Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

Foam Fun!

https://youtube.com/shorts/xOTbXFw-jrY?feature=share

EDIT: can't for the life of me figure out how to embed videos. 

I just copy and paste the YouTube link directly into the message - don't use the URL tags or anything.  It will just show as the text in the preview, but the video window comes up when the message is posted.

-Pat

Yup, that's the second link. Maybe because I set visibility to "those who have link only" or something 

https://youtu.be/xOTbXFw-jrY

Replace the shorts/  with watch?v= and it works.

P.S. I found that out the other day, after getting pissed off with the missing full screen option with this "shorts"

David

I've always just copied the URL from the browser. If there's a time mark appended, I truncate it down to just the URL.

I only use the "Right-click over video, Copy video URL" thing when I want a URL that links to the vid but doesn't automatically embed in the post; like when I'm quoting a post where we've seen the video 3 times on the page already or summat:

https://youtu.be/xOTbXFw-jrY

mnem
 

[vk6zgo]

Tempting but I think $95 USD is a bit much. Heath's answer to the fancy hp AC voltmeters. A quick check of the specs states an accuracy of 4% full scale. Doesn't sound very impressive to me. How does that stack up against the hp's?

Since I've got a hollow-state 400H, not the later 3400H which would be a closer technical match, I'm selecting that for comparison.  The Heath does stretch to 2MHz, whereas the 400H manages 4MHz. Accuracy for the Heath is 4% at 1KHz; the 400H is 1% from 50Hz to 500KHz; only at the full frequency range does it allow itself to sway to 4% precision. I prefer my room heater 

Meh! The 410C goes to 200MHz (although you have to use a hulking great probe, & accuracy probably isn't spectacular) & it is a full featured VTVM!

[Cerebus]

One for the Mericans here, I'm told that the registration plates on your cars actually relate to you and not the car, so when you sell a car, you remove the plates and attach them to your new car is that right???

Here the plates remain with the car.

Well here in the UK the plates generally remain with the car, but if you're prepared to do the paperwork and pay the fees then you can, subject to some minor restrictions, transfer plates from vehicle to vehicle, or from vehicle to a "retention certificate" from which you can later transfer the plate to a new vehicle.

Nobody, except perhaps people with really bad memories, bothers to do this with 'normal' random registration numbers, but people will do it with registration numbers that were issued randomly but that have combinations of letters and numbers that make them attractive as vanity plates. e.g. David "Diddy" Hamilton, a former Radio 1 DJ, got hold of D1 DDY. That modest fellow Roman Abramovich drives a Rolls Royce with the registration VIP 1 (Mind you, that may now have been seized as part of the sanctions against him). DVLA figures say that a surprising 8% of cars on the UK roads have  vanity plates, but most of them are the simplest type where someone has picked the last three letters to match their initials and the prefix is 'as issued'.

By dint of chance I have vanity plates on both the old and the new cars as they were both sold to me with the vanity plates in place. The old car has a registration related to the vehicle model and was first registered with that plate by the dealer who got a stash of them from DVLA, the new one has a vanity plate related to the former owner's business's name which he put on after buying the vehicle on its original registration (as seen in Kryten's video review a couple of weeks back).

[Cubdriver]

One for the Mericans here, I'm told that the registration plates on your cars actually relate to you and not the car, so when you sell a car, you remove the plates and attach them to your new car is that right???

Here the plates remain with the car.

It's plate-to-owner there south of the border and here in Canada, instead of plate-to-car.  When my old SUV bit the dust back in the winter, I took it on two last runs.  The second last trip was to bring a barbecue that was destroyed and some other odds and ends to a charity scrap metal bin and the final run was into the dealership that sold me the replacement vehicle to trade it in.  The last thing I did was undo the bolts holding my license plates and take them with me.  The dealership made a mistake and plated the SUV with new ones instead of changing the registration on my existing plates to the new one and moving them over.  I might hang them up in the workshop downstairs, I don't know.

The replacement SUV just had its winter wheels changed out for summer ones.  Right now the winter wheel set is sitting in the back seat so there's no hauling large test equipment around in there until they're removed and put away.  That's going to wait for it to stop raining.  Unless something really compelling comes along, actually purchasing more test equipment in order to need to haul any around is going to wait until my bank account recovers a bit from purchasing a set of four rims, four tires, TPMS sensors, and installation.  That added up fast.

