Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[med6753]

I just got done viewing all 3 of Dave's videos on the new Tek.

My reaction is still....meh. And I'll never get that time back plus it's a moot point anyway because it's out of my price range. And in 50 years neither I or the scope will be around when it can be had for a $1.98 plus tax.

[mnementh]

Yeah... my first reaction once he finally got the whole mainboard out was... "Jeebus, it looks just like the front control panel off my 54645A". 

mnem
more disposable electronics for this disposable world...

[ch_scr]

Yeah... my first reaction once he finally got the whole mainboard out was... "Jeebus, it looks just like the front control panel off my 54645A". 

mnem
more disposable electronics for this disposable world...

Yeah, the case and the way they did the buttons? For an up to 8k scope? They better be joking!
"Yeah, it's ok if it looks good just on the marketing pictures (and at a first glance) and also if it holds up for most of the warranty period - even better that'll teach them to buy warranty extensions" At least the replacement parts for Tek are cheap 

[med6753]

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/new-next-gen-tektronix-scope/msg4222402/#msg4222402

[Vince]

So the excuse is "We don't actually have terrible bad taste, we're just deliberately catering to people with terrible bad taste"? Hardly exculpatory... 

I am an EE, I do not have taste for beauty in product. I don't care about colors and shapes, I have SWMBO for that.... . What matters is the service manual and if the product works, and works 100% rock stable without glitches.... give me numbers not fashion stuff...

That said I am not in the position to judge how beautiful or ugly a car is, nor to state who screw up on the esthetic/design.

I am just stepping back and see people buying "ugly stuff" and ask myself why? Since there is no math involved I am out of the discussion. Thank God.

An Italian with no élan, no sense of style, you're destroying my sense of how the world works. Next thing you'll be telling me is that Vince doesn't lounge around smoking Gitaines, discussing art or Molière, while wearing a Breton jersey and a beret. 

Gitane not Gitaine.  But I don't smoke. who in their right mind would suck the tail pipe of a diesel semi truck or earth mover under full acceleration all day along all their life ? Sounds silly... but somehow smoking cigarettes with even lots more harmful chemicals in them, is deemed "cool", trendy...  I guess I am not interested in being cool and trendy 

You forgot some stuff in your description if I may : what about the bottle of red wine and a fresh baguette and a camembert ?

I am 44 year old not 88.... 

That said I do like a good fresh baguette, just too lazy to go get it, especially since 50% of the time there is none left and you spent time and freaking expensive petrol for nothing. I will go get a baguette every day, the day that the bakeries have a webcam pointed to their baguettes and one can connect to it via internet /smartphone / computer, so I can be sure they have some in stock BEFORE I leave the house.... But driving there merely "hoping" to find a baguette and get nothing... no, not a good use of my time and scarce money.

Also, as often stated, I am everything but your typical / average French chap, and that's for the better because these days people around here suck big time, and it's worsening every year.
I just learned on the radio yesterday that our president just had a wonderful idea : teach math to the 16/18 year old at school ! Because apparently that same president decided to stop teaching them math a few years aback, didn't even know it ! That explains why people here can't even calculate a percentage (not even kidding). He also said to appease the teacher that are mad at the state of school : " With you help I will design the school of the FUTURE !!! ". .. to which they replied : "Hey moron, before talking about the futuristic school, just give us the school we had 30 years ago and that alone will be a tremendous improvement !!! ".  I have to agree there.

I think I am digressing because I have completely forgotten what the original question was about.... so I will stop there and go to the bench take some piccies, have something to show you.

[Robert763]

Hmm, anyone got a spare AD7522LN D/A converter chip laying around?

I think I might need one for this HP 8112A 50MHz Pulse Generator, pending a couple more tests..

I'll have one somewhere. I'll have a look.

[mnementh]

Huh. 3 Diamonds made the Willys Jeep in Japan until 1998.  I'd totes drive that.

My experience with them otherwise was primarily as a mechanic; I found them unintuitive to work on and crazy expensive for some of the most common everyday "jellybean" parts.

I owned a Eclipse that was a love/hate relationship: When it ran I loved it, but it hated to see me with more than $5 in my pocket; I was wishing for a 3000GT at the time. 

