Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[tggzzz]

... but shit does hurt once in a while. 

Arguably better than the opposite. I've chosen medical treatment based on that consideration.

[med6753]

... but shit does hurt once in a while. 

Arguably better than the opposite. I've chosen medical treatment based on that consideration.

I just consider it part of getting old and deal with it. It's nothing chronic so no worries.

Edit, my number one concern is keeping the diabetes under control with oral meds only which means staying on the diet and keeping the weight off. No way do I want to go the insulin route. I have those around me who are on it and it's not fun.

[tautech]

Meh, OK.  Majority rules.

Would they be acceptable if painted Tek blue ?     

[Cerebus]

^* (We all start doing it one minute after we hit 50, dunno why, but we do. If you're 49¹/₂ enjoy the next 6 months becuase it's the last time you can surreptitiously pick up something you're dropped.)

Worse is the stage of thinking "is there anything else I can do while I'm down there". I'm not there yet, but I have seen it in others.

I'm well into my 7th decade but don't huff like that. Perhaps it is because I'm pleased to say I can still fit into a Tshirt I bought in 1973. I don't, because it is getting fragile and I might want to flog it.

The number of times that you've told us about that T-Shirt; next thing we know, you'll be saying "I'm <whistling sound> ninety you know" in a Lancashire accent every ten minutes. 

Nah. I know The Krek Way to Speak Brizzle.

Aye, I know you do. But for some reason unfathomable to man when folks reach the "I'm ninety you know" stage they develop a Lancashire accent just for that one phrase. It's some cosmic comedic law. Even my cat did when he got to the stage of telling everybody that he was 19, which was doubly odd as the was only 17 when he started doing it despite the fact that otherwise he spoke with a classic RAF WWII pilot's accent (Sqn Ldr Korky, Uxbridge Anti-pigeon Squadron (retd.)).

[Brumby]

Have we now descended into that hell?   Moles, moans and movements.....?


Please, no.  I'd rather spruik the batteriser

[tggzzz]

Have we now descended into that hell?   Moles, moans and movements.....?


Please, no.  I'd rather spruik the batteriser

We've descended into other holes, and managed to resurface. The moles are more an Auzzie thing though (and possibly Kiwi).

[nixiefreqq]

Meh, OK.  Majority rules.

oh come on ya' grumpy blue bastard.

that there was funny in 1996 and its funny today.


edit   is Wensleydale a real thing?  have searched the foreign cheese section at giant and never found any.

[AVGresponding]

I motion that Professor Branestawm, Heath Robinson, and Emmett Brown also be considered.

Professor Branestawm also has a bestie called Colonel Dedshott...

[xrunner]

More inspection of the FG503. The strange "coating" is evident on the plastic, even under the aluminum panel. But ... it does not exist on the aluminum panels on any side next to the plastic. Why would that be?  Again, it comes off easily with alcohol.

There are two of the Tektronix PCB switches with covers. The plastic side clips that hold the cover on are cracked on both. Three of the four on one switch and two of the four on the other. I do not know what type of plastic it is. I can only think of CA glue to fix them. Any other ideas?

[BU508A]

I motion that Professor Branestawm, Heath Robinson, and Emmett Brown also be considered.

Professor Branestawm also has a bestie called Colonel Dedshott...

Montgomery "Scotty" Scott:

[Specmaster]

There is some shit on the UK eBay at the minute, some real chancers trying their luck with crazy descriptions and even crazier pricing, like these 2 examples 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AVO-8-MULTIMETER/153618980346 check out the BIN price  and then you get the other extreme on pricing but check out the "leads" https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333627255770   

[bd139]

Hahaha that's mental. I'm doing something wrong 

[Specmaster]

Hahaha that's mental. I'm doing something wrong 

I think the first one must be trying to replace some of their lost income due to lockdown 

[GreyWoolfe]

I actually rather like the newer axial compression-type F connectors, but wholeheartedly agree that the old crimp on or twist on ones were utter caca.



