Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[tggzzz]

I made some bread today using the only yeast I could find, 1 x 7g sachet in Asda, which was one out of a multipack that they gave me FOC. Amazon had a 125g tub on prime, great thought I, I'll order that, placed the order...delivery anticipated 14th April.

You are an engineer; use your imagination!

Simplest form of edible flour (i.e. bread) is to mix flour with water to a consistency like double cream. Optionally add an egg or use some form of milk instead of water.

Pour sufficient into a hot frying pan, and swirl around to create a ~1mm thick layer. Cook for a minute or two. Use spatula to turn over (flipping the pan is for amateurs!). And there you have a tortilla or pancake, depending on your preference.

Add filling of your choice, from lemon+sugar, to tinned mackerel in tomato sauce, to whatever is left over in the freezer.

That was the staple breakfast I gave to my daughter for years. Quick, easy, simple, malleable, interesting: what's not to like.

[bd139]

Used to make flat breads like that years ago. Good idea. Will hit the local Indian shops tomorrow for some flour.

[Specmaster]

I made some bread today using the only yeast I could find, 1 x 7g sachet in Asda, which was one out of a multipack that they gave me FOC. Amazon had a 125g tub on prime, great thought I, I'll order that, placed the order...delivery anticipated 14th April.

You are an engineer; use your imagination!

Simplest form of edible flour (i.e. bread) is to mix flour with water to a consistency like double cream. Optionally add an egg or use some form of milk instead of water.

Pour sufficient into a hot frying pan, and swirl around to create a ~1mm thick layer. Cook for a minute or two. Use spatula to turn over (flipping the pan is for amateurs!). And there you have a tortilla or pancake, depending on your preference.

Add filling of your choice, from lemon+sugar, to tinned mackerel in tomato sauce, to whatever is left over in the freezer.

That was the staple breakfast I gave to my daughter for years. Quick, easy, simple, malleable, interesting: what's not to like.

Thats fine and dandy for me, but SWMBO is highly unlikely to be working from home and so still needs to take a sandwich or something to work with her as she works in the Local Crown  Court, and they will still have criminals standing trail, so she cannot work from home, unless crime also take time out  If push comes to shove then we shall have to resort to pancakes, but flour is also getting to be thin on the ground but it seems that Strong Bread Flour might be a little more specialized and thus less likely to hoovered up by the panic buyers 

[tggzzz]

I'm saving so much money from not commuting and not eating out that I can buy more TE. Wonderful!

I've put in a silly-low sealed bid that I expect to be ignored, and will probably bid on some stuff on Thursday.

I've just put together a document giving hints to my daughter as to how she should dispose of the TE (i.e. other than the local hackspace or the tip). Lowball prices are included to whet her interest and avoid the "it is a bit of fancy wire" syndrome. (No, it is a Tektronix precision cable 1m 50ohm cable for TDR calibration!)

Disposal mechanisms are Ramco, Peaker Pattinson, this forum. TekScopes, fleabay. Any others in the UK I should add?

[tggzzz]

I made some bread today using the only yeast I could find, 1 x 7g sachet in Asda, which was one out of a multipack that they gave me FOC. Amazon had a 125g tub on prime, great thought I, I'll order that, placed the order...delivery anticipated 14th April.

You are an engineer; use your imagination!

Simplest form of edible flour (i.e. bread) is to mix flour with water to a consistency like double cream. Optionally add an egg or use some form of milk instead of water.

Pour sufficient into a hot frying pan, and swirl around to create a ~1mm thick layer. Cook for a minute or two. Use spatula to turn over (flipping the pan is for amateurs!). And there you have a tortilla or pancake, depending on your preference.

Add filling of your choice, from lemon+sugar, to tinned mackerel in tomato sauce, to whatever is left over in the freezer.

That was the staple breakfast I gave to my daughter for years. Quick, easy, simple, malleable, interesting: what's not to like.

Thats fine and dandy for me, but SWMBO is highly unlikely to be working from home and so still needs to take a sandwich or something to work with her as she works in the Local Crown  Court, and they will still have criminals standing trail, so she cannot work from home, unless crime also take time out  If push comes to shove then we shall have to resort to pancakes, but flour is also getting to be thin on the ground but it seems that Strong Bread Flour might be a little more specialized and thus less likely to hoovered up by the panic buyers 

There's bugger all difference between "pancakes" and "tortilla". Look in any supermarket for ready-to-go "wraps" next to the sandwiches, e.g. https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/sandwiches-and-wraps/sainsburys-mexican-bean-wrap

Brizzle is a bit of a foodie enclave, so people have a clue about the different types of flour.

