Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Brumby]

To close the circle (direct translation from German, I hope it's understandable; is there a better native english expression?):

I might suggest "To complete the story".

[mnementh]

As is done on my laptop. Camera and mic cables are disconnected.

You might want to disconnect the speakers too then.  On some systems with reconfigurable audio jacks it is apparently possible in software to connect headphones and sometimes built in speakers to the microphone input and record audio.

https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1611/1611.07350.pdf

Yup. I've demonstrated this many times by plugging headphones into a MIC jack, and as you say, many chipsets are now made so that any of 4-8 ports can be reassigned to specific input or output.

That said; most audio ports (in many cases, even the MIC port doesn't and will only support line-level/condenser mic input) don't support signal with sufficient gain/attenuation range to be capable of recording from mag-level input, which is what repurposed speakers are. Note I say MOST.

mnem
They took my thumbs.

[beanflying]

I have also come across that unit ("OLED display ADF4350 137.5MHZ-4.4GHZ Signal generator frequency RF signal source" on *bay) but didn't consider it for my acquisition list because it has no 10MHz reference input.

And I think bitseeker did get his for less than $93, didn't you bitseeker?   

When it arrives I will take it apart for some photos and see what makes it talk to the ADF4350 as I understand they use the same code as the 4351 boards.

[Specmaster]

As is done on my laptop. Camera and mic cables are disconnected.

You might want to disconnect the speakers too then.  On some systems with reconfigurable audio jacks it is apparently possible in software to connect headphones and sometimes built in speakers to the microphone input and record audio.

https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1611/1611.07350.pdf

Yes, the built in sound card on my pc will do that very nicely as it asks me what it was that I just plugged in so that it can configure the socket accordingly. I must admit though that I have never tried to use a speaker as a microphone deliberately.

Phones used with their own private internal exchange such as those used in industry and offices can also be turned into very effective surveillance devices, I have seen it done by a person who used to be a phone engineer and he was able to tap into any phone on the internal network without using tools, all done via punching codes on the keyboard. He showed me how easy it was hear what was being said behind closed doors and nobody else was aware of what was going on. The people in the room being listened to could even use the phone as normal, the snooper was completely undetectable as the microphone in the phone that they were listening on was muted so anyone watching would just think that they were on the phone having a discussion as normal.

In fact I remember reading in a catalog from a spy shop about an inexpensive device that could be aimed at any window from some distance and it would enable that person to listen in to the conversation from outside the building even.

I know that Apple and Blackberry both claimed that their devices were very secure and what happened on them remained in them but is that really true? Many cars today have special systems that can detect if your car is involved in a collision and call the emergency services to your location, so what else is the car capable of doing, who really knows???  The answer to that one is to buy a vintage car and run it without any of the modern comforts and safety gear, but who would do that today?

[Kosmic]

A few kHz is a very normal lower frequency for an SA up to a few GHz ranges (the microwave ones start at 100kHz or even higher). If you want LF coverage, you could either try a soundcard (a few ten Hz). Other options are:
- Hi-Res scope with spectrum analyzer (e.g., 16Bit PicoScope, up to 5MHz)
- Audio spectrum analyzer (expensive)
- spectrum analyzer with DC input (expensive too, easy to kill with unwanted DC, e.g., Keysight MXA or EXA)

Actually I just found a new option to view low frequency on a regular SA. Yesterday night, was looking for BG7TBL devices and found this: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Spectrum-Analyzer-Low-Frequency-Converter-BG7TBL-with-N-SMA-BNC-SMA-Adapter/283324546382

Look like a upconverter that raise everything from 1Hz to 2 Mhz in the 10Mhz zone.
I ordered one yesterday and should be able to report back when it finally arrive 

[Specmaster]

And Speaking of Privacy...   


https://www.engadget.com/2019/01/05/apple-ces-2019-privacy-advertising/

ENGADGET: Apple took out a CES ad to troll its competitors over privacy.
Apple never attends CES, but it's here in spirit. 

I just stumbled across this article while looking for projects to remix on ThingiVerse; in light of recent discussion, I couldn't resist. 

mnem
Dinnertime. word.

I remember Blackberry claiming the same sort of thing as well, but is it really, what if Apple or Blackberry had a security breach or were forced to hand over such records??

[Wolfgang]

A few kHz is a very normal lower frequency for an SA up to a few GHz ranges (the microwave ones start at 100kHz or even higher). If you want LF coverage, you could either try a soundcard (a few ten Hz). Other options are:
- Hi-Res scope with spectrum analyzer (e.g., 16Bit PicoScope, up to 5MHz)
- Audio spectrum analyzer (expensive)
- spectrum analyzer with DC input (expensive too, easy to kill with unwanted DC, e.g., Keysight MXA or EXA)

Actually I just found a new option to view low frequency on a regular SA. Yesterday night, was looking for BG7TBL devices and found this: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Spectrum-Analyzer-Low-Frequency-Converter-BG7TBL-with-N-SMA-BNC-SMA-Adapter/283324546382

Look like a upconverter that raise everything from 1Hz to 2 Mhz in the 10Mhz zone.
I ordered one yesterday and should be able to report back when it finally arrive 

I am curious. Tell me if you like it.

