Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bd139]

Heads up for UK buyers looking for 150MHz 4 channel scope, this one just appeared in my search box on Shpock, its in Redditch though, £150 or offer

https://www.shpock.com/en-gb/i/YPFCBgUNjGp9c4Xa/tektronix-2445a-4-channel-150mhz-oscilloscope

That’s a pretty good deal actually 

Would be tempted if my air con wasn’t bust 

I thought it was a good deal, almost went for it myself as its a 4 channel unit. Maybe your Air Con just needs a recharge? If so its around the £40 mark and is so much better than driving with the windows open, which cause drag, buffeting, popped ear drums and of course a far bigger hike in fuel bills than powering the AC costs.

Unfortunately it requires HFO-1234yf which is considerably more expensive. I don't drive it enough to bother fixing it properly.

[Specmaster]

I have never used a screen protector 

I always fit a tempered Gorilla glass protector on my phones. As the dwagon says, they will sacrifice themselves in order to save the main screen, a good investment in my view.   

[Specmaster]

Heads up for UK buyers looking for 150MHz 4 channel scope, this one just appeared in my search box on Shpock, its in Redditch though, £150 or offer

https://www.shpock.com/en-gb/i/YPFCBgUNjGp9c4Xa/tektronix-2445a-4-channel-150mhz-oscilloscope

That’s a pretty good deal actually 

Would be tempted if my air con wasn’t bust 

I thought it was a good deal, almost went for it myself as its a 4 channel unit. Maybe your Air Con just needs a recharge? If so its around the £40 mark and is so much better than driving with the windows open, which cause drag, buffeting, popped ear drums and of course a far bigger hike in fuel bills than powering the AC costs.

Unfortunately it requires HFO-1234yf which is considerably more expensive. I don't drive it enough to bother fixing it properly.

Fix it or else you really do run the risk of having the compressor locking up and that will seriously ruin your day and hurt your wallet big time.

[mansaxel]

The array of Devices! that is needed to maintain and diagnose optical and copper lines today is impressive.

That is not the way it is here in the GWN.

If the copper is not fully broken, then we are left to suffer.
When the copper permanently fails, then they eventually get around to replacing it.  More suffering in the meantime.

If you have broken optical, then you are considered upper-class.  (you, not me...)
The repair trucks are equipped with sets of standard length replacement optical cables.
They choose a cable longer than needed and loop the excess, but replacement is done surprisingly quickly.
Other optical equipment is plug-n-play replacement.

Oh, to elaborate, I did talk about what tools I need, as responsible for cable plant at work, and sometimes supposed to try shipping a 100G link across town on dark fiber.  What I do at home, is to call the provider after having done my homework. I can get by on a microscope and a power meter.

[Specmaster]

The latest line of phones are pretty robust. I’ve got a “mostly glass” iPhone 12 and it’s taken a few really nasty tumbles and lives in the same pocket as my keys most of the time. Looks like the day I bought it.

Which was only last week 

[bd139]

Fix it or else you really do run the risk of having the compressor locking up and that will seriously ruin your day and hurt your wallet big time.

Meh. If that happens I'll pop the belt off the compressor and carry on using it. It's not worth fixing it for 3 months of hot weather max and 2500 miles a year. The car is going to dissolve in the rain before it wears out.

The latest line of phones are pretty robust. I’ve got a “mostly glass” iPhone 12 and it’s taken a few really nasty tumbles and lives in the same pocket as my keys most of the time. Looks like the day I bought it.

Which was only last week 

 

I'll use it for 2 years until Applecare runs out and bang it on ebay then buy an iPhone "whatever the hell is out then" number.

[med6753]

Heads up for UK buyers looking for 150MHz 4 channel scope, this one just appeared in my search box on Shpock, its in Redditch though, £150 or offer

https://www.shpock.com/en-gb/i/YPFCBgUNjGp9c4Xa/tektronix-2445a-4-channel-150mhz-oscilloscope

That’s a pretty good deal actually 

Would be tempted if my air con wasn’t bust 

I thought it was a good deal, almost went for it myself as its a 4 channel unit. Maybe your Air Con just needs a recharge? If so its around the £40 mark and is so much better than driving with the windows open, which cause drag, buffeting, popped ear drums and of course a far bigger hike in fuel bills than powering the AC costs.

