Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

From the "First-world Problems..." Dept:

   https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B089KF8NNL

Fukkin' Amazon man...

So today I'm looking for a LED assortment for A) Learning time widda boi B) modding time widda Dell PSUs and 3)  EVER else I need LEDs for and... they're too damned cheap.  A kit with hundreds of every type I can use plus tricolors in CC and CA configuration is only CAD$16; the same kit is within a couple dollars on AliEx. 

I need to pad the order to make free Prime next-day shipping, so I go looking for some cheap MOSFETs, figuring I'd replace that dragon-sized one in my 3DP with a IRFZ44 or somesuch and undo my earlier crime. Right at the top of the list is this for CAD$9.99!

Not only is it cheaper than almost all of the other prime-able listings... the modules come with oodles of useful quick-connects, better FETs and they're already D-PAK, so no Dremel abuse to make them fit. And the module will still work with one FET robbed off it. 

All for USD$21 delivered. For both.

mnem
*punt*

[mnementh]

Testing...

mnem

[BravoV]

Visited somewhat unfriendly staff at my local USPS today.......

465B knob and imperial machine screws to BravoV in a land far, far away.

While waiting for the machine screws to arrive, prosthetic limb for my 465B printed  ... from Thingiverse 4170057.

[tautech]

While waiting for the machine screws to arrive, prosthetic limb for my 465B printed  ... from Thingiverse 4170057.

You need post those and the link in beanflying's thread:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/replacement-knobs-feet-and-fittings-for-test-equipment/

[BravoV]

While waiting for the machine screws to arrive, prosthetic limb for my 465B printed  ... from Thingiverse 4170057.

You need post those and the link in beanflying's thread:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/replacement-knobs-feet-and-fittings-for-test-equipment/

Plan to, after they're attached nicely & dandy on the 465B's rear. 

[Zucca]

I go looking for some cheap MOSFETs, figuring I'd replace that dragon-sized one in my 3DP with a IRFZ44

Where exactely you put them? To drive the hot bed?

[bd139]

If you can see your neighbors they're too damned close.

mnem
 

This, 1000x over. Top reason why I want a rural property someday. Right up there is also room for outbuildings for "toys" and room for large antennas. 

Great in theory, but the real problem begins when older age starts to bite in your late 70s, tidying up all the stuff, keeping the grass/weeds down let alone running a household - then some bastard like me comes and scrubs your driving licence - then you are really stuffed. Also no/minimal home services for the older person out in the bush.

Very very wise.

My father was a fine example of this. Even though he wasn’t exactly in a rural location towards the end of his life, he lived in a large Hertfordshire town in a 1990s housing development. They stopped his driving license due to “car lifestyle” health, ironically a side effect of living out there, and he lost all contact and mobility instantly. Even amazon was a 2 day turnaround at best and only one supermarket delivered where he was and it was Asda which was not reliable. I had to UPS him toilet paper more than once. He basically went straight downhill then.

Here where I am now I can amble over the road at 2am Monday morning and buy an onion and send a Hermes or UPS parcel. Can get anything delivered same or next day from multiple companies. Am 5 minute walk from two major supermarkets and a strip mall with useful shops in it. 100 yards from a bus stop that will take me in all four directions including the city for free when I am old. Nearest town centre is 5 minutes on a bus away. Im also 5 minutes away from the Thames and associated cycle routes, most of the nice green and leafy bits of London (Kew etc).

I’m wondering do I trade all that away for a bit more space. As you mention, as I get older, am I just hanging myself? I’m desperate to avoid that thus health is being resolved first. Car lifestyle is the biggest killer. I lived in semi rural locations before and they are the first places to go down the toilet when tides turn. I lived in March for a few months and there was a bad onion crop and casual labour was cancelled. The crime rate went through the roof.

Thus I will probably stay put where I am and whinge as is my right as a British person, while completely ignoring the good things

I think I’ll probably settle for a “modest amount of TE”. Until the kids move out 

[0culus]

If you can see your neighbors they're too damned close.

mnem
 

This, 1000x over. Top reason why I want a rural property someday. Right up there is also room for outbuildings for "toys" and room for large antennas. 

