Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

I've seen that foam degrade badly with time.

I don't know if it's attracting water, releasing water as it degrades, or the more likely releasing some compound that directly attacks pins, but whichever it is I've seen it make a nasty mess of ICs stored in it once it has begun to give up the ghost. The damage amounts to more than just sticky gunky softened plasticy stuff (aren't I being nice and precisely scientific today) sticking to the pins, it's proper full-on eating the pins away.

Yup. Ditto here. Had a whole ¹/₂bu box of spares bought from a school auction; they came stored in little jewel boxes 1-5 apiece with a block of that foam. They languished in the back of a cupboard for a year or three before I even opened one of them up; when I did, I found everything below the surface of the foam was black/green/crusty/eaten away. And whatever it was, even when I tried the really aggressive halogenated soldering flux I use only sparingly to clean up my tips and then retin with rosin... even that would not allow me to retin the legs. 

Got maybe a 10% yield from that lot; fortunately, it was a "comes along with" thing that didn't cost me a $. Sadly, I dumped stuff that had actual value for the real estate they occupied several times while they awaited triage.

mnem
lessons learnt the hard way...

[Cerebus]

From Fluke 8800A. We are on page 3904, so a picture of Motorola 2N3904.
They are used to switch the amplification via jfets. One of the control lines had to be lifted (green wire to gate), because the 5 Megohm between two of them were to much leakage so the jfet didn't swich on or needed minutes while the displayed value was 188888 or driving carrusel. Cleanin and drying the board didn't help. Error was back next day.

Oh, I see. We're doing that now are we. Challenge accepted.



MMBT2906 and 2N2906. Sorry no 2N3906s in TO-18 in my stock. I've got other things in TO-18, but that would be cheating.

(That's what it says, I know some would call that a PN2906 but it's got 2N3906 printed on it.)

[mnementh]

Oh, some " Bonne Maman " jam ?!   Didn't know they exported overseas, wow...

Thanks for supporting our economy / jobs mnem ! 

Je vous en prie!!!

mnem
French Canadians, ehhh...?

[AVGresponding]

Prices on Bonanza are even nuttier than on ebay...

This is pretty funky though: https://www.bonanza.com/listings/Data-Check-Monitor-Oscilloscope-1200B/850205708

[Specmaster]

Oh, some " Bonne Maman " jam ?!   Didn't know they exported overseas, wow...

Thanks for supporting our economy / jobs Mnem ! 

Easy to get anywhere as far as I know. Certainly in the UK.

Of course, if you want proper strawberry jam you want Wilkins & Sons "Tiptree" brand jams and preserves from Essex (of all places). Not only do they make the best jam in the world, but they actually grow their own fruit for their jams. Obviously only those fruit that will grow locally. They're not growing apricots in Essex, oh no. They also sell the same fruit fresh locally.

I'm lucky and my local supermarket actually gets some of their strawberries from Wilkins at Tiptree Farm. These are strawberries like you used to get in my childhood - not breed for transportability or shelf life but for strawberryness, absolutely bloody delicious. I had some last week and it was like being transported back to the 1960s.

And of course, Wilkins factory and farm is only a few miles away from me, and I've had the pleasure of actually being in their factory a few times as well and the smell is heavenly and certain times in the year is a magnet for the dreaded wasps or yellow jackets as they are known by some of you.

[mnementh]

I don't need Gixen; I have "patience".   

"The universal warrior uses all weapons at his disposal." ~Sun Tzu (or was it Castaneda... ehhh, who cares?)

mnem
why are you reading this?

"The wise warrior does not waste his resources on unnecessary subscriptions"

A specious argument at best. Gixen doesn't cost a penny unless you need oodles of snipes. Like, only numbers that professional buyers would need.

Even their premium mirror service with oodles of extra features... like multiple wins from a grouped bid... is only $6 a year. That's 50c a month.

We waste more than that on electricity just to come in here and bitch aboot high eBay prices; so even in that respect, Gixen saves you money. The money saved on TE is just gravy; if Gix gets you just one winning bid a year it has more than paid for itself.

For those playing along at home; educate yourself: https://www.gixen.com/main/index.php

mnem
*SMH*

[factory]

Surprised this has still not sold, given mine was also collection only & cost a little bit more in an auction listing.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144145889811



David

[BU508A]

Oh, some " Bonne Maman " jam ?!   Didn't know they exported overseas, wow...

Thanks for supporting our economy / jobs Mnem ! 

