Old'ish vs New'ish test equipment

[tggzzz]

Do you own a smart phone? Do you find the user interface "too modern"? What do you suggest as input instead of a touch screen?

No; a smart phone would be useless as I am deaf.

Smartphones are perfect for deaf people. You can do text messages with them...

I send/receive text messages with my phone.

You're missing out on sending/receiving photos?

No, not in the slightest.

(My phone could send/receive photos, but they would be too crappy. I still have £10 data credit available, even though I bought it a couple of years ago).

[Njk]

It's always good to keep using the existing equipment for as long as possible. In that way, you can reduce the demand for new ones. Not much, but still. So less resources and energy will be wasted for mass manufacturing of new toys.

[chilternview]

Is there a serious reason to pack valuable space with a high level but bulky and heavy old benchtop test equipment (like 90' HP, Agilent, Keithley and so on)?    Besides that, old equipment have a less informative displays, consumes more electricity, is less compatible with nowadays technologies.
Finally mentally it makes you feel stuck in the past 
Or... I am wrong? 

Well, I haven't seen a modern version of my trusty HP4145B that either (a) I can afford or (b) is even available from those Chinese vendors. Yes its large and the user interface is very 80's but it does the job and nothing seems to come close.

[Finderbinder]

...In the pic you see two 90's hp kit alongside a very new Siglent scope (SDS2202X-E).
In the second pic you see two units of the bulky / heavy class of which you speak. The Agilent 8648A RF generator cannot be replaced with a new item of the same caliber of design for the same money. You'd have to spend a whole lot more for brand new so I make room for that. Below it is an hp 5334B frequency counter.

Ok, I have to agree, if you can stack units nicely on each other at least it looks neat and visually takes less space 
But when all units are of various dimensions that looks like a bunch of crap 
Is it possible/easy to choose a needed/wanted equipment with identical dimensions (mostly width, and some depth)? 

[tautech]

...In the pic you see two 90's hp kit alongside a very new Siglent scope (SDS2202X-E).
In the second pic you see two units of the bulky / heavy class of which you speak. The Agilent 8648A RF generator cannot be replaced with a new item of the same caliber of design for the same money. You'd have to spend a whole lot more for brand new so I make room for that. Below it is an hp 5334B frequency counter.

Ok, I have to agree, if you can stack units nicely on each other at least it looks neat and visually takes less space 
But when all units are of various dimensions that looks like a bunch of crap 
Is it possible/easy to choose a needed/wanted equipment with identical dimensions (mostly width, and some depth)? 

Yep, they're called Rack Mount and some equipment is only available in a RM format and others you can get bracketing for rack mount installation.

[tggzzz]

...In the pic you see two 90's hp kit alongside a very new Siglent scope (SDS2202X-E).
In the second pic you see two units of the bulky / heavy class of which you speak. The Agilent 8648A RF generator cannot be replaced with a new item of the same caliber of design for the same money. You'd have to spend a whole lot more for brand new so I make room for that. Below it is an hp 5334B frequency counter.

Ok, I have to agree, if you can stack units nicely on each other at least it looks neat and visually takes less space 
But when all units are of various dimensions that looks like a bunch of crap 
Is it possible/easy to choose a needed/wanted equipment with identical dimensions (mostly width, and some depth)? 

That can be a problem with newer equipment, where manufacturers have "incompatible" cases that don't stack well.

Older equipment tends to be bigger, and have standard widths (e.g. 19" ) and standard heights (1U, 2U,3U, etc)

Racks to contain such equipment is widely available. Not so with "random" small modern equipment.

[xrunner]

Ok, I have to agree, if you can stack units nicely on each other at least it looks neat and visually takes less space 

Thanks.

But when all units are of various dimensions that looks like a bunch of crap 
Is it possible/easy to choose a needed/wanted equipment with identical dimensions (mostly width, and some depth)? 

For the older stuff I was referring to, such as hp, you can choose other types of gear that do various functions, that stack together neatly. For example in the pictures I have a 3457A DMM, which could fit in a 19" rack. Then on top we have two smaller units that are half the distance across - a 5384A freq. counter and a 3468B DMM. All these are two rack units in height (1.75"). But if you do not rack mount them they have feet which match the notches on top of the units, and can allow stacking without slipping off.