[tggzzz]

Used to make flat breads like that years ago. Good idea. Will hit the local Indian shops tomorrow for some flour.

The "flour" can be any starch (e.g. rice), or protein-based (e.g. lentil), or a mixture.

Despite being a militant omnivore, the S. Indian breakfast based around idlis and dosas can be absolutely delicious. Hell's teeth, even Gordon Ramsay had to admit that S. Indian temple food was delicious!

[Brumby]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh



My "thanks" to you all  , especially Bean.... my offer was accepted     One slightly abused, but apparently functional HP 3478A is on its way - for AUD$174, all up.


Now I'll probably be looking for some kelvin clips ... and I just realised my planned bench location is about an inch too small for the length of the case.  Some reworking will be required...

What fresh hell is this?

[Specmaster]

Used to make flat breads like that years ago. Good idea. Will hit the local Indian shops tomorrow for some flour.

The "flour" can be any starch (e.g. rice), or protein-based (e.g. lentil), or a mixture.

Despite being a militant omnivore, the S. Indian breakfast based around idlis and dosas can be absolutely delicious. Hell's teeth, even Gordon Ramsay had to admit that S. Indian temple food was delicious!

With more than a few added expletives of course 

[beanflying]

I was hoping that the Swedes weren't that stupid, but alas...

We are, especially in large groups. Yeast was out in my local shop (Färingsö), but coffee was cheap. (I only buy Zoegas, because of a long story involving the smell of toast while driving past the roaster when I lived there and so on. (Another roaster here in Stockholm have a facility that smells like baked potatoes. Their coffee isn't nearly as good, either. ))

This evening yeast was back. There is hope. Just need to not go crazy from working at home the third week in a row. I suppose there will be more weeks like this, so better live and learn.

TE related: I've got my mind set on a DE-5000. Any hints on which of the sellers that is good? I want the tweezers and the croc clip plugin as well, the latter mostly to rebuild with Kelvin clips as per several videos I've seen. No, not the robrenz video, I'm not that good.

I'm saving so much money from not commuting and not eating out that I can buy more TE. Wonderful!

Potatoes as a Coffee Roasting Aroma Toast is definitely a thing when roasting 

[VK5RC]

Corona virus aka 'Facebook flu' has emptied many airlines and tourist resorts, been on the Gold Coast for 4-5 days and almost no one is here. One restaurant, my wife and I were the only customers.

Re 'rough customers' - some of the toughest hardest people I ever came across were Maoris, I used to play rugby - if I came across one - my first thought was that this was going to hurt. The movie 'Once were warriors' is unfortunately not far from reality in some regards.

Have splurged on an 'as is' Fluke 8505, nothing ventured nothing gained! Looking at you FranW!
Rob

[beanflying]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh



My "thanks" to you all  , especially Bean.... my offer was accepted     One slightly abused, but apparently functional HP 3478A is on its way - for AUD$174, all up.


Now I'll probably be looking for some kelvin clips ... and I just realised my planned bench location is about an inch too small for the length of the case.  Some reworking will be required...

What fresh hell is this?

Good deal if it is all as described  If I was closer I would throw in free access to the 'toys' for calibration testing as 'partial' penance for my sins 

[Cerebus]

Used to make flat breads like that years ago. Good idea. Will hit the local Indian shops tomorrow for some flour.

The "flour" can be any starch (e.g. rice), or protein-based (e.g. lentil), or a mixture.

Despite being a militant omnivore, the S. Indian breakfast based around idlis and dosas can be absolutely delicious. Hell's teeth, even Gordon Ramsay had to admit that S. Indian temple food was delicious!

Dosa are a bit specialised, rice and lentils, reduced to a powder in a pestle and mortar and then made into a batter, and here's the crucial bit, then left out overnight covered to ferment. Miss out the fermentation and you'll get mechanically lousy and tasteless results.