Unfortunately it requires HFO-1234yf which is considerably more expensive. I don't drive it enough to bother fixing it properly.

Fix it or else you really do run the risk of having the compressor locking up and that will seriously ruin your day and hurt your wallet big time.

Even if the system lost all it's refrigerant as long as there is sufficient compressor oil in the system, no moisture, and you don't run it I can't see the compressor itself being damaged. The compressor does not turn unless the compressor clutch is engaged, unless French cars are weird which wouldn't surprise me. 

[bd139]

Yep. It definitely doesn't turn. When you press the AC button you can feel it kick in. When you have an 0.99 litre engine this really fucks you if you're going up a hill 

French cars are fairly not weird these days. Historically accurate though!

[Specmaster]

Front windscreens are made of tempered glass and shatter in cubes just like the side glass, and although they do offer some physical strength / stiffness to the vehicle during a rollover, this factor is ignored in the mathematics because the pillars need to be able to support the weight of the vehicle even when all windows have failed. So it's a bonus, but not essential.

McBryce.

I think that you are talking about the older type of cars that used a rubber surround to hold the windscreen in place. Modern cars are laminated and are held in place by a special type of adhesive and designed to prevent passengers from going through the glass and being ejected into the path of the vehicle in the event of an accident. Hence, why you can often see vehicles which have massive cracks in their windscreens, and the screen has not shattered into the cubes you mention like the door windows do. The side windows are so designed as they may be used as an emergency escape hatch in the event of the doors jamming each other shut after an accident, and you can buy special glass hammers to keep in the car for such an incident and hitting the side glass with the pointed part of the hammer will cause the glass to shatter and present a means of escape from the vehicle.

[bd139]

Just tripped over this and it made me laugh

New anti-burning feature in oscilloscopes!



 

[mnementh]

Neither have I. Protecting Gorilla-glass with more Gorilla-glass always seemed like a pretty futile exercise to me.

McBryce.

Actually if stuck together with a non rigid adhesive it adds a lot of extra strength. That is why windshields and bulletproof glass are laminated.

Kind of. Car windscreens are mainly laminated to keep the glass together after it has shattered instead of having a wall of shards flying towards you if something breaks the windscreen.

McBryce.

It's both. They're stronger and large shards are kept captive. If it were just the shard protection, they'd be made of tempered glass that shatters into tiny grit like the side windows.

In many modern cars, the windshield(s) is/are actually part of the stiffness of the monocoque; it provides part of the roof crush support that used to be entirely provided by traditional A/B/C pillar design.

There was a lawsuit a decade or so back in which a replacement windshield popped out of a vehicle during an accident due to improper installation, and the roof of the vehicle collapsed breaking the driver's neck, when according to the manufacturer, it should have maintained integrity. Lots of investigation, enginerding, etc... but ultimately it was found that the windshield was cemented in place improperly, making the glass company liable.

mnem
 

Front windscreens are made of tempered glass and shatter in cubes just like the side glass, and although they do offer some physical strength / stiffness to the vehicle during a rollover, this factor is ignored in the mathematics because the pillars need to be able to support the weight of the vehicle even when all windows have failed. So it's a bonus, but not essential.

McBryce.

Umm, no. I've smashed enough windshields on my own and served on enough MVAs to know the first is categorically wrong. There are a million little splinters when a windshield is smashed. The side windows smash as you say, but not the windshield.

And the lawsuit in question says you're wrong on the latter as well.

Not to be a dick, but just plain no.

mnem
 

[Specmaster]

Woohoo school cancelled next week due to a positive covid test and cargo cult process. Can sleep in the whole week now

... or a perhaps a positive test for, I'm told, lemon juice? https://www.scotsman.com/news/uk-news/lemon-juice-covid-test-parents-fury-over-pupils-faking-positive-tests-with-tiktok-trick-3294789

It doesn't work. We tried it on our excess tests last weekend. Science project 

Arh so the reports of schools being closed because of positive Covid results last week in Essex were in fact true and not the result of fixed tests by the kids after all then? So it would seem that schools do indeed act as spreader hubs of the virus in the same way as they do with things like the common cold etc. Once the kids have grown up and left schools, most parents will testify that they suffer far fewer illnesses than they did when the kids were at school.

