Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Cerebus]

My school calculator was a Sharp EL-512 which I still have and use, but I didn't have a choice in the matter, it was a group-buy from the school.

However, when it comes to buttons and shift functions... Real mens Calculators don't have buttons (in case you're wondering about those propellors, my sons mini-drone had an incident with a wall today).

McBryce.

A real engineer's calculator comes with words like "Woodbine", "Player's" or "Dunhill" on it and requires a pencil for proper operation. Can also be used for CAD drawings, evil plans, brilliant plans, and sundry schemes. Also available in absorbent form bearing words like "Courage", "Guinness" or "Youngs" on it.

[bd139]

Ah yes.  In a similar vein, RS invoice envelopes (and a Pilot G2) serve that purpose in this house. ALL good ideas start on the back of one. If I have to get a sheet of A4 out of the drawers then it's a shit idea from the get go.

[Kosmic]

What exactly does your Meinberg ED170MP not like?
Is it monitoring the current of the 15V antenna supply? -> Build a dummy current device could be the solution.

The "error antenna" led stay on and the receiver do not receive anything. I'm wondering if the receiver stop everything when an error is detected. I might also have another problem with the receiver. I need to do more tests.

[Specmaster]

real men have wood.

this was the calculator my old man used in college.

so it is circa 1948.

This is a real mans pet, never mind the slide rule though eh 

[BU508A]

Ah yes.  In a similar vein, RS invoice envelopes (and a Pilot G2) serve that purpose in this house. ALL good ideas start on the back of one. If I have to get a sheet of A4 out of the drawers then it's a shit idea from the get go.

My little (DIN-A5) book of weekend projects:



  

[Saskia]

real men have wood.

this was the calculator my old man used in college.

so it is circa 1948.

This is a real mans pet, never mind the slide rule though eh 

I'd prefer a gabon viper in my winter garden. A burglar might enter the house, but I doubt he would get out.

The anti venom is in the safe. to provide for some tension and entertainment the Pin for the safe has 15 digits and you have 20 minutes. Good luck ...

[Specmaster]

real men have wood.

this was the calculator my old man used in college.

so it is circa 1948.

This is a real mans pet, never mind the slide rule though eh 

I'd prefer a gabon viper in my winter garden. A burglar might enter the house, but I doubt he would get out.

The anti venom is in the safe. to provide for some tension and entertainment the Pin for the safe has 15 digits and you have 20 minutes. Good luck ...

Nah, your precious safe and its contents would be safe, me, I wouldn't need 20 minutes or good luck because I'd be playing with the Cougar and nowhere near your house 

[Cubdriver]

real men have wood.

this was the calculator my old man used in college.

so it is circa 1948.

This is a real mans pet, never mind the slide rule though eh 

I'd love to see the face of the burglar who breaks in and meets Messi.  I'd bet he'd make a messi in his shorts!  Very cool cat - would love to meet him - beautiful animal!

-Pat

[bd139]

I bet it has fleas an inch long

[nixiefreqq]

our cats are old, fat, and lazy.

and still we worry that they will kill us in our sleep to snack on the remains.


BUT that cat has muscles in its poo!

[xrunner]

our cats are old, fat, and lazy.

and still we worry that they will kill us in our sleep to snack on the remains.


BUT that cat has muscles in its poo!

Yes Messi - nice kitty kitty. 

[Cubdriver]

I don't think I'd want Messi climbing on the bench, though, as mine are inclined to...





-Pat

[Specmaster]

I bet it has fleas an inch long

Not a chance the number of baths and brushing he gets, 

I'm getting a bit bored waiting for my MAX134 to arrive from China, the good news is that its in transit now and should be here next week. I've already watched 3 films today 

[Kosmic]

     ADALM-PLUTO Software-Defined Radio Active Learning Module

Hey, bd... I stumbled across this whilst researching the above ADALM2000:

    Portable self-contained RF learning module
    Cost-effective experimentation platform
    Based on Analog Devices AD9363--Highly Integrated RF Agile Transceiver and Xilinx® Zynq Z-7010 FPGA
    RF coverage from 325 MHz to 3.8 GHz
    Up to 20 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth
    Flexible rate, 12-bit ADC and DAC
    One transmitter and one receiver, half or full duplex
    MATLAB®, Simulink® support
    GNU Radio sink and source blocks
    libiio, a C, C++, C#, and Python API
    USB 2.0 Powered Interface with Micro-USB 2.0 connector
    High quality plastic enclosure