Had a Montero for a while and it was horribly uncivilized to drive but in its defense it was was also expensive to keep running; brakes were $600 in parts alone.  I unloaded it after doing a timing belt on one at work and realizing mine was easily 30K overdue.

mnem
*couch tuber time widda kidzz*

[Cerebus]

You forgot some stuff in your description if I may : what about the bottle of red wine and a fresh baguette and a camembert ?

Sorry for the omission. I was also remiss about leaving out the bicycle and string of Roscoff onions.

[m k]

I slept late today and I log in and....eek.....find myself surrounded with engineers with slide rules.  Am I still having a nightmare? Need coffee. Lots of coffee. 


My slide rule vanished somewhere around 1973 never to be seen again

Hah! Back then I didn't even know the thing existed.
I was then still a firm believer that books are greatly overrated, change took more than average I guess.

I've also lost my stick long ago so the pictured one was not the original, it was ex tempore bargain replica.
Though the better half, who has never used one, recognized the thing instantly but associated color was dark green.
That then obviously led to how come conversation and now I'm not sure anymore.

I'm also among the last volume here who had to learn the stick in basic school, late 70's and a mix of school systems.
Faint recollection seems to be also available where I had a duplex when somebody else in same class hadn't, that's a private/public mix.
Means that the stick, even if mandatory, was offered by a school, possibly confirmed by signing for return, and so last of non free basic education was ending.
Means also that I may have had my uncle's stick and not even Aristo.
Think I still understand its principle of use but wouldn't trust any results.
Back then the thing was also generally and clearly a yesterday's news, if quality is an indicator, like Thornton and late Aristo.

Globalization is also clearly visible, or the lack of.
Aristo and Faber Castell are continental regularities when Thornton is completely missing.
We have locally same Fuji stuff also and French have their Graphoplex.

@Vince
Graphoplex 612 HP
https://www.leboncoin.fr/collection/2058381905.htm

BTW,
slide rule can help with visualizations, just look along the scale.

BTW2,
USMC and NVA have some "good" M18 Claymore stories.
It's Wile E. stuff so avoid if needed.

BTW3,
1 day and 5 pages behind.

[mansaxel]

You want ugly? This is what happens when you let a German company take over an iconic British motor brand. Ladies and Gentleman, I give you the BMW Rolls-Royce Cullinan:

...and still, why are we selling so many? The real problem are the people buying it not the product.

Maybe they think a bit like me when it comes to cars, I think less about what the car looks like to others, what I care most about is what is it like to sit in, spend a lot of time in it driving. Is it a nice place to be in, does it drive nicely, is it comfortable, does it tick all the boxes for me as the person in it and driving it etc, after all, I can't see the outside from the driver's seat. That is for others to spend time, or, not looking at, not me.

Me, I look for:

• Safety
• Hitch
• Ability to load many boxes of wine
• Room for 5
• Maintainability
• Absence of an uncontrollable navigation system that spies on me
• Access to service info
• Access to spare parts (better if it's a common car)

An used V70 ticks a lot of that. Given the experience with the present one, I like it to be AWD too; it's been a really nice experience.

[xrunner]

I just learned on the radio yesterday that our president just had a wonderful idea : teach math to the 16/18 year old at school ! Because apparently that same president decided to stop teaching them math a few years aback, didn't even know it ! That explains why people here can't even calculate a percentage (not even kidding). He also said to appease the teacher that are mad at the state of school : " With you help I will design the school of the FUTURE !!! ". .. to which they replied : "Hey moron, before talking about the futuristic school, just give us the school we had 30 years ago and that alone will be a tremendous improvement !!! ".  I have to agree there.

Looks like your Gubment is on top of modern tech words infiltrating your language too -

France levels up local video game slang with list of French terms to replace foreign words

Goodbye cloudy retro-gaming, bonjour ‘rétrojeu video en nuage’

France’s Commission d'enrichissement de la langue française* has decided to offer citizens new ways to describe video games in the language of the land.

The Commission’s mission is to create new terms that replace adopted words from foreign languages that become part of common speech in France, so that French doesn’t have gaps in vocabulary.

On Sunday, the French ministry of culture therefore issued new guidance [PDF] about how to discuss video games in French.