Speaking of spreader hubs, stand by for a massive spike in Covid cases again, the like of which we have not seen before with recent sports events, especially the GP at Silverstone today with a capacity crown crowd of 160,000 spectators, most of whom judging by the TV today did not have face masks on, do people really have a death wish now?

[Specmaster]

Yep. It definitely doesn't turn. When you press the AC button you can feel it kick in. When you have an 0.99 litre engine this really fucks you if you're going up a hill 

French cars are fairly not weird these days. Historically accurate though!

Whereas, on my 2 litre engine it makes no noticeable difference if the AC is switch on or off, but you can feel the difference when it is switched on and arrive at your destination cool and comfortable, nothing at all like I used to before cars had AC, then I was a big sweating jelly and shirts etc simply clung to you like a second skin.

EDIT:
Its marvellous how we get around to all sorts of topics on this thread, and yes there are a few nah sayers who complain about it from time to time, we can all learn something almost daily from these discussions, that broadens our horizons and knowledge, all done in the best possible taste. 

[mnementh]

Heads up for UK buyers looking for 150MHz 4 channel scope, this one just appeared in my search box on Shpock, its in Redditch though, £150 or offer

https://www.shpock.com/en-gb/i/YPFCBgUNjGp9c4Xa/tektronix-2445a-4-channel-150mhz-oscilloscope

That’s a pretty good deal actually 

Would be tempted if my air con wasn’t bust 

I thought it was a good deal, almost went for it myself as its a 4 channel unit. Maybe your Air Con just needs a recharge? If so its around the £40 mark and is so much better than driving with the windows open, which cause drag, buffeting, popped ear drums and of course a far bigger hike in fuel bills than powering the AC costs.

Unfortunately it requires HFO-1234yf which is considerably more expensive. I don't drive it enough to bother fixing it properly.

Fix it or else you really do run the risk of having the compressor locking up and that will seriously ruin your day and hurt your wallet big time.

Even if the system lost all it's refrigerant as long as there is sufficient compressor oil in the system, no moisture, and you don't run it I can't see the compressor itself being damaged. The compressor does not turn unless the compressor clutch is engaged, unless French cars are weird which wouldn't surprise me. 

Eeeehhh... this was true back in the days of R12. Even when I was working with R134 decades ago, an AC system that we could not confirm hadn't been exposed to air was considered "a warranty risk" due to the nature of the refrigerant, the additives, and the lubricants involved, which become corrosive when moisture from the air is introduced to the system.

Dealership garage I worked at refused to provide warranty on any such AC work unless compressor, evap, orifice tube if not expansion valve, and receiver/dryer and/or accumulator were replaced after a complete flush of the remaining system, due to the potential for return problems.

Things change man. They get 10x the cooling out of 1/4 the refrigerant nowadays; the machinery runs a lot harder, but also a lot more advanced chemistry, which does not like being contaminated.

mnem
 

[bd139]

Arh so the reports of schools being closed because of positive Covid results last week in Essex were in fact true and not the result of fixed tests by the kids after all then? So it would seem that schools do indeed act as spreader hubs of the virus in the same way as they do with things like the common cold etc. Once the kids have grown up and left schools, most parents will testify that they suffer far fewer illnesses than they did when the kids were at school.

Speaking of spreader hubs, stand by for a massive spike in Covid cases again, the like of which we have not seen before with recent sports events, especially the GP at Silverstone today with a capacity crown crowd of 160,000 spectators, most of whom judging by the TV today did not have face masks on, do people really have a death wish now?

No the schools closed is a cargo cult methodology. If someone is in a class and tests positive they shut the entire class down even if no one else has it. In our case they shut three years down (270 pupils) because of one positive test  . Personally I think a committee sat down and collectively decided "fuck it we're going on holiday early".