[tautech]

OK. I haven't been following this thread for a couple of weeks now and this time didn't bother trying to catch up. But I did skim the last couple of pages (default page size, that is). So I noticed that some other guys have the same kind of gear on their shopping list as I have: One item is just not there in my collection. Something I never worked with, something I will probably never have any use for: a spectrum analyzer. They come up on evil bay every now and then, but I always decided that I don't spend that amount of money on these old boat anchors with CRTs.

New ones are, of course, not cheap either. Even Rigol and Siglent cost a fair amount (with Siglent seemingly being favorable of the two).

When I was looking up something in the Internet at work, some ad server decided to present me a R&S advertisement for their SA. Their entry-level model looks rather good to me. It is a bit more expensive than the Chinese lot. Truth be told however, I trust them a whole lot more than I do the far eastern engineers.

I'm talking about this product: https://www.rohde-schwarz.com/de/produkt/fpc-produkt-startseite_63493-542324.html?change_c=true#m/ao12:0:0

SAs often have a lower frequency range of 900 kHz, whereas I really want one that is usable at much lower frequencies (where I'm at home  ), this starts at 5 kHz.

So, what do you think?

Look a bit harder at the data sheets. 
SSA and SVA sweep from 9 KHz.

[Carl_Smith]

As is done on my laptop. Camera and mic cables are disconnected.

You might want to disconnect the speakers too then.  On some systems with reconfigurable audio jacks it is apparently possible in software to connect headphones and sometimes built in speakers to the microphone input and record audio.

https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1611/1611.07350.pdf

Yes, the built in sound card on my pc will do that very nicely as it asks me what it was that I just plugged in so that it can configure the socket accordingly. I must admit though that I have never tried to use a speaker as a microphone deliberately.

It doesn't work with amplified speakers since the amplifier blocks using the speaker as a magnetic microphone.  So the easy target is when someone has headphones plugged one of those reconfigurable jacks.   Of course, if they are a gamer those headphones probably already have a microphone anyway...

Many cars today have special systems that can detect if your car is involved in a collision and call the emergency services to your location, so what else is the car capable of doing, who really knows???  The answer to that one is to buy a vintage car and run it without any of the modern comforts and safety gear, but who would do that today?

My 2017 Ford Explorer links to my phone by Bluetooth to do calls, call emergency services when the airbags trigger, show texts on screen, send texts by voice recognition, link to apps like Android Auto and other apps like Accuweather.  I have no idea what permissions I granted to "Smart Device Link" app when I set it up.  And I'm not sure it matters as I'm not convinced apps are always limited to the permissions they are granted anyway.  So who knows what it could do through my phone or TO my phone.

They don't mention it in the owners manual or anything but it obviously also has some sort of mobile data connection of it's own built in.  There's an app you can get to start the vehicle remotely, lock/unlock doors, check gas level, and who knows what else, from anywhere.  You don't have to be in Bluetooth range.  So it's obviously going over the internet and by a mobile data link to the vehicle.

And I'm also pretty sure that it has a "flight data recorder" in one of it's many control units, so that if someday I cause an accident they can check if I was speeding at the time, if I was braking at the time of impact, etc.

So we have a "flight data recorder," microphones, and a data link back to Ford.  They could probably monitor whatever they want.  If not, it's only because they haven't written the software to do it.

[bitseeker]

My ADF4350 is in the country so eta later in the week.

EDIT - Found an ADF4351 varient that looks identical to what I am getting  https://www.aliexpress.com/item/OLED-display-ADF4351-35MHZ-4-4GHZ-Signal-generator-frequency-RF-signal-source-module/32919002073.html

I have also come across that unit ("OLED display ADF4350 137.5MHZ-4.4GHZ Signal generator frequency RF signal source" on *bay) but didn't consider it for my acquisition list because it has no 10MHz reference input.

And I think bitseeker did get his for less than $93, didn't you bitseeker?   

Absolutely! Since its quality was unknown and, as you pointed out, it lacks an external reference oscillator input, full price did not qualify for an impulse buy. But for around what I guess the BOM might have cost them, I'll take a chance. I primarily bought it to test 1+ GHz frequency counters (i.e., does it count to something close to the displayed frequency), so it just has to be "good enough" for that to justify the purchase. If it works for more uses than that, it's a bonus.

So, I currently have a gap between 50 MHz and 137.5 MHz. If needed, I could probably just use a down converter on the little sig gen.

[bitseeker]

As is done on my laptop. Camera and mic cables are disconnected.

I've also considered disconnecting the mic. I have headsets for video conferencing, so I don't need the onboard mic.

[bitseeker]

As is done on my laptop. Camera and mic cables are disconnected.