The modern stuff of various manufacturers, which has various designs of rubber bumpers and other such feet as their designers favored for one reason or another, is not really standardized to sit well with other makes. While they may stack up within the same manufacturers line of kit, there is no guarantee it will sit well on top of another different manufacturer's line. Such is life. I can't really lock myself into only one manufacturer just because I want it all to stack up nicely. But given all that, it's possible to do a decent job if you try. 

[0culus]

Is there a serious reason to pack valuable space with a high level but bulky and heavy old benchtop test equipment (like 90' HP, Agilent, Keithley and so on)?    Besides that, old equipment have a less informative displays, consumes more electricity, is less compatible with nowadays technologies.
Finally mentally it makes you feel stuck in the past 
Or... I am wrong? 

Well, I haven't seen a modern version of my trusty HP4145B that either (a) I can afford or (b) is even available from those Chinese vendors. Yes its large and the user interface is very 80's but it does the job and nothing seems to come close.

Love mine too...you can do a lot of interesting analysis with it that is difficult with a traditional curve tracer.

Keysight still offers something in the vein of the 4145/4155/4156 though: https://www.keysight.com/us/en/products/parameter-device-analyzers-curve-tracer/precision-current-voltage-analyzers/b1500a-semiconductor-device-parameter-analyzer.html

I have a feeling the price is also "if you have to ask, you can't afford one".

[chilternview]

Keysight still offers something in the vein of the 4145/4155/4156 though: https://www.keysight.com/us/en/products/parameter-device-analyzers-curve-tracer/precision-current-voltage-analyzers/b1500a-semiconductor-device-parameter-analyzer.html

I have a feeling the price is also "if you have to ask, you can't afford one".

There is a secondhand B1500A on eBay for £51000 - goodness knows how much a new one is.

[wd5jfr]

Which thermal camera did you buy and what are the pros & cons of your model.  I'd like to get one for general use for finding what's hot and whatever else it can do.
Thanks
Hank

[montecri]

Today you can find floppy drive emulators. They are a drop-in replacement for the real thing but take thumb drives or SD Cards as the read/write medium.

[PlainName]

Do you own a smart phone? Do you find the user interface "too modern"? What do you suggest as input instead of a touch screen?

No; a smart phone would be useless as I am deaf.

Smartphones are perfect for deaf people. You can do text messages with them...

I send/receive text messages with my phone.

If you give people/companies a phone number, they tend to presume they can contact you on the phone. That's perfectly reasonable, of course.

As a deaf person I would be lost without my smart phone. There is, of course, the text but 'smart' doesn't have any bearing whatsoever on one's hearing. You don't need to be able to hear to view pdfs, do email, lookup the weather, etc.

However, if you have an issue with companies calling you on your phone (or you needing to phone out), you should look into BT Relay which essentially answers your phone (or makes your calls) for you. Some hearing person acts as a MitM and you choose whether to type and listen, read and talk, or type and read - the MitM does the rest.

I use this on my PC but don't give out the redirect number (it's an additional number you plonk in front of you phone's normal number). Instead, my phone redirects incoming calls and an app on the PC then takes it from there.You can, of course, do it all on the phone: talk while reading the translation the MitM supplies, but since I prefer to type (speech isn't too hot) doing it all on the phone is too unwieldy for me.

BT Relay also works with landlines, of course, if anyone still has one.

Edit: another smart thing I like is the Google translate stuff that does voice to text for me when faced with someone. Also I have a spectrum analyzer which I use to gain access to intercom-controlled places. I can tell when someone is speaking (though not what they are saying) and thus know when to say my bit. I don't think non-smart phones would do those very well.

[tggzzz]

Thanks for that most entertaining "edit"  Superb hack!

I agree with you about the other points, but I'll argue that isn't a pbone, it is a small screen computer with a fast modem. To me phone==voice.

I've never tried BT Relay or other mitm mechanisms, since I can hear just about adequately with a normal phone.

