Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Housedad]

JEESE!  I'm still drinking TEA!!

I just won an auction on Ebay for a Exton ADA 6 300MX HV Distribution amplifier.   Do the mods from the various threads, pop in a linear power supply, and I'll be set for when I get a GPSDO.

Then I'll start looking at other stuff, of course.

[mnementh]

They get pretty heavily used by me. All those things you see people do in LTspice I tend to do by hand 

Does that hand interface with the calculator through a brick, by chance?

I was going to say a club hammer 

https://youtu.be/WyIuY-FwfH0

Problem solved... no keypads to break!!!   

mnem
*Family Movie Time*

[Brumby]

So today I need to officially join the ranks of TEA.

I just bought my number 8 vintage TEK 'scope (to go with the 7 I already have that I dont use). These vintage 'scopes look great next to the 3 digital 'scopes I have..... and the 3 spectrum analysers..... and the signal generators....

How do I make the first step in recovery?

Oh, that's easy. The first step is to admit the problem. The second step is to remove temptation and signal (to yourself) that you are on the road to recovery. That can be achieved either by culling the herd or by increasing the genetic diversity of the equipment.

If you have any problems with the latter, I'm not too far from Belper to offer help.

A somewhat self-serving, opportunistic offer.  (Just jealous that I'm too far away to make it myself.)


The secret here is the definition of "recovery".  There is only one that has any real meaning within this thread...  Recovery is defined as the process of moving past any negative effects of TEA activities, allowing the progression to the next activity.  These effects include - but are not limited to - BCCS, DBA, BOT, BUSTED, CAF, CAFE, CAP and, to a lesser extent, JENGA, RAM and TETRIS.

Welcome!

[Housedad]

Dang, Brumby.  That made me go back and read page one!!

[Brumby]

 

... but, then, that's what the glossary is there for.  In one line of a post, the terminology allowed me to set out paragraphs of information.  It's a good thing!

[bitseeker]

Yep, Brumby knows how to get it done.

[mnementh]

I find myself drowning in JENGA at the moment... pretty much all aspects of the term are kicking my ass tag-team style.

Worst part is, I know it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better, as I've finally started disassembling JENGA in the garage to bring inside for triage and final judgement/disposition.

How the FU** did I accumulate 4 (yes FOUR) vacuum gauge/Bourdon tube manometers and not KNOW it? 

mnem
"Of all the things I've lost; it's my mind I miss the most."

[tggzzz]

Gliders seduce the air into doing what the pilot desires. Helicopters beat the air into submission.

Depends ... I good helicopter is a nice feel to fly.

You're not going to convince me

You may even try some aerobatics with it (see Red Bull).

May? Where's the fun in that? Glider pilots do some aerobatic manouevres where the aircraft "departs from controlled flight" before going solo.

It really is quite fun deliberately entering three spins in a short flight, the first at 1500ft, the last at 1000ft. For those that haven't done it, the ground is rotating once every 3 s, you are descending at ~100ft/s, and to recover you have to deliberately dive at the ground to regain airspeed. A little counter-intuitive, the first time.

Or my daughter flew a loop (with instructor behind her) before going solo.

Video of helicopter in between trees omitted for brevity.
Video of helicopter doing stunts omitted for brevity

now try this with a glider. Or rather: dont try this at home. .

I wouldn't try those, but these are a couple of short but rather old vids of what people do in gliders - and they don't need an oversized ventilation fan dig them out of trouble.

My problem was that I dont fit into a glider (120kg), otherwise it looks like fun

Ah. OK. Find fun where you can.

[med6753]

Hey all. Quick check in. Made it to Colorado OK. My Mother seems to be recovering well and is currently in a rehab unit. She's anxious to go home but obviously it's up to her doctors to determine that. We still have to decide/determine what to do if her health takes a downward spin again. But for now she looks good.

Miscellaneous ramblings.....I still have trouble wrapping my head around the fact that Mary Jane is perfectly legal here.  But despite the rumors Colorado is not covered in heavy sweet smelling smoke.  In fact, this particular town does not allow dispensaries but the next town over does. I haven't been in one yet. Just for giggles I may visit one. 

It's warmer here than at home. They had snow a few weeks ago but it melted. This is very typical for their weather. Highly variable.

Guess that's it...now where did I leave my roach clip?     