That is true. The plates go with the owner. Except California. The plates stay with the vehicle. Not sure if that's true in any other state.

To the best of my knowledge this is true - only in California does the plate stay with the vehicle; everywhere else in the states as far as I know the plate is registered to the owner, who transfers it to the car that they now own when they sell or otherwise get rid of a previously registered vehicle.  The California system seems foreign to me as it's the opposite of what I'm used to, and I seem to recall hearing stories of people out there who have sold cars there and the new owners never completed the paperwork and drove like idiots.  The DMV still associates the plate with the previous owner, so they come looking for them rather than the new owner who's screwing up.  I prefer the system where the plate stays with the owner; prevents such shenanigans.  You folks across the pond likely prefer yours as it's what you're used to. 

-Pat

[med6753]

Ok I bought something already. It's cheap, it's shit, but it has LEDs and runs off 12V DC and has no unobtainium parts but it's Griefkit and I felt sorry for it . But has tinker value and can totalise...

Hey, get back into it by starting small. Pretty soon you'll be back with the big boys. 

[Saskia]

hey bd, welcome back

[xrunner]

Welcome back dude. Yea I built one of those counters back when I was around 14 years old (something like that  ...). I'm sure you can handle it. 

Ok I bought something already. It's cheap, it's shit, but it has LEDs and runs off 12V DC and has no unobtainium parts but it's Griefkit and I felt sorry for it . But has tinker value and can totalise...

Hey, get back into it by starting small. Pretty soon you'll be back with the big boys. 

[GreyWoolfe]

One for the Mericans here, I'm told that the registration plates on your cars actually relate to you and not the car, so when you sell a car, you remove the plates and attach them to your new car is that right???

Here the plates remain with the car.

It's plate-to-owner there south of the border and here in Canada, instead of plate-to-car.  When my old SUV bit the dust back in the winter, I took it on two last runs.  The second last trip was to bring a barbecue that was destroyed and some other odds and ends to a charity scrap metal bin and the final run was into the dealership that sold me the replacement vehicle to trade it in.  The last thing I did was undo the bolts holding my license plates and take them with me.  The dealership made a mistake and plated the SUV with new ones instead of changing the registration on my existing plates to the new one and moving them over.  I might hang them up in the workshop downstairs, I don't know.

It is plate to owner here in Flori-DUH.  Additionally, plates must be traded in after 10 years, even vanity plates due to sun fading.  My amateur radio plate is due to be replaced this year.  I just go in to DMV at the earliest I am able to be able to get the plate before my birthday.  First, I have to renew my license!  I do have 2 other vanity plates hanging on the wall in my office.  When I change the plates, I will add the current one.  It keeps with the automotive theme in the office with the metal signs of 60's and 70 vehicles and the acrylic cases housing my diecast car collection.

[mansaxel]

Ok I bought something already. It's cheap, it's shit, but it has LEDs and runs off 12V DC and has no unobtainium parts but it's Griefkit and I felt sorry for it . But has tinker value and can totalise...

It is cute. While you were away, I expanded my TTi / Philips / hp stable with 2 more hp counters, 5316A and 5245L.

[cyclin_al]

One for the Mericans here, I'm told that the registration plates on your cars actually relate to you and not the car, so when you sell a car, you remove the plates and attach them to your new car is that right???

Here the plates remain with the car.

Yes, also in the GWN.  Plates remain with the person, not the car.

Does not matter, as they always say that the plates are too rusty and provide the "service" of forcing you to buy new plates...

[Robert763]

Twits on ebay Put a £5 bid on an inspection camera, recorder and monitor on ebay. Low feedback seller and £500 BIN. I won, paid immediately and guess what? Nothing 
Chase seller and he replies after a week saying ebay didn't notify him of the payment and he since sold it for much more money. To stupid to say he lost it or it was broken. I've called him on that and threatened to report him to the police for fraud if he doesn't get my property back. I won't of course but I may as well yank his chain....

