Author Topic: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread  (Read 14563919 times)

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Offline Cerebus

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107825 on: November 27, 2021, 11:37:08 pm »
Probably also a fair guess that you and most of the people you worked with grew up to be actual adults with some sort of work ethic as they were raised by their parents rather than TV. The core concepts of the last couple generations seems to be that you just have to get by and sooner or later you'll get your big break, and that everything is somebody else's fault, rather than taking responsibility for anything.

mnem
When did a dumb blank look become an acceptable defense for fundamental incompetence...?

Rather unfair on those two generations there. Firstly, the lot I'm talking about there almost perfectly fit the demographic that would have made them the first of the, oft moaned about, Millennials. I've generally found that if you give people responsibility, and crucially the power to exercise that responsibility, then they'll take responsibility. Personally I've known more responsibility shirkers, wastrels and work-shy people from the Baby Boomers and Generation X than I have from the following generations; although I'm reserving judgement on Generation alpha, as so far they're a little disappointing, rather too much entitlement and telling other people how they should live their lives knocking about for my taste.
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 
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Offline Cerebus

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107826 on: November 27, 2021, 11:39:03 pm »
...
Apt-get needs ethernet  |O
...

Temporarily use some other ethernet adapter, e.g. an USB-to-Ethernet - most are supported from the installation images without any hassles.
If you don't have one, get one - it saves time and your nerves ...

Yup. One of those goes into my computing "go bag" right next to the USB-Serial-CiscoConsole cable.
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 
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Offline GreyWoolfe

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107827 on: November 28, 2021, 12:22:02 am »

Provide the tools for me to do the job you hired me for OR pay me a tools allowance to fund the tools required to do the job you hired me for.

Any other management position is abuse/exploitation.
When they won't change their POV then it's time to be looking for a position elsewhere !

My company is very good about supplying tools.  The really expensive toys like the photo densitometer, the company supplied to all of us field techs.  Hand tools, for me, is a case by case basis.  If it is a driver for my Xcelite 99 system, I buy it and will keep it for myself, along with any other tools I figure I would want to keep if the company and I part ways-no expensing needed.  If it is something I would never in my lifetime use, and I do have some like that, I will let my immediate supervisor know I am buying it, if he hasn't already sent out an email letting us know we need to get it and expense it, and then will expense it without issue.
"Heaven has been described as the place that once you get there all the dogs you ever loved run up to greet you."
 
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Online mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107828 on: November 28, 2021, 03:57:44 am »
Probably also a fair guess that you and most of the people you worked with grew up to be actual adults with some sort of work ethic as they were raised by their parents rather than TV. The core concepts of the last couple generations seems to be that you just have to get by and sooner or later you'll get your big break, and that everything is somebody else's fault, rather than taking responsibility for anything.

mnem
When did a dumb blank look become an acceptable defense for fundamental incompetence...?

Rather unfair on those two generations there. Firstly, the lot I'm talking about there almost perfectly fit the demographic that would have made them the first of the, oft moaned about, Millennials. I've generally found that if you give people responsibility, and crucially the power to exercise that responsibility, then they'll take responsibility. Personally I've known more responsibility shirkers, wastrels and work-shy people from the Baby Boomers and Generation X than I have from the following generations; although I'm reserving judgement on Generation alpha, as so far they're a little disappointing, rather too much entitlement and telling other people how they should live their lives knocking about for my taste.
Perhaps on your side of the pond; the Gen-Xers (my generation) were the ones that sold the next two generations down the river for a few dozen points on their damned Experian.  :palm: Doesn't surprise me those generations are pissed off at us.

That said; I've literally had younger coworkers tell me to slack off, I'm making them look bad or that I'm screwing up the metrics by actually completing more than the minimum required. In multiple different disciplines.  :o

And that's really sad when you're the old fat bastard with a broken back; this has happened to me as recently as 5 years ago before we had to make concession to the need for an adult to be at home with the chiddlers.

mnem
 :horse:
« Last Edit: November 28, 2021, 04:00:19 am by mnementh »
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Online mnementh

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107829 on: November 28, 2021, 04:10:36 am »


mnem
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Offline cyclin_al

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107830 on: November 28, 2021, 05:52:19 am »
...
Apt-get needs ethernet  |O
...

Temporarily use some other ethernet adapter, e.g. an USB-to-Ethernet - most are supported from the installation images without any hassles.
If you don't have one, get one - it saves time and your nerves ...

