Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Neomys Sapiens]

Congratulations on your avoidance  I'm bored. Looking at Ducky keyboards now 

I like the looks of their Mecha Mini. If they made that in a full-size KB for about $125 I might be interested. I've gotten a little spoiled by my cheap-ass metal-frame gaming KB; I'm never going back to plastic. If they can bring that weight & feel in a cheap RGB gaming keyboard for $27, there's no excuse to settle for plastic from anyone else.

I realize it's just a bit of powder-coated stamped steel; but who the duck cares? It makes SO much difference; metal frame should be a minimum requirement for any supposedly "decent" keyboard.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/C9D23970-BAEE-41FD-9E1B-F6B3A3B895ED

mnem

The best keyboard, IMHO, is still the vintage IBM thing from the 90ies.
Its heavy as hell, its loud, but you can physically kill a Klingon with it and it will show no damage.
You can still *buy* this new for ca. 500€ !!!

I vote for the Siemens PBT (Prozessbedientastatur) respectively all of their earlier industrial keyboards which were using the Siemens Kurzhubtaste.

[mnementh]

Worth it or not: HP/Agilent 54622D 100MHz, 100MS/S 4MPTs MSO (Probably bare scope, no leads) from reputable vendor with warranty for US$225 delivered? I just watched Dave gush about one in a video from 2014... sounds still pretty capable even today, especially compared against the cheap schizz from China.

mnem
moo?

Better deals to be had, apparently. With probes:  https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/fs-(eu)-agilent-54622d/?topicseen;-)

Ummm... 220€ (negotiable) + shipping. From Austria. vs US$225 delivered. BIG difference.

mnem
 

[Specmaster]

@bd139. Thanks for the manual, so are you saying that the keyboard you ordered has the backlighting? That is what page 38 and is actually describing is how to program the backlighting, which is pretty much the same as it is on my keyboard. I ask because when I looked at their website for the UK sales, the backlit versions are more expensive by £15 to the one that your post refers to and if you ordered that one, you will be getting an unlit keyboard. You might wish to double check your order and link 

[mnementh]

   The best keyboard, IMHO, is still the vintage IBM thing from the 90ies. Its heavy as hell, its loud, but you can physically kill a Klingon with it and it will show no damage. You can still *buy* this new for ca. 500€ !!!

   I vote for the Siemens PBT (Prozessbedientastatur) respectively all of their earlier industrial keyboards which were using the Siemens Kurzhubtaste.

What; for killing Klingons...? 

Sure, save the abuse/green blood splatter all over a decent civilized keyboard.  I sure AF wouldn't want to type on that freaking cash register... 

mnem
*agitating-ily*

[Specmaster]

Found some precision (1% I think) capacitors (polysomething) while on a rummage through some of my boxes looking for something else (which I didn't find, of course     ).

If they're where I think they're from, they're 25 years old, and bought for a Maplin capacitor tester I never started...   

Nice close values though:

I always thought that capacitors with those kind of values (pF) in polyester, mica or whatever hardly ever drifted and IRCC Paul Carlson normally never ever checks them because they are so stable.

[bd139]

@bd139. Thanks for the manual, so are you saying that the keyboard you ordered has the backlighting? That is what page 38 and is actually describing is how to program the backlighting, which is pretty much the same as it is on my keyboard. I ask because when I looked at their website for the UK sales, the backlit versions are more expensive by £15 to the one that your post refers to and if you ordered that one, you will be getting an unlit keyboard. You might wish to double check your order and link 

No I didn't get the backlight one. It's same hardware just no LEDs. The backlight stuff just doesn't do anything on it.

[Specmaster]

So how are you going to be able to make use of the macro?

[Ice-Tea]

Worth it or not: HP/Agilent 54622D 100MHz, 100MS/S 4MPTs MSO (Probably bare scope, no leads) from reputable vendor with warranty for US$225 delivered? I just watched Dave gush about one in a video from 2014... sounds still pretty capable even today, especially compared against the cheap schizz from China.

mnem
moo?

Better deals to be had, apparently. With probes:  https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/fs-(eu)-agilent-54622d/?topicseen;-)

Ummm... 220€ (negotiable) + shipping. From Austria. vs US$225 delivered. BIG difference.

mnem
 

Well, didn't mean to your location specifically. And comes with probes, so yeah, looks like a better deal to me. 

[mnementh]

Well, to compare apples against apples, that's US$240 for the one with two ?? probes that won't comp & digital probes vs one without any of that for US$175 but with warranty from a reputable vendor in the TE trade.

[EDIT]   In all honesty, I think I'm over it now... that 54622A seemed like a great deal given the source, but of course, it was just too good to be true.    After all the feedback I've seen here, I'm pretty sure the reason it was priced so reasonable is they bought it to get the digital probes and are trying to unload it on some poor unsuspecting sod like me just looking for a half-decent cheap scope.

mnem
 

[bd139]

So how are you going to be able to make use of the macro?

