Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bd139]

Nope. New boxed

Selling the Rigol to fund it ?

Noooo. There are tonnes of unused surplus ones around at the moment.

I object!

Proper Flukes have their rotary switch decently recessed in the middle of the casing.

Everything else is either antique and suitable only for display purposes, or deviant from respectable proportionality!


EDIT: In that case David, he can afford to buy a proper 87 instead of some lower grade 179!

Hahaha. I've got a proper 87 already 

[bd139]

Ok so bagged it. New 179 on the way for 46% of the price RS quoted 

[AVGresponding]

Ok so bagged it. New 179 on the way for 46% of the price RS quoted 

So, normal manufacturers RRP then...

[URI]

@URI  *sighs* I wish I had the space for a big 19" rack cabinet. They are easy to come by, just not easy to house   

Indeed, I benefit from ~3m high ceilings and my wife allowing me to use this space.   

On the other hand: I built this rack from scratch with custom cut item profiles to minimize the space the rack needs.
My bench is 1.6m wide and the rack can be 60cm deep. (My rack is 1.64m wide though.)
A standard rack would not have fit these specifications well; standard racks are a lot wider than mine; typically the are built vertically and not horizontally like mine.

I would like a standard 19" rack on the floor standing upright also but for that I don't have the space either.   

[Mr. Scram]

Right DMM requirements are down. Choice is narrowed to the Fluke 179 by the looks. Has 100uV/10uA resolution which is fine for a second DMM (i rarely if ever do measurements that low anyway), autohold, True RMS good enough for line usage,  backlight that isn't shite, frequency measurement bandwidth fine for audio, thermocouple input, basic 0.09% + 2 count accuracy in DCV. 2 minutes backlight timeout.

Any objections? 

Edit: Honestly some of the choice was influenced by the fact it's the direct successor of the Fluke 77 I nicked off my father and wore out years ago 

It's essentially an 87V light. It's 6000 count but in all reality that's rarely an issue. The backlight on newer iterations is actually quite nice and doesn't turn off without you asking. I like the meters. It does do the AC current thing I think you disliked in the 87V.

[bd139]

After evaluating it further I think the AC current thing is a safety thing and I should probably live with it. If you've got it in circuit and it's not reading something when you switch to the range, the penalty of it being misidentified as no current being present is probably higher with AC current than DC current so it makes sense to have that as the default. Safety first!

Edit: essential gif:

Edit: fuck giphy. 

[factory]

I object!

Proper Flukes have their rotary switch decently recessed in the middle of the casing.

Everything else is either antique and suitable only for display purposes, or deviant from respectable proportionality!


EDIT: In that case David, he can afford to buy a proper 87 instead of some lower grade 179!

I like my antique meters, I've rescued two AVO's this week, a British Rail heavy duty analogue for a fiver locally and one of those new-fangled digital ones (complete with dead Weston cell) from ePay.


David

[mnementh]

On the Bench This Afternoon: GoPro Hero 2014 Edition
(SNIP)
I'm still vacillating over whether to allow GoPro software on ANY PC I own long enough to update the FW; the possibility of 1080P/60FPS does make me think.

mnem
*lunch-dwagon*

The Hero+ or LCD versions were more interesting offering but this was the time oriental competition really got into stride. I don't think GoPro ever was the same since. Regardless it's a good find for 15 Canapesos. Looks like you're hard at work filling the new house up with thrift store junk. I mean treasures. 

Guilty as charged. It's as much a matter of boredom as anything, I'm afraid. 

I actually liked my Session as a camera; it was working with GoPro Studio that had me pulling my hair out. Generally, it assumed you wanted the all the "Jackass Video" features turned on, and kept trying to MAKE me do image stabilization in post. It's fucking FPV flight video! It's SUPPOSED TO DO THAT!!! 

At the time I tried to find something a little more user friendly than AVIDeMux for editing that would still work with their MP4s directly; I didn't fully understand H.264 video encapsulation. When the Session bricked, I gladly went back to my old version of Adobe Premiere to work with the H.264 video off the Yi.

Have you used GoPro Studio lately? Is it worth infecting my PC with today...?

mnem
"It's sortof like deliberately beating your knee with a monkey wrench 'cuz it feels so good when you stop'."

[bd139]

I object!

Proper Flukes have their rotary switch decently recessed in the middle of the casing.

Everything else is either antique and suitable only for display purposes, or deviant from respectable proportionality!


EDIT: In that case David, he can afford to buy a proper 87 instead of some lower grade 179!

I like my antique meters, I've rescued two AVO's this week, a British Rail heavy duty analogue for a fiver locally and one of those new-fangled digital ones (complete with dead Weston cell) from ePay.