That is the best suggestion so far.  I looked in the bin and found a WiFi card for PCI, except I need PCIe...
Ordered a USB WiFi dongle on a Black Friday sale.

As I dig further in, the main issue seems to be that 2.5GHz onboard ethernet drivers have not made it into the LINUX distros.  Of course, they are coming soon ... however soon soon is.
 
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Offline cyclin_al

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107831 on: November 28, 2021, 05:57:28 am »
Probably also a fair guess that you and most of the people you worked with grew up to be actual adults with some sort of work ethic as they were raised by their parents rather than TV. The core concepts of the last couple generations seems to be that you just have to get by and sooner or later you'll get your big break, and that everything is somebody else's fault, rather than taking responsibility for anything.

mnem
When did a dumb blank look become an acceptable defense for fundamental incompetence...?

Rather unfair on those two generations there. Firstly, the lot I'm talking about there almost perfectly fit the demographic that would have made them the first of the, oft moaned about, Millennials. I've generally found that if you give people responsibility, and crucially the power to exercise that responsibility, then they'll take responsibility. Personally I've known more responsibility shirkers, wastrels and work-shy people from the Baby Boomers and Generation X than I have from the following generations; although I'm reserving judgement on Generation alpha, as so far they're a little disappointing, rather too much entitlement and telling other people how they should live their lives knocking about for my taste.
Perhaps on your side of the pond; the Gen-Xers (my generation) were the ones that sold the next two generations down the river for a few dozen points on their damned Experian.  :palm: Doesn't surprise me those generations are pissed off at us.

That said; I've literally had younger coworkers tell me to slack off, I'm making them look bad or that I'm screwing up the metrics by actually completing more than the minimum required. In multiple different disciplines.  :o

And that's really sad when you're the old fat bastard with a broken back; this has happened to me as recently as 5 years ago before we had to make concession to the need for an adult to be at home with the chiddlers.

mnem
 :horse:

My experience is at both ends of the pendulum.  Some of the best thinkers and productive workers have been Millennials.  The worst ones that I have seen are also Millennials, absolutely full of entitlement and laziness.
I suspect none of them are going to last long though, either being let go or burning out...
 
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Offline DC1MC

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107832 on: November 28, 2021, 07:48:21 am »
....
It started off okay, with creating an installation USB and doing the install of Ubuntu 20.04.
However, there was no networking.  Eventually discovered that there is no driver for the on-board Ethernet.
....

OK, I just need to know this, which Ethernet card doesn't have a Linux driver in 2021, I'm fiddling with Linux practically from the beginning and I never encountered such a beast, including the time when Linux was a bunch of floppies and the Gigabit cards were strange beasts. Some crappy scanner, mouse with 100 buttons, or miserable GDI printer, sure, but network card, never.

Could you kindly please do a lspci command in a terminal and paste it here or just tell the model of the card or which mobo was if it's an embedded card ?

Thanks,
DC1MC
 
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Offline DH7DN

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107833 on: November 28, 2021, 07:57:06 am »
         

Tektronix  P/N 067-0589-00 7000 Series Plugin Extender & Cal Fixture


Oooooh... that is def gonna generate some interest if it is seen in the right circles. Plus those pics are good enuf that I feel a need to post them here for posterity as a future technical resource. :-+

mnem
 :-/O

eBay auction: #275035088122

10 more hours...  :scared:  :scared:  :scared:

It's too early for Christmas presents  ;D
vy 73 de DH7DN, My Blog
 
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Offline mansaxel

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107834 on: November 28, 2021, 08:16:45 am »

Provide the tools for me to do the job you hired me for OR pay me a tools allowance to fund the tools required to do the job you hired me for.

Any other management position is abuse/exploitation.
When they won't change their POV then it's time to be looking for a position elsewhere !

My company is very good about supplying tools.  The really expensive toys like the photo densitometer, the company supplied to all of us field techs.  Hand tools, for me, is a case by case basis.  If it is a driver for my Xcelite 99 system, I buy it and will keep it for myself, along with any other tools I figure I would want to keep if the company and I part ways-no expensing needed.  If it is something I would never in my lifetime use, and I do have some like that, I will let my immediate supervisor know I am buying it, if he hasn't already sent out an email letting us know we need to get it and expense it, and then will expense it without issue.

