Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Ice-Tea]

I win. You loose, you piece of garbage. You thought you could win from me, eh? Not booting from CD or stick, huh? WHO'S LAUGHING NOW, eh???!?



Uhm, wait, what do you mean "I can't find the HDD"? What? You can find any HDD except the one with the OS from this machine? Doesn't show up in the bios even???

So, you're telling me the drive chose *this* exact moment to cease operations??? Really??

[Specmaster]

Well yes, I don't like it but what can you do about it, nothing at all, short of fitting false plates or removing them altogether, either way, you're up shit creek.

How about "write to your MP" saying you don't like the police taking the law into their own hands and spying on you, an innocent citizen (which is effectively what they have done)? History pretty much tells us that this isn't a good thing. If you don't like something, don't just throw your hands up and accept it - you have the power to be an agent of change. Or bung a few quid in the direction of the organizations that campaign against this sort of thing - Liberty or one of many others working in this field.

Before writing to your MP, you need MP's and a Government who do not consider themselves above the Law, but's getting too political and will kick off the usual suspects again, so I'm not going further with that.

[mansaxel]

Hey another tool idea, I am looking for something to tap thread holes on a regular drill not a drill press.
Right now I always be a good kid and use my hand tool with excellent result, but maybe there is a tap adapter out there I am missing that could speed up the process.

No I do not want a Tapmatic , maybe something smaller and cheaper...

If you're tapping with power, you need something that can harness that power, or you will cry. While trying to remove broken taps. (Hint: They're harder than the workpiece, and most likely harder than your drill bits..)

Be a good boy now.

[Cerebus]

I tend to disagree. Best example is that of mass rape in Cologne, the heinous crimes in Sweden (the beheading of a christian woman in an Ikea, e.g.), the islamistic terror in Vienna.

I am afraid you have bought the right-wing propaganda hook, line and sinker.  If you read the Wikipedia article on the Ikea tragedy, it can be described as a reaction to crackdown on "undesired persons" as well. I tend to see it as much more of a indicator of the feedback loop I mentioned than anything else.

If you oppress people, they will react, and when they react, you have fuelled your argument for more oppression.

More interesting to me is the propaganda angle. There's a tendency to believe that people who fall for propaganda are stupid. This is not true, intelligent people are not immune to propaganda. Proof of that is that Saskia, obviously not an idiot or a fool, has fallen for this one.

The story that Saskia has been fed has a 'Christian' woman being 'beheaded' (with, as we all know, the implication that the attacker was from a religio-ethnic group that likes beheading). We read the facts and the attacker was from a Christian religio-ethnic group, the woman was stabbed not beheaded (we know nothing about her religious persuasion), and her son also died from wounds incurred in trying to stop the attack. The only facts that make it through intact are a lethal attack on a woman in Ikea. It's a crime, a nasty crime, but some evil person has twisted the facts for propaganda purposes and put the story into circulation in the version that Saskia has heard.

If I was Saskia I'd be mad at the people telling me lies, not the the people that they're lying to me about (and probably a little cross at myself for falling for it).

[Specmaster]

Yeah traffic lights are the correct solution for sure. Honestly though I'd burn more than £65 of my time fighting it.

Sorry but that's the attitude that just encourages them to be even bolder in their actions and then you'll end up with similar box junctions and cameras at almost every junction where the correct solution would be to install traffic lights. By doing nothing about, you're enabling them to save the cost of traffic lights, whack up a camera, paint a few lines on the road and sit back and rack the money in.

Like I said before, a decent modern dashcam would have provided you with enough evidence to sink a battleship with, it only has used once or twice in its lifetime to more than cover its initial cost and save you money. If everybody did it, then eventually it would save you time as well because they would not issue as many tickets if there is any chance that it is going to cost them time and money resolving them.   

[McBryce]

Hey another tool idea, I am looking for something to tap thread holes on a regular drill not a drill press.
Right now I always be a good kid and use my hand tool with excellent result, but maybe there is a tap adapter out there I am missing that could speed up the process.

No I do not want a Tapmatic , maybe something smaller and cheaper...

Stick with hand-tapping. Using a drill is a whole new level of frustation that you don't need in your life. It's not quicker because the time you thought you would save is just used up trying to get broken taps out of the piece you were working on.

McBryce.

[bd139]

Yeah traffic lights are the correct solution for sure. Honestly though I'd burn more than £65 of my time fighting it.