French speakers have been encouraged to ditch terms such as “cloud gaming” in favor of "jeu vidéo en nuage”

Retro gaming becomes “rétrojeu video”, or just “rétrojeu”.

French gamers who download additional content for their preferred entertainment will henceforth be acquiring “contenu téléchargeable additionnel”. If that content includes in-game ads, French gamers will be viewing “publicité intrajeu”.

E-sports professionals make their livings as “joueur/joueuse professionnel/professionnelle” and compete in “jeu vidéo de competition”.

The translated terms were published in the Journal Officiel de la République – the equivalent of the government Gazette in other nations. The Journal Officiel shares such Gazettes’ function as the definitive record of government decisions and actions. The Register understands the Journal Officiel is also binding on French government employees, meaning all are required to speak only of “squelettage” instead of the animation technique known as “rigging”.

Sacre Bleu! ®

https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/31/france_levels_up_local_video/

[cyclin_al]

Disquieting Vicious rotor winds in the mountains?

An aircraft I'd been in had the main wing strut bend in flight. The passengers quickly exited, and the pilot managed to land safely.

I hope not in this order, though!

Yes, in that order. They weren't foolish enough to hang around.

Passengers or parachutists ? Somone who takes off in an aircraft not intending to be in it when i lands is not a passenger.

People on an aircraft are either passengers or aircrew. Aircrew operate the aircraft in flight. The parachutists took no part in operating the aircraft, apart from (possibly) opening the door.

Not  quite right even for public transport, there are also cabin crew. For aerial work (parachuting is aerial work) there are also mission personnel and parachutists.
Also when I fly for flight testing I am neither flight crew or passenger.

I took the "definition" from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircrew

No doubt there are other equally valid/invalid definitions depending on which shade of gray you regard as black/white

Well the EASA definition is "Flight crew’ means a licensed flight crew member charged with duties essential to the
operation of an aircraft during a flight duty period."
https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/dfu/Annexes%20to%20the%20draft%20Commission%20Regulation%20.pdf

Cabin crew is "“Cabin crew member” means an appropriately qualified crew member, other than a flight crew or technical crew member, who is assigned by an operator to perform duties related to the safety of passengers and flight during operations;"
https://www.easa.europa.eu/faq/19130

Note Flight crew have to be licenced. I am qualified as Flight Crew but for a position that is little used. That said I have flown as a flight crew member on scheduled public transport flight due to a technical failure meaning a additional flight crew member being required and no pilot being available.

TCCA uses the exact same terminology in the CARs.  When something is that consistent, I suspect the source is from ICAO, which makes sense.

I am qualified as Flight Crew but for a position that is little used.

Well that is a first, to actually know of someone who is a FE!

I guess you are more commonly in the role of FTA for FTE?

-- spent the morning meeting with the highest-up FTPs and FTAs...

Nope, not a Flight Engineer, even less used: Radio Operator.  Technically as a Avionics engineer you need one to test the radios on air, even VSWR testing. Most engineers don't bother though. I flew as flight crew when a faulty autopilot required an additional crewmember to reduce workload on the normal crew.

I never even thought of that...

Here in the GWN, all the aviation is under Transport Canada, and the radio spectrum is under Industry Canada.
As a result, an Aviation Radio license (from Industry Canada) is needed to do what you do.  It is not a distinct role with the title "Radio Operator", since every pilot, flight engineer, air traffic controller, airline dispatcher, airport manager, etc. etc. etc. all carry the same license (possibly different ratings/limitations).

Yep, HAM radio licenses in the GWN also come from Industry Canada.  I knew (now retired) of one of their staff who wore a suit and tie during the week.  I never did understand how someone can get that grubby by Saturday, but he managed it consistently...  Then again, his radios were tuned, probably better than any other radio in the GWN.  Anecdotes are not the same as statistics

[bd139]

I just learned on the radio yesterday that our president just had a wonderful idea : teach math to the 16/18 year old at school ! Because apparently that same president decided to stop teaching them math a few years aback, didn't even know it ! That explains why people here can't even calculate a percentage (not even kidding). He also said to appease the teacher that are mad at the state of school : " With you help I will design the school of the FUTURE !!! ". .. to which they replied : "Hey moron, before talking about the futuristic school, just give us the school we had 30 years ago and that alone will be a tremendous improvement !!! ".  I have to agree there.