When I had a company toolcase 30 years ago, it was issued and I was made responsible for keeping it complete, on company money. It worked, but mostly at the cost of me guarding it to the detriment of productivity.  Since then, I've had my own tool case. Mostly, because I started out as free-lance after that job, and that requires some bits and bobs to make a difference. Then, my work started to become "you need a computer, a serial cable, and a stack of CD's to do your work" very quickly. I still kept a tool kit for personal use and more than once brought it to work. Not because it was expected, but because I realised that there and then, my competence (FWIW) would do good to be augmented by a soldering iron.  It usually was met with surprise and admiration. Also, and this is possibly crucial, it happened so infrequently that no-one got used to it, it was always appreciated but never taken for granted.

It continues to this day. My toolcase stays at home (right now it is in the kitchen, because The Dishwasher Saga) and if I think I need it, I bring it to work.   My optical toolkit does get a fair bit more mileage though, and much more so for company purposes. There are only so many fiber lines at home, and the reconfiguration frequency is perhaps 1-2 patchings per year.  I got the company to buy a new OTDR/inspection/timing instrument, most expensive toolkit I've ever specced, so don't need my own. I'm just lazy and like the options.

Offline duckduck

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107835 on: November 28, 2021, 08:27:43 am »
New acquisition:

EICO 667 vacuum tube tester. I got it off of the bay of evil.

I've been buying a good amount of hollow state noise-makers (Hammond organ, Leslie, guitar amps, etc) recently and I've got a wide variety of tubes types now, some potentially valuable. I figured it would be good to have an easy way to test these. Of course, this follows the typical TEA path of: "You need to test a thing. You buy a vintage thing-tester. Now you've got two problems."

It was sold as "for parts..." as much TE is. I sprayed a lot of DeoxIT on it and put little dots of oil here and there. I tested a few cheap tubes on it and it seems to work OK. The tube roll-chart looks clean and functions well. Fixing busted roll-charts is supposed to be a bear. The 667 chart is known to have mistakes and omissions, so I'll have to download one of the crowdsourced charts. This unit looks completely stock. I plan on replacing all of the carbon resistors and "Murphy's footsoldiers" (caps) before trying to use it in anger. There are some modifications that various folks have done (adding protection diodes and banana jacks to measure current, etc.) I will probably do some of that. I'll look into the possibility of adding an IEC power input. Calibration is easy and only requires fiddling with two pots in the guts. I think that some 667s were sold as kits, and that others were factory-built. Mine looks more "factory" to me.

Here's a page with a little info on the 667 (and other EICO products). Apparently it was USD89 for a new one in 1970.

https://www.nostalgickitscentral.com/eico/products/test_tt.html

--------------

My family enjoys seeing steam trains and hydro-power installations. Well, I like dams and the duckling likes trains and my wife puts up with us. We stopped by the Grand Coulee Dam and I saw a beautiful General Electric watt meter from the 1940's in the museum / visitor's center. I wish I took a better picture of it now, but what can you do?

--------------

I recently found out about "fiberglass erasers". These are "pens" with fiberglass in them. The fiberglass breaks off as you use it, so it is always "sharp". The fiberglass can be advanced/retracted by turning the end of the pen. The pens can be purchased for a couple of bucks each from the usual scumbags. These pens are magic for cleaning corroded little things. The brass electrical plug was brown from 40 years of oxidation. The "pencil eraser trick" didn't work very well at all. A few seconds with the fiberglass eraser and the plug contacts were bright again. N.B. that these pens make lots of sub-1mm glass "fuzz-bits" when you use them, so do it outside, or have a shop-vac handy. Also great for removing rust from screw threads or hand tools. It definitely will mess up the metal's patina, so you need to be careful about what you use them on, but it's a nice to have some in your toolbox.


EDIT:

Yes, the EICO 667 also tests transistors, but I don't have much use for that. I already have one of those inexpensive clone "transistor testers".


EDIT EDIT:

Old phone numbers in the USA were 5 digits, prepended by a couple of letters. That's before my time.


EDIT EDIT EDIT:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Coulee_Dam


EDIT^4:

A retro-reply - when I was a PC repair tech decades ago, we had to buy our own tools. I spent a relatively large amount of money (for a lowly tech) and bought high-quality Craftsman brand (made in USA back then) tools. I have them all to this day and they are used regularly.
« Last Edit: November 28, 2021, 06:45:21 pm by duckduck »
 
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Offline tautech

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107836 on: November 28, 2021, 08:28:59 am »
Was chatting to our Larry Major in Perth today and asked him what he's currently getting for tool money as a Marine Cabby with 10+ yrs experience which much to my shock was $5/hr which for his current 50hr weeks is a forking $250/wk !

