Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[med6753]

I guess I'll have to continue to limp along with the 720P 32 inch Samsung. Works fine for me and I don't watch much boob tube anyway. Up until 6 years ago I was still on a 27 inch analog Sony Trinitron when I bought the Samsung. I see no need to upgrade unless it decides to crap out.

Speaking of video. This corner needs something, besides more light which I'm in process of fixing. That wall space above the scope would be a perfect location for the 21 inch LCD monitor I have stashed in the closest. Have a pile of keyboards too. Can put one on a slide mount under the bench. Just lacking a tower PC but I know someone who will give me one but they're an hour away. Load it up with my manuals/documents as a reference when working on equipment. Perfect! 
   

[Brumby]

.... how the feck can colour not be natural, the world is full of colour, natural colour or have those bastard gremlins been out again with their blasted tins of paint to fool us? 

Yeah - but you'll never get the true, natural colour rendered on a screen.  Not today.  Certainly, there are some that can come close, but aside from the various technologies and their limitations, there are those that will want to tweak something.

[med6753]

I remember when colour TV was first launched, my Dad not would entertain having colour TV, claimed it was not natural, black and white was perfect, hmm I wonder if he was colour blind, how the feck can colour not be natural, the world is full of colour, natural colour or have those bastard gremlins been out again with their blasted tins of paint to fool us? 

Your Father and my Father must have talked.  He wouldn't buy a color TV either. Because they were unreliable, which is true but beside the point. It wasn't until 1974 when I moved out on my own that I bought a color TV.   

[bd139]

My grandmother was like that. But really it was because a colour TV license cost more.

[beanflying]

It would have been early 80's we got our first secondhand colour TV. Being in the bush 100km from Melbourne we had a total of TWO stations until about then too. These days most of the populated bits run a dozen to twenty digital free to air channels.

There was more watchable content with two stations I suspect than today's dribble.

[Wolfgang]

@Bean, There really is wealth of difference between 1080P and 4K, believe me, I can tell if a program is in full HD or 4K without looking it up, its almost as clear as walking out of the opticians with a newer pair of glasses on, you begin to see much more detail in things then you ever did before and the colours are so much more vibrant as well.

If your using as a comparison the output of a so called 4K drone camera and a 1080P drone camera as opposed to a full and proper TV broadcast quality 4K camera then they are like chalk and cheese. I have a 4K GoPro clone and while the output of that is good it most certainly is not as good as 1080P TV broadcast camera,

Hell, I even have a well known brand name 1080P dashcam and to me the output of that is certainly not 1080P or even 720P, probably on a par with a normal TV camera and is certainly far sharper with full sunshine.

Was trying to draw some distinction between (separate) 4K visual rather than include cameras I guess, so much more to shooting good video than absolute resolution as you mention. 4K screens I haven't been that impressed with so far and I consider them wank value at this point in time and in a lot of settings just don't work.

Of course thats perfectly true, a 4K screen will not make anything that is not filmed in 4K look any different, its like Hi-Fi, you will only get good high quality sound out if you put good sound quality in, in the first place.

I remember when colour TV was first launched, my Dad not would entertain having colour TV, claimed it was not natural, black and white was perfect, hmm I wonder if he was colour blind, how the feck can colour not be natural, the world is full of colour, natural colour or have those bastard gremlins been out again with their blasted tins of paint to fool us? 

Your dad was absolutely right. The colors of the first colour TVs were everything *but* natural. It looked like a bleached angry fruit salad. 

[med6753]

My grandmother was like that. But really it was because a colour TV license cost more.

Color (colour) TV license? What's that? 

[beanflying]

It's was a Pommie Tax thing on the 'elite' Colour watchers the B&W lower classes paid less 

Still running https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licensing_in_the_United_Kingdom

[med6753]

It's was a Pommie Tax thing on the 'elite' Colour watchers the B&W lower classes paid less 

Still running https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licensing_in_the_United_Kingdom

Holy shit...you need a license for the privilege to watch the BBC? And they have the right to detect unlicensed equipment? Something like that would last about 10 seconds over here as the FCC quickly found out during the CB craze during the 1970's. 

[beanflying]

Think this is a nice look

[tggzzz]

It's was a Pommie Tax thing on the 'elite' Colour watchers the B&W lower classes paid less 

Still running https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licensing_in_the_United_Kingdom

Holy shit...you need a license for the privilege to watch the BBC? And they have the right to detect unlicensed equipment? Something like that would last about 10 seconds over here as the FCC quickly found out during the CB craze during the 1970's. 

That's not quite right; it is to receive TV broadcasts. We see it as a way of  having some interesting experimental programmes, avoiding adverts and unregulated political stuff masquerading as news.

It is imperfect, as are all systems, but it does have its virtues.

[bd139]

BBC is basically political bias these days what with the wingnut airtime.