[Vince]

The California system seems foreign to me as it's the opposite of what I'm used to, and I seem to recall hearing stories of people out there who have sold cars there and the new owners never completed the paperwork and drove like idiots.  The DMV still associates the plate with the previous owner, so they come looking for them rather than the new owner who's screwing up.  I prefer the system where the plate stays with the owner; prevents such shenanigans.  You folks across the pond likely prefer yours as it's what you're used to. 

-Pat

In Frogland it's like that too, however there is not much of a problem : when you buy the vehicle, both parties sign a document formalizing the change of hands. Document states that this day, at this hours, ownership has been transferred from X to Y. So if the new owner does silly things and they come for you instead, well you can just show your paperwork and say sorry I sold the car 2 hours ago it's not my problem anymore, you need to go after THAT guy, here is his name...have a good day !

Yes, also in the GWN.  Plates remain with the person, not the car.

Does not matter, as they always say that the plates are too rusty and provide the "service" of forcing you to buy new plates...

That's strange !    Here if your plate is damaged or you just want / need another one for whatever reason (say you bought a car with cheap crap plastic plate and you want a nice stamped aluminium one... or you want an extra plate so you can fit it to your trailer), well you just go to any auto parts store, show the car's paper work to prove you are the owner, then choose the style of plate that you want and 5 minutes later the guy gives you your new plates 


Vanity plates : no such thing here, and I find it silly to waste lots of money on these, but well to each their own I guess.
Instead, I find it much more fun (and cheaper ! ) to do it the other way around and try to find meaning in your random number plate ! Like trying to see patterns in clouds in the sky when you are a kid...

For example I had a car with this one :

BL - 389 - MQ

BL = BLanc ("White" in French)
389 = Paint code for "glacier" white on old Renault cars from the mid/late '90s. Cars that I like and have always been  driving, and love that white.

So " BL 389 " was like "Renault 389 White". 

MQ = when you pronounce that, it sounds exactly the same as " Aime Cul ", which means "Loves Sex" 



Another example on the car that replaced it. This one is very much electronics inspired !

BP - 552 - JK

BP = Bouton Poussoir  = French for " Push-Button ".

552 = at school I was taught micro-controllers and assembly language on the Intel 8051 family. In particular the development boards we had were using an (87C) 552 !
Was the top of the range 8051 variant back then, was so cool using it.

JK - Like the two inputs of a JK flip-flop of course !

[Peter_O]

Here the Plate-Numbers are bound to the car-owner-registration.
If you de-register your car, they destroy the official signet on the physical plates and you can keep them.
The number goes back into a pool or you directly claim it for your next car.
In that case, you can use the physical plates again. Civil service would stick a new signet onto it.

Back into pool, anybody can claim the numbers including the next owner.

[mansaxel]

Here the Plate-Numbers are bound to the car-owner-registration.
If you de-register your car, they destroy the official signet on the physical plates and you can keep them.
The number goes back into a pool or you directly claim it for your next car.
In that case, you can use the physical plates again. Civil service would stick a new signet onto it.

Back into pool, anybody can claim the numbers including the next owner.

Sweden has plates with vehicle, not including vanities, of course. Change of owner is immediate, and on-line. If you have the registration papers and electronic ID, you can transfer ownership via an app; the feedback is equally immediate, and of course the authorities have a view of this too, so police et al have as updated data as is possible in their version of the app.

It works.

[Saskia]

the Keithley 7001 got here.
Handle, Feet, Slot covers missing, as usual. Sheetloads of those corn starch flakes plus bubble wrap, nevertheless one of the plastic rear cover corners broken.
Oh well, not a catastrophe, and not making a fuss about it.

It boots.
The display comes up, the system passes self test, so that part can be used as a donor for the 2001.

Now I am asking myself ... what had happened during the last month ...
Went from 0 Keithley / bench dmm to
1 6.5 digit GW Instek
1 K2001 in need of recap / VFD
1 K2000 passing selftest and coming up
1 K2700 passing selftest and coming up after a bit of frickeldoodling
1 K7001 passing selftest (donor unit)
1 UT8802e (for flipping)

FFS.
Too much stuff.