[Specmaster]

They get pretty heavily used by me. All those things you see people do in LTspice I tend to do by hand 

Does that hand interface with the calculator through a brick, by chance?

I was going to say a club hammer 

https://youtu.be/WyIuY-FwfH0

Problem solved... no keypads to break!!!   

mnem
*Family Movie Time*

Maybe not but there is the stylus to get bent or even snapped.

I had one of those when I a young whippersnapper at school, surprised to see that they are still available [emoji44]

[Specmaster]

Hey all. Quick check in. Made it to Colorado OK. My Mother seems to be recovering well and is currently in a rehab unit. She's anxious to go home but obviously it's up to her doctors to determine that. We still have to decide/determine what to do if her health takes a downward spin again. But for now she looks good.

Miscellaneous ramblings.....I still have trouble wrapping my head around the fact that Mary Jane is perfectly legal here.  But despite the rumors Colorado is not covered in heavy sweet smelling smoke.  In fact, this particular town does not allow dispensaries but the next town over does. I haven't been in one yet. Just for giggles I may visit one. 

It's warmer here than at home. They had snow a few weeks ago but it melted. This is very typical for their weather. Highly variable.

Guess that's it...now where did I leave my roach clip? 

Med, that's good news about mum, there's no place like home [emoji122]

[Cerebus]

Hey all. Quick check in. Made it to Colorado OK. My Mother seems to be recovering well and is currently in a rehab unit. She's anxious to go home but obviously it's up to her doctors to determine that. We still have to decide/determine what to do if her health takes a downward spin again. But for now she looks good.

That's cheering, a few pages back it sounded like the prognosis was rather dim. Here's wishing her further good luck!

[bd139]

Indeed. Good to hear 

Went to see my mother yesterday. Found the remote control in the fridge. Television has been on for two days apparently. 

[Wolfgang]

videos ommitted for brevity ...
Depends ... I good helicopter is a nice feel to fly.

You're not going to convince me

now try this with a glider. Or rather: dont try this at home. .

My problem was that I dont fit into a glider (120kg), otherwise it looks like fun

Ah. OK. Find fun where you can.
[/quote]

Cool videos, again. The attitude that a chopper is just an oversized fan is a bit biased. The point is to bring your *own* wind with you wherever you need it. It does work without any thermics.

[tggzzz]

Cool videos, again. The attitude that a chopper is just an oversized fan is a bit biased.

True. It also has an engine, a gearbox and a "Jesus bolt"

From today's news https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-46006470

The point is to bring your *own* wind with you wherever you need it. It does work without any thermics.

Gliders make their own wind: you just point the nose down at the relevant angle. They also don't need thermals - ridge flying and wave relies on strong winds across hills/mountains, and enables climbs to 10kft/20kft (UK record 37kft). It is great fun eyeballing sheep as they wizz past at 70kt Or flying with raptors, gazing into each other's eyes

[mnementh]

Sounds like something grenaded in the transmission, from reports. One would expect this bird to have the best of maintenance, given its high-profile deployment. I wonder who Mr Srivaddhanaprabha pissed off... 

I have several friends who are into RC gliding. Recent developments in video gear have made even that kind of long range FPV flight a reality; they all love the new aspect it brings to their passion. My friend Rick who died of cancer recently was one of them, but still mostly flew LOS. 

You sound like Jonathan Livingston Seagull when you you wax poetic about gliding.    I need to go find it again... a little simplistic, but good for the soul.

mnem
I will drink coffee.

[bd139]

I think the helicopter committed suicide because it was forced to land in Leicester.

FPV is interesting me a lot at the moment but with drones. After playing computer games for many years (fast things like Q3A and UT) I’m finding that amateur radio is a bit slow, completely unreliable and slightly boring. TEA interest is far greater. Perhaps a new bucket list project needs to be selected.

[tggzzz]

Sounds like something grenaded in the transmission, from reports. One would expect this bird to have the best of maintenance, given its high-profile deployment. I wonder who Mr Srivaddhanaprabha pissed off... 

Hence my mentioning the gearbox. There have been several such "incidents" over the North Sea in recent years.

OTOH, a Russian oligarch's copter had a similar failure on takeoff a few years ago.

You sound like Jonathan Livingston Seagull when you you wax poetic about gliding.    I need to go find it again... a little simplistic, but good for the soul.