Sorry but that's the attitude that just encourages them to be even bolder in their actions and then you'll end up with similar box junctions and cameras at almost every junction where the correct solution would be to install traffic lights. By doing nothing about, you're enabling them to save the cost of traffic lights, whack up a camera, paint a few lines on the road and sit back and rack the money in.

Like I said before, a decent modern dashcam would have provided you with enough evidence to sink a battleship with, it only has used once or twice in its lifetime to more than cover its initial cost and save you money. If everybody did it, then eventually it would save you time as well because they would not issue as many tickets if there is any chance that it is going to cost them time and money resolving them.   

I agree to a point, but there's a phrase: "pick your battles".  I have some other ones which are better for investing my time in which will have a greater benefit overall.

[Cerebus]

Well yes, I don't like it but what can you do about it, nothing at all, short of fitting false plates or removing them altogether, either way, you're up shit creek.

How about "write to your MP" saying you don't like the police taking the law into their own hands and spying on you, an innocent citizen (which is effectively what they have done)? History pretty much tells us that this isn't a good thing. If you don't like something, don't just throw your hands up and accept it - you have the power to be an agent of change. Or bung a few quid in the direction of the organizations that campaign against this sort of thing - Liberty or one of many others working in this field.

Before writing to your MP, you need MP's and a Government who do not consider themselves above the Law, but's getting too political and will kick off the usual suspects again, so I'm not going further with that.

It's not political, it's a question of civic engagement. If one doesn't like the way the world is, one isn't going to change it by sitting on one's backside saying it can't be changed.

MPs work on the 'BBC letters principle' when they get letters. If the BBC get a letter complaining about a programme they treat every letter received as if it represents \$x\$ people's opinions, the \$(x-1)\$ being too lazy to write and complain. MPs are the same, if they get enough letters and they don't look like an orchestrated campaign* they will react and do something. Even if they are unprincipled lumps of ordure, they want to get elected again next time around so don't want to piss off too many constituents. All it takes is one MP to start a movement in parliament, and no matter how little you feel your vote achieves, thankfully parliament still makes the law and that law gets obeyed by the vast majority of citizens and institutions.

*If you ever write to your MP/Congresscritter/whatever, always write the letter yourself, don't go lazy and copy a letter some campaign has sent you. A copy of a campaign's form letter gets counted as 'one voter', your personalised letter gets counted as 10, or 20, or 100 voters.

This message brought to you by The Cerebus' Campaign for Civic Involvement - "Remember the sword is the last resort, even if it is the most fun."

[BU508A]

I wish, the discussions about fans, airflow and hot scopes would be coming back ...

[bd139]

Two things - one, the British police see the public through a windscreen nowadays, the days of the "bobby on the beat" are long gone.

Two, Med. I'm afraid you don't have an idea what the police do on a daily basis, even if you do do have an idea what some of them face. I've worked with the police in the past, been treated as "one of the lads", sat in incident rooms as statements have been written up, listened to the working conversations in the nick, and heard the real stories down the pub that you, "a civilian", don't get to hear.

Example: down the pub with a DS (Phil), a PC (Ian) and a special (John) - Phil:"So lads, do you remember the first time that your Inspector dictated the contents of your pocket book?" (for those not in the know, a policeman's pocket book will be used as a contemporary written record of evidence, and as such carries more weight in court). Here are three working coppers discussing the first time that they were given the 'official' version of evidence, that they would later swear in court was their own testimony, not their Inspectors, and this was such a commonplace that there was a "first time" for everybody. This is the British Police, generally regarded as the least corrupt in the world - as in the old "ideal country" joke.

Nobody likes to hear it, but police culture is not good. If there's institutionalised conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, as above, then there's something deeply wrong. You can bet your bottom dollar that other undesirable institutionalised misbehaviours are as common in the police anywhere - racism, excessive use of force and so on. Sorry, but my experience watching coppers go about their daily work from the privileged position of an insider but without the years of socialisation to treat that behaviour as 'normal' and many documented cases bear that out.

Indeed. The basic incentives for policing are power, promotion and altruism. That attracts three kind of people. The latter do not survive when placed in competition with the other two from what I have seen because the metrics favour only outcomes rather than prevention which is incompatible with the altruistic approach. Standard human behaviour. It's the same failure mode that businesses suffer from as well.

I digress but the human race are idiots. Especially me 

[bd139]

I wish, the discussions about fans, airflow and hot scopes would be coming back ...

