Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Cerebus]

And I kindly invite them to go piss up a rope. 

Ah, is this some pastime from your youth? Like seeing who can piss the highest? 

By the way, I think I've figured out why specmaster is getting so hot under the collar about anything with more than 3 ¹/₂ digits. I fear that the poor lad has reached that age where, by the time he gets to read the 4^th digit, he's forgotten the 1^st. 

[bd139]

To me a good description of TAoE that, only greybeards will understand, is to remember the old Markus compendiums of circuits. They contained thousands of "naked" schematics, which sounds exactly what a practicing engineer might want so they didn't have to (poorly) reinvent a wheel, and to solve their problem using a circuit that would probably work well.

But in practice the Markus' compendiums were a great disappointment and of little use, because there was no description of how the circuits worked, nor their performance, nor their limitations.

TAoE avoids that trap by having the explanations. Hence TAoE useful when you want to find a circuit that Just Works.

OTOH, TAoE by design is not a good book for understanding fundamental electronics and theory, nor for understanding the depths of any particular subject.

Spot on. The accompanying lab book is designed for the latter. There's a lot to learn in there as well. I own a copy of that too.

Although the microcontroller section goes off the rails with impossible to obtain stuff.

[beanflying]

As a Semi retired human the time to do as you want 'sometimes' when you want isn't all bad.

Before the heat of the last two days I jumped on a pushbike for a few hours with some mates (all Engineers) then spent most of the day after the ride talking massive BS in the shack over coffees and food playing with toys.

Wonder what the poor wage slaves were doing on a nice Sunny Wednesday 

[med6753]

And I kindly invite them to go piss up a rope. 

Ah, is this some pastime from your youth? Like seeing who can piss the highest? 

It's a kinder, gentler way of saying "fuck off".

When I broke free of the shackles of my past relationship in 2010 I swore that no one would ever again tell me what I could do and when I could do it. These past 10 years have been the best of the last 40.   

[Specmaster]

I'm looking forward to being retired one day and having more free time, but I really hope I don't have THAT much time to waste!

McBryce.

I make no excuses for how I spend my time nor do I have to justify it to anyone. 

You do however have to put up with some piss-taking about some of it. 

Piss-taking, what from the likes of us 

[McBryce]

I'm looking forward to being retired one day and having more free time, but I really hope I don't have THAT much time to waste!

McBryce.

I make no excuses for how I spend my time nor do I have to justify it to anyone. 

You do however have to put up with some piss-taking about some of it. 

And I kindly invite them to go piss up a rope. 

Being Irish, I just read "I'm inviting you to a piss-up" (drinking session) and if distance wasn't an issue I would have taken you up on it.

McBryce.

[med6753]

Wonder what the poor wage slaves were doing on a nice Sunny Wednesday 

Working to pay for my SSI so I get that check every month and if I decide to sit on my arse and doing nothing it's tough shit. 

[Specmaster]

And I kindly invite them to go piss up a rope. 

I've never heard that saying before, but theres no doubt about it, it will be repeated many times on this forum  Well done to med who has shown so many times that he is always up for a laugh 

[med6753]

Being Irish, I just read "I'm inviting you to a piss-up" (drinking session) and if distance wasn't an issue I would have taken you up on it.

McBryce.

Fellow Irishman here but 3 generations on this side of the pond so not familiar with the sayings in the Mother Country.

[Specmaster]

Heads up for you nixie fans, there is Solartron multimeter on eBay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274239883729?ul_noapp=true that might provide you with something of interest.

[Specmaster]

And I kindly invite them to go piss up a rope. 

Ah, is this some pastime from your youth? Like seeing who can piss the highest? 

By the way, I think I've figured out why specmaster is getting so hot under the collar about anything with more than 3 ¹/₂ digits. I fear that the poor lad has reached that age where, by the time he gets to read the 4^th digit, he's forgotten the 1^st. 

Bugger, I've been rumbled.... er what was it we were talking about, now where did I put my cuppa...oh, stupid, I've not made my coffee yet... 

