurement values, only dashes.  Self test seems to switch for a first measurement and then stops, showing no result at all. No pass, no fail.



Overall it might become a nice project.   

[m k]

Are those right side modules in their own compartments?

[tonyalbus]

Been eye balling this one for over a year...
finaly i pulled the trigger.
does one really need 8 GPSDO's ? 

At least no need for an extra distributer and does not seem to have a rollover problem until 2038

[Robert763]

By request a picture of Advantest / ADCMT 7461A DMM U105 Regulator.
Just  LDO 5V.