Anyway time will tell if everyone is snuffing it or not. We expect people to get covid just less people die of it now.

[Mr. Scram]

Umm, no. I've smashed enough windshields on my own and served on enough MVAs to know the first is categorically wrong. There are a million little splinters when a windshield is smashed. The side windows smash as you say, but not the windshield.

And the lawsuit in question says you're wrong on the latter as well.

Not to be a dick, but just plain no.

mnem
 

It's less common but certainly does exist in current day cars. Not commenting on the dick part. 

Laminated Tempered Glass

The combination of laminated and tempered glass is certainly possible but very difficult. When manufacturing laminated tempered glass, the thickness of PBV used has to be just right, or the glass is useless. If manufactured successfully, laminated tempered glass can have many useful applications. A number of car manufacturers are using this technology in their windows now.

https://autoglassfitters.com/1228/tempered-glass-vs-laminated-glass/

[Specmaster]

Arh so the reports of schools being closed because of positive Covid results last week in Essex were in fact true and not the result of fixed tests by the kids after all then? So it would seem that schools do indeed act as spreader hubs of the virus in the same way as they do with things like the common cold etc. Once the kids have grown up and left schools, most parents will testify that they suffer far fewer illnesses than they did when the kids were at school.

Speaking of spreader hubs, stand by for a massive spike in Covid cases again, the like of which we have not seen before with recent sports events, especially the GP at Silverstone today with a capacity crown crowd of 160,000 spectators, most of whom judging by the TV today did not have face masks on, do people really have a death wish now?

No the schools closed is a cargo cult methodology. If someone is in a class and tests positive they shut the entire class down even if no one else has it. In our case they shut three years down (270 pupils) because of one positive test  . Personally I think a committee sat down and collectively decided "fuck it we're going on holiday early".

Anyway time will tell if everyone is snuffing it or not. We expect people to get covid just less people die of it now.

Not so sure on the last point, Johnson variety (Delta) is as yet, largely an unknown because it is a new mutant strain. 

[bd139]

PHE have suggested that Pfizer is 96% effective and AZ is 92% effective against hospitalisation so far against Delta. That's pretty good.

We appear to be the only country which has any decent data on anything at the moment which is also pretty good.

[Specmaster]

Heads up for UK buyers looking for 150MHz 4 channel scope, this one just appeared in my search box on Shpock, its in Redditch though, £150 or offer

https://www.shpock.com/en-gb/i/YPFCBgUNjGp9c4Xa/tektronix-2445a-4-channel-150mhz-oscilloscope

That’s a pretty good deal actually 

Would be tempted if my air con wasn’t bust 

I thought it was a good deal, almost went for it myself as its a 4 channel unit. Maybe your Air Con just needs a recharge? If so its around the £40 mark and is so much better than driving with the windows open, which cause drag, buffeting, popped ear drums and of course a far bigger hike in fuel bills than powering the AC costs.

Unfortunately it requires HFO-1234yf which is considerably more expensive. I don't drive it enough to bother fixing it properly.

Fix it or else you really do run the risk of having the compressor locking up and that will seriously ruin your day and hurt your wallet big time.

Even if the system lost all it's refrigerant as long as there is sufficient compressor oil in the system, no moisture, and you don't run it I can't see the compressor itself being damaged. The compressor does not turn unless the compressor clutch is engaged, unless French cars are weird which wouldn't surprise me. 

Eeeehhh... this was true back in the days of R12. Even when I was working with R134 decades ago, an AC system that we could not confirm hadn't been exposed to air was considered "a warranty risk" due to the nature of the refrigerant, the additives, and the lubricants involved, which become corrosive when moisture from the air is introduced to the system.

Dealership garage I worked at refused to provide warranty on any such AC work unless compressor, evap, orifice tube if not expansion valve, and receiver/dryer and/or accumulator were replaced after a complete flush of the remaining system, due to the potential for return problems.

Things change man. They get 10x the cooling out of 1/4 the refrigerant nowadays; the machinery runs a lot harder, but also a lot more advanced chemistry, which does not like being contaminated.

mnem
 

As this video will back up, compressors do lock up and as you say, the whole system has to be replaced to get a warranty on it.