Easy to get anywhere as far as I know. Certainly in the UK.

Of course, if you want proper strawberry jam you want Wilkins & Sons "Tiptree" brand jams and preserves from Essex (of all places). Not only do they make the best jam in the world, but they actually grow their own fruit for their jams. Obviously only those fruit that will grow locally. They're not growing apricots in Essex, oh no. They also sell the same fruit fresh locally.

I'm lucky and my local supermarket actually gets some of their strawberries from Wilkins at Tiptree Farm. These are strawberries like you used to get in my childhood - not breed for transportability or shelf life but for strawberryness, absolutely bloody delicious. I had some last week and it was like being transported back to the 1960s.

*möööööööööp*
I have to disagree on this!
The best marmalade and jam are made by Faller in Utzenfeld!
I'm using them for my Christmas biscuits bakery (except for one, and this is Chivers Orange Jelly that was the best I was able to find here).
Faller is buying their fruits from local organic farmers. They produce only small batches of marmalade and jam and they are are cooked in an open copper kettle and stirred by hand.
The ingredients allowed are crystal sugar, high-quality apple pectin for gelling and natural concentrate from lemon juice to round off the flavour.

But you have made me curious. I'll test the Wilkin & Sons ´Tiptree´ Orange Marmalade for sure. Thanks for the hint. 

[mnementh]

Oh, some " Bonne Maman " jam ?!   Didn't know they exported overseas, wow...

Thanks for supporting our economy / jobs Mnem ! 

Easy to get anywhere as far as I know. Certainly in the UK.

Of course, if you want proper strawberry jam you want Wilkins & Sons "Tiptree" brand jams and preserves from Essex (of all places). Not only do they make the best jam in the world, but they actually grow their own fruit for their jams. Obviously only those fruit that will grow locally. They're not growing apricots in Essex, oh no. They also sell the same fruit fresh locally.

I'm lucky and my local supermarket actually gets some of their strawberries from Wilkins at Tiptree Farm. These are strawberries like you used to get in my childhood - not breed for transportability or shelf life but for strawberryness, absolutely bloody delicious. I had some last week and it was like being transported back to the 1960s.

Sorry... the best jam in the world is made by my grandmother in her kitchen from red/black raspberries, black cherries, concord/white grapes, apples, peaches, nectarines and strawberries hand-picked by myself, my mother, and my cousin Chris.

Well, made from the ones that made it home after we ate them fresh-picked until our bellies ached.

Almost 50 years ago... and lost to the foggy mists of time... *sigh*

*~mnemories~*

[BU508A]

Oh, some " Bonne Maman " jam ?!   Didn't know they exported overseas, wow...

Thanks for supporting our economy / jobs Mnem ! 

Easy to get anywhere as far as I know. Certainly in the UK.

Of course, if you want proper strawberry jam you want Wilkins & Sons "Tiptree" brand jams and preserves from Essex (of all places). Not only do they make the best jam in the world, but they actually grow their own fruit for their jams. Obviously only those fruit that will grow locally. They're not growing apricots in Essex, oh no. They also sell the same fruit fresh locally.

I'm lucky and my local supermarket actually gets some of their strawberries from Wilkins at Tiptree Farm. These are strawberries like you used to get in my childhood - not breed for transportability or shelf life but for strawberryness, absolutely bloody delicious. I had some last week and it was like being transported back to the 1960s.

Sorry... the best jam in the world is made by my grandmother in her kitchen from red/black raspberries, black cherries, concord/white grapes, apples, peaches, nectarines and strawberries hand-picked by myself, my mother, and my cousin Chris.

Almost 50 years ago... and lost to the foggy mists of time... *sigh*

*~mnemories~*

Ok, I have to admit, that this is the best jam in the world. 
I have to be more precise: The best jam in the world you can actually buy is from Faller. 

[Cerebus]

Of course, if you want proper strawberry jam you want Wilkins & Sons "Tiptree" brand jams and preserves from Essex (of all places). Not only do they make the best jam in the world, but they actually grow their own fruit for their jams. Obviously only those fruit that will grow locally. They're not growing apricots in Essex, oh no. They also sell the same fruit fresh locally.

I'm lucky and my local supermarket actually gets some of their strawberries from Wilkins at Tiptree Farm. These are strawberries like you used to get in my childhood - not breed for transportability or shelf life but for strawberryness, absolutely bloody delicious. I had some last week and it was like being transported back to the 1960s.