Looks like your Gubment is on top of modern tech words infiltrating your language too -

France levels up local video game slang with list of French terms to replace foreign words

Goodbye cloudy retro-gaming, bonjour ‘rétrojeu video en nuage’

France’s Commission d'enrichissement de la langue française* has decided to offer citizens new ways to describe video games in the language of the land.

The Commission’s mission is to create new terms that replace adopted words from foreign languages that become part of common speech in France, so that French doesn’t have gaps in vocabulary.

On Sunday, the French ministry of culture therefore issued new guidance [PDF] about how to discuss video games in French.

French speakers have been encouraged to ditch terms such as “cloud gaming” in favor of "jeu vidéo en nuage”

Retro gaming becomes “rétrojeu video”, or just “rétrojeu”.

French gamers who download additional content for their preferred entertainment will henceforth be acquiring “contenu téléchargeable additionnel”. If that content includes in-game ads, French gamers will be viewing “publicité intrajeu”.

E-sports professionals make their livings as “joueur/joueuse professionnel/professionnelle” and compete in “jeu vidéo de competition”.

The translated terms were published in the Journal Officiel de la République – the equivalent of the government Gazette in other nations. The Journal Officiel shares such Gazettes’ function as the definitive record of government decisions and actions. The Register understands the Journal Officiel is also binding on French government employees, meaning all are required to speak only of “squelettage” instead of the animation technique known as “rigging”.

Sacre Bleu! ®

https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/31/france_levels_up_local_video/

That actually reminds me of a French woman I know/knew. She is eternally trying to make England more French because of course everyone really loves it when you go to their country and tell everyone how shit it is and how it needs to be more like your superior country. This was until at the end of a hike she said something too loud in the pub and attracted the ire of half of the unibrowed locals. She left rapidly and we haven’t seen her since. I did wonder if they caught up with her or she got the point…

[Robert763]

Disquieting Vicious rotor winds in the mountains?

An aircraft I'd been in had the main wing strut bend in flight. The passengers quickly exited, and the pilot managed to land safely.

I hope not in this order, though!

Yes, in that order. They weren't foolish enough to hang around.

Passengers or parachutists ? Somone who takes off in an aircraft not intending to be in it when i lands is not a passenger.

People on an aircraft are either passengers or aircrew. Aircrew operate the aircraft in flight. The parachutists took no part in operating the aircraft, apart from (possibly) opening the door.

Not  quite right even for public transport, there are also cabin crew. For aerial work (parachuting is aerial work) there are also mission personnel and parachutists.
Also when I fly for flight testing I am neither flight crew or passenger.

I took the "definition" from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircrew

No doubt there are other equally valid/invalid definitions depending on which shade of gray you regard as black/white

Well the EASA definition is "Flight crew’ means a licensed flight crew member charged with duties essential to the
operation of an aircraft during a flight duty period."
https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/dfu/Annexes%20to%20the%20draft%20Commission%20Regulation%20.pdf

Cabin crew is "“Cabin crew member” means an appropriately qualified crew member, other than a flight crew or technical crew member, who is assigned by an operator to perform duties related to the safety of passengers and flight during operations;"
https://www.easa.europa.eu/faq/19130

Note Flight crew have to be licenced. I am qualified as Flight Crew but for a position that is little used. That said I have flown as a flight crew member on scheduled public transport flight due to a technical failure meaning a additional flight crew member being required and no pilot being available.

TCCA uses the exact same terminology in the CARs.  When something is that consistent, I suspect the source is from ICAO, which makes sense.

I am qualified as Flight Crew but for a position that is little used.

Well that is a first, to actually know of someone who is a FE!

I guess you are more commonly in the role of FTA for FTE?

-- spent the morning meeting with the highest-up FTPs and FTAs...

Nope, not a Flight Engineer, even less used: Radio Operator.  Technically as a Avionics engineer you need one to test the radios on air, even VSWR testing. Most engineers don't bother though. I flew as flight crew when a faulty autopilot required an additional crewmember to reduce workload on the normal crew.

I never even thought of that...

