Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Brumby]

Now on my 4th antibiotic.
Staying overnight as the ultrasound department had shut for the evening - and they want to check there's nothing sinister hiding.


I should have brought my TinySA along.  Would have been interesting to see what was floating around here...

[beanflying]

Now on my 4th antibiotic.
Staying overnight as the ultrasound department had shut for the evening - and they want to check there's nothing sinister hiding.


I should have brought my TinySA along.  Would have been interesting to see what was floating around here...

You only had one real job and I stirred it into your mind last time Geez concentrate on the important stuff 

[tautech]

Now on my 4th antibiotic.
Staying overnight as the ultrasound department had shut for the evening - and they want to check there's nothing sinister hiding.


I should have brought my TinySA along.  Would have been interesting to see what was floating around here...

When we set up for the now cancelled EMEX one of the first instruments powered up was a real time SA with a 2.4 GHz whip and my was that spectrum busy and it was just setup day ! 

[Brumby]

You only had one real job and I stirred it into your mind last time Geez concentrate on the important stuff 

My bad.

[tggzzz]

My frustration comes from the fact that this is curable - it's just taking far longer than I would like.

When I had cellulitis after an operation, I took part in a medical experiment to see if recovery time could be shortened. I took the standard antibiotic (IIRC flucloxacillin) plus something else or a placebo.

Based on my response after 4 days and 1 week, I concluded either I had the placebo or it was ineffective. The study proved the latter

[Specmaster]

Automatic transmissions should be banned as dangerous. A little old lady just mistook the gas for the brake and drove into the side of a building. Happens more often than you realize. 

Well, the result would be the same in a manual transmission if you hit the gas pedal instead of the brake. That said, I've hit the gas pedal instead of the brake in an automatic, with no consequences, but never in a manual. That suggests there's something about an auto that makes it more likely.

My thought on that is covered by the word "kickdown".  An automatic transmission will shoot for the best acceleration configuration, depending on vehicle speed and driver inputs.  A manual will just stay in the same gear no matter what - unless the driver explicitly does a gear shift.

THere's no doubt that in an auto it's probably going to end worse because of kickdown, but that doesn't address why it's more likely for people to stomp the accelerating pedal when going for the brake pedal in an auto. If indeed it is more likely - I think it is because I've never done it in a manual (80-90% of my driving hours) but have in an auto (10-20%. of my driving hours).

In reality, if any of these doubters care to physically look at the pedal arrangement of automatic transmission car against those of a manual transmission, they may actually concur that it is very unlikely to happen any more commonly than it does in a manual car.

The gas / accelerator pedal positions on both types of transmission are in the same positions, they do not move. The brake pedal on an automatic is usually at least double the width of that on a manual transmission and once again, the pedals are normally in the same position, so that means the gap between the brake and gas is often slightly smaller on an automatic car. Also, you will notice that the gas pedal is always at a lower level, so that means that a person has to slightly lift their right foot in order to move it left to cover the brake. The OP of this thread did state that it was predominantly old ladies, so it possibly means that they might have some trouble in doing so, which is a common trait as people age and remember, we all age.

I'm sure that those of us who are old enough to remember the days of cars having manual chokes to aid starting on a cold day, will remember that it was also very common for the elderly ladies to pull the choke knob out and hang their handbags on it.

[Saskia]

when I have to switch from our manual (Octavia) to our automatic transmission (Jag, Ford, Volvo) I usually put my left leg out of the way in order not to stomp on the wrong pedal by mistake.

Switching from one to the other is no big deal under normal circumstances.
 
@Brumby get well soon. Hope they don't have to treat you for sepsis or necrotizing fascitis (that would be a major pain issue catastrophe

[med6753]

I learned to drive on a manual gearbox so all I knew at the time was gas, clutch, brake. The first time I drove a car with an automatic I nearly put my head through the windshield. Without thinking when I came to a stop my left foot came up and smashed the wide brake pedal. Locked up the wheels. 

The CR-V is automatic and the Civic is manual. I can go seamlessly between the two without even thinking. The left foot goes on vacation when driving the CR-V.   

