Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

(SNIP)
And I am looking at many Tek scopes now (see floppy problem). Will I be willing to trade off channels or bandwith? Do I want to have something as massive as a TDS7054 at home? Will I cripple my capabilities in an unexcusable way by going for anything except a TDS3054C? And the selection process (or even the mere pre-selection gathering of information) is fraught with danger! Even wearing blinkers I would not be able not to look at other TE too!

My condol3nces on the GPS problem... maybe your life would be easier if you made it a software problem on a iPwn. I'm SURE there's a app for that. 

As for the TDS3054C... did I read the spec sheet correctly...? $30K, and STILL a 6.5" VGA display...? REALLY? Wowzers. I get that these things are meant to be used as portable gear; but the difference in BL LED current draw for the jump from 6.5" to 8" or even 9" is negligible compared to the heavy silicon in these... and old farts like us DO still need to be able to see the effing thing.

mnem
 

[med6753]

The Tek Type 106 Square Wave Generator is slowly making it's way cross country from California via FedEx truck. Had stops in Utah, Nebraska, and Illinois. Scheduled delivery is Tuesday but I see no reason for a possible Monday delivery if it continues at the rate it has over the weekend. It might stop again in Ohio/Pennsylvania or go directly to hub in New Jersey. From Jersey it will go to my local hub in Newburgh, NY.   

[Cerebus]

ok, had a so so day.
Finally my shipment of rare metals arrived.
60 grams of metal for around 3 effing grand. FFS.
Sold 2 of my motorbikes, now I only have the Milwaukee granny bobber left (the one that does not require me to lift my leg when getting onto it ...
Had a discussion with my boss why I needed a delegate. Fuck vacation, they call me even when I am in the middle of the pacific ...
I need to get a different phone number ...

Hf? Re? Np?

A couple of small disks of ²⁴¹Am and Be. She already had the 3kg ²³⁹Pu  and a small phial of ³H. Apparently got a rodent problem, big rodents...

[med6753]

ok, had a so so day.
Finally my shipment of rare metals arrived.
60 grams of metal for around 3 effing grand. FFS.
Sold 2 of my motorbikes, now I only have the Milwaukee granny bobber left (the one that does not require me to lift my leg when getting onto it ...
Had a discussion with my boss why I needed a delegate. Fuck vacation, they call me even when I am in the middle of the pacific ...
I need to get a different phone number ...

Hf? Re? Np?

A couple of small disks of ²⁴¹Am and Be. She already had the 3kg ²³⁹Pu  and a small phial of ³H. Apparently got a rodent problem, big rodents...

For those of us who haven't played with a chemistry set since we were 10 years old care to translate?  I also hated chemistry in HS. 

[Neomys Sapiens]

(SNIP)
And I am looking at many Tek scopes now (see floppy problem). Will I be willing to trade off channels or bandwith? Do I want to have something as massive as a TDS7054 at home? Will I cripple my capabilities in an unexcusable way by going for anything except a TDS3054C? And the selection process (or even the mere pre-selection gathering of information) is fraught with danger! Even wearing blinkers I would not be able not to look at other TE too!

My condol3nces on the GPS problem... maybe your life would be easier if you made it a software problem on a iPwn. I'm SURE there's a app for that. 

As for the TDS3054C... did I read the spec sheet correctly...? $30K, and STILL a 6.5" VGA display...? REALLY? Wowzers. I get that these things are meant to be used as portable gear; but the difference in BL LED current draw for the jump from 6.5" to 8" or even 9" is negligible compared to the heavy silicon in these... and old farts like us DO still need to be able to see the effing thing.

mnem
 

I'm looking at used ones, of course. And you got the point - I see Teks with larger screens for around half the price.

[jxjbsd]

ok, had a so so day.
Finally my shipment of rare metals arrived.
60 grams of metal for around 3 effing grand. FFS.
Sold 2 of my motorbikes, now I only have the Milwaukee granny bobber left (the one that does not require me to lift my leg when getting onto it ...
Had a discussion with my boss why I needed a delegate. Fuck vacation, they call me even when I am in the middle of the pacific ...
I need to get a different phone number ...

Hf? Re? Np?

A couple of small disks of ²⁴¹Am and Be. She already had the 3kg ²³⁹Pu  and a small phial of ³H. Apparently got a rodent problem, big rodents...

3Kg Pu239 , well, if you are engaged in nuclear disarmament negotiations, you can sit next to North Korea.