Here in the GWN, all the aviation is under Transport Canada, and the radio spectrum is under Industry Canada.
As a result, an Aviation Radio license (from Industry Canada) is needed to do what you do.  It is not a distinct role with the title "Radio Operator", since every pilot, flight engineer, air traffic controller, airline dispatcher, airport manager, etc. etc. etc. all carry the same license (possibly different ratings/limitations).

Yep, HAM radio licenses in the GWN also come from Industry Canada.  I knew (now retired) of one of their staff who wore a suit and tie during the week.  I never did understand how someone can get that grubby by Saturday, but he managed it consistently...  Then again, his radios were tuned, probably better than any other radio in the GWN.  Anecdotes are not the same as statistics

I have Amateur, Marine and Aviation radio licences. Interestingly the aviation one is administered by the CAA, the others are OFCOM. The aircraft licence is unusual normally they are just an addition to a pilots licence either private, commercial or Air Transport. For some reasion if you are not a pilot you get a snazzy standalone  licence in a passport style format. These are administered by the "Professional" section at the CAA.

I do work for and in the GWN including for the RCAF but have not been over there since before Covid 19

[Vince]

@Vince
Graphoplex 612 HP
https://www.leboncoin.fr/collection/2058381905.htm

No money, and already have an electronic calculator that's much better   

That guy also has 2 other slide rules for sale. Another cheap one at 10 Euros also, but a third one that he says is " VERY RARE, BRITISH "... "Made of Bamboo".. no price for this one, just " Make me an offer" .... yeah sure.

Don't know if he thinks it's rare because it's English, or because it's made of Bamboo. Or both.

[capt bullshot]

World exclusive, nice!

I've noticed some interesting difference between these both videos (apart from the totally different styles of Dave and Shahriar):

[Vince]

Looks like your Gubment is on top of modern tech words infiltrating your language too -

France levels up local video game slang with list of French terms to replace foreign words

Goodbye cloudy retro-gaming, bonjour ‘rétrojeu video en nuage’

https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/31/france_levels_up_local_video/

Don't confuse this commission whose member's sole purpose is to invent new words and "simplify" the language to destroy the spelling an grammar so that kids can get better grades at school... instead of simply making sure the kids do learn proper French. It's easier and cheaper to lower standards and revise, destroy the language, than working at teaching the kids, I guess.

This commission has nothing to do with any will from the masses, quite the opposite. Here more and more every year, people speak "English"... I mean nobody speaks English over here but they find it cool and trendy to use English words instead of French ones, for some reason. I think they think it makes them look smart... but it doesn't quite hide the fact that they can't even speak or write or understand French anymore.  I love English, and I love French. Because I love them, when I speak English I speak English, and when I speak French I speak French... I am not mixing the two in a giant tasteless soupe to hide gigantic, catastrophic, astronomical failures at mastering the very basics of spelling and grammar that even a 8 year old would master, given proper education.

So no, believe me (or not... never believe/trust a guy who says "believe/trust" me !    ), This commission is the only "body" in France that cares about French.. and again in reality as I said they don't care at all, since they spend most of their time destroying / mutilating the language by simplifying it because the education system is completely unable to teach freaking French to kids these says.

The average joe loves to put English words everywhere, especially where it's not needed because there is a perfectly good French word available that's been used for centuries...

It has gotten so ridiculous now that "journalists" (they call themselves that...) on the radio spit out some random English words then immediately rephrase to use the French word... so they KNOW there is a French word out there... so why the fuck did you use the English word to begin with ? Why speak English only to translate it to French half a second later ? Can't you just speak freaking French and call it a day ?! 

As I already said once, I am truly honest here... if you want to learn French, France is the LAST country in the world you should come to  ! Go to Africa, in the French speaking countries / ex colonies... they speak a way better French, even the old grand ma with 10 Euros to live per month in the middle of the Savanna. It always baffles me... but it's the reality. I am horrified to see foreign students come here and leave a year or two later thinking they mastered French... all they learn is massive trash, and they will spread it ! 

[bd139]

Someone, possibly tggzzz mentioned free42. Sold. Works on iOS

[xrunner]

Someone, possibly tggzzz mentioned free42. Sold. Works on iOS

Yep I've had it for years on my iPhone. Works great and it gets updated.