[TERRA Operative]

Just bought a TV trigger option board for my TDS784D, from a favourite repository of ex-govt surplus.. Ebay Israel (gotta love their industrial military complex). Free shipping too!

[Saskia]

can one of our US colleagues grab https://www.ebay.com/itm/333567035126 for me and put it into an envelope ?

Would be highly appreciated.
Would take 2 of those.

details via pm

Thnx

[Brumby]

Now I am asking myself ... what had happened during the last month ...
Went from 0 Keithley / bench dmm to
1 6.5 digit GW Instek
1 K2001 in need of recap / VFD
1 K2000 passing selftest and coming up
1 K2700 passing selftest and coming up after a bit of frickeldoodling
1 K7001 passing selftest (donor unit)
1 UT8802e (for flipping)

FFS.
Too much stuff.

Simple...

You form a "need"  for a particular item, then set out to locate such.  After some snooping and the odd alert or two, you find a number of candidates present themselves and several of them are too appealing to pass up.  Before you know it, you're negotiating prices and organising logistics.  All of a sudden, you have less funds, less space and more things to play with.

That's how I went from having zero 19" racking to 4 full height rack cabinets plus a 12 unit rack inside a month.   


.... and that's just the most recent example.   

[Saskia]

it was more like Gandalf yelling you shall not pass ...

[VK5RC]

Hi BD welcome back. 👍

In south Aus the plates generally follow the car, if you can be bothered you can transfer the alpha-numerical plates to your new car - just as you can with personalised plates.
My wife gave me a set of VK5RC, which has been quite entertaining esp when I got CQ from the guy behind me on the car horn.

If a car is written off, the number on the plate vanishes in the system - they haven't started re-issuing old alpha numeric plates yet. Really old plates like 2 or 4 numbers alone fetch crazy money on the auctions.

Re big brother - all our cop cars have auto number plate recognition as do our fixed speed cameras - they are linked to the third party insurance / car registration database - driving an unregistered car here relieves you of about $1200 AUD. Quite a revenue raiser.

[med6753]

can one of our US colleagues grab https://www.ebay.com/itm/333567035126 for me and put it into an envelope ?

Would be highly appreciated.
Would take 2 of those.

details via pm

Thnx

OK, you need 2? PM me.

[SeanB]

Re big brother - all our cop cars have auto number plate recognition as do our fixed speed cameras - they are linked to the third party insurance / car registration database - driving an unregistered car here relieves you of about $1200 AUD. Quite a revenue raiser.

You would love living by me, due to the regular government competence they have not actually been able to issue speeding tickets for the last 5 years, except on 2 national roads, where there is a different traffic authority that has still got this. So no speed checking, and you can drive at pretty much any speed you desire, both here by me and in the largest city in the country as well.

[mnementh]

can one of our US colleagues grab https://www.ebay.com/itm/333567035126 for me and put it into an envelope ?

Would be highly appreciated. Would take 2 of those. details via pm

Thnx

Hmmm... Since we recently discussed the generic versions of this connector, I'm guessing maybe you're looking at this kit primarily for the jumpers? 

If so, they look suspiciously like ATM or ATR series fuses to me. Might be less assache/expense to source locally (or borrow one from your vehicle for size trial) than ordering these from the US.

mnem

[mnementh]

the Keithley 7001 got here.
Handle, Feet, Slot covers missing, as usual. Sheetloads of those corn starch flakes plus bubble wrap, nevertheless one of the plastic rear cover corners broken.
Oh well, not a catastrophe, and not making a fuss about it.

It boots.
The display comes up, the system passes self test, so that part can be used as a donor for the 2001.

Now I am asking myself ... what had happened during the last month ...
Went from 0 Keithley / bench dmm to
1 6.5 digit GW Instek
1 K2001 in need of recap / VFD
1 K2000 passing selftest and coming up
1 K2700 passing selftest and coming up after a bit of frickeldoodling
1 K7001 passing selftest (donor unit)
1 UT8802e (for flipping)

FFS.
Too much stuff.   A good start.

There, FTFY.   

mnem
*currently nuking a woodworking bench*

[BU508A]

Approbiate for today's day:
https://imgur.com/gallery/1s7AX6y