My fan is now good if that is any consolation

I hope the person who bought that power supply off me had a decent fan to blow the smoke away 

[med6753]

Two, Med. I'm afraid you don't have an idea what the police do on a daily basis, even if you do do have an idea what some of them face. I've worked with the police in the past, been treated as "one of the lads", sat in incident rooms as statements have been written up, listened to the working conversations in the nick, and heard the real stories down the pub that you, "a civilian", don't get to hear.

Example: down the pub with a DS (Phil), a PC (Ian) and a special (John) - Phil:"So lads, do you remember the first time that your Inspector dictated the contents of your pocket book?" (for those not in the know, a policeman's pocket book will be used as a contemporary written record of evidence, and as such carries more weight in court). Here are three working coppers discussing the first time that they were given the 'official' version of evidence, that they would later swear in court was their own testimony, not their Inspectors, and this was such a commonplace that there was a "first time" for everybody. This is the British Police, generally regarded as the least corrupt in the world - as in the old "ideal country" joke.

Nobody likes to hear it, but police culture is not good. If there's institutionalised conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, as above, then there's something deeply wrong. You can bet your bottom dollar that other undesirable institutionalised misbehaviours are as common in the police anywhere - racism, excessive use of force and so on. Sorry, but my experience watching coppers go about their daily work from the privileged position of an insider but without the years of socialisation to treat that behaviour as 'normal' and many documented cases bear that out.

Oh really? You are forgetting something. I sleep with a cop. And yes, there are dirty deeds in every police department. NYPD no exception. In fact, in some cases more than most. But I'll just leave it at that.

I should send you and dragon 12 hours or so of recorded police calls to give an idea of the sometimes shit job they have to do to deal with domestics (family fights) and mental health issues because our gov in it's infinite stupidity shut down all the mental institutions.

OK, I've violated my no political policy so I'm going to say no more. 

[Zucca]

Stick with hand-tapping.

thanks Mansa and McBryce, it is good to know. Appreciate your TEA help.

[med6753]

I wish, the discussions about fans, airflow and hot scopes would be coming back ...

Patience my son. As soon as the parts get here and perhaps a half hour later I'll be posting. I'm done with any more off topic stuff and if the dragon tries to rebuff me it will be ignored. 

[Cerebus]

I digress but the human race are idiots. Especially me 

Yeah, me too. But at least we're nice idiots, for some value of nice. 

[factory]

I wish, the discussions about fans, airflow and hot scopes would be coming back ...

My fan is now good if that is any consolation

I hope the person who bought that power supply off me had a decent fan to blow the smoke away 

Will the 6294A be returned so an autopsy can happen, wonder why it failed?

David

P.S. I did try posting part two on the Beckman counter last night, but the forum software wasn't letting me add all the pictures (security problem ?). 

[bd139]

No idea. Quite frankly I'm done with it so it will not be returned. Initial investment was low enough not to bother with it.

I'm going to be honest but the TTi and Farnell power supplies scare me somewhat less 

[Specmaster]

Well yes, I don't like it but what can you do about it, nothing at all, short of fitting false plates or removing them altogether, either way, you're up shit creek.

How about "write to your MP" saying you don't like the police taking the law into their own hands and spying on you, an innocent citizen (which is effectively what they have done)? History pretty much tells us that this isn't a good thing. If you don't like something, don't just throw your hands up and accept it - you have the power to be an agent of change. Or bung a few quid in the direction of the organizations that campaign against this sort of thing - Liberty or one of many others working in this field.

Before writing to your MP, you need MP's and a Government who do not consider themselves above the Law, but's getting too political and will kick off the usual suspects again, so I'm not going further with that.

It's not political, it's a question of civic engagement. If one doesn't like the way the world is, one isn't going to change it by sitting on one's backside saying it can't be changed.

MPs work on the 'BBC letters principle' when they get letters. If the BBC get a letter complaining about a programme they treat every letter received as if it represents \$x\$ people's opinions, the \$(x-1)\$ being too lazy to write and complain. MPs are the same, if they get enough letters and they don't look like an orchestrated campaign* they will react and do something. Even if they are unprincipled lumps of ordure, they want to get elected again next time around so don't want to piss off too many constituents. All it takes is one MP to start a movement in parliament, and no matter how little you feel your vote achieves, thankfully parliament still makes the law and that law gets obeyed by the vast majority of citizens and institutions.