(I actually have the real hp 42S right in front of me too  )

[taste_tester]

Has anyone here had a DE-5000 refuse to boot up (BATT error despite good battery) not that long after buying it new? Of course now that I have a problem I googled it and feel like I am seeing tons of people talk about dead DE-5000.

Man,  I was thinking to avoid Atlas but maybe I will go with one of their devices after all. The EVB meters are still available too, but they don't do capacitance at different frequencies.

[Vince]

A bit of TE now.

Had this old PSU I was given. It's very heavcey and ugly and looked like a home made project... so I stored it away and didn't think too much of it.

But I dug it out today and spent some time on it. After brushing off all the dust inside, and looking more closely.. it didn't look home made any more.
There is even a sticker on it... says it's made by ADTECH Power " PSU, model TAPS4-2, in the US of A.

Then as I was cleaning it, I noticed a piece of paper trapped between the chassis and the underside of the transformer... pulled it out and oh.... what do you know, a nice double sided A4 size original spec sheet for the thing ! Oh I just love old tech paper, I was over the moon. 

Looking at that sheet, I now understand why it looks home made... it's not. But, it's a "budget" PSU, so comes bare bone... you just get a giant piece of folded thick sheet metal that serves both as a sturdy chasis, and a big heat sink. Then they put the circuit board ni place, bolt down the big filter caps... and that's about it. Then it's up to you to fit binding posts, and wire them up to the circuit board etc.
So in this case 4 rubber feet wre added, as well binding posts with markings using a sharpie... blac sharpy on a black chassis, how clever  . That's all for a "front panel"... Then a metal bracket was added to support the power cable, power switch and fuse holder and earth connection. Also a piece of plexiglas was added to cover the side of the chassis where all the TO3 pass transistors are mounted.

So that gives it an uglty loook... but if you go past that anc just concentrate on the PSU itself, before it was "modded", then it's actually quite nice. Nice looking PCBs, nice rigid chassis. 3 output : 5V 12amps, and twin 12-15V 3 Amps. The "front panel" make sit look like it's a symmetrical / common ground  +/- 12V supply but looking at the terminals on the board, and reading the datasheet... the 3 supplies are floating. There is no common ground. So I could potentially put the two 12V supplies sin series, say, so that's cool.

Wghat's cool as well, are the voltage regulator chips... we wxere just discussing these 723 chips from Tesla in that TO round metal can... AVG saying they are nice sealed units. Well... this PSU uses a 723 for each of the 3 outputs, and they are the TO can type.. aren't they beautiful, with gold plated legs as well ! 

Also... as AVG said, they are cool because sealed... and I guess it was cool even back in the day, because lookj at the spec sheet / marketing at the top of the first page... look what they proudly state : " ALL IC's and transistor HERMETICALLY SEALED, NO PLASTIC !!! "   

Oh I just love it. I am now loving this PSU more and mode.

It's got to be useful in the lab.... 5V 12A and twiun floating 12V 3A outputs, adjustable up to 15V as well. So beefy 5V for your TTL and CP%U stuff, and twin 12/15V supllies for your analogy AOP fun.

Yes... I like this PSU a lot. I think I will strip it from all the ugly crap that was bolted to it, to "clean it up", then make a nice cabinet for it, so that the guts aren't exposed anymore/at risk, and so I can make a nice front panel for it, and integrate it more easily in the lab with the rest of the TE.

Yeah.... I think I have just added myself yet another project to the list ! 

[Specmaster]

Someone, possibly tggzzz mentioned free42. Sold. Works on iOS

It seems to be working across all platforms, even Android.

[bd139]

Someone, possibly tggzzz mentioned free42. Sold. Works on iOS

Yep I've had it for years on my iPhone. Works great and it gets updated.

(I actually have the real hp 42S right in front of me too  )

I want a real one too now 

[xrunner]

Someone, possibly tggzzz mentioned free42. Sold. Works on iOS

Yep I've had it for years on my iPhone. Works great and it gets updated.

(I actually have the real hp 42S right in front of me too  )

I want a real one too now 

All I can give you is a pic of one my friend, but here it is -

[bd139]

I’m going to dream of RPN all night now