-Pat

I have not seen those axial compression F connectors. Didn't know it existed. As far as I know my cable co still uses crimp on F's but at least they upgraded to RG-6.

I first saw them about ten years or so ago when the cable guy did some repairs and reterminated the drop to the house.  He showed me the connector and crimping tool and I thought it was pretty sweet.  Bought one a few years later at The Home Despot, and have been using it since.  Between one of those clothes-pin strippy things and the compression connectors, terminating RG6 with F connectors is a snap.  Clip the stripper on and spin it a few times around the cable, then pull the cut insulation pieces off, fold the shield wires back over the outer jacket and stuff it into the connector until it bottoms.  Pop the connector into the compression crimper, squeeze and it's done.  The process takes about as much time as it took me to type this out, if not less.

Stripper - preps end of cable stripping 1/4" of all but the center from the end, and an additional 1/4" of the outer jacket.


Stripper detail - the black set of blades preps the cable end.  The connector nose fits into the hex recess at the right to hold it steady as the cable is pushed into the point it bottoms.


Compression crimper - the spring loaded actuator is held closed by the bail.  The turret that the bail is attached to has several stop depths to do different connectors (I've also done video RCA plugs with it); the knurled screw on the ram adjusts the compression stroke to bottom the connector sleeve when the handle is squeezed shut.


Connector (sans cable) in the crimper.  It's not currently adjusted to fit this one, but if it were all set up and there was a cable in the connector, a quick squeeze at this point and you're done.


-Pat

Med, Brighthouse now Spectrum here in Flori-DUH has been using compression fittings for quite some time now along with RG-6.  I found out about them when we were having a problem with the MTA when we had Internet and phone.  The tech came out and re-terminated the cable I installed with the compression fittings.  He said that the techs found that crimped connectors were problematic with the phone service.  He even gave me some of his stash.  I bought the same crimper from Home Depot, already had a similar style stripper.  When Rat Shack went out of business, I bought a bunch of connectors--RG-59, RG-6 and RG-6 quad shield.  At my age, I have a lifetime supply.

[tggzzz]

is Wensleydale a real thing?  have searched the foreign cheese section at giant and never found any.

Yes, it is. Oddly enough it was originally made in Wensleydale It is a hard cheese, white, sharp flavour, and with a crumbly texture. Very nice, but less so when wrapped in plastic.

I'm not surprised you can't get it in the USA. Away from cosmopolitan centres like SF and Boston, many people have an odd reaction when they pick up a loaf of bread in the supermarket: their arm races upwards towards the ceiling, until they get it back under control. Yes, the US bread has "too much" air in it, and so is lighter than expected. Then we can consider bacon; the US only has streaky bacon, which is our lowest grade. And I won't mention delicious (but ugly) apples like Egremont Russets, or Cox's Orange Pippins.

[SilverSolder]

is Wensleydale a real thing?  have searched the foreign cheese section at giant and never found any.

Yes, it is. Oddly enough it was originally made in Wensleydale It is a hard cheese, white, sharp flavour, and with a crumbly texture. Very nice, but less so when wrapped in plastic.

I'm not surprised you can't get it in the USA. Away from cosmopolitan centres like SF and Boston, many people have an odd reaction when they pick up a loaf of bread in the supermarket: their arm races upwards towards the ceiling, until they get it back under control. Yes, the US bread has "too much" air in it, and so is lighter than expected. Then we can consider bacon; the US only has streaky bacon, which is our lowest grade. And I won't mention delicious (but ugly) apples like Egremont Russets, or Cox's Orange Pippins.

You can definitely get Wensleydale cheese in the USA, but you have to find a pretty well stocked cheese counter (e.g. Fairway if you are in the NY area).  Standard fare in standard supermarkets has been pretty poor in the US, with a big selection of samey crappy products, but this is slowly changing.  Chains like e.g. Trader Joe (which is part owned by Aldi, but aimed at a higher level than Aldi in Europe) are doing really well, and the traditional supermarkets are having to up their game as a result.  (They don't carry Wensleydale, but have many nice cheeses!)