That's more than I used to earn as a tradesman in the 80's !  :rant:

Little wonder he's asking for advice about getting a decent chainsaw from his tool money account.  ::)
If you remember he's the one that got that great stack of new Milwaukee gear last year.

When a dad says you're best to go and see the world and how the other half live you don't just expect them to become that other half !  :o
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Offline mansaxel

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107837 on: November 28, 2021, 09:02:39 am »
Was chatting to our Larry Major in Perth today and asked him what he's currently getting for tool money as a Marine Cabby with 10+ yrs experience which much to my shock was $5/hr which for his current 50hr weeks is a forking $250/wk !

That's more than I used to earn as a tradesman in the 80's !  :rant:

Little wonder he's asking for advice about getting a decent chainsaw from his tool money account.  ::)
If you remember he's the one that got that great stack of new Milwaukee gear last year.

When a dad says you're best to go and see the world and how the other half live you don't just expect them to become that other half !  :o

That's SEK 6250 for a month. Very impressive, at face value.  Still, if you're expected to supply all tools for nice woodworking, it will require those kinds of money, to sustain the addiction. OTOH if one cares for the tools the hand ones (chisels, planes, et c.) most likely will outlast the career. Machine tools become more of a cost centre than an investment in that scenario.

A big difference here, of course, if one's allowed to shop in the pro store through a company account or has to go to what these days passes for a hardware store aimed at the public.  Not only is the real store much better equipped at handling the demands of a pro, there's also the issue of VAT / sales tax. Here in Sweden, it's fairly high at 25% so prices ex VAT are much nicer. (All consumer prices have to be advertised VAT included, pro gear most often is ex VAT. ) If there's a VAT registered company making the purchase, the VAT is charged but can be claimed back from the government (or rather be deducted from the VAT your company charges to its customers) . 

Offline VK5RC

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107838 on: November 28, 2021, 09:25:58 am »
Meets quite a few criteria,
Test equipment tick
Nixie tube tick
Ham related tick
It works tick
Happy camper here

Does need sl weird power supply (220v, we have 240v and with all the solar feed in, it often hits 250v)
Whoah! Watch where that landed we might need it later.
 

Offline Robert763

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107839 on: November 28, 2021, 09:48:57 am »
Meets quite a few criteria,
Test equipment tick
Nixie tube tick
Ham related tick
It works tick
Happy camper here

Does need sl weird power supply (220v, we have 240v and with all the solar feed in, it often hits 250v)

Nice.
For power make up a buck transformer. A 240V to 24 or 30 V (2x12 or 2x13 V) transformer. Primary across mains supply, secondary in series ANTI-PHASE between input live and output live. Neutral common to input and output. A 30 VA (1 A) transformer is good for 220 VA load.  A 500 VA 30 Volt Toroid is good for a a whole 16 Amp circuit.
 
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Offline tautech

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107840 on: November 28, 2021, 09:54:25 am »
Was chatting to our Larry Major in Perth today and asked him what he's currently getting for tool money as a Marine Cabby with 10+ yrs experience which much to my shock was $5/hr which for his current 50hr weeks is a forking $250/wk !

That's more than I used to earn as a tradesman in the 80's !  :rant:

Little wonder he's asking for advice about getting a decent chainsaw from his tool money account.  ::)
If you remember he's the one that got that great stack of new Milwaukee gear last year.

When a dad says you're best to go and see the world and how the other half live you don't just expect them to become that other half !  :o

That's SEK 6250 for a month. Very impressive, at face value.  Still, if you're expected to supply all tools for nice woodworking, it will require those kinds of money, to sustain the addiction. OTOH if one cares for the tools the hand ones (chisels, planes, et c.) most likely will outlast the career. Machine tools become more of a cost centre than an investment in that scenario.