Great in theory, but the real problem begins when older age starts to bite in your late 70s, tidying up all the stuff, keeping the grass/weeds down let alone running a household - then some bastard like me comes and scrubs your driving licence - then you are really stuffed. Also no/minimal home services for the older person out in the bush.

I don’t mean out in the boonies...though I’d like that. I still have to go to work after all. What I have in mind is a bit out of the city where the properties are a few acres.

As to driving licenses...clearly you haven’t been to my state. Licenses, insurance, and turn signals are optional! 

[mansaxel]

I've had native v6 here at home since my ISP was one that I also ran

If that had been the case for me, I'd made sure to make v6 a priority too.  I did work at the equivalent of JANET from 2000-2007, so did a lot of early v6 work, and drove that adaptation at later employers too, with varying degrees of success.

Today, it is not hard to do v6, not as it was 20 years ago, when VLSI was built with the assumption that an address would be 32 bits. (and even earlier, only subnetted on whole bytes.. But I don't think there was much hardware-assisted routing back then, those sins mostly were in assembler or C.)

And, having a globally unique identifier for every computer, regardless how "internal" it is, is a major deal. It is an enabler you simply don't want to be without once you've tasted it.

[med6753]

If you can see your neighbors they're too damned close.

mnem
 

This, 1000x over. Top reason why I want a rural property someday. Right up there is also room for outbuildings for "toys" and room for large antennas. 

Great in theory, but the real problem begins when older age starts to bite in your late 70s, tidying up all the stuff, keeping the grass/weeds down let alone running a household - then some bastard like me comes and scrubs your driving licence - then you are really stuffed. Also no/minimal home services for the older person out in the bush.

Very very wise.

My father was a fine example of this. Even though he wasn’t exactly in a rural location towards the end of his life, he lived in a large Hertfordshire town in a 1990s housing development. They stopped his driving license due to “car lifestyle” health, ironically a side effect of living out there, and he lost all contact and mobility instantly. Even amazon was a 2 day turnaround at best and only one supermarket delivered where he was and it was Asda which was not reliable. I had to UPS him toilet paper more than once. He basically went straight downhill then.

Here where I am now I can amble over the road at 2am Monday morning and buy an onion and send a Hermes or UPS parcel. Can get anything delivered same or next day from multiple companies. Am 5 minute walk from two major supermarkets and a strip mall with useful shops in it. 100 yards from a bus stop that will take me in all four directions including the city for free when I am old. Nearest town centre is 5 minutes on a bus away. Im also 5 minutes away from the Thames and associated cycle routes, most of the nice green and leafy bits of London (Kew etc).

I’m wondering do I trade all that away for a bit more space. As you mention, as I get older, am I just hanging myself? I’m desperate to avoid that thus health is being resolved first. Car lifestyle is the biggest killer. I lived in semi rural locations before and they are the first places to go down the toilet when tides turn. I lived in March for a few months and there was a bad onion crop and casual labour was cancelled. The crime rate went through the roof.

Thus I will probably stay put where I am and whinge as is my right as a British person, while completely ignoring the good things

I think I’ll probably settle for a “modest amount of TE”. Until the kids move out 

Interesting. I share some of the same concerns for myself.

Luckily I don't have to worry about maintaining the exterior like mowing or major interior items because that's the landlord's responsibility. And I've mentioned before I have a good landlord.

If I were to lose my driver's license I'd be up shit's creek. There's no public transit of any sort except calling a local cab or possibly Uber. But from what I've seen here in NYS with some of the real old folks who are driving and should not it takes perhaps an act of God to have it taken away. 
 
There is one local grocery that does deliver but currently that's not the grocery I shop at. My grocer has a pick up service but obviously you have to drive there. So if the license goes bye-bye I would have to change grocer.

My eldest Son lives 20 minutes away and he does have a key and knows the location of important papers, etc. But one thing I have been remiss on is having a Will in place. I really need to do that.

My biggest fear? Being what's called an "unattended". At least once a week I hear one on the police scanner. It's a person who lives alone and they die and no one knows. And it's eventually discovered by means that I will leave to your imagination. Not pleasant.     

[tggzzz]

If you can see your neighbors they're too damned close.

mnem
 

This, 1000x over. Top reason why I want a rural property someday. Right up there is also room for outbuildings for "toys" and room for large antennas. 