What a good salesman  you make Cerebrus ! 

I am sold, will give it a try ! Google found me this website that exports British decent food, they sell that Tiptree brand :

https://www.britishcornershop.co.uk/wilkin-and-sons-strawberry-conserve#

5 pounds and the banner at the top pretends there is no customs duty or taxes for French customers... weird, but well in that case I will check shipping prices and if it's not 20 pounds, might buy some strawberry...

I looked at that, and that's £5.69 a jar versus £2.59 on Tiptree's own website. Unfortunately Tiptree paused international sales during the Covid thing and don't seem to have resumed them fully again yet.

If it wasn't for the rapaciousness of the Royal Mail - it costs a fortune to send anything anywhere now - I wouldn't even pause to think, I'd just send you a jar as a gift - still no taxes or duty on small gifts. But, sending a single jar of jam to France from England ought to be cheap as chips - a £2.59, 350g jar of jam from the supermarket would cost £7.80 for surface post to France and would take 3-5 days. By way of contrast I just got my latest consignment of PCBs from China and the postage on that was £2.01 airmail and took 7 days - posting a "small parcel" in the UK to the UK would cost £3.20.

I also suspect that, post Brexit, English food might have a hard time with French customs unless managed by someone who knows the right person to bribe. 

[Cerebus]

Prices on Bonanza are even nuttier than on ebay...

This is pretty funky though: https://www.bonanza.com/listings/Data-Check-Monitor-Oscilloscope-1200B/850205708

If I ran a prop hire company I'd buy that in a blink!

[AVGresponding]

I don't need Gixen; I have "patience".   

"The universal warrior uses all weapons at his disposal." ~Sun Tzu (or was it Castaneda... ehhh, who cares?)

mnem
why are you reading this?

"The wise warrior does not waste his resources on unnecessary subscriptions"

A specious argument at best. Gixen doesn't cost a penny unless you need oodles of snipes. Like, only numbers that professional buyers would need.

Even their premium mirror service with oodles of extra features... like multiple wins from a grouped bid... is only $6 a year. That's 50c a month.

We waste more than that on electricity just to come in here and bitch aboot high eBay prices; so even in that respect, Gixen saves you money. The money saved on TE is just gravy.

mnem
*SMH*

Specious? Hardly. Facetious? Certainly. I refuse to take things like this seriously. And myself. And other people.

How can Gixen save me money, when its purpose is to enable me to buy more things? I can snipe at least as well, probably better, and if I miss something because I forgot about it, or am asleep when the bidding ends, well clearly I didn't want it badly enough.

Prices on Bonanza are even nuttier than on ebay...

This is pretty funky though: https://www.bonanza.com/listings/Data-Check-Monitor-Oscilloscope-1200B/850205708

If I ran a prop hire company I'd buy that in a blink!

There's half a dozen of the things on Bonanza, so it lives up to its name, even if the prices are saltier than the dead sea.

[Cerebus]

Oh, some " Bonne Maman " jam ?!   Didn't know they exported overseas, wow...

Thanks for supporting our economy / jobs Mnem ! 

Easy to get anywhere as far as I know. Certainly in the UK.

Of course, if you want proper strawberry jam you want Wilkins & Sons "Tiptree" brand jams and preserves from Essex (of all places). Not only do they make the best jam in the world, but they actually grow their own fruit for their jams. Obviously only those fruit that will grow locally. They're not growing apricots in Essex, oh no. They also sell the same fruit fresh locally.

I'm lucky and my local supermarket actually gets some of their strawberries from Wilkins at Tiptree Farm. These are strawberries like you used to get in my childhood - not breed for transportability or shelf life but for strawberryness, absolutely bloody delicious. I had some last week and it was like being transported back to the 1960s.

Sorry... the best jam in the world is made by my grandmother in her kitchen from red/black raspberries, black cherries, concord/white grapes, apples, peaches, nectarines and strawberries hand-picked by myself, my mother, and my cousin Chris.

Almost 50 years ago... and lost to the foggy mists of time... *sigh*

*~mnemories~*

Ok, I have to admit, that this is the best jam in the world. 
I have to be more precise: The best jam in the world you can actually buy is from Faller. 

I think I can hear Zucca's feet pattering towards his computer to tell us that no, the best jam in the world is in fact made by his Nonna, who collects the fruit barefoot while there's still dew on the ground... (cntd p96)

[BU508A]

Prices on Bonanza are even nuttier than on ebay...