I stuck one in my cart when I was checking out the ADALM2000; it too can be had for $99 with promo code STUDENT. In all honesty, I'm not enough of a HAM to know if this is something that'd be useful to you or not; but like the ADALM2000, on paper it sure sounds like a lot of features for little money.

mnem
*Back to vegetating*

   https://greatscottgadgets.com/hackrf/one/

HackRF One from Great Scott Gadgets is a Software Defined Radio peripheral capable of transmission or reception of radio signals from 1 MHz to 6 GHz. Designed to enable test and development of modern and next generation radio technologies, HackRF One is an open source hardware platform that can be used as a USB peripheral or programmed for stand-alone operation.

    1 MHz to 6 GHz operating frequency
    half-duplex transceiver
    up to 20 million samples per second
    8-bit quadrature samples (8-bit I and 8-bit Q)
    compatible with GNU Radio, SDR#, and more
    software-configurable RX and TX gain and baseband filter
    software-controlled antenna port power (50 mA at 3.3 V)
    SMA female antenna connector
    SMA female clock input and output for synchronization
    convenient buttons for programming
    internal pin headers for expansion
    Hi-Speed USB 2.0
    USB-powered
    open source hardware

Just stumbled across this while looking for other stuff. Not sure what, if anything, it has over the ADALM-Pluto. Just thought I'd bring it up for those interested.

github is here: https://github.com/mossmann/hackrf

mnem
*toddles off to pick up a guitar*

Personally I would avoid the HackRF One. It's incredible what Michael Ossman was able to accomplish but it's mostly a pile of old RF IC glued together on a pcb. There is so many relays and transceivers in the signal path that the poor thing is barely able to receive something. It's a really bad receiver.

On the other hand, the heart of the AdalmPluto is an all integrated transceiver from the AD936* family from Analog Devices. Those IC were released recently and are just incredible. The only problem is that they are quite expensive. The AD9363 is 121$ US  and the AD9361 280$ US in quantity of 1 on digikey 

More info on the AD936* over here: https://wiki.analog.com/resources/eval/user-guides/ad-fmcomms2-ebz/ad9361

[mnementh]

real men have wood.    this was the calculator my old man used in college.   so it is circa 1948.   

   real dwagons have heavy metal. 
I used a 10-register one of these through middle school algebra right up to 1st or 2nd year of high school.  They also made ones for Octal & Hex.

mnem
*currently eating myself sick on 75% Off Easter Chocolate*

[mnementh]

What exactly does your Meinberg ED170MP not like?
Is it monitoring the current of the 15V antenna supply? -> Build a dummy current device could be the solution.

The "error antenna" led stay on and the receiver do not receive anything. I'm wondering if the receiver stop everything when an error is detected. I might also have another problem with the receiver. I need to do more tests.

*hears tiny "Kaboom!" from slightly northeast*

Ummmm.... K-a-a-a-ay???

Ah yes.  In a similar vein, RS invoice envelopes (and a Pilot G2) serve that purpose in this house. ALL good ideas start on the back of one. If I have to get a sheet of A4 out of the drawers then it's a shit idea from the get go.

My little (DIN-A5) book of weekend projects:        

My little bag of...     This was my actual onsite bag for years. About 1 client in 20 noticed; those were the ones I bothered to give my business card. 

mnem
Don't dig too deep. My secrets guard themselves.

[mnementh]

real men have wood.   this was the calculator my old man used in college.   so it is circa 1948.

   This is a real mans pet, never mind the slide rule though eh     https://youtu.be/OkO7be9Dn2c

I'd love to see the face of the burglar who breaks in and meets Messi.  I'd bet he'd make a messi in his shorts!  Very cool cat - would love to meet him - beautiful animal!

-Pat

I'm just imagining those two tear-assing around the house in the middle of the night, and being woke up by him stepping on my tongue... as has happened to me more than once. First is  , then comes  as you realize what just happened... then and brushing your teeth/tongue when it occurs to you where those feet have been.

mnem
spew and a half.

[mnementh]

Just stumbled across this while looking for other stuff. Not sure what, if anything, it has over the ADALM-Pluto. Just thought I'd bring it up for those interested.

github is here: https://github.com/mossmann/hackrf

mnem
*toddles off to pick up a guitar*

Personally I would avoid the HackRF One. It's incredible what Michael Ossman was able to accomplish but it's mostly a pile of old RF IC glued together on a pcb. There is so many relays and transceivers in the signal path that the poor thing is barely able to receive something. It's a really bad receiver.

