Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[JenniferG]

money, like cheap crack.

you could get it for 100$ or so

Probably more accurate and more resolution than I'd ever need as a newb going through AoE.

[Rémi]

WHy did you choose 8251A over the HP 3478A? I'm torn between the two myself.

Because I already have two 3478A 

[JenniferG]

Which one do you like better?

[rachaelp]

Another few for the list:

Continuous Observations For Future Electronics Equipment

It's when you just can't stop running searches on eBay because you just know that the piece of equipment you don't yet know you NEED is going to be listed any minute.

Caught Again Finding Equipment

It's when your other half walks in and chastises you for being on eBay again having a COFFEE or even worse right in the middle of making a TEA!

Last Addition To Test Equipment

It's when you promise yourself, your credit card, bank balance and other half that this really is the last TEA you will make. It's quite often immediately follows CAFE when you get caught just as you hit the commit to buy button and then you hastily promise LATTE to try and remedy a bad situation.

[Brumby]

Something I have noticed on more than one occasion .... is the following two threads at the top of this sub-board:




So the question is .... Is there a causal relationship here - or is it just a coincidence?

[Rémi]

Which one do you like better?

I cannot compare for now, I haven't received the GDM-8251A yet.

[SingedFingers]

I'm suffering from SAD at the moment. The seller send me a tracking id for my next Fluke 8010A project but the damn ID doesn't work and I fear they are too much of a wally to actually understand how to get it out of the courier's consignment management web site.

So when will it arrive ?

[SingedFingers]

SAD resolved. It arrived, and apart from the display which I know was bust, it works perfectly!



Packed in a shoe box with some newspaper around it rattling around though 

[capt bullshot]

Nice one (the Fluke 8010), alas bad display (the black blob will get larger inevtiably).

I've got one of last unicorns here (@work), still calibrated on a yearly schedule (hope it never fails)
It's major advantages over the ubiquitous Fluke 179 here is:
- battery never gets drained
- more bandwidth in AC mode

[rachaelp]

SAD resolved. It arrived, and apart from the display which I know was bust, it works perfectly!

Excellent, glad it arrived and works!

Packed in a shoe box with some newspaper around it rattling around though 

Really?! What is it with people not knowing how to pack a parcel properly? It's not hard!

Best Regards,

Rachael

[SingedFingers]

Indeed. Gets me every time. Packing rules I use.

1. at least 4 inches around all sides if under 2Kg. If above 2Kg, 6 inches all around. If above 8Kg, 9 inches. If above 10Kg, buyer collects.
2. heavy duty thick walled cardboard box
3. Roll it in bubble wrap on both axis until it just about fits in the box and doesn't budge a mm. If there are any handles/bails, fold them flat against the unit with a layer of bubble wrap under them so not to scrach, not extended as this results in rapid disassembly in transit.
4. Tape the feck out of it with quality 3M brown tape, not the poo coloured cling film everyone sells.
5. send it via parcelforce or UPS, not the lowest bidder.

Nice one (the Fluke 8010), alas bad display (the black blob will get larger inevtiably).

I've got one of last unicorns here (@work), still calibrated on a yearly schedule (hope it never fails)
It's major advantages over the ubiquitous Fluke 179 here is:
- battery never gets drained
- more bandwidth in AC mode

The LCD is not a problem if you're a masochist like myself. It's being replaced tomorrow with a new one and about half a mile of kynar.

Actually crap, I forgot to order more kynar ... shopping time.

[rrinker]

 So naturally afflicted with SAD, I checked the shipping stats this morning and - my 8251A will arrive SOONER than expected. But wait, that means it is expected to be delivered this Saturday - when I will not be home!

Can't win - guess I will go order the GPD-3303s to console myself, even if it is one of the versions that will likely have the spike on the third output.

[xrunner]

So the question is .... Is there a causal relationship here - or is it just a coincidence?

Very perceptive. It's a causal relationship. One thread feeds off another. One group/thread seems to be an enabler for the other. In order for an addict to quit, there should not be a enabler nearby. It's up to each person to stay away from enablers. 

[rachaelp]

In order for an addict to quit, there should not be a enabler nearby. It's up to each person to stay away from enablers. 