A big difference here, of course, if one's allowed to shop in the pro store through a company account or has to go to what these days passes for a hardware store aimed at the public.  Not only is the real store much better equipped at handling the demands of a pro, there's also the issue of VAT / sales tax. Here in Sweden, it's fairly high at 25% so prices ex VAT are much nicer. (All consumer prices have to be advertised VAT included, pro gear most often is ex VAT. ) If there's a VAT registered company making the purchase, the VAT is charged but can be claimed back from the government (or rather be deducted from the VAT your company charges to its customers) .
Yes Larry has only specified stores to spend his tool allowance and his company is billed directly for the spend to come from his tool A/c.
Not all do it this way and when I was on the tools a tool allowance was paid to you weekly in your hot little hand and pay slips displayed the amount.

Still Larry only needs to supply hand tools and some portable electric tools as the workshop is well equipped but as a senior tradesman he does outside work at marinas on boats of all sorts and therefore needs to be relatively self sufficient.
And with a company ute, tool allowance and good salary he's on a pretty sweet deal which a dad can only be pleased to see he's being properly rewarded for his skill set.  :D
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Offline capt bullshot

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107841 on: November 28, 2021, 10:07:16 am »
...
Apt-get needs ethernet  |O
...

Temporarily use some other ethernet adapter, e.g. an USB-to-Ethernet - most are supported from the installation images without any hassles.
If you don't have one, get one - it saves time and your nerves ...

That is the best suggestion so far.  I looked in the bin and found a WiFi card for PCI, except I need PCIe...
Ordered a USB WiFi dongle on a Black Friday sale.


IMO wired Ethernet is the better choice over WLAN. WLAN dongles might need firmware that isn't included e.g. in the free Debian installers.
Safety devices hinder evolution
 
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Offline Robert763

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107842 on: November 28, 2021, 10:15:47 am »
I've always had to supply my own basic tools at my own expense. No allowance at all. That covered three diverse industries
The only exception is the current place. I'm not supposed to be using tools much in my position but it does happen. The staff on the shop floor get issued tool kits. You are not supposed to use your own tools at all because of tool control. Pilots apparently don't like discoving that you left a spanner in the controls  :scared:
A few years ago I was working on a development rig is a fenced off section, I was using my own tools. Someone complained about tool control. I  was told to use an issued tool kit. Store would not issue one as I wasn't on their system. Got put on their system. Got issed a tool box, checked it  - all imperial. Asked for a metric one "we don't have metric"  :palm:
Everything on the rig was metric of course.
 
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Offline med6753

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107843 on: November 28, 2021, 10:18:51 am »

.....snip


EDIT:

Yes, the EICO 667 also tests transistors, but I don't have much use for that. I already have one of those inexpensive clone "transistor testers".


EDIT EDIT:

Old phone numbers in the USA were 5 digits, prepended by a couple of letters. That's before my time.




That EICO is a conductance tester which makes it a good score.  :-+ The cheaper "emissions" tube testers only basically test filament and look for gross shorts. I've considered getting one but I generally adhere to the Tektronix method that states substitute if you suspect bad. Other than that leave it alone. 

I remember phone numbers with numbers/letters. My old home number was AX7-3356. "AX" stood for "Axminister". I don't remember prior to that where it would have been 2 letters and 4 numbers. But I do remember when there were no area codes and no zip codes.     

It snowed last night. Just a dusting but it's Mother Nature's warning.  :o
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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107844 on: November 28, 2021, 10:26:12 am »
My experience is at both ends of the pendulum.  Some of the best thinkers and productive workers have been Millennials.  The worst ones that I have seen are also Millennials, absolutely full of entitlement and laziness.
I suspect none of them are going to last long though, either being let go or burning out...

After most of a lifetime, my experience is simply summed up as "There are good X people, there are bad X people", for X= {old, young, black, white, piebald, tall, short, fat, thin, US, UK, etc etc etc}.

Don't lazily pigeon-hole a person, unless you want to be like most (but not all) human resources droids.
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
Glider pilot's aphorism: "there is no substitute for span". Retort: "There is a substitute: skill+imagination. But you can buy span".
Having fun doing more, with less
 
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Offline VK5RC

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107845 on: November 28, 2021, 10:26:28 am »
Meets quite a few criteria,
Test equipment tick
Nixie tube tick
Ham related tick
It works tick
Happy camper here

Does need sl weird power supply (220v, we have 240v and with all the solar feed in, it often hits 250v)

Nice.
For power make up a buck transformer. A 240V to 24 or 30 V (2x12 or 2x13 V) transformer. Primary across mains supply, secondary in series ANTI-PHASE between input live and output live. Neutral common to input and output. A 30 VA (1 A) transformer is good for 220 VA load.  A 500 VA 30 Volt Toroid is good for a a whole 16 Amp circuit.
Thanks, it did get lost in the post for 2months! In Aus there is a company that is really good at making Mains related transformers, (I have their 240v to 120 v 1kW and their 240v 1kW isolation toroidals) , so what does a TEA guy do - you guessed, ordered their 240v to 220v 1kW step down jobbies😂
Every lab should be able to power equipment at its appropriate voltage ⚡👍
Whoah! Watch where that landed we might need it later.
 
