Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

LOL... that video is more like 20-something years old... well, the original version anyways, before Joe Bird ( the guy on guitar) had a heart attack & it was just poor Wes all on his own. I've known 3 Dead Trolls in a Baggie (a play on 8 Heads in a Duffelbag) since somewhere around 2000; they and BOFH were like family when I was going to Uni the 2nd time.

I've posted it in here a few times over the years... stopped (well, for a while, anyways) when I got dogpiled by some Mac & *NIX fanbois. 




mnem

[Vince]

20 years old you say ?!  Makes for an even stronger point... 20 years of decay...  well that's perfectly in accordance with my own experience / prior message then, XP came in late 2001 or something IIRC. Tried it to replace my Win95 OSR2 machine. Was not exactly impressed, dog slow, forced me to upgrade the motherboard/CPU/RAM/HHD/PSU at great expense, and my cool SCSI AGFA flat bed scanner would not work any more.  Gave up 6 months later, tried that exotic thing called Linux, much easier to install, and scanner worked out of the box, which was a huge selling point. It was and still is 20 years later, a complete shit show in so many ways, but it had many good points as well, that I have come to appreciate and value over the years. 20 years later it's still my personal lesser of all evils, but I have given up on the idea of it ever fixing any of its issues. It looks like it's built deep into its genes... you just have to live with it or go for something else.

I still miss MS-DOS, it just worked. Was shitty as hell retrospectively, but it worked. Suffered / struggled a lot with the 640KB conventional memory limitation like everyone else, but other than that, it was simple, fast to load, compact, to the point. No fuss. Just command.com and io.sys IIRC, on a floppy disk, and the computer worked. Hell you could even go fancy and add config.sys and autoexec.bat files

I definitely miss the early computers in many ways. Modern have good points too, of course. I just wish it was not at the expense of other points. It didn't improve computers, it turned them into... something else. A cost cutting fashion industry, not a technical one anymore.

[bd139]

My computers all work fine and do exactly what I want 

[mnementh]

What is this paying thing you mention, as long as you have already installed Win 10, then Win 11 is free, and if you're buying a new machine it will come with Win 11 already installed, is this not so 

Not free when your Win10 is installed from a win7 license. Only free if you upgrade from a version of Win10 that was paid for; either retail or a OEM license. Just like Win10 was only free if you upgraded/used a product key from Win7, Win8 or newer; if you were one of those lucky many who got hosed by Vista OEM (coughOriginalDellXPS-M1330cough) when you coulda had a working machine with XP SP2, you got hosed again by Win10.

Cheers,

mnem
*toddles off to nuke a webcam*

[Vince]

My computers all work fine and do exactly what I want 

I guess it all depends on what one calls "'works fine" and the meaning of "What I want" 
The lesser the expectations, the higher the satisfaction !

I guess I am asking for too much. 

[nfmax]

Hmm... I won't even use one of those self scan tills if I can possibly avoid it, I object to being complicit in putting more money into some fat cats pocket at the expense of someone's job. Our local Asda and Sainsburys have now almost done away with manned tills FFS. They might have been low paid jobs but they did provide some support to some people.

I used to say that, but in all good conscience I can't really claim to any more. I used to queue for the tills on the basis it kept people in work. In the case of people like the Lovely Linda who works on the tills in our 'local'* Sainsburys and has a very mild form of Down's syndrome it might be the difference between a reasonable job and a shit job or even none. Sadly I've been seduced by the ease and calmness of using one of the store's portable scanners, packing my shopping calmly in the right place in the right bag as I go, and when I've finished walking around the store I simply pay and walk out.

I've had a battle with myself about it and resisted for a long time. On the one hand there's the Lindas, and on the other hand there's the Sharons and Darrens who throw my goods at me as they scan them, destroy any order in which I've put them on the conveyer belt mixing frozen food with biscuits, and hard tins with fragile crisps and generally make using a full service checkout something to avoid. So when out of curiosity I finally once tried the scanners you carry around the store with you I was converted. I realised that I could skip the last and most unpleasant 20 minutes of the supermarket experience and haven't looked back. I'm afraid that on this occasion minor selfishness, in the form of an abhorrence of Sharons and Darrens mucking up my carefully organised shopping, has won out over social responsibility.

* local meaning nearly three miles away

Back in January, I was in Waitrose doing what was obviously a party shop. The partner on the till & I were chatting, and she asked me whose birthday it was. I told them it was for my Father's 100th: she offered him the choice of a complimentary bottle of wine or chocolates as a birthday gift from Waitrose. Went for the chocolates as he doesn't drink any more.

[mnementh]

My computers all work fine and do exactly what I want 

That's because you have sex with them on a regular basis; keep them content and well-fed. Most of us meatsacks haven't figured that one yet... 

mnem
OMFG... I still have that XPS-M1330!!!