This is pretty funky though: https://www.bonanza.com/listings/Data-Check-Monitor-Oscilloscope-1200B/850205708

If I ran a prop hire company I'd buy that in a blink!

I've sent "Look Mum, no computer!" a heads-up email about this piece.   

[mnementh]

Prices on Bonanza are even nuttier than on ebay...

This is pretty funky though: https://www.bonanza.com/listings/Data-Check-Monitor-Oscilloscope-1200B/850205708

Awww, man... that thing is fukkin' awesome. I want it painted satin black in my HT cabinet displaying all 7 channels... or maybe 7 different streams of that oscilloscope music thing...



Damn... I'm actually tempted to make a lowball offer, but it would cost $150 to get it to me.

mnem
Honeeeee... can I have forgiveness for a birthday present...?

[Cerebus]

Oh, some " Bonne Maman " jam ?!   Didn't know they exported overseas, wow...

Thanks for supporting our economy / jobs Mnem ! 

Easy to get anywhere as far as I know. Certainly in the UK.

Of course, if you want proper strawberry jam you want Wilkins & Sons "Tiptree" brand jams and preserves from Essex (of all places). Not only do they make the best jam in the world, but they actually grow their own fruit for their jams. Obviously only those fruit that will grow locally. They're not growing apricots in Essex, oh no. They also sell the same fruit fresh locally.

I'm lucky and my local supermarket actually gets some of their strawberries from Wilkins at Tiptree Farm. These are strawberries like you used to get in my childhood - not breed for transportability or shelf life but for strawberryness, absolutely bloody delicious. I had some last week and it was like being transported back to the 1960s.

*möööööööööp*
I have to disagree on this!
The best marmalade and jam are made by Faller in Utzenfeld!
I'm using them for my Christmas biscuits bakery (except for one, and this is Chivers Orange Jelly that was the best I was able to find here).
Faller is buying their fruits from local organic farmers. They produce only small batches of marmalade and jam and they are are cooked in an open copper kettle and stirred by hand.
The ingredients allowed are crystal sugar, high-quality apple pectin for gelling and natural concentrate from lemon juice to round off the flavour.

But you have made me curious. I'll test the Wilkin & Sons ´Tiptree´ Orange Marmalade for sure. Thanks for the hint. 

That knocks Chivers into a cocked hat, but the Tiptree is a real mans marmalade - dark, slightly bitter with large chunks of peel. The Chivers is quite a light, sweet marmalade; if it's to your personal taste then the Tiptree may not be. If I don't have any of my homemade marmalade left, I'll buy Tiptree and eat that instead.

[Neomys Sapiens]

Of course, if you want proper strawberry jam you want Wilkins & Sons "Tiptree" brand jams and preserves from Essex (of all places). Not only do they make the best jam in the world, but they actually grow their own fruit for their jams. Obviously only those fruit that will grow locally. They're not growing apricots in Essex, oh no. They also sell the same fruit fresh locally.

I'm lucky and my local supermarket actually gets some of their strawberries from Wilkins at Tiptree Farm. These are strawberries like you used to get in my childhood - not breed for transportability or shelf life but for strawberryness, absolutely bloody delicious. I had some last week and it was like being transported back to the 1960s.

What a good salesman  you make Cerebrus ! 

I am sold, will give it a try ! Google found me this website that exports British decent food, they sell that Tiptree brand :

https://www.britishcornershop.co.uk/wilkin-and-sons-strawberry-conserve#

5 pounds and the banner at the top pretends there is no customs duty or taxes for French customers... weird, but well in that case I will check shipping prices and if it's not 20 pounds, might buy some strawberry...

I recommend this one:

[BU508A]

Oh, some " Bonne Maman " jam ?!   Didn't know they exported overseas, wow...

Thanks for supporting our economy / jobs Mnem ! 

Easy to get anywhere as far as I know. Certainly in the UK.

Of course, if you want proper strawberry jam you want Wilkins & Sons "Tiptree" brand jams and preserves from Essex (of all places). Not only do they make the best jam in the world, but they actually grow their own fruit for their jams. Obviously only those fruit that will grow locally. They're not growing apricots in Essex, oh no. They also sell the same fruit fresh locally.

I'm lucky and my local supermarket actually gets some of their strawberries from Wilkins at Tiptree Farm. These are strawberries like you used to get in my childhood - not breed for transportability or shelf life but for strawberryness, absolutely bloody delicious. I had some last week and it was like being transported back to the 1960s.