Which brings me back to yeast. Have no yeast? Yes you do, floating around in the air. Research how to make a sourdough starter online. There are a zillion methods but it boils down to: Let yeast and bacteria from the air fall into a flour and water solution, cover, keep out at room temperature for a day. If it's bubbling and smells a little vinegary you're good. If it looks mouldy or smells off, start again. If you're good, take half to use as a starter for bread in place of yeast - this will take much longer to rise than instant yeast, quite possibly overnight. Take the other half and feed it - add more flour and water. Repeat this until your grandchildren's grandchildren treat the family sourdough starter as a trade secret. Sourdough starters are best used in a 'poolish' type bread method that makes a batter consistency pre-ferment with half the flour and then mixes that with the other half of the flour and more liquid after the pre-ferment is bubbling happily.

[Cerebus]

I was hoping that the Swedes weren't that stupid, but alas...

We are, especially in large groups. Yeast was out in my local shop (Färingsö), but coffee was cheap. (I only buy Zoegas, because of a long story involving the smell of toast while driving past the roaster when I lived there and so on. (Another roaster here in Stockholm have a facility that smells like baked potatoes. Their coffee isn't nearly as good, either. ))

This evening yeast was back. There is hope. Just need to not go crazy from working at home the third week in a row. I suppose there will be more weeks like this, so better live and learn.

TE related: I've got my mind set on a DE-5000. Any hints on which of the sellers that is good? I want the tweezers and the croc clip plugin as well, the latter mostly to rebuild with Kelvin clips as per several videos I've seen. No, not the robrenz video, I'm not that good.

I'm saving so much money from not commuting and not eating out that I can buy more TE. Wonderful!

Potatoes as a Coffee Roasting Aroma (Attachment Link) Toast is definitely a thing when roasting 

I'll take a doppio ristretto with: 'Green pepper', 'olive', 'mushroom', 'tomato', 'fresh bread' and as you don't appear to have 'cheese' I guess 'butter' will have to do. Hold the anchovies.

[tautech]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Congrats on getting something you wanted and for a reasonable price.

That's also how I feel today after a record week peddling Siglent gear as a TEA enabler. 
Last few weeks have been no stock, no stock then to have some and it's nearly all gone again ! 

I guess it will be just a case of ongoing 'rinse and repeat !' 

[Brumby]

Good deal if it is all as described  If I was closer I would throw in free access to the 'toys' for calibration testing as 'partial' penance for my sins 

If I was closer, I'd take you up on that.... but, then, I did get an offer from someone in Sydney when I was wondering about my HP 8656B.  Nevertheless, at the moment, I have a DMMcheck Plus which will let me do a sanity check.

I've messaged the Seller to request the power cord NOT be included.  Beside being useless, I would rather not have a potential wrecking ball packed in with the unit.

[tggzzz]

Used to make flat breads like that years ago. Good idea. Will hit the local Indian shops tomorrow for some flour.

The "flour" can be any starch (e.g. rice), or protein-based (e.g. lentil), or a mixture.

Despite being a militant omnivore, the S. Indian breakfast based around idlis and dosas can be absolutely delicious. Hell's teeth, even Gordon Ramsay had to admit that S. Indian temple food was delicious!

With more than a few added expletives of course 

In this case it was, notably, more a case of him raising his eyebrows and wearing an expression of bafflement He really wasn't expecting vegetarian (?vegan?) food to be delicious!

[Brumby]

Congrats on getting something you wanted and for a reasonable price.

But ... but ... did I really want it - or was I just lulled into it by the subversives who abound on this thread?!!

[bd139]

Yes 

[tggzzz]

Used to make flat breads like that years ago. Good idea. Will hit the local Indian shops tomorrow for some flour.

The "flour" can be any starch (e.g. rice), or protein-based (e.g. lentil), or a mixture.

Despite being a militant omnivore, the S. Indian breakfast based around idlis and dosas can be absolutely delicious. Hell's teeth, even Gordon Ramsay had to admit that S. Indian temple food was delicious!

Dosa are a bit specialised, rice and lentils, reduced to a powder in a pestle and mortar and then made into a batter, and here's the crucial bit, then left out overnight covered to ferment. Miss out the fermentation and you'll get mechanically lousy and tasteless results.

