Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Specmaster]

Just acquired myself a Tek TDS210 complete with an expansion module factory fitted and all working, just have to wait now for it to be delivered, its in a rather grubby state so the first order for the day when it arrives is to clean it up.

  there's hope for you guys yet.......moving into the modern age away from all the old boat anchors. 

Doesn't the Fluke PM3390B count as modern age then?

[bitseeker]

There appears to be a TDS210 shopping wave forming here. Does that mean I have to start looking for one, too?

[Specmaster]

There appears to be a TDS210 shopping wave forming here. Does that mean I have to start looking for one, too?

Go on, you know you want to, you need to, you want it.........

[tautech]

There appears to be a TDS210 shopping wave forming here. Does that mean I have to start looking for one, too?

NO !
At least you want a later TDS1k model or better still a 2k with USB capability and color display.......that's if you can stomach the miserable memory all these have.

[Specmaster]

There appears to be a TDS210 shopping wave forming here. Does that mean I have to start looking for one, too?

NO !
At least you want a later TDS1k model or better still a 2k with USB capability and color display.......that's if you can stomach the miserable memory all these have.

Already have a TDS1k model on my watch list incase this one fell through. I did that because I had already placed my bid on this before the 1K one appeared  Never know, might just go for it as well and sell the worst one  along with a boat anchor for good measure 

[tautech]

There appears to be a TDS210 shopping wave forming here. Does that mean I have to start looking for one, too?

NO !
At least you want a later TDS1k model or better still a 2k with USB capability and color display.......that's if you can stomach the miserable memory all these have.

Already have a TDS1k model on my watch list incase this one fell through. I did that because I had already placed my bid on this before the 1K one appeared  Never know, might just go for it as well and sell the worst one  along with a boat anchor for good measure 

Careful now......it's a slippery slope ! 

[Specmaster]

There appears to be a TDS210 shopping wave forming here. Does that mean I have to start looking for one, too?

NO !
At least you want a later TDS1k model or better still a 2k with USB capability and color display.......that's if you can stomach the miserable memory all these have.

Already have a TDS1k model on my watch list incase this one fell through. I did that because I had already placed my bid on this before the 1K one appeared  Never know, might just go for it as well and sell the worst one  along with a boat anchor for good measure 

Careful now......it's a slippery slope ! 

Most of my gear is slowly being updated, TTi TF930, TTi TG120, TTi TGP110, Brymen BM867,  Fluke PM3390B, XJW01, Microscope and a Chinese dual channel AWG (can't see the name and model as its on the back and I mounted it under my shelf. Not to mention my HP3466A(s), HP3478A and Fluke 8840A, so yes, modernising cautiously 

[bd139]

In response to the TDS210 comments, mine is sticking around. I’ve worked out why. It’s the Nokia 3310 of scopes. I’ve been trying to work out a better analogy but couldn’t. It fits that peak usability point where the entire system can fit in your head at once without having to learn how to use it each time. And everything is deterministic. And the interface is extremely accurate. When I had a 3310 I could send someone a message without even looking at the phone. It’s the same.

I value that more than features.

Incidentally I suspect that is why I rather like programming in bash but powershell can go and fuck a duck.

[bitseeker]

There appears to be a TDS210 shopping wave forming here. Does that mean I have to start looking for one, too?

NO !
At least you want a later TDS1k model or better still a 2k with USB capability and color display.......that's if you can stomach the miserable memory all these have.

She'll be a'ight mate. Just for fun and all.

[mnementh]

Regarding GPSDOs, all my stuffs are ready, its just my problem still at the lightning protection setup, as I need to install it high above the roof, consulted with lighting protection pros, they're really damn expensive.

Have to wait until I decide to pay the pro to install it, or I do it my self which is quite challenging. 

As I heard someone say who sells it, forget lightning protection. He installed full strapping all over a commercial VHF and microwave antenna pole and the lightning basically just said “nah not into that today” and shot down (or is it up?) the VHF feed into the PA, out of the PA into a PC next to it, out of that into a photocopier and then into the building’s main distribution point just to smoke all the breakers.  It also killed the fire system so the sprinklers didn’t go off. Fortunately it didn’t actually start any fires.

Simple answer from Google is that Lightening actually goes both ways.

Lightening is Cl₂, and it is most commonly found in liquid form dissolved in water. Or as white spots on your favorite blue jeans.

Lightning is DC then AC, sweeping from the MHz to the GHz range (or is it the other way around? I remember arguments both ways) depending on differential charge and proximity. The initial strike is unipolar but as soon as it is established, the ionized air becomes plasmatic and conductive.  it is then broad-band AC; a brief burst of RF pink noise.

It is also Murphy incarnate.

In response to the TDS210 comments, mine is sticking around. I’ve worked out why. It’s the Nokia 3310 of scopes. I’ve been trying to work out a better analogy but couldn’t. It fits that peak usability point where the entire system can fit in your head at once without having to learn how to use it each time. And everything is deterministic. And the interface is extremely accurate. When I had a 3310 I could send someone a message without even looking at the phone. It’s the same.

I value that more than features.

Incidentally I suspect that is why I rather like programming in bash but powershell can go and fuck a duck.

I had several 33xxs back in the day... and several Nokia 521s... they were a Windows phone yeah; but unlike most Android and iPwns, it just effing worked. It was the last phone designed entirely by Nokia, and their experience in making a phone with intuitive UI that was a phone FIRST shone through like very few I've ever owned. It came preloaded with a good basic suite of apps thanks to Windows so there was nothing you NEEDED to go and get (and put up with effing adware) because it was all built-in and it WORKED; even voice recognition and TTS in the messaging app right over your Bluetooth headset. The live tiles / dynamic sizing was a first in any phone at the time.