You might want to disconnect the speakers too then.  On some systems with reconfigurable audio jacks it is apparently possible in software to connect headphones and sometimes built in speakers to the microphone input and record audio.

https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1611/1611.07350.pdf

Oh, good grief! Makes sense, though. Since the built-in speakers are crap, it wouldn't be a loss, either.

[beanflying]

So, I currently have a gap between 50 MHz and 137.5 MHz. If needed, I could probably just use a down converter on the little sig gen.

About to close my 'Gap' a bit just waiting on confirmation of P&A on the Siglent 2042x. The ADF for me is much the same to have a play with my 5340A.

[mnementh]

Shameless 3DP Bumblefuckery Alert...

Just spent 2 hours beating my head against SketchUp trying to make something I found on ThingiVerse into something I want. It's ugly as shit, full of holes and random texels, but Solid Inspector said it would still process as a solid.

Cura reproduced the holes as a slight texture in the skin, but seems to think it is a solid. I'm tired of the cranial percussive conditioning... as soon as the bed comes up to temp, we'll see if it prints. 

mnem
 

[beanflying]

Sketch UP SUX  Get into Fusion 360 and enjoy even more powerful   

[mnementh]

And Speaking of Privacy...   

   https://www.engadget.com/2019/01/05/apple-ces-2019-privacy-advertising/

ENGADGET: Apple took out a CES ad to troll its competitors over privacy.
Apple never attends CES, but it's here in spirit. 

I just stumbled across this article while looking for projects to remix on ThingiVerse; in light of recent discussion, I couldn't resist. 

mnem
Dinnertime. word.

I remember Blackberry claiming the same sort of thing as well, but is it really, what if Apple or Blackberry had a security breach or were forced to hand over such records??

Hence the LOL loud & proud at the top of the post.

mnem
Not without my tonsils I won't.

[Inverted18650]

Redacted.

[mnementh]

Sketch UP SUX  Get into Fusion 360 and enjoy even more powerful   

so you're saying that I should pay AutoDesk for the privilege of playing Death-Match Desk Hockey with my frontal lobe...? 

What, the job I'm doing of scrambling my own grey matter as an amateur isn't good enough, I need professional help?!?   

mnem

[beanflying]

Fusion 360 is FREE unless you are turning over 100k+ in your home business  I have tried Sketchup a few times and it never did what I wanted easilly so I got rid of it.

Have a quick look at one of two of Lar's videos as to how it drives. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo29kn3d9ziFUZGZ50VKvWA

[mnementh]

Yeah, I saw that when I scoped it out while waiting for my printer to warm up.

https://youtu.be/vRKBBUK6KNI

Looks like the first of the blems printed just fine; that little blob of layer shift is all it amounted to. If it all looks that good, I'll print the other three. Or 7. Or dozen. 

mnem
Fucking AutoDesk... I knew they'd find a way to get their hooks in me again. 

[beanflying]

Very different arrangement to Eagle for individuals the board size thing was enough for me to stay away, I haven't gone near Autocad itself since Version 2.x 30 years so I have no idea of costs or free for it.

It's biggest bug is being tied into a cloud based system but it integrates easily into slic3r and understand most of the others too. If you do consider a change Lars videos are a good place to start (he does work for them too but the videos are his external thing).

Importing broken meshes and fixing them is still a PITA so I tend toward using them as a Ghost and drawing from scratch then junk the ghost quicker more accurate and you have a CAD file not a mesh.

[Inverted18650]

I use 'OnShape' and its free, extremely professional

Daves Head, low quality scan: https://cad.onshape.com/documents/982cb9a67906c68f0a68871a/w/618a5ef5fc91116a009a9737/e/c303857573d644ad70e27942

[beanflying]

I use 'OnShape' and its free, extremely professional

Daves Head, low quality scan: https://cad.onshape.com/documents/982cb9a67906c68f0a68871a/w/618a5ef5fc91116a009a9737/e/c303857573d644ad70e27942

Very much dislike being FORCED to share and abandon ownership of my designs and the now NON commercial use only of the Free plan use was a deal breaker to even be considered before you get to the limitations of that tier.

For those not aware of the current state of play https://www.fabbaloo.com/blog/2018/8/15/onshape-tightens-licensing-for-free-users

[Inverted18650]

I use 'OnShape' and its free, extremely professional

Daves Head, low quality scan: https://cad.onshape.com/documents/982cb9a67906c68f0a68871a/w/618a5ef5fc91116a009a9737/e/c303857573d644ad70e27942

Very much dislike being FORCED to share and abandon ownership of my designs and the now NON commercial use only of the Free plan use was a deal breaker to even be considered before you get to the limitations of that tier.

For those not aware of the current state of play https://www.fabbaloo.com/blog/2018/8/15/onshape-tightens-licensing-for-free-users

Damn, and thanks for the heads up. I was totally unaware, the license issue is an immediate NOGO! Hum...what now...

edit: *seriously, for most of what I do its fine, the public license, free for all doesn't matter, but I have a real project and was looking to start the 3D modeling right after the kids head back to school after the break...this is a real thorn...

[bd139]

I suggest you sharpen your whittling tools up