Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[tggzzz]

I'm going to the national hamfest. Someone sent me pictures from last year.

Edit: found some online: http://ok1ghz.goo.cz/gallery/Hamfest_2018/

I recognise some of those people/boxes from smaller hamfests.

I may decide to go on the Thursday, camp, and get in there early on the Friday.

Yeah there are a few regulars I've noticed. And regular buyers. A few stand out more than others!

The regular traders are pretty poor to be honest. 10x 2n3904's for £1.50 for example, preying entirely on the people who have not managed to make it on to the Internet and find out they are 100 for $1.

Yes, I too find that baffling. I suspect it is merely that the traders haven't moved into the 21st century, and are have old stock to shift. What's the trader equivalent of "silent key"?

[tggzzz]

And I've found a new law, let's call it "Ero-shan's law": I'm consistently the second-highest bidder on eBay. 

So you're the one setting the high prices ;}

[VK5RC]

New arrival, a Brymen 869s, i like that getting DC and AC together on the same screen does not involve 5 button pushes, if you push it with this 'mixed mode' ie mod dc voltage and small ripple - the accuracy drops off a bit, I was mucking about with the brymen up to an HP 3255A universal source.   joeqsmith has extensively tested it - in his multimeter high voltage posts.
I did NEED a red DMM!

Love the smile of mnem holding his RC aircraft! - A bear (or dwagon) in his natural habitat!
Rob

[Kosmic]

Hmmm I'm checking for hamfest in my surrounding now 

[Mr. Scram]

Is something funny on my end going on or is it really impossible to search items on Aliexpress without logging in now?

[bd139]

Yeah I noticed that as well. It's probably to stop scraping.

[BU508A]

Is something funny on my end going on or is it really impossible to search items on Aliexpress without logging in now?

Checked it right now, I cannot enter anything in the search field.

But what works for me is:
Use google and try this:                    <search pattern> site:.aliexpress.com

The search pattern without the   <>

HTH

[Mr. Scram]

Yeah I noticed that as well. It's probably to stop scraping.

Requiring an account to do basic things is a cardinal sin. They achieved I'll probably stop buying instead.

[Mr. Scram]

Checked it right now, I cannot enter anything in the search field.

But what works for me is:
Use google and try this:                    <search pattern> site:.aliexpress.com

The search pattern without the   <>

HTH

That's definitely a good trick. In this case I'm not entirely interested in circumventing their folly and mostly in the fact they came up with such an idea. Companies should understand I'm not going to be a customer at all costs, though Aliexpress is admittedly not going to lose any sleep over losing my business.

[bd139]

Yeah I noticed that as well. It's probably to stop scraping.

Requiring an account to do basic things is a cardinal sin. They achieved I'll probably stop buying instead.

Meh not sure I give a crap these days about that sort of stuff.

[med6753]

I don't give a crap about anything today. 

[bd139]

Spot on. Giving a crap takes too much time and energy sometimes.

[med6753]

But I do have a surprise coming but I don't know when because I wasn't given a tracking number. Was sent from Washington state last week so it has to go cross country.   

[Mr. Scram]

Meh not sure I give a crap these days about that sort of stuff.

Which explains why things are going to hell in a handbasket. I'm done with it, bowing over too many times costs too much energy.

[med6753]

Meh not sure I give a crap these days about that sort of stuff.

Which explains why things are going to hell in a handbasket. I'm done with it, bowing over too many times costs too much energy.

 

[ArthurDent]

"And I've found a new law, let's call it "Ero-shan's law": I'm consistently the second-highest bidder on eBay.  "

It's not just you. I've been second many times. And to make matters worse, the next highest bid is always less than 1/2 of mine. If that #$%^ high bidder hadn't bid, I would have got one heck of a buy!   Of course the high bidder is also cursing me for preventing them getting a far better deal.  

[Mr. Scram]

I see you've filled a basket with my fucks to give. 

[med6753]

I see you've filled a basket with my fucks to give. 