Which brings me back to yeast. Have no yeast? Yes you do, floating around in the air. Research how to make a sourdough starter online. There are a zillion methods but it boils down to: Let yeast and bacteria from the air fall into a flour and water solution, cover, keep out at room temperature for a day. If it's bubbling and smells a little vinegary you're good. If it looks mouldy or smells off, start again. If you're good, take half to use as a starter for bread in place of yeast - this will take much longer to rise than instant yeast, quite possibly overnight. Take the other half and feed it - add more flour and water. Repeat this until your grandchildren's grandchildren treat the family sourdough starter as a trade secret. Sourdough starters are best used in a 'poolish' type bread method that makes a batter consistency pre-ferment with half the flour and then mixes that with the other half of the flour and more liquid after the pre-ferment is bubbling happily.

Sourdough can be delicious; today I ate 400g without the need for any fat/sugar on top of it

As for what's floating around in the air, in my kitchen this week it is too much formaldehyde for comfort Let's hope the pessimally timed exterior building work can be completed before we get locked down.

[beanflying]

On Bread one of the staples I used to make for the Cafe (when I had no life) was a variation on the English Bloomer Loaf. The main benifit to it is the slow generally overnight rise so make it after dinner. Knock it back first up in the morning and it is ready to go in the Oven two hours into the day just in time for lunch.

This is fairly close to what I do just add some extra proving time as it helps the flavour. https://www.waitrose.com/home/recipes/recipe_directory/p/paul-hollywood-swhitebloomerbread.html Sub in up to 20% wholemeal or Dark Rye, nuts etc.

Below is snipped before I stopped playing Instagram when it became truly farcebooked  Just cooked in a domestic oven in this case. I still cook about half of the bread we eat.

[tautech]

Congrats on getting something you wanted and for a reasonable price.

But ... but ... did I really want it - or was I just lulled into it by the subversives who abound on this thread?!!

Yes at times I wish the enablers here worked for me. 

You won't know whether to thank them or not until you have it in your sweaty mitts. 

[tggzzz]

Congrats on getting something you wanted and for a reasonable price.

But ... but ... did I really want it - or was I just lulled into it by the subversives who abound on this thread?!!

What do you want the answer to be?

[Brumby]

Hmmm... 

[Cerebus]

On Bread one of the staples I used to make for the Cafe (when I had no life) was a variation on the English Bloomer Loaf. The main benifit to it is the slow generally overnight rise so make it after dinner. Knock it back first up in the morning and it is ready to go in the Oven two hours into the day just in time for lunch.

This is fairly close to what I do just add some extra proving time as it helps the flavour. https://www.waitrose.com/home/recipes/recipe_directory/p/paul-hollywood-swhitebloomerbread.html Sub in up to 20% wholemeal or Dark Rye, nuts etc.

Below is snipped before I stopped playing Instagram when it became truly farcebooked  Just cooked in a domestic oven in this case. I still cook about half of the bread we eat.

My standard loaf has always been: Knock up a poolish pre-ferment with 250gm of flour (80% strong white, 20% rye) just before going to bed (summer) or at lunchtime (winter). On getting up the next day mix in 250gm more flour, 10gm salt and enough water to take it to 70% hydration. Kneed, leave to prove somewhere cool (fridge in summer, bathroom in winter) until the evening and then bake in time for supper. Lasts two of us anything between 30 minutes and two days. Repeat as necessary. Alternatively, the same but when the dough's 2 hours shy of being ready to bake, divide into three, plait, prove 2 hours more, douse with olive oil and coarse sea salt, bake - lasts two of us 20-35 minutes.

[Neomys Sapiens]

You can still listen to the militia, preppers and people having sex after forgetting to turn the baby monitor off.

More seriously I remember using a scanner on mobile phones in the very early 1990s. Had a Yupiteru jobby. Hours of fun. Probably still have it at my mothers somewhere.  Don’t remember selling it.

In the bygone time of analogue BOS radio (our PSB), I kept a nice station with a W-J receiver with panorama display, a Standard AX-700, Yeasu FRG-9600 and one or more portables running all the time. Having two antennas on resp. under the roof of a 5-storied building, I could reach out some, especially with the W-J. I could identify those of my visitors that actually paid attention to that by their flabbergasted reactions to adresses and features of a city just short of 100km away.