Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[AF6LJ]

Speaking of Jones'in.....
I am not going to have a chance to work on the 8569 this weekend.....
Work needs done around here. 

[Brumby]

With the addition of TEST, the definition if EMI should have a minor update:

EMI: Equipment Matching Impulse - This includes ESD and SMD, but covers a much wider and varied range.  As well as these disorders, EMI also includes the desire to acquire equipment from a particular manufacturer and, in extreme cases, a particular range of equipment in order to get a matching 'set'. (see also, TEST)  Further, EMI encompasses the expansion of the definition of 'slot' to include any space that is vacant on the test bench - or that may become vacant through reorganization - especially when matching physical dimensions (in particular, width) is a driving consideration. (see also, DPI)

[madires]

New studies have found that GAS could be falsely diagnosed in cases of HUM (Hyperbolic Unboxing Mania). Someone with HUM shows quite often the same symptoms as GAS, and that can lead to the wrong assumption of the latter. One of the most typical signs of HUM is the creation of videos showing the unboxing of packages with electronics and test equipment. One study observed that watching those videos can have a negative impact on patients with GAS.

[AF6LJ]

New studies have found that GAS could be falsely diagnosed in cases of HUM (Hyperbolic Unboxing Mania). Someone with HUM shows quite often the same symptoms as GAS, and that can lead to the wrong assumption of the latter. One of the most typical signs of HUM is the creation of videos showing the unboxing of packages with electronics and test equipment. One study observed that watching those videos can have a negative impact on patients with GAS.

Patients with HUM will usually acquire gear that often times doesn't satisfy their needs.
Hum is often confused with SCM (serial collector Mania) We have all seen these poor souls torture themselves to try and acquire every HP signal generator, or every Tektronix spectrum analyzer. Soon they become incapable of functioning normally in the hobby as they are obsessed to have every last item in their target gear type. The extreme cases are truly sad. SCM destroys families and even communities.

Once there was a young man who acquired SCM in a most unusual way. It all started with his fanboy obsession for the 1970s TV series Battlestar Galactica. He owned all the episodes, watched nothing but BSG. His wife divorced him, this intensified his obsession. He threw out all the furniture in his living room and began building a replica of the Galactica bridge. He went to the corners of the world to find all the rented Tektronics and other test equipment mocked up make the TV program bridge....

He mortgaged his house, sold his business, he sold everything he could, even himself....
He finished his grand project, he invited his neighbors over. They said it was a thing of beauty.
All he could do was mumble to himself about the Cylons chasing him......
Weeks went by and he never left the house...Finally they found him sitting in the command chair. He had lost considerable weight, had not eaten for days, all he could say was "I must find Earth".

[xrunner]

Yikes!

There are so many afflictions now, I need to go back over them and see just how many ways I'm affected! 

[SingedFingers]

New studies have found that GAS could be falsely diagnosed in cases of HUM (Hyperbolic Unboxing Mania). Someone with HUM shows quite often the same symptoms as GAS, and that can lead to the wrong assumption of the latter. One of the most typical signs of HUM is the creation of videos showing the unboxing of packages with electronics and test equipment. One study observed that watching those videos can have a negative impact on patients with GAS.

Patients with HUM will usually acquire gear that often times doesn't satisfy their needs.
Hum is often confused with SCM (serial collector Mania) We have all seen these poor souls torture themselves to try and acquire every HP signal generator, or every Tektronix spectrum analyzer. Soon they become incapable of functioning normally in the hobby as they are obsessed to have every last item in their target gear type. The extreme cases are truly sad. SCM destroys families and even communities.

Once there was a young man who acquired SCM in a most unusual way. It all started with his fanboy obsession for the 1970s TV series Battlestar Galactica. He owned all the episodes, watched nothing but BSG. His wife divorced him, this intensified his obsession. He threw out all the furniture in his living room and began building a replica of the Galactica bridge. He went to the corners of the world to find all the rented Tektronics and other test equipment mocked up make the TV program bridge....

He mortgaged his house, sold his business, he sold everything he could, even himself....
He finished his grand project, he invited his neighbors over. They said it was a thing of beauty.
All he could do was mumble to himself about the Cylons chasing him......
Weeks went by and he never left the house...Finally they found him sitting in the command chair. He had lost considerable weight, had not eaten for days, all he could say was "I must find Earth".

If I suddenly had a breakdown, that would be the kind of breakdown I had.

In fact when I get old I'm going to pretend I'm having a breakdown and have that one I think.

Edit: when I think about it I nearly had that breakdown in about 1999 at "Peak Magic the Gathering" (the trading card game). Woke up one morning, sold all the cards on ebay and spent it all on booze.  Whilst out boozing I managed to pick up a woman I haven't managed to shake off yet

[AF6LJ]

Wow, I never got into that stuff.....
My roommate and I were very much into the online first person shooters of the day, Quake, TeamFortress. It was truly an obsession... We averaged seven yours a night during week days, weekends the mayhem would start at six in the morning and wouldn't end until midnight.
Spending $300.00 and up every six months to get the latest fastest video card / cards....
It was insane.