I don't know how an mitm mechanism would work with a half hour wait for a company to get around to bothering with this valued customer.

[PlainName]

The Relay people are very good. Generally they keep out of the way and Just Do It. Periodically they'll say still waiting or something, and once I got into having a decent chat with one while we were waiting (you don't have to, and I think it's the norm not to). A couple of times I've suggested we give up in case they have more important calls to handle, but they just say the current call is the important one and they're happy to stay online for as long as it takes. It's a great service, and completely free (except you pay for the call redirect).

[tggzzz]

OK, thanks. I'll file that user experience and review away for future use.

[nctnico]

Thanks for that most entertaining "edit"  Superb hack!

I agree with you about the other points, but I'll argue that isn't a pbone, it is a small screen computer with a fast modem. To me phone==voice.

The whole phone feature is rather diminished where it comes to a smartphone. A smartphone is a very usefull universal tool though. I'm using it for all kinds of purposes (except phone calls). This weekend I used mine during some home improvement work to take pictures / videos of things I could not take a look at any other way. Along the project I found a leaky T joint in a water pipe by coincidence. I had to take the joint apart and with my 'phone' I could check whether I had cleaned the copper surfaces well enough so I could resolder the joint again. I succeeded but had to hold all tools at an arm's length to reach the joint.

[Bud]

Which thermal camera did you buy and what are the pros & cons of your model.  I'd like to get one for general use for finding what's hot and whatever else it can do.
Thanks
Hank

This was asked and answered many times in Thermal Imaging subforum of EEVBlog. You may want to check posts there.

[tggzzz]

Thanks for that most entertaining "edit"  Superb hack!

I agree with you about the other points, but I'll argue that isn't a pbone, it is a small screen computer with a fast modem. To me phone==voice.

The whole phone feature is rather diminished where it comes to a smartphone. A smartphone is a very usefull universal tool though. I'm using it for all kinds of purposes (except phone calls). This weekend I used mine during some home improvement work to take pictures / videos of things I could not take a look at any other way. Along the project I found a leaky T joint in a water pipe by coincidence. I had to take the joint apart and with my 'phone' I could check whether I had cleaned the copper surfaces well enough so I could resolder the joint again. I succeeded but had to hold all tools at an arm's length to reach the joint.

Agreed.

I'm typing this on a small Amazon Fire tablet, which is a smartphone minus the phone and only Wi-Fi connectivity. Yes, they are useful gadgets - in addition to a phone. However I use my Canon  PowerShot G16 since it focusses down to a couple of cm.

The neutered Amazon app store doesn't have the BTRelay app but it probably could be sideloaded. But I don't know whether it would work without a phone connection.

I'm still in two minds whether autokorrupt autocorrect would be a help or hindrance.

Basically I hate soft keyboards. I hated letter-shift-figure shift teleprinter keyboards in the early 70s, and was delighted to be able to swap to hunting and pecking on a real ASR33 keyboard.

[nctnico]

Thanks for that most entertaining "edit"  Superb hack!

I agree with you about the other points, but I'll argue that isn't a pbone, it is a small screen computer with a fast modem. To me phone==voice.

The whole phone feature is rather diminished where it comes to a smartphone. A smartphone is a very usefull universal tool though. I'm using it for all kinds of purposes (except phone calls). This weekend I used mine during some home improvement work to take pictures / videos of things I could not take a look at any other way. Along the project I found a leaky T joint in a water pipe by coincidence. I had to take the joint apart and with my 'phone' I could check whether I had cleaned the copper surfaces well enough so I could resolder the joint again. I succeeded but had to hold all tools at an arm's length to reach the joint.

Agreed.

I'm typing this on a small Amazon Fire tablet, which is a smartphone minus the phone and only Wi-Fi connectivity. Yes, they are useful gadgets - in addition to a phone. However I use my Canon  PowerShot G16 since it focusses down to a couple of cm.

The better smartphones can also do that. Sometimes I use mine as a magnifier.

[james_s]

My iPhone SE from 2016 does, I occasionally use it for the same thing, taking pictures of small SMT components so I can read the numbers on them. It has a much better camera than the best standalone digital camera I own, which to be fair is older.