[bd139]

My computers all work fine and do exactly what I want 

I guess it all depends on what one calls "'works fine" and the meaning of "What I want" 
The lesser the expectations, the higher the satisfaction !

I guess I am asking for too much. 

Software quality only comes from asking too much  . My demands are somewhat above average and are being well satisfied. For a price.

[bd139]

My computers all work fine and do exactly what I want 

That's because you have sex with them on a regular basis; keep them content and well-fed. Most of us meatsacks haven't figured that one out yet... 

mnem
OMFG... I still have that XPS-M1330!!!

Not at all. I threaten them regularly. They are afraid. That’s how you treat computers. 

Edit: and there are printers. You need to make sure they are very afraid.

[mnementh]

My computers all work fine and do exactly what I want 

That's because you have sex with them on a regular basis; keep them content and well-fed. Most of us meatsacks haven't figured that one out yet... 

mnem
OMFG... I still have that XPS-M1330!!!

Not at all. I threaten them regularly. They are afraid. That’s how you treat computers. 

Pffft. We all know you are a BDSM master. Stick and carrot... always stick and carrot.

mnem
Always two there are...

[Vince]

My computers all work fine and do exactly what I want 

I guess it all depends on what one calls "'works fine" and the meaning of "What I want" 
The lesser the expectations, the higher the satisfaction !

I guess I am asking for too much. 

Software quality only comes from asking too much  . My demands are somewhat above average and are being well satisfied. For a price.

Problem is, it does not matter how much I ask... I am not the one developing the S/W so I have to make do with what's out there, like everyone else.
I am happy that you are happy... I am not and wil never be by the way IT is going. t me computers have long stopped being interesting and fun... now they are just a necessary evil to me, that I try to live with, spend as little time as possible messing with as it's not enjoyable, and spend as little money on them as possible. My PC is 15 years old and if I could I would keep it another 15 or 30 years. Sadly it's starting to look less and less feasible due to S/W bloat and this race for silly high picture and movie resolutions / bandwidth.  The race for clock speed stagnated, so now they have invented a new race, for pixels, to keep the industry going 

Anyway sorry, I will just go and hide in a corner, with my Thomson TO-7 and optical crayon that goes with it !   Blip.... blip !

[nfmax]

My computers all work fine and do exactly what I want 

That's because you have sex with them on a regular basis; keep them content and well-fed. Most of us meatsacks haven't figured that one out yet... 

mnem
OMFG... I still have that XPS-M1330!!!

Not at all. I threaten them regularly. They are afraid. That’s how you treat computers. 

Ahhh, the Zaphod Beeblebrox approach!

Computer ... if you don't open that exit hatch this moment I shall zap straight off to your major data banks and reprogram you with a very large axe, got that?

[nfmax]

Edit: and there are printers. You need to make sure they are very afraid.

I am old enough to remember printer DIP switches. A colleague I was working with in San Diego at the time remarked that in a modern update of Dante, one circle of Hell would be entirely composed of printer DIP switches

[dl6lr]

What do I hate about going to a manual cashier? The cashiers themselves are friendly. But get a little old lady in front of you who insists upon paying cash then searching through her handbag for the last dime and penny holding up the entire line.     

Too less patience :-)
Try to shop in France. At the SUPER-U (in Maubec, Département Vaucluse, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur to be precise) you will find all kind of ladies in front of you, chatting with the cashier  and then paying with several coupons and cheques 
The cheques have to be printed by the till printer, signed, printed again, the manager has to be called... At the end they will be complaining about the price of some articles being not as advertised (they have the flyer somewhere in their purse), so the manager has to be called again...   

[tautech]

Siglent box now lurking under my desk courtesy APC delivery ...

Must be an old model as the latest boxes almost won't fit under a desk. 
Oh well, despite you planning to move digs soon that recent cleanout (including test leads  ) has allowed you acquire a few goodies to keep yourself occupied and outta mischief which for all those in the motherland is a good thing. 

[bd139]

Problem is, it does not matter how much I ask... I am not the one developing the S/W so I have to make do with what's out there, like everyone else.
I am happy that you are happy... I am not and wil never be by the way IT is going. t me computers have long stopped being interesting and fun... now they are just a necessary evil to me, that I try to live with, spend as little time as possible messing with as it's not enjoyable, and spend as little money on them as possible. My PC is 15 years old and if I could I would keep it another 15 or 30 years. Sadly it's starting to look less and less feasible due to S/W bloat and this race for silly high picture and movie resolutions / bandwidth.  The race for clock speed stagnated, so now they have invented a new race, for pixels, to keep the industry going 

I think you're the customer flagellating themselves with the doomsaying sign to be fair. A huge amount of progress has been made. It's worth swimming a bit upstream and enjoying it.