Like the 3310, the main functions were all straightforward enough you could keep them in your head; and you could actually use the phone entirely by voice command for dialing, MMS and navigation.

As for PowerShell... well... that's not going away any time soon. I suggest you get plenty of tape to wrap around that duck so it doesn't explode when you fuck it. 

There appears to be a TDS210 shopping wave forming here. Does that mean I have to start looking for one, too?

NO !
At least you want a later TDS1k model or better still a 2k with USB capability and color display.......that's if you can stomach the miserable memory all these have.

She'll be a'ight mate. Just for fun and all.

I'd have to get mine at a price like bd139 got his; not interested in ANOTHER scope to lug around right now unless it comes as a steal of a deal. I'm trying to get rid of my old toys as it is right now.


mnem
simplify.

[bitseeker]

Yes, I periodically go into simplify mode. It's a good thing.

[Specmaster]

I had several 33xxs back in the day... and several Nokia 521s... they were a Windows phone yeah; but unlike most Android and iPwns, it just effing worked. It was the last phone designed entirely by Nokia, and their experience in making a phone with intuitive UI that was a phone FIRST shone through like very few I've ever owned. It came preloaded with a good basic suite of apps thanks to Windows so there was nothing you NEEDED to go and get (and put up with effing adware) because it was all built-in and it WORKED; even voice recognition and TTS in the messaging app right over your Bluetooth headset. The live tiles / dynamic sizing was a first in any phone at the time.

Like the 3310, the main functions were all straightforward enough you could keep them in your head; and you could actually use the phone entirely by voice command for dialing, MMS and navigation.

Yes those Nokia and Windows phones just worked, I think I still have a Nokia 3310 here somewhere or other but TBH I prefered the Nokia 6310i better, it just lent it self to being a proper car phone with their purpose built cradle all wired up through the car sound system or Bluetooth would run for almost a week without the need to be recharged every 5 minutes. They made a new version of the 3310 with a colour screen as well.

[xrunner]

Yes, I periodically go into simplify mode. It's a good thing.

Yea me too. The forum needs one of those icons that switches languages, except it would be like a complicated/simplify for the entire forum - you as the user choose as needed. 

[bitseeker]

Simplify mode: One thread, this one. One button, Reply.

[Berni]

I have fond memories of Windows Mobile (To NOT be confused with Windows Phone 7 onward, that's just a android imitator without app support)

The OS let you do whatever you liked just like PC Windows from the good old days. It had support for a wide range of things that other phones would maybe support 5 years later. It even had webwbrosers that could open 99% of desktop PC browsable pages of the time without issue and do it fast, even with flash and java support. Everything seamed to be very responsive and snappy despite the old hardware it ran on. Back then we even had physical keyboards on phones and plenty of buttons all around, none of this touchscreen only crap.

But it had the graphical sophistication of Win 3.1 mixed with a bit of Win XP so it never really looked all that pretty, but it was very functional. Then Android and iPhone came around with there fancy UI and Microsoft axed it to create a mobile OS that also looks like that.

[Cubdriver]

  there's hope for you guys yet.......moving into the modern age away from all the old boat anchors. 

Give up boatanchors?!?    Begone, heretic!    (we need pitchfork and torch smilies for occasions like these!    )

Never!

[Berni]

Dang that square wave generator looks like it would also generate seismic waves if one was to drop it.

[bitseeker]

That it would. That it would.

[Specmaster]

That it would. That it would.

Chances are that it would still be working afterwards unlike some of the modern stuff though. [emoji41]

[Cubdriver]

That it would. That it would.

Chances are that it would still be working afterwards unlike some of the modern stuff though. [emoji41]

   Yeah, it probably would, as long as none of the fifteen tubes in it came loose...

-Pat

[Specmaster]

That it would. That it would.

Chances are that it would still be working afterwards unlike some of the modern stuff though. [emoji41]

   Yeah, it probably would, as long as none of the fifteen tubes in it came loose...

-Pat

Most of modern stuff would suffer likely damage to the plastic cases at least and possible damage on the Pcb depending on how far and how they fell.

[tautech]

  there's hope for you guys yet.......moving into the modern age away from all the old boat anchors. 

Give up boatanchors?!?    Begone, heretic!    (we need pitchfork and torch smilies for occasions like these!    )

Never!

Figured I'd get a rise out of someone. 

Heretic ? No I'm an TE addiction enabler 

See reply #4 on the OP page. 

[Berni]

I had a high voltage fluke PSU with a big ass tube in it come shippped with a bit of crumpled up newspaper around it. Sure enough they dropped it pretty hard. they dropped it on a corner that completely mangled the metal case and crushed a connector on the back to pieces.

Sure enough the only thing wrong with the old boatanchor was that a case interlock switch needed to be exercised a bit and it worked perfectly. I also bent the metal work back into shape so its almost unnoticeable.

These old boat anchors are indeed built like a tank. Lets see a modern Keysight X3000 scope survive that.

[bd139]

Quality engineering has been replaced with insurance now

I actually dropped a Tek 453 a few years back. It had no feet so the chassis hit the living room floor pretty hard. The floor is a slab of concrete with wooden tiles on it. It split a tile in half and dented the concrete underneath. Bar a little dink on the corner it was absolutely fine. Made one hell of a noise. Thought the tube had gone and I nearly messed myself.

[Specmaster]

Quality engineering has been replaced with insurance now

I actually dropped a Tek 453 a few years back. It had no feet so the chassis hit the living room floor pretty hard. The floor is a slab of concrete with wooden tiles on it. It split a tile in half and dented the concrete underneath. Bar a little dink on the corner it was absolutely fine. Made one hell of a noise. Thought the tube had gone and I nearly messed myself.

Thanks for the picture you've planted in my head, not a pretty sight that's for sure 🤣