[bitseeker]

The Kikusui COS 5020 oscilloscope is completed. I finally got all the noise to go away by cleaning and re-seating all the connectors and cleaning the wafer switches. I did a complete cosmetic job on the old girl and she looks great now. I checked the bandwidth and measured ~21 MHz. The amplitude calibration is acceptable. Completely acceptable for low frequency troubleshooting.

That's looking like new, xrunner. Great job! I hope your friend does get a lot of good hours on it now.

[Neomys Sapiens]

ok, had a so so day.
Finally my shipment of rare metals arrived.
60 grams of metal for around 3 effing grand. FFS.
Sold 2 of my motorbikes, now I only have the Milwaukee granny bobber left (the one that does not require me to lift my leg when getting onto it ...
Had a discussion with my boss why I needed a delegate. Fuck vacation, they call me even when I am in the middle of the pacific ...
I need to get a different phone number ...

Hf? Re? Np?

A couple of small disks of ²⁴¹Am and Be. She already had the 3kg ²³⁹Pu  and a small phial of ³H. Apparently got a rodent problem, big rodents...

3Kg Pu239 , well, if you are engaged in nuclear disarmament negotiations, you can sit next to North Korea.

So this chinese humor does get across very well - and it is the way we all should be looking at the little freak. 
(I'm talking about NK, of course. I'm NOT crazy)

[bitseeker]

Sorry can't resist. That's a door bell.

This would be great for stopping solicitors (i.e., door-to-door spammers). It'd only require one change: the sign need only say,

"To ring doorbell, connect the correct two wires together. Caution, the live one is 220 volts!" 

[xrunner]

That's looking like new, xrunner. Great job! I hope your friend does get a lot of good hours on it now.

Thanks a lot. He said to keep it here for a while because he's going to build or get a cart for it. He doesn't want to put it back where it was sitting underneath a bunch of other junque stuff. And after all that work I'm very glad to hold on to it until he prepares the rightful spot it deserves to take. 

[bitseeker]

the PM2527 is hugh, did not expect that

Yea it's big, but that's what we like because it can support a high stack of gear on top of it. 

And, it won't move halfway across the bench when you touch the front panel.

[bitseeker]

... "air superiority" ... might mean a better ground to air missile system, better electronic warfare, hunter killer drones, barrage balloons, huge flocks of armoured pigeons, tagging enemy air assets with the scent of bacon and releasing flocks of dragons, ...

Huge flocks of armored pigeons! I'd like to see that. They've already got the bombing skillz.

[bitseeker]

Why buy resistors when you can make your own with these special pliers?

(Attachment Link)

OK, but using that same wire and wanting say, a 10K resistor, would it not be just a little long? Like maybe several hundred feet? 

Nah. Just put a "10K" label on it.

[bitseeker]

Got this "for parts or not working" PD 2005A thanks to Kosmic tipping me off to the listing. Guess what? It works! Two of the indicator lamps are dead, so someone probably turned it on and thought it was dead. It's a wee bit off according to my voltmeters, but I am hesitant to adjust it right now because it could be right and my voltmeters wrong for all I know.

Congrats, 0culus! Yeah, those neons do come up dead sometimes or at least quite dim. I'm curious if the oven is still OK in it.

[bitseeker]

Wow, we got 2 hot cases of TEA addiction going here. Which will happen first? Run out of money or run out of room? 

It's good to see some new action and lots of "new" toys!

After running out of either (money or space), bd can provide advice.

[Mr. Scram]

The Russians like to say that the F-15 victories were made against MIG's flown by other countries with lesser trained pilots and if those pilots had been Russian the outcome would have been different.

Bullshit. We faced the Russians before once confirmed and possibly a 2nd time unconfirmed and beat their drunk behinds. First time was Korea. You think those brand spanking new MIG-15's were flown by Koreans or Chinese? Nope, and after years of suspicion the truth was confirmed. Despite the F-86 being a little outclassed by the MIG-15 the kill ratio was very much in our favor. Tactics, training, and the aircraft itself all played a role.

2nd time as been unconfirmed. Vietnam. Yep, that cluster fuck. During the bombing of North Vietnam the F-105's, which were loaded to the gills with bombs, were being picked off by North Vietnam AF with brand new MIG-21's. But every time the F-4's showed up to assist they would scatter and return to base and we were not allowed to attack their bases for fear of killing Russians and Chinese “advisors”.
But we got them. They took the F-4's and equipped them with F-105 transponders and flew same route as the F-105's would. The MIG-21's came up and got a nasty surprise. The F-4 is heavy, had no gun at the time, and the missiles were unreliable. Approx half of their fleet of MIG-21's never returned to base. Were they Russian pilots? Who knows but I'd lay odds at least some were. And guess what? The MIG-21's never came up again. They went chicken shit and stayed on the ground.        