[tggzzz]

when I have to switch from our manual (Octavia) to our automatic transmission (Jag, Ford, Volvo) I usually put my left leg out of the way in order not to stomp on the wrong pedal by mistake.

Twice, when my left knee was in plaster, I've parked my left leg on the passenger seat.

It was quite fun asking the surgeon whether there was any reason I shouldn't drive. Only after a short pause did I say it was an automatic

[nfmax]

I noticed that Amazon delivery folks are taking pictures of the package where they dropped it off, these days.

That is actually really helpful and all the courier companies should do that to prove that they delivered where they say they delivered.

I had a mis-delivery from Amazon and could clearly see in the picture that it was nowhere near where I live...  -  Full refund ensued, even though the item was flagged as "delivered".

Amazon refund or resend always. I’ve had stuff delivered to the wrong house and they send another item out instantly usually. If you’re lucky the person who unexpectedly finds the original package in their recycling box after three days will drop it off to your place. Has happened a couple of times here 

Which is why Jeff Bezos is the richest man on the planet. Or at least part of why

[PA0PBZ]

When I drove my first automatic the engine stalled at the first traffic light. It took me too many sweaty minutes to realize that you have to put it in neutral before you can start the engine again 

[Specmaster]

Likewise, I learned to drive on a manual but after years of driving in London as a Technical sales engineer and later as a specification engineer with the huge traffic jams, my left knee started to ache at the end of the day and also the clutch plate used to get so hot that by the end of the day in traffic the car became also impossible to pull away smoothly. The car would jump a lot, almost as if it was a learner driver at the wheel and after escaping the big smoke and hitting the open road again, the clutch cooled down and became normal again.

I did that for thirty-five years, and then I decided that upon being given just London area to look after full time, I asked for an automatic on my next car and all my knee issues went away after that. I have now been driving an auto for 12 years and I really enjoy it, but I suspect that had I not been stuck in London all day, Monday to Friday, then I'd have stuck with a manual box. That being said, I'll add this, as a person who has size 14 feet, most modern cars do not provide enough space in the footwell to accommodate such large feet on manual cars, and I was finding my feet getting slightly wedged under the adjacent pedal from to time, so that was a problem.

[Specmaster]

When I drove my first automatic the engine stalled at the first traffic light. It took me too many sweaty minutes to realize that you have to put it in neutral before you can start the engine again 

There must have been a problem with the engine then for it to stall. I have never known an automatic to stall its engine ever, so from that point of view they were safer.

[med6753]

Here's a little known fact.....

American cars with a manual shift have a clutch interlock. The starter will not crank unless the clutch pedal is fully depressed, even with the transmission in neutral.

Now think about why that is arranged like that. The first right answer gets a cookie. 

[capt bullshot]

Here's a little known fact.....

American cars with a manual shift have a clutch interlock. The starter will not crank unless the clutch pedal is fully depressed, even with the transmission in neutral.

Now think about why that is arranged like that. The first right answer gets a cookie. 

This "feature" has creeped to "modern" european cars, too.

Back then (pre 2000), one was advised to use the starter in emergency to move the car, e.g. from a railroad crossing in case the motor died and wouldn't start on cranking. Try this with a modern car ...

[Specmaster]

Here's a little known fact.....

American cars with a manual shift have a clutch interlock. The starter will not crank unless the clutch pedal is fully depressed, even with the transmission in neutral.

Now think about why that is arranged like that. The first right answer gets a cookie. 

I would think it is to ensure that the car cannot be started in gear and it ensures that the person, be it a mechanic or whatever has to be sitting in the car and holding clutch peddle down before cranking the engine and therefore in a position to take proper control of car should anything go wrong.?

[capt bullshot]

Keysight is doing another raffle (one can win TEA, like recent scope month) this year: https://kulive.keysight.com/?ref=8x0qeEC8fvGvk7vl

If you click (and sign up) on the link I've provided, you'd increase my entries

[Specmaster]

Here's a little known fact.....