[BU508A]

Just a word about these electronic books:
When I studied back in the good ol' days I've worked most times with these books:

- Tietze Schenk Halbleiterschaltungstechnik (current edition: 16)
http://www.tietze-schenk.de/tsbuch.htm



There is an english version of this book (Electronic circuits):


If you want to have more practical things, then the complete workbook about electronics from Dieter Nührmann is very nice and handy:
Disadvantage is: as far as I know it is only available in German


I also appreciated the books from Otto Limann and Horst Pelka.
This is an example: "Elektronik ohne Ballast". They wrote much more books which were quite good in explaining how circuits work.


Another classic one is the Profos. If you want to learn something about how to measure things: this is it.


Want to learn something about all this RF-Voodoo stuff? Then go for the Meinke Gundlach "Taschenbuch der Hochfrequenztechnik"


I think, TAoE is a very nice and helpful book. But for me it is much easier to read things in German. Obviously.


Edit: wrong picture fixed

[bd139]

When I broke free of the shackles of my past relationship in 2010 I swore that no one would ever again tell me what I could do and when I could do it. These past 10 years have been the best of the last 40. 

Spot on. Did the same. Life is good now.

[Cerebus]

Bugger, I've been rumbled.... er what was it we were talking about, now where did I put my cuppa...oh, stupid, I've not made my coffee yet... 

It's in the kitchen, along with your reading glasses. But before you toddle off to get them, do yourself a favour, write yourself a note telling yourself why you're in the kitchen - you'll thank me once you get there. 

[med6753]

Bugger, I've been rumbled.... er what was it we were talking about, now where did I put my cuppa...oh, stupid, I've not made my coffee yet... 

It's in the kitchen, along with your reading glasses. But before you toddle off to get them, do yourself a favour, write yourself a note telling yourself why you're in the kitchen - you'll thank me once you get there. 

I do that every time I walk into a room. "Why did I come in here?" 

[Specmaster]

Bugger, I've been rumbled.... er what was it we were talking about, now where did I put my cuppa...oh, stupid, I've not made my coffee yet... 

It's in the kitchen, along with your reading glasses. But before you toddle off to get them, do yourself a favour, write yourself a note telling yourself why you're in the kitchen - you'll thank me once you get there. 

The reading glasses on my head stupid, how else can I these messages 

[Cerebus]

Now Med has got me thinking that I ought to go to the kitchen but I can't quite work out what it is that I thought I ought to go to the kitchen for.

Edited to add: I now actually have this nagging feeling that there really was something I wanted from the kitchen and can't think what it was. I think I may have talked myself into this. Bibble!

[bd139]

The obvious answer is bacon.

I just put some ancient tech into my PC to read one of those old shiny circles we used to store data on. Whatever next. 

[Specmaster]

Now Med has got me thinking that I ought to go to the kitchen but I can't quite work out what it is that I thought I ought to go to the kitchen for.

Welcome to the club, here, I'll put out a chair for you and lets sit here a while and swig our coffee...

[Specmaster]

The obvious answer is bacon.

I just put some ancient tech into my PC to read one of those old shiny circles we used to store data on. Whatever next. 

Haha, I've got 100's of those that purchased in bulk, now seldom use them other than to archive stuff that I want to keep.

[med6753]

I got my fresh cup of coffee and deciding what I will or will not do today. 

[bd139]

I got my fresh cup of coffee and deciding what I will or will not do today. 

I repeat my previous answer. Bacon is the answer.

[med6753]

I got my fresh cup of coffee and deciding what I will or will not do today. 

I repeat my previous answer. Bacon is the answer.

Don't have any...maybe go get some. 

[BU508A]

Now Med has got me thinking that I ought to go to the kitchen but I can't quite work out what it is that I thought I ought to go to the kitchen for.

Welcome to the club, here, I'll put out a chair for you and lets sit here a while and swig our coffee...

Putting out a chair? Probably this one? The comfy chair?

[beanflying]

If the chair is uncomfortable then there is always DIY to fill in some time. I could even incorporate a couple of HV probes to aid stirring wage slaves and just for giggles

Yesterday while the shack was on broil...... I Fusioned.

Yes the non shelf will hold a Beer or a Coffee