[Cerebus]

edit   is Wensleydale a real thing?  have searched the foreign cheese section at giant and never found any.

I've just come back from the supermarket. If I'd read that before I went I'd have taken a picture of loads of Wensleydale.

This is Wensleydale, Yorkshire ('dale' being Northern for a valley):



This a Wensleydale sheep (a local breed):



And this is a Wensleydale cheese (which for clarity's sake I have to point out is made with cow's milk) and a very fine example of Wensleydale at that:




Also:

Swaledale, Yorkshire:


Swaledale sheep:


Swaledale cheese (Which IS made with Swaledale sheep's milk and goes wonderfully with a slice of fruit cake):

[SilverSolder]

[...] This is Wensleydale, Yorkshire ('dale' being Northern for a valley) [...]

[/quote]

"Dale" comes from the Scandinavian word "Dal", for a valley, is my understanding.  The EU conspiracy goes back thousands of years!!! 

[Saskia]

Remember Lindisfarne.

[BU508A]

Remember Lindisfarne.

Album: Lady Eleanor

[Cerebus]

[...] This is Wensleydale, Yorkshire ('dale' being Northern for a valley) [...]

"Dale" comes from the Scandinavian word "Dal", for a valley, is my understanding.  The EU conspiracy goes back thousands of years!!! 

Just a few miles from Wensleydale is Skyreholme, which is about as Scandinavian as you can get in a place name. The whole North-East of England has traces of Scandinavian influence and occupation, right down to the genetics of the people. You can bet that if I had my genome examined by one of those "we tell you who your ancestors were" companies that there would be clear evidence that one of my forebears was a Viking's bastard (My father was a Geordie and I've inherited the gene for warm hands in cold weather that is a known marker of Scandinavian descent).

[tggzzz]

is Wensleydale a real thing?  have searched the foreign cheese section at giant and never found any.

Yes, it is. Oddly enough it was originally made in Wensleydale It is a hard cheese, white, sharp flavour, and with a crumbly texture. Very nice, but less so when wrapped in plastic.

I'm not surprised you can't get it in the USA. Away from cosmopolitan centres like SF and Boston, many people have an odd reaction when they pick up a loaf of bread in the supermarket: their arm races upwards towards the ceiling, until they get it back under control. Yes, the US bread has "too much" air in it, and so is lighter than expected. Then we can consider bacon; the US only has streaky bacon, which is our lowest grade. And I won't mention delicious (but ugly) apples like Egremont Russets, or Cox's Orange Pippins.

You can definitely get Wensleydale cheese in the USA, but you have to find a pretty well stocked cheese counter (e.g. Fairway if you are in the NY area).  Standard fare in standard supermarkets has been pretty poor in the US, with a big selection of samey crappy products, but this is slowly changing.  Chains like e.g. Trader Joe (which is part owned by Aldi, but aimed at a higher level than Aldi in Europe) are doing really well, and the traditional supermarkets are having to up their game as a result.  (They don't carry Wensleydale, but have many nice cheeses!)

I have't been to the US in a while, so I'm sure some things have changed, and some for the better.

Rule of thumb: UK for hard cheeses, France for soft cheeses, plus a nice drippy gorgonzola from Italy. Ignore everything else

Supermarket cheese over here is very variable. Too much plastic wrapped stuff is plastically inside and best thought of as "mousetrap cheese". But a good truckle cheddar or stilton or double gloucester or...

[tggzzz]

"Dale" comes from the Scandinavian word "Dal", for a valley, is my understanding.  The EU conspiracy goes back thousands of years!!! 

... and from the German "Tal".

The old statement is that 80% of English words have a Teutonic origin. That's particularly the case for simple "everyday" words. Latinate languages were layered on top of that after the Norman invasion, often adding "fancy" versions of the "everyday" words.

[mnementh]

   I actually rather like the newer axial compression-type F connectors, but wholeheartedly agree that the old crimp on or twist on ones were utter caca.

