Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[cyclin_al]

Xmas brake is over, now quarantene because I was in USA.
And of course, internet in my apt is down.
thank you fuckdafone.

After 35min on the phone listening to stupid music t whopping 3KHz bandwidth, they opened a ticket.
I already know it will take 3 days to repair it....

orrr..... plot twist, my modem is somehow toasted and do not detect the DSL carriere anymore....

ONE thing is totally obvious: it is neither recommended nor acceptable for a member of this community not to be able to support his main communication technology by robust test-and-measurement capabilities.
1.) you need a DSL tester
2.) you need a DSL simulator/device tester
3.) you need a backup in the form of a DSL signal presence indicator plug
 

P.S.: my tip would be to throw in some special tools and adaptors for good measure.

My solution is a lot simpler: a known-good DOCSIS 3.1 gateway router I can drop on the line and log into.  Fuck DSL with a shovel. (If you don't have a choice, my condolences. )

mnem
*toddles off to ded*

The Ferengi technique is to be really friendly with the tech that comes out to fix it.  Most of the time over here, it is the filters that fail; the ones that filter between phone and DSL frequencies.  On a long past visit, the tech left me 3 extra sets of filters.  Only one set remains.  On the 2020 failed modem firmware update, the tech left behind a spare modem....  the only problem with free equipment is that it is not test equipment, but out-smarting the tech by using actual test equipment may not be conducive to receiving free spares.

Good luck!

[Zucca]

Xmas brake is over, now quarantene because I was in USA.
And of course, internet in my apt is down.
thank you fuckdafone.

After 35min on the phone listening to stupid music t whopping 3KHz bandwidth, they opened a ticket.
I already know it will take 3 days to repair it....

orrr..... plot twist, my modem is somehow toasted and do not detect the DSL carriere anymore....

ONE thing is totally obvious: it is neither recommended nor acceptable for a member of this community not to be able to support his main communication technology by robust test-and-measurement capabilities.
1.) you need a DSL tester
2.) you need a DSL simulator/device tester
3.) you need a backup in the form of a DSL signal presence indicator plug
 

P.S.: my tip would be to throw in some special tools and adaptors for good measure.

My solution is a lot simpler: a known-good DOCSIS 3.1 gateway router I can drop on the line and log into.  Fuck DSL with a shovel. (If you don't have a choice, my condolences. )

mnem
*toddles off to ded*

Guess what, now it works. Why? Nobody knows yet. I am waiting to the fudafone technical support team to report to me.
Neomys Sapiens I beg you for forgiveness, you are right. Anyway this is the only tool I know effective against stupidity....


All the others thank for you support!
 

[cyclin_al]

Roadtrip @Med @Nixiefreq others? eBay auction: #293945475353 Only a few miles and some snow likely to be in the way  Some other goodies from the same seller too....





Also a stash of HP feet  eBay auction: #363037725383

About 12 hours of driving one way, plus an international border.  In normal times, a road trip like that in summer could be combined with a cycling vacation...

[BU508A]

All the others thank for you support!

You are welcome.        


 

[Brumby]

OK .... I've done it.  NanoVNA and TinySA ordered, together with a test/demo board kit.

Now waiting on that slow boat........


(I'd blame Bean and Mnem for inciting this action on my part - but they'd both probably wear that badge with pride.)

[Cerebus]

Oh, nice, lunch break is announced for 12:30 (but still discussed if 12:15 or 12:45 would be more appropriate)

There was an episode of the Avengers

(This Avengers, not the Marvel everybody wearing their underpants on the outside Avengers. Proper heroes have an account with a Saville Row tailors, not a lingerie shop.)

where a heist was set up at the Avengers' version of GCHQ. One of the plot devices was a tape recording that could be played to people who'd be knocked out with that archetypal 1960s plot device, sleeping gas. The tape kept people 'under', made them ignore what was going on around them, and convinced people that they'd had a normal, complete day at work when they finally came around again.

What I don't know is whether you need a copy of that tape recording to allow you to walk away from your Teams meeting, or whether you should make a tape recording of your Teams meeting to use to hypnotise your colleagues anytime you fancy a day off, or indeed, to raid a super-secret cypher facility.

[25 CPS]

OK .... I've done it.  NanoVNA and TinySA ordered, together with a test/demo board kit.

Now waiting on that slow boat........


(I'd blame Bean and Mnem for inciting this action on my part - but they'd both probably wear that badge with pride.)