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Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107846 on: November 28, 2021, 10:28:34 am »


mnem

Geez, that one hell of a mailbox your Dad has got then  :o
Who let Murphy in?

Brymen-Fluke-HP-Thurlby-Thander-Tek-Extech-Black Star-GW-Avo-Kyoritsu-Amprobe-ITT-Robin-TTi
 
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Offline med6753

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107847 on: November 28, 2021, 10:33:26 am »
When I became a system test technician back in the early 1970's I was issued a damn nice attache case full of tools. In the following years they were hiring so many techs and the fancy case became a somewhat cheap little red toolbox with minimal tools. Then over the years somehow some select techs were issued full roll about tool cases. Then about 7 years ago they confiscated every one of them.   :-//
An old gray beard with an attitude.
 
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Online vk6zgo

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107848 on: November 28, 2021, 11:11:21 am »

The Marconi TV "OB" SPG we had at PTC, (old, even then) used this method, but proper studio ones from the '50s used cascaded bistables with feedback loops to get weird counts.

"59,94 frames per second seems like a clever idea"

Never Twice Same Color is full of those clocks....

Here in 50Hz land we've recently Phased out our old SPG, and as Alternative a new Line of SPGen has been installed, Tek / Telestream SPG8000 which are steered from an elaborate system of IEEE1588-2008 PTP Grand Masters and protocol-aware switches.  It removed a lot of headache from daily operations, since we had sync issues with the old infrastructure that was more like

GNSS SPG -> Tri-level sync -> VDA -> VDA -> Audio generator -> AES3 style WordClock -> PTP GM

It was more like a small wonder when it worked more than a week uninterrupted.

The "Macaroni" SPG was a 50Hz one.

I'm pretty sure it was a 625 line one, but it looked very old even then,-----maybe designed for a European customer, as an Oz one would have only been 6 years old, at the max, in 1961!
All the Marconi stuff looked archaic, the SPG at ABW2 Tx site, installed in '58 looked at least a decade older, using octal valves, compared to the semi portable (about the size of a Tek 545) "Fernseh" unit we also had on site, with all its miniature tubes.

We had a lot of stuff round the various stations with large, fancy chrome "Fernseh" badges.

In latter times, we were told by "know-alls" that we were dreaming, & that they were all "Bosch", as "fernseh" just means "television".
It seems that the factory mustn't have "got the FAX" before that stuff was made!

 

Online vk6zgo

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #107849 on: November 28, 2021, 11:22:58 am »
As I see, it is a blatant case of profiteering if they think a company is going to pay that money, even with a 2-year warranty when a business buyer could just as easily purchase a new meter for less, and it's not that hard for staff to transition from one meter to another.  ???

Read what Robert wrote, it might be down to procedures. If there is a (medical, aeronautical, whatever) approval for a device that states "DC Battery voltage on Test Point 4711, shall be 28V +/- 10%, as measured by a Frobnitz 6000 Computing Multimeter" we all here can probably stake our lives more or less on that voltage being in-spec using pretty much any of our devices at hand.

But that is not OK, because the protocol says unless the right device is used it is not right.

And the person checking your work is a consultant from Accenture or similar who earns 5 times your pay for being not you ("independent verification"). He knows nothing except that the boxes shall be ticked.

Robert is probably the one of us in here most knowledgeable on this subject, since high-risk specifications written to be implemented by functional idiots (squaddies et al) apparently has been a part of his professional life for some time. If he says so, it probably is so.

And yes, it is profiteering. I fully agree.

This is why I'm glad I ended up in TV & Radio Broadcasting in Oz.

As long as the equipment, after repair, tested to specifications, nobody really gave a damn how you did the intermediate steps.
Over time, a lot of mods were done to equipment to get rid of chronic faults, many of which were tied up with poor initial choice of components by the designer.

Being forced to replace a known fault prone component with an exact replacement is a recipe for continuing problems.
 
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