[bitseeker]

I need to learn English because Google Translate cannot recognize pictures.

The Google Translate Android app can translate pictures. Point the camera at your screen, street signs, packaging, etc. and it will overlay the live image with translated text. It's pretty cool.

(D'oh, just saw that mnem already posted about it. C'est la vie.)

[bitseeker]

I don't need to hide anything, my husband has no say in these matters 

Hiding is for the fearful.

If I could hide stuff, I'd have more room on my bench.

[0culus]

Got this "for parts or not working" PD 2005A thanks to Kosmic tipping me off to the listing. Guess what? It works! Two of the indicator lamps are dead, so someone probably turned it on and thought it was dead. It's a wee bit off according to my voltmeters, but I am hesitant to adjust it right now because it could be right and my voltmeters wrong for all I know.

Congrats, 0culus! Yeah, those neons do come up dead sometimes or at least quite dim. I'm curious if the oven is still OK in it.

It's still good. I let it "burn in" overnight last night and through today. It came in pretty nicely. I think the decade switches need to be cleaned, but other than that it's great functionally. The "oven" indicator is indeed dim.

[mnementh]

ok, had a so so day.
Finally my shipment of rare metals arrived.
60 grams of metal for around 3 effing grand. FFS.
Sold 2 of my motorbikes, now I only have the Milwaukee granny bobber left (the one that does not require me to lift my leg when getting onto it ...
Had a discussion with my boss why I needed a delegate. Fuck vacation, they call me even when I am in the middle of the pacific ...
I need to get a different phone number ...

Hf? Re? Np?

A couple of small disks of ²⁴¹Am and Be. She already had the 3kg ²³⁹Pu  and a small phial of ³H. Apparently got a rodent problem, big rodents...

You say unusually... large... rodents... would they be ROUSes...? 

mnem
I think maybe now would be a good time for a leisurely stroll down by the Fire Swamps...

[mnementh]

ok, had a so so day.
Finally my shipment of rare metals arrived.
60 grams of metal for around 3 effing grand. FFS.
Sold 2 of my motorbikes, now I only have the Milwaukee granny bobber left (the one that does not require me to lift my leg when getting onto it ...
Had a discussion with my boss why I needed a delegate. Fuck vacation, they call me even when I am in the middle of the pacific ...
I need to get a different phone number ...

Hf? Re? Np?

A couple of small disks of ²⁴¹Am and Be. She already had the 3kg ²³⁹Pu  and a small phial of ³H. Apparently got a rodent problem, big rodents...

For those of us who haven't played with a chemistry set since we were 10 years old care to translate?  I also hated chemistry in HS.

She’s making an Illudium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator. 

mnem

[BU508A]

ok, had a so so day.
Finally my shipment of rare metals arrived.
60 grams of metal for around 3 effing grand. FFS.
Sold 2 of my motorbikes, now I only have the Milwaukee granny bobber left (the one that does not require me to lift my leg when getting onto it ...
Had a discussion with my boss why I needed a delegate. Fuck vacation, they call me even when I am in the middle of the pacific ...
I need to get a different phone number ...

Hf? Re? Np?

A couple of small disks of ²⁴¹Am and Be. She already had the 3kg ²³⁹Pu  and a small phial of ³H. Apparently got a rodent problem, big rodents...

You say unusually... large... rodents... would they be ROUSes...? 

mnem
I think maybe now would be a good time for a leisurely stroll down by the Fire Swamps...

Ahhhhh, Buttercup ... *looking dreamily*   

[BU508A]

ok, had a so so day.
Finally my shipment of rare metals arrived.
60 grams of metal for around 3 effing grand. FFS.
Sold 2 of my motorbikes, now I only have the Milwaukee granny bobber left (the one that does not require me to lift my leg when getting onto it ...
Had a discussion with my boss why I needed a delegate. Fuck vacation, they call me even when I am in the middle of the pacific ...
I need to get a different phone number ...

Hf? Re? Np?

A couple of small disks of ²⁴¹Am and Be. She already had the 3kg ²³⁹Pu  and a small phial of ³H. Apparently got a rodent problem, big rodents...

For those of us who haven't played with a chemistry set since we were 10 years old care to translate?  I also hated chemistry in HS.

It's not chemistry, it's more about physics ...   

Example:

[med6753]

I hated physics too. 

[BU508A]

I hated physics too. 

This would explain a lot.