Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Mr. Scram]

Just a quick follow up on my new 3D printer.

I'm very pleased! I just tried these N scale gas tanks for my model railroad and it really pulled it off well. Wow, I can't wait to try it more (sounds like some kind of new drug I discovered).

 

Those are adorable.

[mnementh]

Smeg... now I have this adorable little picture of a tiny little guy with a tiny little cigarette dangling from his tiny little lip, mowing tiny grass around those tiny little propane tanks and getting himself blown to tiny little people Hell...  

mnem
"tiny wails... tiny cries..."

[xrunner]

Smeg... now I have this adorable little picture of a tiny little guy with a tiny little cigarette dangling from his tiny little lip, mowing tiny grass around those tiny little propane tanks and getting himself blown to tiny little people Hell...  

mnem
"tiny wails... tiny cries..."

I can do that LOL. 

Oh crap my mind is spinning ... I am amazed with this thing. I think this is going to change my life. And this is only day one.

If I'm gone for weeks at a time please don't worry, you know what I'm doing. 

[beanflying]

Just a quick follow up on my new 3D printer.

I'm very pleased! I just tried these N scale gas tanks for my model railroad and it really pulled it off well. Wow, I can't wait to try it more (sounds like some kind of new drug I discovered).

 

Good looking early prints  Just be careful they are capable of self replication when you are not looking and before long you own a print farm

Today's print of random is a custom battery holder for my 419A. Or at least that is what I hope I get back in a few hours

[Brumby]

Here's a question for the Brits in this thread: does Marmite require refrigeration?

No; the salt content is more than sufficient

Don't know about Vegemite, though. 

Vegemite in the home of an Aussie consumer of the product doesn't last long enough to be a worry even in our hotter climate. Marmite would probably cry heatwave and become a puddle of salty sweat in the bottle 

Vegemite in the fridge?

Completely unnecessary.

[Brumby]

Very cute.

Almost looks like a flock of fat sheep.

[xrunner]

Today's print of random is a custom battery holder for my 419A. Or at least that is what I hope I get back in a few hours

What program are you designing with? I am trying Fusion 360 but getting my ass kicked. 

[beanflying]

Today's print of random is a custom battery holder for my 419A. Or at least that is what I hope I get back in a few hours

What program are you designing with? I am trying Fusion 360 but getting my ass kicked. 

Fusion 360  Seems after much resistance even mnementh is getting the hang of it so there is hope for all I guess

Take in a good dose of Lars for no BS Fusion tutorials https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo29kn3d9ziFUZGZ50VKvWA

[xrunner]

Take in a good dose of Lars for no BS Fusion tutorials https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo29kn3d9ziFUZGZ50VKvWA

Will do. It seems to be the case that you start with a sketch and extrude the parts, but I haven't got that far before throwing my computer into a hot barrel of kerosene and firing 10 rounds into it. 

[beanflying]

More or less. With more use there is some shortcuts and a more correct order to do things in that reduces downstream problems. 'Revolves' are a good one to learn too my Vacuum adapters are a single profile sketch that is then revolved into a tube.

Big Tip leave any and all Fillets until last!

That Battery holder as an example started off life as the sketch below then the three main block were extruded. Then a 'Loft' command was used to join those three blocks into one. From there the rest was mainly cuts, fillets and the extra curved supports for the rails for strength (extra sketch). Overall that part is 5 sketches and maybe 20 different operations as per the screen capture.

Note the use of the Mirror feature. Saves a lot of work too.

[Mr. Scram]

Will do. It seems to be the case that you start with a sketch and extrude the parts, but I haven't got that far before throwing my computer into a hot barrel of kerosene and firing 10 rounds into it. 

It takes some getting used to, but when you are you'll wonder why other programs are doing things the hard way. There certainly is an art to it, though.

[mnementh]

Today's print of random is a custom battery holder for my 419A. Or at least that is what I hope I get back in a few hours

What program are you designing with? I am trying Fusion 360 but getting my ass kicked. 

Fusion 360  Seems after much resistance even mnementh is getting the hang of it so there is hope for all I guess

Take in a good dose of Lars for no BS Fusion tutorials https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo29kn3d9ziFUZGZ50VKvWA

Yeah... I realized after much annoyance at the "nanny state" principles upon which the "free" license operates... that what I really care about is getting from "idea" to "model" as quickly as I can; I'm TERRIBLE at CADD, terrible at thinking like a bit, and even worse at thinking like a OOPL programmer. 

So... aside from a few quirks, which ANY sufficiently complex system will have, I've gotten the hang of SOME of Fusion (enough to make a cylinder with  a square cutout, but not enough to properly navigate their anti-intuitive project storage structure); I've decided to use them for stuff that I don't care if it falls into the wrong hands, and anything I feel needs to be kept proprietary will be done with SketchUp. The model-creation aspect of Fusion is much more intuitive than SketchUp, hands-down. 

Lars was one of the first I watched, and still one of the best for beginners, IMO. Not a lot of fluff or wank in his presentations, even if his style is a bit rambly and his accent a little thick. Guys who like J. Bardwell's videos on RC Quadcopter hobbyism will like Lars.   

mnem
I'm really good at thinking like a electron, though. 

[ArthurDent]

post #27963 - "does Marmite require refrigeration?"

I had a jar of Marmite on the shelf in the back of my cabinet that I just found that had been there a few years and still looked and tasted o.k. but I threw it out, just in case. Looking back, I should have used it.

[mnementh]

Smeg... now I have this adorable little picture of a tiny little guy with a tiny little cigarette dangling from his tiny little lip, mowing tiny grass around those tiny little propane tanks and getting himself blown to tiny little people Hell...  

mnem
"tiny wails... tiny cries..."