Apparently, as of 8:44 AM local time, mine are out for delivery.  Fingers crossed.  They haven't arrived yet.  If they do make it in today or tomorrow, I'll see if I can shoot an unboxing video and put it up online somewhere that's ideally not Youtube.

[25 CPS]

I got a really cryptic broken HTML email from Canada Post that said that the parcel had been delivered even though the online tracking said it was still out for delivery and nobody knocked on the front door.



Sure enough, check the front porch and sure enough there it is wedged in between the screen door and main door.  The important thing is they made it at last.  Unboxing after work from home time ends.

[Saskia]

ok, the 3 dead ITX boards are finally resuscitated.

[med6753]

Sure enough, check the front porch and sure enough there it is wedged in between the screen door and main door.  The important thing is they made it at last. Unboxing after work from home time ends.

The new reality. So glad I'm no longer a part of that. 

[med6753]

ok, the 3 dead ITX boards are finally resuscitated.

CPR or just a swift kick in the ass? 

[capt bullshot]

There was an episode of the Avengers
(This Avengers, not the Marvel everybody wearing their underpants on the outside Avengers. Proper heroes have an account with a Saville Row tailors, not a lingerie shop.)

Well known here as "Mit Schirm, Charm und Melone".

[Saskia]

no reply yet from adata.
will keep you posted.
Will do my ebay auctions, then RMA the dead ASUS RTX. Still have a 3060ti sitting here, plus maybe an 8400 itx system with a 1660 ti.

Root cause for those Fujitsu boards that did not come up:
Apart from memory and stoopeed DP issues those industrial embedded boards use 12V DC when powered from the internal 4 pin connector. When going thru the external power jack they want a 19 - 24 V DC PSU.
Not those pesky 12V DC PSUs you would expect from looking at the normal power distribution in these things and what you are used to from looking at other slim ITX boards.
And the documentation is at least partially password protected. 
WTH ...

[Saskia]

Decided to conclude the day with the drink of our ancestors.

The honey taste strong it is in this Met.

[Saskia]

I forgot: Asus Z87 board resuscicated as well. it's perfectly fine for office work. Especially as I got a´n Nvidia Quadro 4000 for 30 bucks ... Should be fairly usable for some CAD at home with its 16GB of memory.

[Saskia]

@DP welcome. We also have some pyromaniacs here ...

[mnementh]

OK .... I've done it.  NanoVNA and TinySA ordered, together with a test/demo board kit.   Now waiting on that slow boat........

(I'd blame Bean and Mnem for inciting this action on my part - but they'd both probably wear that badge with pride.)

Damn skippy. 

mnem
*toddles off into the subzero suck*

[Cerebus]

"What's that Skip? You've seen some old test equipment in the back of a barn?"

[Neomys Sapiens]

I recently purchased a broken Datron 4700 calibrator... it hasn’t arrived yet.... I keep checking the tracking, even though I need to pay tax on it at customs first...

Well, you are making quite an entry here. Good luck with that beast.

[mnementh]

"What's that Skip? You've seen some old test equipment in the back of a barn?"

weuf!

mnem
 

[Zucca]

I am waiting to the fudafone technical support team to report to me.

Official statements from Fudafone:

Sehr geehrter Vodafone-Kunde,

gute Nachrichten: Ihr Anschluss funktioniert wieder, Ihr Ticket TA000000xxxxxx schiließen wir.

Freundliche Grüße
Ihr Vodafone Team.

@Neomys Sapiens those muppets do not deserve any DSL measurements details.
Bloody muppets.... muppets.

This story reminds me to the legendary bd139 reply here.

Speaking of German muppets, my building management team is also contaminated:



and yes they deserve some measurements... 65.2C hot water temperature at the third floor? 

[Neomys Sapiens]

Now 65.2V on the running water, THAT would have been impressive! Especially if they are not present on the tap! 

[25 CPS]

Sure enough, check the front porch and sure enough there it is wedged in between the screen door and main door.  The important thing is they made it at last. Unboxing after work from home time ends.

The new reality. So glad I'm no longer a part of that. 

Tell me about it.  I am tempted, so tempted for so many reasons, to head downstairs and do the unboxing and call it my lunch break or something.

[Specmaster]

"What's that Skip? You've seen some old test equipment in the back of a barn?"

You left the important part off, "Of you go Skippy and I'll follow" 

[Specmaster]

Now 65.2V on the running water, THAT would have been impressive! Especially if they are not present on the tap! 

You muppet, its showing 62.5mV