As for pixels, I really have to disagree there. The biggest improvements for me recently have been displays. I have invested in the two best computer displays available at the moment. They are, without hyperbole or exaggeration, fairly life changing. Another hobby is photography you see...

[factory]

Quick 427A check out. Mostly works once the crusty trimmers were exercised.

Battery option eviscerated. However the thing pops up at 63 volts across the regulator board on power up which is quite a bit higher than I was expecting. Not sure if that is normal based on the usual 22.5V battery required so will tread carefully here.

I am considering actually replacing the whole mains side with a USB hole, charger IC, Li-ion back and boost converter to 22.5V.

Edit: looking at the SM the main filter cap is rated 40V so that ain’t right 🤣

Did the battery option still function, or was it completely dead? Mine was still working when I last used it, might be interested in the battery if it is OK and you don't want it.

I think my Tek 422 had a similar open circuit voltage with no battery fitted and charge selected, didn't note the DVM reading though, it had an option of a 24V NiCd pack. Still need to work on making a battery pack for it, without changing the existing circuitry, will need voltage regulator & balancing circuit adding for LiFePo4 cells, there is plenty of space in the rear cover for this, just not had enough time.

David

[bd139]

Siglent box now lurking under my desk courtesy APC delivery ...

Must be an old model as the latest boxes almost won't fit under a desk. 
Oh well, despite you planning to move digs soon that recent cleanout (including test leads  ) has allowed you acquire a few goodies to keep yourself occupied and outta mischief which for all those in the motherland is a good thing. 

Yeah I sit and look at the good side of things here. I managed to start from near zero again. Most of the old test leads were years old and quite knackered. Components were excessive and unfocused and distracting. Getting rid of it intentionally or otherwise ( ) allowed accumulation of cash, space and time. That allowed me to focus on projects and requirements and work back to parts and gear.

Anyway no forward engineering projects are starting yet other than in LTspice. Once moved I will have space for a dedicated bench so I will resume then.

I am pissing myself with excitement at this prospect.

[tautech]

need as Doppler radar for speed measurements. did receive some optics today, Vixen Artes 5-30x56ED.

Maybe one of these new ones might suit:
https://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/new-doppler-chronograph-coming-to-market.4062332/

[Neper]

What do I hate about going to a manual cashier? The cashiers themselves are friendly. But get a little old lady in front of you who insists upon paying cash then searching through her handbag for the last dime and penny holding up the entire line.     

Too less patience :-)
Try to shop in France. At the SUPER-U (in Maubec, Département Vaucluse, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur to be precise) you will find all kind of ladies in front of you, chatting with the cashier  and then paying with several coupons and cheques 
The cheques have to be printed by the till printer, signed, printed again, the manager has to be called... At the end they will be complaining about the price of some articles being not as advertised (they have the flyer somewhere in their purse), so the manager has to be called again...   

An all too familiar picture. Just that 'our' Super U is in Grand-Fort-Philippe (59). But stiil it's a great store. Incredible choice, fresh fish, the lot. Wish we had them here in Germany, as well.

[factory]

Problem is, it does not matter how much I ask... I am not the one developing the S/W so I have to make do with what's out there, like everyone else.
I am happy that you are happy... I am not and wil never be by the way IT is going. t me computers have long stopped being interesting and fun... now they are just a necessary evil to me, that I try to live with, spend as little time as possible messing with as it's not enjoyable, and spend as little money on them as possible. My PC is 15 years old and if I could I would keep it another 15 or 30 years. Sadly it's starting to look less and less feasible due to S/W bloat and this race for silly high picture and movie resolutions / bandwidth.  The race for clock speed stagnated, so now they have invented a new race, for pixels, to keep the industry going 

I think you're the customer flagellating themselves with the doomsaying sign to be fair. A huge amount of progress has been made. It's worth swimming a bit upstream and enjoying it.

As for pixels, I really have to disagree there. The biggest improvements for me recently have been displays. I have invested in the two best computer displays available at the moment. They are, without hyperbole or exaggeration, fairly life changing. Another hobby is photography you see...

The problem I have with the larger screens (TV or computer) is motion sickness, can't play modern games on this 24" monitor for very long at all, same with watching the large TV at my brothers place, the deliberate shaky camera shit in some films & TV programmes doesn't help. 

David

[bd139]

Quick 427A check out. Mostly works once the crusty trimmers were exercised.

Battery option eviscerated. However the thing pops up at 63 volts across the regulator board on power up which is quite a bit higher than I was expecting. Not sure if that is normal based on the usual 22.5V battery required so will tread carefully here.