Seagulls are deceptive buggers - they lure you and then flap their wings. Buzzards are much more reliable thermal indicators, and have saved many many pilots from landing out and chatting to farmers.

A better comparison would be with Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger, comte de Saint-Exupéry. He was an early, lyrically poetic aviator who wrote "The Little Prince" and also one of my guiding aphorisms: “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Airman's Odyssey.

And that is definitely TEA related. Phew; got the thread back on course.

FFI https://www.biography.com/people/antoine-de-saint-exupery-030816 or wackypedia

[tggzzz]

...I’m finding that amateur radio is a bit slow, completely unreliable and slightly boring.

So, no change there

Mind you, there are new challenges, e.g. microwave links and UWB systems. Or you could just repurpose some of the mmwave stuff that is becoming available above 50GHz.

[Specmaster]

I think the helicopter committed suicide because it was forced to land in Leicester.

FPV is interesting me a lot at the moment but with drones. After playing computer games for many years (fast things like Q3A and UT) I’m finding that amateur radio is a bit slow, completely unreliable and slightly boring. TEA interest is far greater. Perhaps a new bucket list project needs to be selected.

WTF, after you have invested such large sums of money and all that development work into it as well, I know you said that you get bored quickly but I never expected it to be that quick 

[factory]

Anyone fancy an early HP calibrator? no transistors in this one it's all hollow-state. I would buy it myself but I already have one.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/283230688302

David

[bd139]

...I’m finding that amateur radio is a bit slow, completely unreliable and slightly boring.

So, no change there

Mind you, there are new challenges, e.g. microwave links and UWB systems. Or you could just repurpose some of the mmwave stuff that is becoming available above 50GHz.

Yes I find my interests moving almost instantly to UHF and above.

What tripped me today is listening to a contest. I could write a computer program that would be more effective.

I think the helicopter committed suicide because it was forced to land in Leicester.

FPV is interesting me a lot at the moment but with drones. After playing computer games for many years (fast things like Q3A and UT) I’m finding that amateur radio is a bit slow, completely unreliable and slightly boring. TEA interest is far greater. Perhaps a new bucket list project needs to be selected.

WTF, after you have invested such large sums of money and all that development work into it as well, I know you said that you get bored quickly but I never expected it to be that quick 

Only HF really. VHF and above is still interesting.

You have to learn to walk before you can run as they say. Turned out walking was a snap.

BTW with investment I never make an aggregate loss. I am so utterly risk averse.  When I sold my 450D I got 40 more than I paid for it

Also the exchange rate is working in our favour. Sometimes when you buy something new and hang onto it you can get more than you paid for it.

[Specmaster]

...I’m finding that amateur radio is a bit slow, completely unreliable and slightly boring.

So, no change there

Mind you, there are new challenges, e.g. microwave links and UWB systems. Or you could just repurpose some of the mmwave stuff that is becoming available above 50GHz.

Yes I find my interests moving almost instantly to UHF and above.

What tripped me today is listening to a contest. I could write a computer program that would be more effective.

I think the helicopter committed suicide because it was forced to land in Leicester.

FPV is interesting me a lot at the moment but with drones. After playing computer games for many years (fast things like Q3A and UT) I’m finding that amateur radio is a bit slow, completely unreliable and slightly boring. TEA interest is far greater. Perhaps a new bucket list project needs to be selected.

WTF, after you have invested such large sums of money and all that development work into it as well, I know you said that you get bored quickly but I never expected it to be that quick 

Only HF really. VHF and above is still interesting.

You have to learn to walk before you can run as they say. Turned out walking was a snap.

BTW with investment I never make an aggregate loss. I am so utterly risk averse.  When I sold my 450D I got 40 more than I paid for it

Also the exchange rate is working in our favour. Sometimes when you buy something new and hang onto it you can get more than you paid for it.

Yeah, in the risk averse arena we are kindred spirits to be sure[emoji106]
Can your antenna be repurposed for higher frequencies or not?

[bd139]

Antenna cost about £20 and most of that was the coax which is 50 ohm RG58C/U so that can be reused

[Specmaster]

Antenna cost about £20 and most of that was the coax which is 50 ohm RG58C/U so that can be reused

Oh I see, I had it stuck in my head that it would be much more expensive, what do I know eh[emoji41]