*If you ever write to your MP/Congresscritter/whatever, always write the letter yourself, don't go lazy and copy a letter some campaign has sent you. A copy of a campaign's form letter gets counted as 'one voter', your personalised letter gets counted as 10, or 20, or 100 voters.

This message brought to you by The Cerebus' Campaign for Civic Involvement - "Remember the sword is the last resort, even if it is the most fun."

I have done this letter writing to my local MP's (plural because I have written to the previous one and the current one occasionally) but like I said before, you need an MP to actually care about representing their constituents and not kissing the PM's arse all time. On this one I'm going to invoke BD's saying, "pick your battles"

[Ice-Tea]

Just wondering... I always shrugged off Farnell powersupplies as rebrands/housebrand. Is there more to it? They seem ubiquitous in the UK... Actually have one on the bench right now...

[Cerebus]

Oh really? You are forgetting something. I sleep with a cop.

No, I'm not forgetting that. But what you don't get to do, that I have, is spend weeks at a time, sometimes for more than 24 hours straight inside a working police station. When you're there working with them, doing stupid things like working 24 hours straight to 'get the job done', you get treated as an insider, you become part of the furniture and people act naturally - they don't mind their Ps and Qs because there's a civilian present. It's access that a sociologist or psychologist studying the police (or any in group) would kill for.

What I've seen being treated as an insider while still having a hopefully objective point of view tells me that outsiders, and that includes spouses. lovers and civilian mates, get an edited version of what goes on inside. I'm not even saying that that editing is deliberate, although some surely is, much of it is that as a socialised insider (and this applies to anything, not just policing) there's stuff going on that you just don't notice because you're part of it.

Edited to add:

I should send you and dragon 12 hours or so of recorded police calls to give an idea of the sometimes shit job they have to do to deal with domestics (family fights) and mental health issues because our gov in it's infinite stupidity shut down all the mental institutions.

You seem to have missed the point that I've spent a lot of time in incident rooms, as I say, sometimes 24 hours straight. So I probably have more idea than you do what shit goes on that they have to deal with, not only did I hear the radio calls, watch the PNC checks being made and so on, but I also saw the coppers when they came back from those calls, even went for a wind-down drink (and inevitable dodgy kebab) with them afterwards sometimes.

[bd139]

Just wondering... I always shrugged off Farnell powersupplies as rebrands/housebrand. Is there more to it? They seem ubiquitous in the UK... Actually have one on the bench right now...

They vary somewhat. The earlier ones, as all English products, were slightly naff but the later ones are quite good. Generally very reliable, well designed and made of quality bits. Their embedded supplies were used in telecoms, defence and industry in vast quantities. Most have fully passive cooling which is a win and unlike our American counterparts, the transformers perform slightly better at 50Hz

[factory]

No idea. Quite frankly I'm done with it so it will not be returned. Initial investment was low enough not to bother with it.

I'm going to be honest but the TTi and Farnell power supplies scare me somewhat less 

I'm sure you were complaining you hadn't got anything to repair recently, but it's your decision in the end though.  If anything I sell has problems I will be asking them to return it.

David

[Cerebus]

Just wondering... I always shrugged off Farnell powersupplies as rebrands/housebrand. Is there more to it? They seem ubiquitous in the UK... Actually have one on the bench right now...

Depends if they say "Farnell" on, or one of the other 'house' names. Farnell used to have their own power supply division, designing and building their own supplies and they were high quality. The power division got sold to Advance many years back, but still sold (and possibly sells) under the Farnell name.

[Saskia]

if I was fed crap about that Ikea incident then I am sorry, that's what I read in the news.
Anyway
@Mounty
will test the content of the box probably tonite. I guess it's fine, but we'll see. Have you tested the PC yet ?

Will start to experiment with my Xilinx toolchain for that Zedboard and check if it comes to life and if I can trigger some output. Will also be a good test if the MSO mod for my scope has worked.

[factory]

Just wondering... I always shrugged off Farnell powersupplies as rebrands/housebrand. Is there more to it? They seem ubiquitous in the UK... Actually have one on the bench right now...

Depends if they say "Farnell" on, or one of the other 'house' names. Farnell used to have their own power supply division, designing and building their own supplies and they were high quality. The power division got sold to Advance many years back, but still sold (and possibly sells) under the Farnell name.

They are now APS, some history of Farnell Instruments here;
https://advanceproductservices.co.uk/about-us/our-history/

David