-Pat

I have not seen those axial compression F connectors. Didn't know it existed. As far as I know my cable co still uses crimp on F's but at least they upgraded to RG-6.

I first saw them about ten years or so ago when the cable guy did some repairs and reterminated the drop to the house.  He showed me the connector and crimping tool and I thought it was pretty sweet.  Bought one a few years later at The Home Despot, and have been using it since.  Between one of those clothes-pin strippy things and the compression connectors, terminating RG6 with F connectors is a snap.  Clip the stripper on and spin it a few times around the cable, then pull the cut insulation pieces off, fold the shield wires back over the outer jacket and stuff it into the connector until it bottoms.  Pop the connector into the compression crimper, squeeze and it's done.  The process takes about as much time as it took me to type this out, if not less.

   Stripper - preps end of cable stripping 1/4" of all but the center from the end, and an additional 1/4" of the outer jacket.

   Stripper detail - the black set of blades preps the cable end.  The connector nose fits into the hex recess at the right to hold it steady as the cable is pushed into the point it bottoms.

   Compression crimper - the spring loaded actuator is held closed by the bail.  The turret that the bail is attached to has several stop depths to do different connectors (I've also done video RCA plugs with it); the knurled screw on the ram adjusts the compression stroke to bottom the connector sleeve when the handle is squeezed shut.

[img height=80https://photos.smugmug.com/Electronics/Misc-test-equipment/i-qSk6LK2/0/c3f096dc/L/2020061700034041-IMG_1469-L.jpg[/img]http://http://Connector (sans cable) in the crimper.  It's not currently adjusted to fit this one, but if it were all set up and there was a cable in the connector, a quick squeeze at this point and you're done.

-Pat

Med, Brighthouse now Spectrum here in Flori-DUH has been using compression fittings for quite some time now along with RG-6.  I found out about them when we were having a problem with the MTA when we had Internet and phone.  The tech came out and re-terminated the cable I installed with the compression fittings.  He said that the techs found that crimped connectors were problematic with the phone service.  He even gave me some of his stash.  I bought the same crimper from Home Depot, already had a similar style stripper.  When Rat Shack went out of business, I bought a bunch of connectors--RG-59, RG-6 and RG-6 quad shield.  At my age, I have a lifetime supply.

Yeah, those have been around for a couple decades at least; they were developed by the satellite TV industry to make a self-sealing stem bolt F-connector for RCA/HUGHES/Ku-Band dishes. The malleable plastic bit under the ferrule is made of two inter-fitting cones; when it crushes it locks into itself & forces the sheathing to mold itself to the difference between the metal ferrule and the inner barb, making a weathertight seal. The connectors made for uWave/outdoor use have a silicone rubber seal inside; we'd also wrap the connection with self-sealing silicone tape.

When they were first released, the crimper was made with EXACTLY the right dimensions for the brand of connector; they sold the palm-grip crimper (like yours, only non-adjustable) cheap, like $10-20, to lock you into their brand of connector at ~$1.50 each. Techs soon found they could buy the Paladin adjustable ratcheting pliers-type crimper (which I still have) for ~$40 and do any of them, as well as BNCs and RCAs. Some techs tried to fake it by using the cheapest crimper with washers to shim out for the cheapest fittings; these inevitably deformed the connector causing pull-apart failures left & right. I had regular work for a couple years re-terminating those failed connectors; enough to pay for my first digital camera which became a necessity for documenting the repairs. The f***ing lightning traps were the worst offenders; they had poor quality machining on the connector stubs and were very hard to get a good seal.

mnem

[mnementh]

   More inspection of the FG503. The strange "coating" is evident on the plastic, even under the aluminum panel. But ... it does not exist on the aluminum panels on any side next to the plastic. Why would that be?  Again, it comes off easily with alcohol.

There are two of the Tektronix PCB switches with covers. The plastic side clips that hold the cover on are cracked on both. Three of the four on one switch and two of the four on the other. I do not know what type of plastic it is. I can only think of CA glue to fix them. Any other ideas?

Looks like a job for 3DP. 

mnem