That's impossible when the support group is full of enablers!

[JenniferG]

SAD resolved. It arrived, and apart from the display which I know was bust, it works perfectly!



Packed in a shoe box with some newspaper around it rattling around though 

Are you going to do an LED mod for the display?  Seen some very nice ones for 8050A:

[SingedFingers]

I did consider that initially as I have the parts around but I've only got high intensity displays which are ridiculously bright so would require a whole pile of series resistors to current limit. Also the LED displays require a lot more current than the LCD does and the LCD's I can get for very little money. I'm going to do what I did here which is retrofit a standard 3.5 digit LCD module: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/fluke-8024b-won't-zero/

[rrinker]

 Oh now that is neat, while the LCD on my 8012A is fine, I like the idea of putting LEDs in there. Is there more information on that mod?  Wonder if you could do something similar to an 8060A handheld - again my LCD is in fine condition other than the contact surfaces which I have to periodically clean as some segments get dim or don't show at all. Probably destroy battery life though.

[xrunner]

That's impossible when the support group is full of enablers!

LOL - now I have some understanding of why people have such a hard time quitting smoking. 

[tkuhmone]

I have actually quit smoking in 1995. No cigarette since then... But I am not sure about DMM, or other symptoms - can I handle them...?

[iainwhite]

I hope my DMMs will never take up smoking

[SingedFingers]

I've had a couple which have had passive smoke inhalation.

[Berni]

I've had a couple which have had passive smoke inhalation.

And on the other extreme i have 20 year old gear that does not have a spec of dust inside while also having a fan. Ether it ran in a clean room, had very little use or someone really went at it with compressed air before i got it.

[Cubdriver]

Oh now that is neat, while the LCD on my 8012A is fine, I like the idea of putting LEDs in there. Is there more information on that mod?  Wonder if you could do something similar to an 8060A handheld - again my LCD is in fine condition other than the contact surfaces which I have to periodically clean as some segments get dim or don't show at all. Probably Would definitely destroy battery life though.

Fixed.     That's one definite advantage of liquid crystal displays - they are very efficient from a power consumption standpoint.  A quick search didn't reveal anything, but I'd imagine that they must be an order of magnitude or three better as far as that goes.  Not a huge deal for something line powered (and a better viewing angle to boot), but much more significant for something running from a battery.

-Pat

[Cubdriver]

SAD resolved. It arrived, and apart from the display which I know was bust, it works perfectly!

Excellent, glad it arrived and works!

Packed in a shoe box with some newspaper around it rattling around though 

Really?! What is it with people not knowing how to pack a parcel properly? It's not hard!

Best Regards,

Rachael

People who pack things like that should be strung up by their thumbs!!!!!   

Packing is such a simple concept!      

My Fluke 5440B just arrived from CA, and appears to be uninjured by its travels.  It weighed about 77 pounds packed.  Styrofoam sheets and a triple wall box that I had to modify to fit it, and it came through fine.  Packing things is not rocket surgery!  Immobilize and cushion them.  You'd THINK that sellers might learn this, but alas it seems many never do.

-Pat

[rrinker]

 Very true. It's not THAT hard to do. The stuff I sell on eBay is generally small plastic models, so far never have had any broken in transit, both selling and buying. Bought plenty of LCD monitors via online and never had one damaged, but then those are new and in the OEM packing. My Signlent scope was the same way. My 3610 power supply came VERY well packed, but I bought that on eBay from a test equipment reseller so they should certainly know how to package test gear since that's mostly all they sell. It's most definitely not rocket science, but sometimes you have to wonder.
 The carrier tossing the package over the fence isn't the worst I've seen - friend of mine once came home to find a package IMPALED on their wrought iron fence - the nutcase driver attempted to throw it over the fence but didn't put enough oomph into it and it wound up on top of the fence.
 The UPS guy at my old how was particularly bad at the whole getting a signature thing. I was working from home a lot in those days and I would hear the doorbell, run down the steps, and by the time I opened the front door the truck was halfway down the road. 
 Me, I pack stuff ASSUMING the package will be used as a rugby ball (or practice NFL field goals).