David

I've been tempted with the digital ones a couple of times "just to see" but never got around to it. Feel free to share more pictures etc to increase my temptation 

[mnementh]

Right DMM requirements are down. Choice is narrowed to the Fluke 179 by the looks. Has 100uV/10uA resolution which is fine for a second DMM (i rarely if ever do measurements that low anyway), autohold, True RMS good enough for line usage,  backlight that isn't shite, frequency measurement bandwidth fine for audio, thermocouple input, basic 0.09% + 2 count accuracy in DCV. 2 minutes backlight timeout.

Any objections? 

Edit: Honestly some of the choice was influenced by the fact it's the direct successor of the Fluke 77 I nicked off my father and wore out years ago 

Step up to a 189... you'll NOT regret it. It's like the 87 grew up & went to college, then came back an adult. 

mnem
And then you can have a whole passel of cheap little Brymens for the offspring...

[mnementh]

Ok so bagged it. New 179 on the way for 46% of the price RS quoted 

Shame, that I wasn't quick enough to lodge my vote for the 189.  I shopped the 179 HARD before I decided on the 189/87-IV. I felt it was a step DOWN from my 87 Mk1.   

mnem
totally pants.

[Kosmic]

Welcome to Probulator Club! Remember the first rule of Probulator Club... You MUST TALK ABOUT Probulator Club! 

Hehe when I showed my wife my new high voltage probe, she couldn't stop laughing and she asked WTF I'm going to do with that. 

[bd139]

Ok so bagged it. New 179 on the way for 46% of the price RS quoted 

Shame, that.  I shopped the 179 HARD before I decided on the 189/87-IV. I felt it was a step DOWN from my 87 Mk1.   

mnem
totally pants.

It is a step down intentionally here. The "87 mk1" is the daily driver for electronics work TBH but I'm mostly running that and a BM22s at the moment. The BM22s is totally 100% impractical for anything other than basic diagnostics stuff as the thing has hard wired leads on it so you can't install clip leads. Plus the 87 is an old version pre CAT rating. The really high level specification for this was to buy a decent CAT III (or IV!) rated meter that can be used for domestic mains, commercial mains (datacentre) occasionally and secondary electronics stuff which is up to date and hasn't had any hooky repairs done to it like my 87

A 189 would be rather nice to add to the other end of the line though so I will indeed keep eyes peeled for one  . Although from an electronics perspective as I'm diving back into that hard (fuck ham radio - I'm done) I'll probably look at a 6.5 digit bench DMM as an alternative. Probably 34401A or something newer if I can run to it later in the year. Still need to buy a bike and a shit load of camping gear this year still so don't want to dent that out of the budget yet.

[Mr. Scram]

Guilty as charged. It's as much a matter of boredom as anything, I'm afraid. 

I actually liked my Session as a camera; it was working with GoPro Studio that had me pulling my hair out. Generally, it assumed you wanted the all the "Jackass Video" features turned on, and kept trying to MAKE me do image stabilization in post. It's fucking FPV flight video! It's SUPPOSED TO DO THAT!!! 

At the time I tried to find something a little more user friendly than AVIDeMux for editing that would still work with their MP4s directly; I didn't fully understand H.264 video encapsulation. When the Session bricked, I gladly went back to my old version of Adobe Premiere to work with the H.264 video off the Yi.

Have you used GoPro Studio lately? Is it worth infecting my PC with today...?

mnem
"It's sortof like deliberately beating your knee with a monkey wrench 'cuz it feels so good when you stop'."

I dropped the GoPro software like a coughing pedestrian when they introduced the need to sign up to use basic offline functionality. If that's your company's response to oriental competition you deserve to be left behind. I have zero patience with companies pulling stunts like those.

[Mr. Scram]

It is a step down intentionally here. The "87 mk1" is the daily driver for electronics work TBH but I'm mostly running that and a BM22s at the moment. The BM22s is totally 100% impractical for anything other than basic diagnostics stuff as the thing has hard wired leads on it so you can't install clip leads. Plus the 87 is an old version pre CAT rating. The really high level specification for this was to buy a decent CAT III (or IV!) rated meter that can be used for domestic mains, commercial mains (datacentre) occasionally and secondary electronics stuff which is up to date and hasn't had any hooky repairs done to it like my 87

A 189 would be rather nice to add to the other end of the line though so I will indeed keep eyes peeled for one  . Although from an electronics perspective as I'm diving back into that hard (fuck ham radio - I'm done) I'll probably look at a 6.5 digit bench DMM as an alternative. Probably 34401A or something newer if I can run to it later in the year. Still need to buy a bike and a shit load of camping gear this year still so don't want to dent that out of the budget yet.