Well, you did notice that the basket was empty to begin with. 

[worsthorse]

I'm going to the national hamfest. Someone sent me pictures from last year.

Edit: found some online: http://ok1ghz.goo.cz/gallery/Hamfest_2018/

I recognise some of those people/boxes from smaller hamfests.

I may decide to go on the Thursday, camp, and get in there early on the Friday.

Yeah there are a few regulars I've noticed. And regular buyers. A few stand out more than others!

The regular traders are pretty poor to be honest. 10x 2n3904's for £1.50 for example, preying entirely on the people who have not managed to make it on to the Internet and find out they are 100 for $1.

Yes, I too find that baffling. I suspect it is merely that the traders haven't moved into the 21st century, and are have old stock to shift. What's the trader equivalent of "silent key"?

It works in the other direction, too. Diligent searches of the interwebs  has uncovered some real bargains, often for parts I thought to be unobtanium.  And my experience of hamfest sellers is that there are far more folks selling under the going rate than over.  In either case, i think finding good deals is mostly a matter of being patient, knowing what you are buying, and being ready to pounce. 

My best example? The fifty foot long rack of NTE parts at the Xenia flea market.  On the rack were a lot of transistors that cost fifty cents and a few that are hard to buy for less than five to thirty bucks.  They were all priced at two dollars each.  I bought a bunch at probably fifteen percent of the going rate.

[mnementh]

OMG got “hamfest hangover”. Neither of my arms work properly this morning after lugging that scope and power supply around yesterday. 

No need to waste money on weight-lifting equipment. You just need to work out with your TEA more often.

'strewth!!! I have a set of 5 & 10Kg curl-weights in the bottom drawer of my big toolbox; they were my workout when I just couldn't bear the Tejas suck. Haven't touched them since I started sorting bins. 

*Consults the one true dictionary* Damn, you're right. I stand subjected; a victim of my own hubris.  Oh fucking well. 

Arguably "reduce by 90%" is now the "correct" usage, since most people think decimate means that.

Given the high percentage that was eliminated, mnem did decimate his collection, despite the definition.

Only in the sense he triplicated the collection, despite the definition

*grrrrs softly in tggzzz's general direction...*

mnem
It is unwise to taunt a caffeine-deficient dwagon... for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup...

[bd139]

It works in the other direction, too. Diligent searches of the interwebs  has uncovered some real bargains, often for parts I thought to be unobtanium.  And my experience of hamfest sellers is that there are far more folks selling under the going rate than over.  In either case, i think finding good deals is mostly a matter of being patient, knowing what you are buying, and being ready to pounce. 

My best example? The fifty foot long rack of NTE parts at the Xenia flea market.  On the rack were a lot of transistors that cost fifty cents and a few that are hard to buy for less than five to thirty bucks.  They were all priced at two dollars each.  I bought a bunch at probably fifteen percent of the going rate.

Exactly.

It's quite profitable as well if you know what you are looking for. My average profit margin is 81.7% so far which is insane. It paid the K2 off and my Rigol kit pretty quickly.

[med6753]

Gee.....how many rigs does one need?

Ahem....how many scopes and DMM's do I have?


NEVERMIND! 

Haha, not sure how many DMMs you have, don't see much evidence of them in your bench photos, but scopes yah, you beat me in that arena for sure. [emoji106] But unless you have a hidden stash of DMMs I reckon that one's mine [emoji1787][emoji1787][emoji1787]

Sent from my POT-LX1 using Tapatalk

So I'm already forgotten?   

Just when I oops'd and did it again! My 23rd scope, a Tektronix model 475, arrived last Saturday. I haven't counted my DMMs yet, but they're more than 40.

Just yesterday I decided that I've had enough. Really. Yes, this time for real!

And I've found a new law, let's call it "Ero-shan's law": I'm consistently the second-highest bidder on eBay. 

You win! 