Back in the bad old days of Cable Internet... (1997 or thereabouts) The tech would show up and install your modem.
The guy looks at my desk, and says Two Computers? Yes one for playing games and the other for running the server when we have matches.... 
So he installs the modem, he wanted to know what the specs were for my primary computer, they keep that data for customer service...
Now keep in mind this was the spring of 1997...
He asked what processor....   Twin P-3 running at 500MHZ...
Ram?? Oh 256MB I am going to expand it to 512....
What OS NT-4.0.... He was visibly shaken... and asked what do you do with that....
"Play games"... Then he is like Seriously what do you do with it??? I said Play games and surf the web....

It's fun to see the reactions of normal people when confronted with abnormal behavior.

[Brumby]

I liked the reaction one of my sons got.

He and a mate were talking about a problem - and the mate thought he would pull out some terminology which usually made people confused.  The best one was when he mentioned an oscilloscope - and my son didn't flinch.  Puzzled, he asked my son if he knew what an oscilloscope was.  My son told him not only did he know what it was, but that there was one in the house - and did he want him to get it?

Apparently the friend was gobsmacked.  Normally people didn't know what an oscilloscope was - let alone have one!

Aside from it being my scope, the only real problem I had was that I wasn't there to see it!

[mtdoc]

New studies have found that GAS could be falsely diagnosed in cases of HUM (Hyperbolic Unboxing Mania).

Ha! Very good!

But it immediately made me think of this Frank Zappa song:

[AF6LJ]

New studies have found that GAS could be falsely diagnosed in cases of HUM (Hyperbolic Unboxing Mania).

Ha! Very good!

But it immediately made me think of this Frank Zappa song:

No Comment..................

[madires]

Does anyone know a specialist for treating OSCAR? A friend of mine has way too much scopes, still he's hunting on ebay and others sites for more vintage scopes. I'd say a clear case of OSCilloscope Acquisition disordeR.

[AF6LJ]

Does anyone know a specialist for treating OSCAR? A friend of mine has way too much scopes, still he's hunting on ebay and others sites for more vintage scopes. I'd say a clear case of OSCilloscope Acquisition disordeR.

The only cure is a continuous supply of scopes...

[SingedFingers]

Done it again.



One Frankencounter coming up 

[AF6LJ]

Looks Like Fun...

[xrunner]

Done it again.
One Frankencounter coming up 

Yea - another frequency counter fix like I just had. 

[SingedFingers]

TBH I'm a bit worried about how noisy and large these are as my bench is in the corner of the living room. May be retrofitted with quieter fan on arrival.

[bitseeker]

Updated TEST. Added HUM, SCM, and OSCAR.

Is it a bad sign when the afflicted become experts of, and coin new terminology for, their own afflictions?

[Brumby]

TBH I'm a bit worried about how noisy and large these are as my bench is in the corner of the living room. May be retrofitted with quieter fan on arrival.

Perhaps a little redecorating for a wall or two...?

There's lots of colours and styles available!

[Brumby]

Updated TEST. Added HUM, SCM, and OSCAR.

Is it a bad sign when the afflicted become experts of, and coin new terminology for, their own afflictions?

Just moments of lucidity mania.

They will pass.

[BravoV]

(S)ystematically (H)oarding (I)nstrumentation (T)reasures 

[SingedFingers]

TBH I'm a bit worried about how noisy and large these are as my bench is in the corner of the living room. May be retrofitted with quieter fan on arrival.

Perhaps a little redecorating for a wall or two...?

There's lots of colours and styles available!

If only. I'd love a room full off that stuff

[xrunner]

HP 5316B was shipped from Illinois Monday and UPS says it's supposed to arrive on Wed. That's pretty good because I'm starting to get the shakes. I checked the list and this should satisfy all these issues -

SHIT, EMI, METH, SPEED, TEST, YAGI, and GAS

... at least for a little while. 

[SingedFingers]

UPS just delivered my first 5328A. Yay. Works fine so far.

It has taken place at the bottom of the pile of now.

Needs to be cleaned out yet as it's a bit stinky but I'm going to wait for the next one to arrive first.

The progress of GAS defined. 9 months ago versus today. The hall is full of shit to sell including two power supplies, three scopes, another counter. May list them in the For sale section



There is no after GAS.

[xrunner]

UPS just delivered my first 5328A. Yay. Works fine so far.

That's good. I'm looking at them on Ebay - tempting but I will get my fix very soon.

About 1/3 of the units have knobs missing the little center cover thingy. Bad design on that knob. 

[SingedFingers]

I actually bought another 5328A so I can steal the knob off it because I'm OCD.

it has the DVM option as well though which is handy. Also hopefully a power supply fan that doesn't sound like an aeroplane taking off