I'd look at the DMM6500 for a 6.5 digit. They're not that much more expensive than a good condition older meter with a fresh cal and they're ridiculously capable machines.

[factory]

I object!

Proper Flukes have their rotary switch decently recessed in the middle of the casing.

Everything else is either antique and suitable only for display purposes, or deviant from respectable proportionality!


EDIT: In that case David, he can afford to buy a proper 87 instead of some lower grade 179!

I like my antique meters, I've rescued two AVO's this week, a British Rail heavy duty analogue for a fiver locally and one of those new-fangled digital ones (complete with dead Weston cell) from ePay.


David

I've been tempted with the digital ones a couple of times "just to see" but never got around to it. Feel free to share more pictures etc to increase my temptation 

Will do, that was a quick picture of the Muirhead Weston cell I took yesterday after checking it, sadly it's measuring at 60mV, AVO clearly forgot to put another do not tilt sticker on the outside of the case. 

BTW you'll be less tempted by one when you find out it's nearly twice the size of a HP 3440A, chock full of dodgy old axial Mullard/Phillips capacitors & those awful blue Welwyn resistors that drift high in value. Also service manuals are complete un-obtainium, in fact I can't even find another on the Web.

Did I mention I this item of Hazmat was delivered to the local Sainsburys (Agros collection service) to sneak into the TE collection without anyone seeing. 

David

[Specmaster]

I object!

Proper Flukes have their rotary switch decently recessed in the middle of the casing.

Everything else is either antique and suitable only for display purposes, or deviant from respectable proportionality!


EDIT: In that case David, he can afford to buy a proper 87 instead of some lower grade 179!

The 179 is central and recessed IIRC?

[bd139]

It is indeed.

[mnementh]

Welcome to Probulator Club! Remember the first rule of Probulator Club... You MUST TALK ABOUT Probulator Club! 

Hehe when I showed my wife my new high voltage probe, she couldn't stop laughing and she asked WTF I'm going to do with that. 

Yeah, but in her defense... that really IS the only sane response upon seeing one of those for the first time. 

You totally get that "comic book villain mad scientist" feeling like it has to be a movie prop or some such thing... 

mnem

[Mr. Scram]

I caught myself looking at lathes yesterday.  While I technically do have room for one I have to assume the neighbours aren't going to appreciate the racket one makes.

[bd139]

I caught myself looking at lathes yesterday.  While I technically do have room for one I have to assume the neighbours aren't going to appreciate the racket one makes.

Just google "lathe accident". That'll clear the impulses up for a few months at least 

[Kosmic]

[Mr. Scram]

Just google "lathe accident". That'll clear the impulses up for a few months at least 

May I counter with hydraulic or high pressure injection injury? The same applies to pretty much all power tools and workshop equipment. If it's worth having there are very nasty ways of hurting yourself with it.

[mnementh]

Guilty as charged. It's as much a matter of boredom as anything, I'm afraid. 

I actually liked my Session as a camera; it was working with GoPro Studio that had me pulling my hair out. Generally, it assumed you wanted the all the "Jackass Video" features turned on, and kept trying to MAKE me do image stabilization in post. It's fucking FPV flight video! It's SUPPOSED TO DO THAT!!! 

At the time I tried to find something a little more user friendly than AVIDeMux for editing that would still work with their MP4s directly; I didn't fully understand H.264 video encapsulation. When the Session bricked, I gladly went back to my old version of Adobe Premiere to work with the H.264 video off the Yi.

Have you used GoPro Studio lately? Is it worth infecting my PC with today...?

mnem
"It's sortof like deliberately beating your knee with a monkey wrench 'cuz it feels so good when you stop'."

I dropped the GoPro software like a coughing pedestrian when they introduced the need to sign up to use basic offline functionality. If that's your company's response to oriental competition you deserve to be left behind. I have zero patience with companies pulling stunts like those.

Yeah, well... I remember when I was doing a review of one of the first SJ4000 action cams (I had been reviewing lots of FPV quadcopter stuff at the time, and TMart sent me one to review); it was a helluva camera for $65-75, but then I did some research and found that numerous websites selling the thing (I want to say I actually saw it on the SJ manufacturing website, but truthfully, I'm a little hazy on that) were linking directly to the GoPro site for their editing software.

I can see them getting a little bit testy about that.   
mnem
 

[URI]

Just google "lathe accident". That'll clear the impulses up for a few months at least 

May I counter with hydraulic or high pressure injection injury? The same applies to pretty much all power tools and workshop equipment. If it's worth having there are very nasty ways of hurting yourself with it.

Woaa. That video isn't showing an accident but plain stupidity.   

I've seen an accident with a mill live, the machinist lost a finger and an eye.
I was a student apprentice there since few weeks when that happened.