Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bd139]

I still drill stuff I’m holding for lack of a decent bench vice. So far a couple of bruises from the bit jamming and that’s about it

[Specmaster]

Damn and blast, I got outbid again right on the last second too, I was hopeful of bagging a Fluke 8800A meter that was crusty looking but intact 
Oh well back to the hunt again for more test gear to keep me happy and feed my addiction.

[BU508A]

Have you seen this?

"DIGITAL FLUKE 2175A THERMOMETER, 1900A MULTI-COUNTER, 8600A & 8800A MULTIMETERS"

http://www.ebay.com/itm/253000609099

[bd139]

$108 shipping to UK. Not worth it. Just totted up local pricing for those and that's about £100 total including shipping at UK current prices.

Damn and blast, I got outbid again right on the last second too, I was hopeful of bagging a Fluke 8800A meter that was crusty looking but intact 
Oh well back to the hunt again for more test gear to keep me happy and feed my addiction.

I didn't bid on that one! I had it on the watch list for curiosity's sake

Edit: Capacitors for my 8050A have just shipped. Woot.

[Specmaster]

Have you seen this?

"DIGITAL FLUKE 2175A THERMOMETER, 1900A MULTI-COUNTER, 8600A & 8800A MULTIMETERS"

http://www.ebay.com/itm/253000609099

I did see those but discounted them on multiple grounds, I have no need for a counter or thermometer, meters look OK but the sheer cost of them, with postage is £200 plus, then there is the customs risk which could add another £100 and at the end of it there is no guarantee that they will all be working , shipping back again  But thanks for the thought anyway, looking more for a home grown seller at reasonable prices.    

[BU508A]

I did see those but discounted them on multiple grounds, I have no need for a counter or thermometer, meters look OK but the sheer cost of them, with postage is £200 plus, then there is the customs risk which could add another £100 and at the end of it there is no guarantee that they will all be working , shipping back again  But thanks for the thought anyway, looking more for a home grown seller at reasonable prices.

Sorry, my mistake. For some reason I thought you are in the US.
£200+ for shipping to .uk? Wow. Shipping to .de is around U$ 114,- plus U$ 35.- import taxes etc.
Besides that: the input jacks of the 8800A are looking awful and terrible abused. So better let it go. 

It is not cheap to live in .uk. 

[Specmaster]

The shipping to the UK was not £200, but the cost of buying the units and the shipping together would would have been £200+ and then if customs intercept it smack a import fee on top, it then really gets out of hand especially when they might not be working, or even get smashed in transit.

You are so right, it is not cheap living in the UK, we are known as the rip off country, almost everything here costs more then anywhere else.

[bd139]

Yep. The U.K. sucks. I paid £3 for a bloody slush puppy today and it rained freezing cold death rain instantly.

It’s why I buy a lot of stuff from amazon and China. Amazon don’t charge VAT on a lot of stuff and have a very iffy supply chain (hahaha fuck you HMRC) and China post labels everything as worth $1 or commercial samples so it just skips through customs.

Sometimes when you buy something from China it’s cheaper to buy the item and get it shipped than just the postage would be on its own in the U.K.  for example I bought a panel meter from China a few weeks back. £3.88 shipped. Local supplier £9.75 + £3.90 postage. Same with Tayda Electronics; cheaper shipping the parts from Thailand than buying locally.

Bought a GW Instek meter today. Amazon price = £320. RS/Farnell £456.

Working around the local pricing is an art.

Oh and screw the high street here. Everything is a total buggering. For what you’ll get for £1 from China they’ll be selling in a store for £20 just because some munt thinks that’s how much it costs.

[URI]

Hi,

I'm fearing buying too much from ebay the next weeks.

I'm handicapped now because of having an accident riding my bicycle on my way to work yesterday.
A car driver obviously overlooked me and drove right into my direction crossing my way.
I was not very fast at that moment, fortunately.  But the car forced me to break massively what, in consequence, made my front wheel slip away and I hit the street falling right on my left shoulder and elbow.
I'm glad to have worn a helmet that hit the street instead of my skull -it has earned his money now.

Now I wear my left arm in a  cast (to immobilise my elbow joint).

As I'm sick off work the next weeks I have all my time free for searching ebay.

I have to be strong. A PM6685 counter with GPIB interface is already on the way..

[bd139]

Anything with two wheels is a death trap. I was hit by a taxi a number of years ago who pulled out on me while I was going round a roundabout. That was the last time I rode a bike and I never will again. It’s not the cycling that’s dangerous; it’s all the other idiots! Hope you have a speedy recovery

Enjoy the counter

[Specmaster]

And to think they say that cycling is good for your health, give me a steel cage around me anyday thank you.

[bd139]

Yep agree. It’s really not good for you. One of the guys at work who is cyclist extraordinaire just had a complete knee replacement at the age of 39 because he wore it out.

[razberik]

Thats the reason I ride a bike on pedestrians pathway only.
Of course I have to be very cautious to be not pulled over by police.

[bd139]

New toys porn. The GW Instek arrived and it is to be honest, bloody marvellous.

The real cool thing is the 3dB AC point is a rather large 550KHz. It's flat to way over 400KHz! Display is really nice and it doesn't feel like it's made of cack. Now to RTFM so I know what I'm doing

[URI]

[..] It’s not the cycling that’s dangerous; it’s all the other idiots! Hope you have a speedy recovery

Thank you!
I agree: It's all the other idiots!
I had a crash roughly 20 years ago with an older bicyclist who crossed the street to drive on the side where I was going.
He was looking right into my eyes as he had seen and noticed me but he really had not.
That time I was lucky (and he not) that I landed on him. 