Great in theory, but the real problem begins when older age starts to bite in your late 70s, tidying up all the stuff, keeping the grass/weeds down let alone running a household - then some bastard like me comes and scrubs your driving licence - then you are really stuffed. Also no/minimal home services for the older person out in the bush.

Very very wise.

My father was a fine example of this. Even though he wasn’t exactly in a rural location towards the end of his life, he lived in a large Hertfordshire town in a 1990s housing development. They stopped his driving license due to “car lifestyle” health, ironically a side effect of living out there, and he lost all contact and mobility instantly. Even amazon was a 2 day turnaround at best and only one supermarket delivered where he was and it was Asda which was not reliable. I had to UPS him toilet paper more than once. He basically went straight downhill then.

Here where I am now I can amble over the road at 2am Monday morning and buy an onion and send a Hermes or UPS parcel. Can get anything delivered same or next day from multiple companies. Am 5 minute walk from two major supermarkets and a strip mall with useful shops in it. 100 yards from a bus stop that will take me in all four directions including the city for free when I am old. Nearest town centre is 5 minutes on a bus away. Im also 5 minutes away from the Thames and associated cycle routes, most of the nice green and leafy bits of London (Kew etc).

I’m wondering do I trade all that away for a bit more space. As you mention, as I get older, am I just hanging myself? I’m desperate to avoid that thus health is being resolved first. Car lifestyle is the biggest killer. I lived in semi rural locations before and they are the first places to go down the toilet when tides turn. I lived in March for a few months and there was a bad onion crop and casual labour was cancelled. The crime rate went through the roof.

Thus I will probably stay put where I am and whinge as is my right as a British person, while completely ignoring the good things

I think I’ll probably settle for a “modest amount of TE”. Until the kids move out 

All valid concerns, but the conclusion is unnecessarily pessimistic. (Background: I lived on the edge of the fens, and was dragged up in Epsom)

I live 5 mins walk from a Co-op Local Supermarket, the doctors's surgery, and the bus stop to the city centre 5 miles / 15 mins away.
The nearest major supermarket is 3 miles away and I believe there's a weekly bus service there.
There's a farm shop at one end of the village, and farms at both ends, and I have a rather nice view to green hills 5/10 miles away.
Buzzards fly overhead (mobbed by crows), peregrines nest nearby, there are wild deer all around the village and occasionally in the village too.
Walks are plentiful through golf courses, country estates, forestry commission land, all with mature trees and lots of sweet chestnuts (and a few walnuts).
There's a national cycle network path into the nearby city centre.
Looks like house prices are ~2/3 of where you live, so you could trade up and have plenty of space for TE. (And there are at least 4 ham clubs nearby, some without mouth breathers)

And the people are pleasant and nice.

You can have it all - well, mostly.

[tggzzz]

My eldest Son lives 20 minutes away and he does have a key and knows the location of important papers, etc. But one thing I have been remiss on is having a Will in place. I really need to do that.

Are there local equivalents of "my son can administer my money (and/or health) when I've lost my marbles", "do not resussitate if I will never regain my marbles"?

This is all becoming more relevant with my mother

[bd139]

All valid concerns, but the conclusion is unnecessarily pessimistic. (Background: I lived on the edge of the fens, and was dragged up in Epsom)

I live 5 mins walk from a Co-op Local Supermarket, the doctors's surgery, and the bus stop to the city centre 5 miles / 15 mins away.
The nearest major supermarket is 3 miles away and I believe there's a weekly bus service there.
There's a farm shop at one end of the village, and farms at both ends, and I have a rather nice view to green hills 5/10 miles away.
Buzzards fly overhead (mobbed by crows), peregrines nest nearby, there are wild deer all around the village and occasionally in the village too.
Walks are plentiful through golf courses, country estates, forestry commission land, all with mature trees and lots of sweet chestnuts (and a few walnuts).
There's a national cycle network path into the nearby city centre.
Looks like house prices are ~2/3 of where you live, so you could trade up and have plenty of space for TE. (And there are at least 4 ham clubs nearby, some without mouth breathers)

And the people are pleasant and nice.