I can do that LOL. 

Oh crap my mind is spinning ... I am amazed with this thing. I think this is going to change my life. And this is only day one.

If I'm gone for weeks at a time please don't worry, you know what I'm doing. 

I want pictures!!! 

mnem
   Shall we get you fitted for a new rabbit-hole, or just join this one to the one you're already falling down with the TEA? 

[beanflying]

I tried Sketchup a few years ago and hated it so I didn't consider it when I got my first 3D printer. As far as data security goes I am as comfortable with my files sitting on Autodesk's cloud as having my PC online 24/7 if anyone is determined then both are at risk with the correct skill set.

post #27963 - "does Marmite require refrigeration?"

I had a jar of Marmite on the shelf in the back of my cabinet that I just found that had been there a few years and still looked and tasted o.k. but I threw it out, just in case. Looking back, I should have used it.

Marmite and Vegemite are the Cockroaches of the food world and will survive a Nuclear blast just fine 

[mnementh]

I tried Sketchup a few years ago and hated it so I didn't consider it when I got my first 3D printer. As far as data security goes I am as comfortable with my files sitting on Autodesk's cloud as having my PC online 24/7 if anyone is determined then both are at risk with the correct skill set.

Well, I assume that anything I make on the platform is subject to review at any time; as I've promised NOT to use the product for profit-generating projects, I feel its only reasonable to suck it up and use something else in those cases.

mnem
*POIT!*

[bitseeker]

Spent a couple of hours on the Tek 2225 this morning. Determined to finish something off for once.

...

Outcome, which is not bad for a 32 year old:



One project complete at last!  This one's a keeper!

Wowie, it looks like it was just taken out of the box for the first time, well done

I just looked at the high-res image. Amazing! Impressive results, bd. Congrats!

Is the 2225 the only model with x10? I don't recall it being a common feature.

[bitseeker]

Here's a question for the Brits in this thread: does Marmite require refrigeration?

No; the salt content is more than sufficient

You can say that again. I tried some in NZ and was stunned by the level of salt. Ain't nothin' gonna grow in there.

[bitseeker]

Just a quick follow up on my new 3D printer.

I'm very pleased! I just tried these N scale gas tanks for my model railroad and it really pulled it off well. Wow, I can't wait to try it more (sounds like some kind of new drug I discovered).

 

That is so cool, xrunner. I guess it's a good thing I don't have a 3D printer (yet). I'd pimp out all my Euro board games with custom pieces.

[0culus]

This week brings fun packages! A microwave directional coupler, a box from Mini Circuits with RF connection stuffz, 3U and 4U HP rack handles, and one of these: https://www.ebay.com/itm/302762816450

Armed with that little signal generator and an earlier revision of this tracking generator (earlier revision is just a bare PCB and doesn't include the signal generator): https://www.dsinstruments.com/store/products/tg6000-rf-tracking-generator/

I can build a portable tracking generator that will cover dc-6 GHz for my 8566A and the full bandwidth of my 8568B. Best part is I got the tracking generator board basically free with the 8566A, so it's going to also be a cost effective project. 

[bitseeker]

0culus, is that particular 4351 board a better designed one than the typical ones from China? It claims to be an "American product" with better layout, but the item description is still non-native English.

I'm no RF expert, so I can't judge the quality myself, but am curious if it's better and in what way(s). I also wonder what they mean by "American product." Could it be a PCB design from the US that got away?

"Things that make you go, hmmm..."

[0culus]

0culus, is that particular 4351 board a better designed one than the typical ones from China? It claims to be an "American product" with better layout, but the item description is still non-native English.

I'm no RF expert, so I can't judge the quality myself, but am curious if it's better and in what way(s). I also wonder what they mean by "American product." Could it be a PCB design from the US that got away?

"Things that make you go, hmmm..."

I don’t know exactly. It was recommended to me as a low cost option that will provide the LO signal needed for a tracking generator for the 66a/b. Figure can’t hurt trying. Will report back once I have all the stuff. 

[tggzzz]

I had a jar of Marmite on the shelf in the back of my cabinet that I just found that had been there a few years and still looked and tasted o.k. but I threw it out, just in case. Looking back, I should have used it.

Marmite is one of those things where you don't bother to look at a "best before" date, ditto salt, sugar etc.

But you should be aware that I have things in my stock cupboard marked "best before Dec 1992", some homemade Cambridge Royal strawberry jam from 1987 (wonder when I will find a special occasion to eat it), and have a leg of pork hanging up under my kitchen (repurposed as Brexit prepping ).

[PrecisionAnalytic]

What program are you designing with?

I was using the Fab Lab's Solid Works and created a student/makers account with Onshape so could work on during Christmas break... then went into a free items, repair, tear down and read into binge.  Seems suitable, though I hear Fusion 360 is popular.  About all I made were some Thingverse SMA Spinners and then my custom Stereomicroscope ring light mount adapter and the Telescoping Yagi folding telescopic antenna mounts.

https://hackaday.io/project/163219-telescoping-yagi-antenna-with-folding-elements

[beanflying]

What program are you designing with?

I was using the Fab Lab's Solid Works and created a student/makers account with Onshape so could work on during Christmas break... then went into a free items, repair, tear down and read into binge.  Seems suitable, though I hear Fusion 360 is popular.  About all I made were some Thingverse SMA Spinners and then my custom Stereomicroscope ring light mount adapter and the Telescoping Yagi folding telescopic antenna mounts.

https://hackaday.io/project/163219-telescoping-yagi-antenna-with-folding-elements

Be a bit careful with Onshape and some of the others TOS generally the freebie plans come with a potentially strict non commercial use clause along with automatically open sourcing your files. Fusion has a $100k free use one and your files are yours albeit it on their cloud.