[tggzzz]

BBC is basically political bias these days what with the wingnut airtime.

Ach, not quite political bias, arguably the opposite...

But the "everybody's views are equally valid" mentality is indeed a problem. It allows the destructive extremes to peddle their wares

[bd139]

Yes precisely. Plus the unusually large correlation between the political ideology of the hour and the editorial slant. Also the propaganda cesspool that is CBeebies. I was brought up on twenty minutes of mindless cartoon violence with 8 seconds of morals and a good chuckle at the end just so it didn’t get too many complaints.

[med6753]

Think this is a nice look

On the first day out that van would never make it back to it's base. 

[bd139]

A few years back there was a stock auction held by the TV licensing dudes. They sold everything including vehicles and there wasn’t a lot of test gear. I genuinely think they have given up the physical hunt because it’s pointless. Better to make you live in fear of the database.

For ref I got my renewal which was £38/quarter this year.

My sister doesn’t actually have a TV license (or TV) and she gets a lot of stick from them. They regularly turn up at her door at unsociable hours usually resulting in her threatening to set the dogs on them.  This would be pointless as it’s they’re a pug and a labradoodle but it usually works.

[med6753]

Granted, the BBC does have interesting (non news and non political) programming which has been a hallmark for many years. I just didn't realize you had to pay for the privilege.

"CBeebies"? Please explain.

[med6753]

For ref I got my renewal which was £38/quarter this year.

$48 USD/Quarter!? No fucking way, they can go pound salt. 

[bd139]

No advertising on several channels at all and quality new programming. It’s prjvably worth it if you’re in to it (I’m not).

CBeebies is the section of BBC devoted to young 0-6y easily warped minds. There is a pile of hypocrisy hiding there that no one gets to see. Themes are universally environmentalism, inclusivity, disabilities, discrimination, hardcore education etc. However there is some nasty shit out there which means they are “cog formers”. When the BBC went mental recently and tried to get everyone “coding” they started showing job propaganda for in desire careers to shape people’s interests etc rather than giving a wealth of experience to choose from. This was a step to far. Also behind the scenes is a theatre personality cult lead by Justin fletcher. I have met the guy when they visited the kids school and he was an absolutely fucking horrible person who while the camera wasn’t rolling would be more Bernard from Black Books and equally as verbally abusive. Not only on top of that, they have “you can join too” plays and things. Well it turns out you have to audition to be in the audience to make sure you fit the racial or gender profile of the hour.  Families travel across the U.K. to these shows only to find when they get there they are sent home for not being right for the programmes. This is the ultimate filtered reality. I’d rather my kids watched Optimus prime blowing the shit out of stuff.

Also one of their celebrity staff was caught doing cocaine and topped himself after they fired him. Rather than deal with this real life issue, they erased everything related to him from their reality and all the show archives.

[med6753]

File this away for safe keeping.....

http://w140.com/tekwiki/wiki/Russian_tunnel_diodes

Stumbled upon this today on an Old Tek Scope Facebook page. Complete list of Russian tunnel diodes and their characteristics. Many of them can be used as direct replacements for tunnel diodes in Tek trigger circuits. A few may require some minor mods.

They seem to be readily available with many surplus sites.

[bd139]

I might order some of those looking at the prices. Always fancied the idea of making a TD amplifier.

[tggzzz]

Granted, the BBC does have interesting (non news and non political) programming which has been a hallmark for many years. I just didn't realize you had to pay for the privilege.

"CBeebies"? Please explain.

Nothing is free.

In the US you are the product being sold.

CBeebies = BBC childrens channel.

[bd139]

This is exactly why I prefer theft as my source of media

[bd139]

This is super cool and TEA related. QSX transceiver with built in SA with tracking generator. Not a big SA but certainly good enough for the average amateur radio user.

https://youtu.be/_bMoR3Q6gzM

The crazy thing is the price point of this whole thing is under $150 they reckon.

Product link: https://qrp-labs.com/qsx.html

[mnementh]

It's was a Pommie Tax thing on the 'elite' Colour watchers the B&W lower classes paid less 

Still running https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licensing_in_the_United_Kingdom

Holy shit...you need a license for the privilege to watch the BBC? And they have the right to detect unlicensed equipment? Something like that would last about 10 seconds over here as the FCC quickly found out during the CB craze during the 1970's. 

That's not quite right; it is to receive TV broadcasts. We see it as a way of  having some interesting experimental programmes, avoiding adverts and unregulated political stuff masquerading as news.

It is imperfect, as are all systems, but it does have its virtues.

A-FUCKING-MEN.

If there is one thing we could do over here to straighten shit out... it would be to outlaw political broadcast of any sort. Make the motherfuckers get off their asses, go out and shake hands & kiss babies to EARN your vote. You know, instead of the current system, where corrupt-ass career criminals get to choose their voters.

mnem
And if they make 3 babies in a row cry, you shoot the SOB.