You can have it all - well, mostly.

It's a good sell I'll give you that. I still have dependencies on three schools for the next 4 years approximately which is setting the schedule. That neatly pushes us over the Brexshit deadline and into the apocalypse that follows so I can thoroughly evaluate it later.

Oh random thing. I spent some time working with the curve tracer and decided to rip out the analogue brains and use DACs instead. This is on paper. Then I have arranged the switching so it can be computer controlled via an AVR slaved to a USB-serial interface. Then I realised I invented an SMU again  . Back to analogue - I don't want to invent an SMU

[bd139]

My eldest Son lives 20 minutes away and he does have a key and knows the location of important papers, etc. But one thing I have been remiss on is having a Will in place. I really need to do that.

Are there local equivalents of "my son can administer my money (and/or health) when I've lost my marbles", "do not resussitate if I will never regain my marbles"?

This is all becoming more relevant with my mother

Mine too. My sympathies.

She did say, and I quote, that she's "too fucking stubborn to move house" though which is probably good which means she won't put everything into a care home bill. That sounds horribly selfish on my part but it's a nasty trap in society here.

[tggzzz]

All valid concerns, but the conclusion is unnecessarily pessimistic. (Background: I lived on the edge of the fens, and was dragged up in Epsom)

I live 5 mins walk from a Co-op Local Supermarket, the doctors's surgery, and the bus stop to the city centre 5 miles / 15 mins away.
The nearest major supermarket is 3 miles away and I believe there's a weekly bus service there.
There's a farm shop at one end of the village, and farms at both ends, and I have a rather nice view to green hills 5/10 miles away.
Buzzards fly overhead (mobbed by crows), peregrines nest nearby, there are wild deer all around the village and occasionally in the village too.
Walks are plentiful through golf courses, country estates, forestry commission land, all with mature trees and lots of sweet chestnuts (and a few walnuts).
There's a national cycle network path into the nearby city centre.
Looks like house prices are ~2/3 of where you live, so you could trade up and have plenty of space for TE. (And there are at least 4 ham clubs nearby, some without mouth breathers)

And the people are pleasant and nice.

You can have it all - well, mostly.

It's a good sell I'll give you that. I still have dependencies on three schools for the next 4 years approximately which is setting the schedule. That neatly pushes us over the Brexshit deadline and into the apocalypse that follows so I can thoroughly evaluate it later.

Very true, on both counts.

I must admit to being somewhat lucky where I live; much of Brizzle is conventional suburbia, parts are much less salubrious, and seem to go up in flames once a decade (a long tradition, since 1831 at least )

Brizzle has lost some of its attraction at the moment, since many of the wonderful eateries are inaccessible to me

Naturally, since the school/university thing is behind me, I occasionally wonder about moving somewhere else. The problem is where would be better? Certainly not the Torbay Eastborne costa geriatrica. Aus/NZ wouldn't want an oldie; Costa Rica maybe?

[BU508A]

Naturally, since the school/university thing is behind me, I occasionally wonder about moving somewhere else. The problem is where would be better? Certainly not the Torbay Eastborne costa geriatrica. Aus/NZ wouldn't want an oldie; Costa Rica maybe?

Germany, Black Forest.

[Specmaster]

My eldest Son lives 20 minutes away and he does have a key and knows the location of important papers, etc. But one thing I have been remiss on is having a Will in place. I really need to do that.

Are there local equivalents of "my son can administer my money (and/or health) when I've lost my marbles", "do not resussitate if I will never regain my marbles"?

This is all becoming more relevant with my mother

Mine too. My sympathies.

She did say, and I quote, that she's "too fucking stubborn to move house" though which is probably good which means she won't put everything into a care home bill. That sounds horribly selfish on my part but it's a nasty trap in society here.

Well I don't about your area much, but around here there are simply masses and masses of retirement flats being built on any space that is vacant, all are for sale and it strikes me that these may be just a big a con as these equity release schemes. I can't imagine that the purchasers would be allowed to leave them in their will to their children, because the other residents would not take kindly to having a young family moving in. So for that reason I imagine that there is a clause in the deeds that means when the time comes, the property managers buy back the flat at exceptionally low values and then resell again at a far higher value, its the only business model that makes sense.  So if that is true, then once again its the descendants who get royally screwed over again.