American cars with a manual shift have a clutch interlock. The starter will not crank unless the clutch pedal is fully depressed, even with the transmission in neutral.

Now think about why that is arranged like that. The first right answer gets a cookie. 

This "feature" has creeped to "modern" european cars, too.

Back then (pre 2000), one was advised to use the starter in emergency to move the car, e.g. from a railroad crossing in case the motor died and wouldn't start on cranking. Try this with a modern car ...

That is correct, these days the advice is to get of the car and sacrifice it to save yourself and passengers.

[BU508A]

Keysight is doing another raffle (one can win TEA, like recent scope month) this year: https://kulive.keysight.com/?ref=8x0qeEC8fvGvk7vl

If you click (and sign up) on the link I've provided, you'd increase my entries

Done. 

Bunch of comedians there at Keysight.   

[med6753]

When I drove my first automatic the engine stalled at the first traffic light. It took me too many sweaty minutes to realize that you have to put it in neutral before you can start the engine again 

There must have been a problem with the engine then for it to stall. I have never known an automatic to stall its engine ever, so from that point of view they were safer.

You haven't driven many American cars from the 1970's and early 1980's, have you? Smog controls and carburetors. Stalling was all part of the fun. 

[med6753]

Here's a little known fact.....

American cars with a manual shift have a clutch interlock. The starter will not crank unless the clutch pedal is fully depressed, even with the transmission in neutral.

Now think about why that is arranged like that. The first right answer gets a cookie. 

I would think it is to ensure that the car cannot be started in gear and it ensures that the person, be it a mechanic or whatever has to be sitting in the car and holding clutch peddle down before cranking the engine and therefore in a position to take proper control of car should anything go wrong.?

Sort of. Americans are so ingrained with driving automatics that the average Joe Dirt would get in the car, insert key, hit the starter and never touch the clutch. Now if he has his foot on the brake (not required, not interlocked on manual shift) or has the parking brake set properly the car should not leap forward. But if it does now the lawyers are involved. The car jumped forward and hit and killed neighbors kid.    

[bd139]

Random purchase. Decided to treat myself to another NanoVNA, this time a genuine one from Mirfield Electronics here who are an official reseller. No hooky ones any more 

Very good company. Pay via PayPal checkout. Arrived next day RM 1st class 

https://www.mirfield-electronics.co.uk/

[tggzzz]

When I drove my first automatic the engine stalled at the first traffic light. It took me too many sweaty minutes to realize that you have to put it in neutral before you can start the engine again 

My first car tended to drop into neutral - just after entering a junction and starting to pull away. Eeeek!

The engine oil became dirty, and the same oil was used for the automatic gearbox. Dirt confused the hydraulic logic

[Specmaster]

When I drove my first automatic the engine stalled at the first traffic light. It took me too many sweaty minutes to realize that you have to put it in neutral before you can start the engine again 

There must have been a problem with the engine then for it to stall. I have never known an automatic to stall its engine ever, so from that point of view they were safer.

You haven't driven many American cars from the 1970's and early 1980's, have you? Smog controls and carburetors. Stalling was all part of the fun. 

But thats just it, with an auto, there is no clutch, you have a fluid flywheel with a torque convertor so the drive train was connected via the fluid flywheel which would slip when the car was stationary in drive because there was no clutch. Thats just how they were designed to do, whereas a manual you had to press the clutch down to disconnect the drive train to prevent the engine from stalling. So with an automatic, if it stalls, there has to be a reason for it stalling as the oil in the flywheel / torque convertor forms the clutch and is only too willing to slip when the drive train is prevented from turning due the brakes for example being applied and thus preventing the wheels from being driven.

[Robert763]

Random purchase. Decided to treat myself to another NanoVNA, this time a genuine one from Mirfield Electronics here who are an official reseller. No hooky ones any more 

Very good company. Pay via PayPal checkout. Arrived next day RM 1st class 

https://www.mirfield-electronics.co.uk/

Has it got a CE mark on it? Does the power supply fit a 13A socket without an adaptor?