[Specmaster]

PHE have suggested that Pfizer is 96% effective and AZ is 92% effective against hospitalisation so far against Delta. That's pretty good.

We appear to be the only country which has any decent data on anything at the moment which is also pretty good.

Is it genuine data or stage-managed....?

[tggzzz]

PHE have suggested that Pfizer is 96% effective and AZ is 92% effective against hospitalisation so far against Delta. That's pretty good.

We appear to be the only country which has any decent data on anything at the moment which is also pretty good.

We have very little into on long covid, of course. That may well be more significant than the death rate, over the coming decades.

[bd139]

PHE have suggested that Pfizer is 96% effective and AZ is 92% effective against hospitalisation so far against Delta. That's pretty good.

We appear to be the only country which has any decent data on anything at the moment which is also pretty good.

Is it genuine data or stage-managed....?

Data is out there. Go read it: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1001354/Variants_of_Concern_VOC_Technical_Briefing_17.pdf

PHE have suggested that Pfizer is 96% effective and AZ is 92% effective against hospitalisation so far against Delta. That's pretty good.

We appear to be the only country which has any decent data on anything at the moment which is also pretty good.

We have very little into on long covid, of course. That may well be more significant than the death rate, over the coming decades.

Yes that is my main concern. I've lost one team member to it already.

[mansaxel]

Yep. It definitely doesn't turn. When you press the AC button you can feel it kick in. When you have an 0.99 litre engine this really fucks you if you're going up a hill 

French cars are fairly not weird these days. Historically accurate though!

Whereas, on my 2 litre engine it makes no noticeable difference if the AC is switch on or off, but you can feel the difference when it is switched on and arrive at your destination cool and comfortable, nothing at all like I used to before cars had AC, then I was a big sweating jelly and shirts etc simply clung to you like a second skin.

Our previous Volvo has a broken AC clutch (worn down, needs adjusting, but has been installed by an Italian mechanic guided by a french engineer, so requires a day of disassembly including touching power steering plumbing; consequently has been put on the repair queue) and we drove it to Italy in summer 2019. It's OK to drive with all windows down up to about 135 km/h on the Autobahn/Autostrada/Autoroute; above that the infra noise becomes too tiring. Does help with the shirt-clinging though.

New Volvo has working AC. I've been missing it a bit too much, I realise.

[med6753]

As this video will back up, compressors do lock up and as you say, the whole system has to be replaced to get a warranty on it.

No argument from me. If a compressor shits the bed and locks up, regardless of a properly charged or low system, you need to replace everything. And I also somewhat agree with mnem that in the case of a simple leak and low refrigerant you SHOULD replace all but you may get lucky IF outside air doesn't contaminate the system. It's a tough call.   

[med6753]

Yep. It definitely doesn't turn. When you press the AC button you can feel it kick in. When you have an 0.99 litre engine this really fucks you if you're going up a hill 

French cars are fairly not weird these days. Historically accurate though!

Whereas, on my 2 litre engine it makes no noticeable difference if the AC is switch on or off, but you can feel the difference when it is switched on and arrive at your destination cool and comfortable, nothing at all like I used to before cars had AC, then I was a big sweating jelly and shirts etc simply clung to you like a second skin.

Our previous Volvo has a broken AC clutch (worn down, needs adjusting, but has been installed by an Italian mechanic guided by a french engineer, so requires a day of disassembly including touching power steering plumbing; consequently has been put on the repair queue) and we drove it to Italy in summer 2019. It's OK to drive with all windows down up to about 135 km/h on the Autobahn/Autostrada/Autoroute; above that the infra noise becomes too tiring. Does help with the shirt-clinging though.

New Volvo has working AC. I've been missing it a bit too much, I realise.

On both my Hondas I definitely feel a drag when the A/C is switched on. 

The best A/C I ever had was a 1993 Chevy Cavalier Z24 V-6 with a variable displacement compressor and R-12. Not only did you never feel if kick on but it got so cold you could hang meat in that car.