[med6753]

My eldest Son lives 20 minutes away and he does have a key and knows the location of important papers, etc. But one thing I have been remiss on is having a Will in place. I really need to do that.

Are there local equivalents of "my son can administer my money (and/or health) when I've lost my marbles", "do not resussitate if I will never regain my marbles"?

This is all becoming more relevant with my mother

Yes. "Power of Attorney" would give my Son the ability to administer my finances, etc. "Do not resuscitate" can be written into your Will.

We have both items in place for my Mother and my youngest brother is the Executor since he lives close by to her.   

[mansaxel]

Naturally, since the school/university thing is behind me, I occasionally wonder about moving somewhere else. The problem is where would be better? Certainly not the Torbay Eastborne costa geriatrica. Aus/NZ wouldn't want an oldie; Costa Rica maybe?

Germany, Black Forest.

Well, since his country decided they want no part of that free movement we used to enjoy, he can't. Not without standing in line behind everybody else who'd rather be in than out.

If I were to move, walking distance to a view of the sea (the real sea, not the Baltic) would be a requirement. Which sort of disqualifies Schwarzwald.  Not to say that Schwarzwald is uninteresting. The proximity to both Schweiz and France makes for interesting things to do, apart from walking in the hills to take the Wiha factory tour.

[med6753]

Well I don't about your area much, but around here there are simply masses and masses of retirement flats being built on any space that is vacant, all are for sale and it strikes me that these may be just a big a con as these equity release schemes. I can't imagine that the purchasers would be allowed to leave them in their will to their children, because the other residents would not take kindly to having a young family moving in. So for that reason I imagine that there is a clause in the deeds that means when the time comes, the property managers buy back the flat at exceptionally low values and then resell again at a far higher value, its the only business model that makes sense.  So if that is true, then once again its the descendants who get royally screwed over again.

The same is happening here. And they found out I'm age qualified because I keep getting offers in the mail which promptly go into the trash.

The last place I want to be is surrounded by men who mumble and piss their pants and women who have 3 belly buttons and always want to be in your business. Unless of course I DO lose my marbles and don't care and pissing my pants is a daily thrill. 

When my Mother was having all those health issues 2 years ago we temporarily had her in an assisted facility. She hated it. She may have physical issues but her mind is sharp. Most of the other residents had both issues. The communal meals were like sitting with a bunch of zombies according to her. And we were not happy with the care she was receiving anyway and had multiple meetings with admin expressing our displeasure. It became obvious that this was nothing more than a money grab. Luckily with a change in her meds she was able to return to her home and is still in her home.       

[med6753]

Back on subject. Today is decision point with regards to the Type 310A project. I'll work on some more today but if no fix it's going into the TE closet. I'm not giving up on it I'm just deferring it to a later date. I'll fix it come hell or high water but right now it's taking up too much of my time. I have other things I want to do such as some wood working out in the garage which I prefer to get done before the nasty weather hits and the snow flies. I also want to paint the walls in the living room and that will be a major project. 

[VK5RC]

I really forgot to mention that one thing that could make a HUGE impact is the self driving car. You shouldn't need a licence.
 
Go google - you have about 20yrs to get it sorted for me!

[McBryce]

I really forgot to mention that one thing that could make a HUGE impact is the self driving car. You shouldn't need a licence.
 
Go google - you have about 20yrs to get it sorted for me!

If you read the wording of any proposed legislation on self driving cars, they all still require the main occupant to be defined as the "operator" and as such will require a license.

McBryce.

[tonyalbus]

I really forgot to mention that one thing that could make a HUGE impact is the self driving car. You shouldn't need a licence.
 
Go google - you have about 20yrs to get it sorted for me!

Or asap... great when going to the bar 

[xrunner]

And so it ends. This is where ham "radio" is going - comms over the internet. It's called an MMDVM hotspot.

I only got one because the friends I want to talk to all went there because of idiots and jamming on the repeaters. You can create a room on the server where only the people who know the room number talk. Other than the UHF simplex link from your HT to the hotspot it's all internet. Nothing much more than a glorified wireless mic.