But it's true for car drivers as well: It's all the other idiots!
Driving car in city traffic makes me stressed and aggressive but bicycling relaxes me.

Enjoy the counter

I will!
It's so light I can handle it with my unharmed right arm. 

[bd139]

I rather like driving in cities, especially in London. I go right into central London 2-3 times a week.  I actually drove right into the city very early this morning to drop my wife off at Euston. It’s a good challenge of patience, quick thinking and defensive ability

[URI]

New toys porn. The GW Instek arrived and it is to be honest, bloody marvellous.

Ahh, yesss, looks very decent. 
But in my eyes it lacks that classic touch of an old HP toy. And it's so small!

The real cool thing is the 3dB AC point is a rather large 550KHz. It's flat to way over 400KHz! Display is really nice and it doesn't feel like it's made of cack. Now to RTFM so I know what I'm doing

AC to 400 kHz sounds very decent, too. 
I also like the display. Hoped that HP/Agilent didn't favour LCDs back then for the 3457A and the other instruments of that era.

Do you plan to void warranty and take a look inside (and share it with us..)? 

[URI]

[driving in cities]
It’s a good challenge of patience, quick thinking and defensive ability

I haven't looked at it that way yet. 

[Specmaster]

I rather like driving in cities, especially in London. I go right into central London 2-3 times a week.  I actually drove right into the city very early this morning to drop my wife off at Euston. It’s a good challenge of patience, quick thinking and defensive ability

I agree, city driving is nice, I spent the best part of my working life covering London area as a technical sales rep and the best type of car to have for the job is one with air con and most certainly automatic transmission.

[bd139]

If only.  Mine is manual and no air con. It’s also one of the only approved vehicles exported to North Korea! Has a good load capacity for obtaining more test gear though

Not buying a new one yet as I want to see where electric cars end up.

[Specmaster]

New toys porn. The GW Instek arrived and it is to be honest, bloody marvellous.

The real cool thing is the 3dB AC point is a rather large 550KHz. It's flat to way over 400KHz! Display is really nice and it doesn't feel like it's made of cack. Now to RTFM so I know what I'm doing

Very nice toy, wife seen it yet?? I was thinking about something like that myself but really can't justify the money on a single toy besides it would make all of my recent toys useless by comparison. I love the display but I question the buttons, being multipurpose functions per button I can foresee problems with them as it gets older.

However in the meantime, I know I had discounted them before, but I decided to put an offer in on the 4 from USA, just waiting now to see if its accepted.

[tggzzz]

... but really can't justify the money on a single toy besides it would make all of my recent toys useless by comparison.

... or it would enable you to fettle with the "recent toys", and to prove they are working well. That should increase their fleabay selling price more than enough to cover the incremental cost of a new toy.

For the purposes of this discussion I will ignore any improbably assumptions in that proposition. 

[Specmaster]

If only.  Mine is manual and no air con. It’s also one of the only approved vehicles exported to North Korea! Has a good load capacity for obtaining more test gear though

Not buying a new one yet as I want to see where electric cars end up.

Hmm so what does that make the car then, Mercedes?

[xrunner]

Very nice toy, wife seen it yet?? I was thinking about something like that myself but really can't justify the money on a single toy besides it would make all of my recent toys useless by comparison.

Hello Specmaster,

One of my duties here in the TEA group is to monitor members who are wavering in their addictions. You seem to be on the verge of "using excuses" for not buying another piece of cool gear. I'm sorry, but I'll have to report this to TEA management ASAP.

I'm sure you understand, someone will be along soon to counsel you personally.

Xrunner

[bd139]

I'm scared now. Looking for a new power supply as well 

New toys porn. The GW Instek arrived and it is to be honest, bloody marvellous.

The real cool thing is the 3dB AC point is a rather large 550KHz. It's flat to way over 400KHz! Display is really nice and it doesn't feel like it's made of cack. Now to RTFM so I know what I'm doing

Very nice toy, wife seen it yet?? I was thinking about something like that myself but really can't justify the money on a single toy besides it would make all of my recent toys useless by comparison. I love the display but I question the buttons, being multipurpose functions per button I can foresee problems with them as it gets older.

However in the meantime, I know I had discounted them before, but I decided to put an offer in on the 4 from USA, just waiting now to see if its accepted.

She has seen it. Didn’t flip her shit at all. All she said was “next I buy some makeup don’t moan”. Which means she’s going to buy makeup and I’m not allowed to moan. Justification for this is that I’m working on a business plan for something and I need some kit with data logging ability to get the prototype off the ground. I don’t want to be writing software forever.

 I too worry about the buttons. They are the same ones that are on my Honeywell thermostat  (membrane) and I’m forever taking that to bits to clean the contacts. Then I remember all the trouble I have had over the years with latching changeover switches from Philips/HP etc. If they die in the next 6 years I’ll exercise the sale of goods act via moneyclaim and get it sorted instantly

Good luck with the meters. Hopefully he won’t enter a value on the customs declaration or put gift/personal/sample on it so RM don’t screw you.

If only.  Mine is manual and no air con. It’s also one of the only approved vehicles exported to North Korea! Has a good load capacity for obtaining more test gear though

Not buying a new one yet as I want to see where electric cars end up.

Hmm so what does that make the car then, Mercedes?

Nope. FIAT!



It's so good, someone did this to theirs:



(it cost me precisely £0 though )