There's a lot of stuff I type thousand times a day:

tmux attach <enter>
ssh centos@172.30.
make <enter>

That's three already - plus you can rebind media keys so play/stop/back/next which work on VLC

[mnementh]

And you'll spend weeks breaking yourself of the habit of starting with that, and even when you do get sortof used to it, you'll still have this "something's not done right" feeling niggling at you all the while you work... 

mnem
 

[bd139]

Shush - don't make me hurt before it arrives 

[mnementh]

Shush - don't make me hurt YOU before it arrives 

FTFY.

mnem
 

[shakalnokturn]

Bought 2 months ago, unpacked today: A 1/2 dozen +1/2 Fluke 111's for parts.
If I can save just one in less than a day's work it was worth it.

[mnementh]

Looks like a lot of assache... to compare, a 115 in working condition can be had for $50-70 almost any day; [EDIT] they come up for ~$125 new fairly often (Well, this was the case before COVID Lockdown; I see prices have gone up a bit in general). Hopefully you can fix at least as many as you have knobs, then sell two to pay for the lot & keep one, or maybe sell all three & buy a new knob for one you keep... but then you'll wind up having to buy 3 or 4 sets of probes, and batteries and...

mnem
I used to doodat...

[Specmaster]

So how are you going to be able to make use of the macro?

There's a lot of stuff I type thousand times a day:

tmux attach <enter>
ssh centos@172.30.
make <enter>

That's three already - plus you can rebind media keys so play/stop/back/next which work on VLC

Oh, I get it, I used to have a Corsair keyboard that had a whole group of dedicated macro keys that I purchased specifically for that very reason because when I was doing schemes for lighting controls and the associated quotes, I was having to type the same things over and over again, so I programmed those more common ones to macro keys. The problem I found with it was that the extra length of the keyboard was causing issues on the desk, I was wasting a lot of time mistyping because of the extra keys getting in the way and also of course actually remembering what string I assigned to what key 

[bd139]

Yeah this one allows rebinding of meta keys so there are no extra ones. So you can rebind Win+F1 for example. I'll probably rebind 5-6 and introduce them carefully one at a time and see what happens. It may or may not stick and of course I'll be annoyed the moment I jump on my laptop instead so will have to install autohotkey on that then as well. Anything that makes my day shorter is a winner in my mind

[mnementh]

      

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RL8H55Z

For the macro-memory-deficient crowd (like me & Specmaster)... https://www.elgato.com/en/gaming/keycreator

mnem
It's only money.

[mnementh]

@bd139. Thanks for the manual, so are you saying that the keyboard you ordered has the backlighting? That is what page 38 and is actually describing is how to program the backlighting, which is pretty much the same as it is on my keyboard. I ask because when I looked at their website for the UK sales, the backlit versions are more expensive by £15 to the one that your post refers to and if you ordered that one, you will be getting an unlit keyboard. You might wish to double check your order and link 

No I didn't get the backlight one. It's same hardware just no LEDs. The backlight stuff just doesn't do anything on it.

I wonder if you can plug in your own LEDs and they'll work. 

mnem
Naaahhh... they'd never make it that easy.

[Specmaster]

Update time for the 4503, I'm loving this meter and can't wait to cure the ohms problem so I can get it calibrated to the best of my ability. I have had it on soak test today since midday connected to my AD584-M and Brymen 867 and it has not missed a beat the only discrepancy is on the 5V range and that is only because of the leading 0 which means it is limited to 3dps so rounds up/down to compete with the 867, I'm a happy bunny with this result. 

Edit: I thought I'd add this in because of the time stamp of the post can give misleading information, altogether the soak test was over 11hours (BM867 switched into stay on mode) and the meter stayed like that all the time.

[med6753]

I got this today.
It can be used in Tek 7904 7704 large oscilloscope
Do you want to buy a horse for this saddle?

I had replace one in my 7904 a few months ago. The original had developed a HV short to ground.

Not too difficult to replace but you have to be mindful of the delicate deflection plates wires and there are THREE sets of them.

 

[med6753]

The Ironbound,

So called because of the railroad tracks that surround the district.  Also known as the neck because it sits on a bend in the Passaic River.  An awesome group of business owners.  Very family oriented, proud of what they built up and didn't tolerate riff raff trying to move into their neighborhoods.  They were all small stores so only ordered small orders once every month or two.  Always treated me well when dealing with them.  The Iberia restaurant was an awesome restaurant back then, I hope is is still as good.  The rest of Newark was truly the armpit of NJ, however.

All of New Jersey is an arm pit. 

[SilverSolder]

Worth it or not:

HP/Agilent 54622D 100MHz, 100MS/S 4MPTs MSO (Probably bare scope, no leads) from reputable vendor with warranty for US$225 delivered?



I just watched Dave gush about one in a video from 2014... sounds still pretty capable even today, especially compared against the cheap schizz from China.

mnem
moo?

I have one and love it.  The ability to connect so many channels (2 analog, 16 digital) requires a high end Keysight these days (most are 8 digital channels now).  If you don't need high speeds, she's your gal.

[bitseeker]

Everyone's favorite evilbay Test Gear SCAMMER/Hacker is now including Laser Cutters  eBay auction: #402258396187 Reported for what it is worth via evilbay in Oz but if there is a better mechanism in the UK can someone pull the trigger on it? Do it before I buy a $10 Lecroy Scope 

There is a UK contact number too on the account details.

Damn, I could get a Hammond B3 with Leslie speaker from him and shipping is only $23!!  Such a a bargain!     

Shipping too low? Try this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/274363222925 

[mnementh]

Moar keyboards!!! 

mnem