On the other hand, the heart of the AdalmPluto is an all integrated transceiver from the AD936* family from Analog Devices. Those IC were released recently and are just incredible. The only problem is that they are quite expensive. The AD9363 is 121$ US  and the AD9361 280$ US in quantity of 1 on digikey 

More info on the AD936* over here: https://wiki.analog.com/resources/eval/user-guides/ad-fmcomms2-ebz/ad9361

Thanks for the infoDump.  I seriously don't know enough about SDR (aside from the fact it looks like an amazing technology which possibilities we've just scratched the surface of) to know at first or even second glance which unit can do what. I just wanted to pass it on in case it was the next "thing" like the NanoVNA.

mnem
*sparky wannabe*

[mnementh]

I'm getting a bit bored waiting for my MAX134 to arrive from China, the good news is that its in transit now and should be here next week. I've already watched 3 films today 

You only bought ONE...? Oh dear... oh dearie me.

mnem
You never know when he'll strike... Oh, wait. yes you do.

[mnementh]

In OTHER Other News...

I STILL don't have my guitar yet. First one was the wrong size (narrow neck); the one I went out for today was brand spanking new, in sealed box from the factory. It had gorgeous body woodgrains & polyurethane finish just glowing with shine a foot deep; but the fret-board had deep desiccation cracks and buckling between the nut and the first fret. Clearly storage did not agree with it; what a horrible thing to happen to such a beautiful instrument. 

After that, 2 hours grocery & clothes shopping at Wally Wurrlld & another hour on my feet between 3 other stores... my back & knees are killing me.

mnem
Getting old is not for wussies.

[mnementh]

   eBay auction: #283815311988

Oklay... so is this the all-new version people were saying was just around the corner...? Or is it the original, with a larger screen and shiny new box?    I thought it was supposed to go to 6 or 8GHz...

mnem
*wibble*

[xrunner]

The new one is "Nanovna version 2" it goes up to ~3 GHz. Not sure of the staturs as of now you can google it to see prototypes.

[GreyWoolfe]

Older models use the datacard or a CF card to store data; current ones (like my dad has) have cellular data because they are no longer sold, exactly, but rather provided "as a service" and billed accordingly. They can monitor your usage history (including apnea events, non-sleep and REM sleep), change all the config, probably even brick the thing remotely if you don't pay.[/b][/i][/color]

Cheers,

mnem
*currently braving the madness that is PronterFace*

Not sure what you are saying here.  Are you saying you can't buy a CPAP or you can't buy one with storage cards?    I bought mine from 1-800-CPAP last year, a Phillips Respironics Dreamstation Auto.  Mine has bluetooth connectivity with an SD card for storage that works with the Dream mapper app but I don't use it.  It doesn't use cellular service.

[Kosmic]

The new one is "Nanovna version 2" it goes up to ~3 GHz. Not sure of the staturs as of now you can google it to see prototypes.

https://www.tindie.com/products/hcxqsgroup/nanovna-v2/

[mnementh]

Older models use the datacard or a CF card to store data; current ones (like my dad has) have cellular data because they are no longer sold, exactly, but rather provided "as a service" and billed accordingly. They can monitor your usage history (including apnea events, non-sleep and REM sleep), change all the config, probably even brick the thing remotely if you don't pay.[/b][/i][/color]

Cheers,

mnem
*currently braving the madness that is PronterFace*

Not sure what you are saying here.  Are you saying you can't buy a CPAP or you can't buy one with storage cards?    I bought mine from 1-800-CPAP last year, a Phillips Respironics Dreamstation Auto.  Mine has bluetooth connectivity with an SD card for storage that works with the Dream mapper app but I don't use it.  It doesn't use cellular service.

I dunno then. Maybe it depends on how you pay for your medical care. If insurance pays for the unit, it’s usually provided “as a service”, at least until paid off at ridiculous markup like my first two. The providers get a lot more money in the long run, while the insurance companies get more money in the bottom line at the end of the quarter.

If you’re HMO or “Healthcare Union”, I’d guess they buy outright. Also, they’re not nearly as expensive now as they used to be, and yours might be a slightly older model but factory refurb or NOS. 

I’ve seen 3 or 4 new-new machines in the last year; they were all cellular data equipped. I guess I assumed that’s how they all were provided; but like everything in the last decade or so, the crazy economy is making a lot of changes in the way anything business is done.

mnem