*möööööööööp*
I have to disagree on this!
The best marmalade and jam are made by Faller in Utzenfeld!
I'm using them for my Christmas biscuits bakery (except for one, and this is Chivers Orange Jelly that was the best I was able to find here).
Faller is buying their fruits from local organic farmers. They produce only small batches of marmalade and jam and they are are cooked in an open copper kettle and stirred by hand.
The ingredients allowed are crystal sugar, high-quality apple pectin for gelling and natural concentrate from lemon juice to round off the flavour.

But you have made me curious. I'll test the Wilkin & Sons ´Tiptree´ Orange Marmalade for sure. Thanks for the hint. 

That knocks Chivers into a cocked hat, but the Tiptree is a real mans marmalade - dark, slightly bitter with large chunks of peel. The Chivers is quite a light, sweet marmalade; if it's to your personal taste then the Tiptree may not be. If I don't have any of my homemade marmalade left, I'll buy Tiptree and eat that instead.

I checked my local supermarkets here for english orange jelly, because I need it for my so-called "Grenobler Walnußbissen":


There are two reasons why I've chosen Chivers:
- it had the best taste at that time
- it had the right consistency

But as I wrote earlier: I'll test the Tiptree for sure, because I'm always looking for improvements and your description of the taste is going exactly in this direction I wanted to have.

[Specmaster]

Oh, some " Bonne Maman " jam ?!   Didn't know they exported overseas, wow...

Thanks for supporting our economy / jobs Mnem ! 

Easy to get anywhere as far as I know. Certainly in the UK.

Of course, if you want proper strawberry jam you want Wilkins & Sons "Tiptree" brand jams and preserves from Essex (of all places). Not only do they make the best jam in the world, but they actually grow their own fruit for their jams. Obviously only those fruit that will grow locally. They're not growing apricots in Essex, oh no. They also sell the same fruit fresh locally.

I'm lucky and my local supermarket actually gets some of their strawberries from Wilkins at Tiptree Farm. These are strawberries like you used to get in my childhood - not breed for transportability or shelf life but for strawberryness, absolutely bloody delicious. I had some last week and it was like being transported back to the 1960s.

*möööööööööp*
I have to disagree on this!
The best marmalade and jam are made by Faller in Utzenfeld!
I'm using them for my Christmas biscuits bakery (except for one, and this is Chivers Orange Jelly that was the best I was able to find here).
Faller is buying their fruits from local organic farmers. They produce only small batches of marmalade and jam and they are are cooked in an open copper kettle and stirred by hand.
The ingredients allowed are crystal sugar, high-quality apple pectin for gelling and natural concentrate from lemon juice to round off the flavour.

But you have made me curious. I'll test the Wilkin & Sons ´Tiptree´ Orange Marmalade for sure. Thanks for the hint. 

That knocks Chivers into a cocked hat, but the Tiptree is a real mans marmalade - dark, slightly bitter with large chunks of peel. The Chivers is quite a light, sweet marmalade; if it's to your personal taste then the Tiptree may not be. If I don't have any of my homemade marmalade left, I'll buy Tiptree and eat that instead.

I checked my local supermarkets here for english orange jelly, because I need it for my so-called "Grenobler Walnußbissen":


There are two reason, why I've chosen Chivers:
- it had the best taste at that time
- it had the right consistency

But as I wrote earlier: I'll test the Tiptree for sure, because I'm always looking for improvements and your description of the taste is going exactly in this direction I wanted to have.

I don't think that you'll be disappointed with Wilkins, its heavenly for sure.

EDIT: I love the look of those, they look like little frogs sitting on top of a biscuit 

[AVGresponding]

Marmalade? bleurgh 

[BU508A]

Marmalade? bleurgh 

This one's for you. 

https://youtu.be/RQa7SvVCdZk

[AVGresponding]

I just had a grocery delivery, and the muppets packing it had left the anti-theft neck on my vodka.   

The delivery guy was suitably bemused when I removed it in seconds using one of my 25mm neodymiums.

[AVGresponding]

Marmalade? bleurgh 

This one's for you. 

https://youtu.be/RQa7SvVCdZk

Well ok, that kind of marmalade is good...

[Specmaster]

Our muppet eBay seller is still trying to peddle this steaming turd, although I think the price is a bit lower this time, need to go a lot lower yet I think 
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133842289474