[mnementh]

*Consults the one true dictionary* Damn, you're right. I stand subjected; a victim of my own hubris.  Oh fucking well. 

Arguably "reduce by 90%" is now the "correct" usage, since most people think decimate means that.

Given the high percentage that was eliminated, mnem did decimate his collection, despite the definition.

I considered covering my shame under both of these points; the former just felt like a cheap cop out, and while technically it is true that “decimated” is factorially included in the merciless attrition I did commit, that conceit felt downright pedantic. 

Some people, traditionally greens, think it is pedantic to point out that energy != power (i.e. battery/wind kWh vs kW). I don't.

I fly little mechanical hummingbirds for fun & profit. If I forget that mA ≠ mAH , I don't get in the air for long, if at all. Though I DID fully expect you to get all up in my shit about that one true dictionary quip. 

Whoop whoop, would you flipping believe it I think I might have solved my airbag warning light problem. I was searching around the web like you do and I came across this tool https://uk.dhgate.com/product/vgate-vag-can-vc210-obd2-car-diagnostic-scanner/453570384.html#s1-1-1;uk|747458592
Which it claims to do the engine, airbag,ABS, and automatic transmission codes and erase them and all for just £87.01?? Then I had a brainwave and checked on Amazon, it did not appear on the UK site but it did on the USA one and it says it was only £12.20 so in it went to the basket, to test what the shipping is going to be from USA to the UK.

Of I go expecting the very worst, it is still only £12.20, delivered to the door here in the UK, it was a no brainer, even if it doesn't do the airbag code on my car, I can sell it on ebay and get my money back, so I pulled the trigger on the last one in stock and I got a delivery date of the 8th July to the 23rd so hopefully I'll be a jammy git and find that it does the job. 

Interesting... *Drops the last one on slAmazon (at that price) into his basket, just to have one...*

Every time I’ve doubted my sanity I have been wrong thus I have decided to make insanity a policy.

Hence £5 scope

So you'll be going PRO-BREXIT then...? 

My, my...aren't we a chatty bunch this morning. I got nuthin other than I need to drink some coffee and wake up so carry on. 

Amen, brother! 

And I've found a new law, let's call it "Ero-shan's law": I'm consistently the second-highest bidder on eBay. 

So you're the one setting the high prices ;}

No, he's the one ensuring that med and bd can still make transistor & capacitor money flipping angry-phosphor 'scopes on fleaBay. 

mnem
*off to get the grandpa so the kiddles can maul him to death*

[Specmaster]

Gee.....how many rigs does one need?

Ahem....how many scopes and DMM's do I have?


NEVERMIND! 

Haha, not sure how many DMMs you have, don't see much evidence of them in your bench photos, but scopes yah, you beat me in that arena for sure. [emoji106] But unless you have a hidden stash of DMMs I reckon that one's mine [emoji1787][emoji1787][emoji1787]

Sent from my POT-LX1 using Tapatalk

So I'm already forgotten?   

Just when I oops'd and did it again! My 23rd scope, a Tektronix model 475, arrived last Saturday. I haven't counted my DMMs yet, but they're more than 40.

Just yesterday I decided that I've had enough. Really. Yes, this time for real!

And I've found a new law, let's call it "Ero-shan's law": I'm consistently the second-highest bidder on eBay. 

Nah, we haven't forgotten about you, your going to be the outright winner in almost any TEA related contest we can come up with, especially as you seem to be using them as bricks, you must have enough to at least make reasonable garage with them alone by now, you did have massive a head start on the rest of us in the acquisition stakes 

[Specmaster]

"And I've found a new law, let's call it "Ero-shan's law": I'm consistently the second-highest bidder on eBay.  "

It's not just you. I've been second many times. And to make matters worse, the next highest bid is always less than 1/2 of mine. If that #$%^ high bidder hadn't bid, I would have got one heck of a buy!   Of course the high bidder is also cursing me for preventing them getting a far better deal.  

Hmmm, just how do you know that you're both the second highest bidders?