I am considering actually replacing the whole mains side with a USB hole, charger IC, Li-ion back and boost converter to 22.5V.

Edit: looking at the SM the main filter cap is rated 40V so that ain’t right 🤣

Did the battery option still function, or was it completely dead? Mine was still working when I last used it, might be interested in the battery if it is OK and you don't want it.

I think my Tek 422 had a similar open circuit voltage with no battery fitted and charge selected, didn't note the DVM reading though, it had an option of a 24V NiCd pack.

David

No the battery option was completely duff. In fact the negative terminal was completely oxidised and at least two of the cells in the pack had leaked. Fortunately it was shrink wrapped. It was dated 1978 so about what I expected. The end game is that the battery was dropped off at the tip earlier into the hazmat bin 

I'm wondering if I can emulate the original battery voltage limiting with a zener string or something equally primitive. I didn't get around to tracing it out but I'd have expected there to be some series resistance between the transformer output at the positive.

So before:



After: 



Lots of assumptions there about how it's wired up!

[tautech]

Siglent box now lurking under my desk courtesy APC delivery ...

Must be an old model as the latest boxes almost won't fit under a desk. 
Oh well, despite you planning to move digs soon that recent cleanout (including test leads  ) has allowed you acquire a few goodies to keep yourself occupied and outta mischief which for all those in the motherland is a good thing. 

Yeah I sit and look at the good side of things here. I managed to start from near zero again. Most of the old test leads were years old and quite knackered. Components were excessive and unfocused and distracting. Getting rid of it intentionally or otherwise ( ) allowed accumulation of cash, space and time. That allowed me to focus on projects and requirements and work back to parts and gear.

Anyway no forward engineering projects are starting yet other than in LTspice. Once moved I will have space for a dedicated bench so I will resume then.

I am pissing myself with excitement at this prospect.

Simpler if the spend just does that whereas the cost of two of the goodies recently acquired made me do #2's ! 
We have just 12 months to uptake any demo model offers otherwise it's full trade price but either way if cashflow is tight it ain't happening. 
Sometimes it seems like we don't make a lot at this game other than acquire some real nice toys. 

[Vince]

Problem is, it does not matter how much I ask... I am not the one developing the S/W so I have to make do with what's out there, like everyone else.
I am happy that you are happy... I am not and wil never be by the way IT is going. t me computers have long stopped being interesting and fun... now they are just a necessary evil to me, that I try to live with, spend as little time as possible messing with as it's not enjoyable, and spend as little money on them as possible. My PC is 15 years old and if I could I would keep it another 15 or 30 years. Sadly it's starting to look less and less feasible due to S/W bloat and this race for silly high picture and movie resolutions / bandwidth.  The race for clock speed stagnated, so now they have invented a new race, for pixels, to keep the industry going 

I think you're the customer flagellating themselves with the doomsaying sign to be fair. A huge amount of progress has been made. It's worth swimming a bit upstream and enjoying it.

As for pixels, I really have to disagree there. The biggest improvements for me recently have been displays. I have invested in the two best computer displays available at the moment. They are, without hyperbole or exaggeration, fairly life changing. Another hobby is photography you see...

Yes I like photography too. Problem is the averag ejoe confuses resolution/ pixel count, and "quality".

Every tells me " My camera makes super good quality pics,; it's XXXXX  Megapixel, yours is only X Megapixel LOL ".

I keep trying to explain them than a 12MP shitty picture is just 12M times more shit than a shitty 1MP picture, but they don't understand.

Well I will always prefer a good VGA pic to a 10MP shitty picture that's super grainy and blurry and not focused and crap lighting and horrible colours what have you, ie 95% of the pictures people take and post on forums.

I might go into the photography rabbit hole one day... but not very deep, because shallow pockets. A friend 15 years ago sent me pictures taken with a Leica camera and it looked super sharp and crisp, vivid.
Want that. Am tempted by a Sigma camera (if they are still in business) with their unique "Phoveon" sensor or whatever it's called not sure. Then a decent objective for super macro shots of electronic boards/components, and wood grain once I get to dabble with fine wood working. Then a wide angle objective so I can take/show interior pics of my house, because it's small. Then an objective for long distances, so I can zoom on the wild ducks and coypus from my kitchen window, when they show up at the back of my garden.

My dad has a large LCD screen on his computer and I can live with it. Give me eye strain. Eyes have too much to move/travel to go from one corner to the other, I don't find it comfortable.
Right now I am using a 22" LCD I was given recently, that I fixed, to replace my old 17" CRT that was dying. I would not want much bigger than this 22".... instead I add as many "virtual  desktops" as I need, to spread the programs across multiple "desktops". Makes it easy to organize stiff and reduce clutter on a given desktop. First desktop is for music playing, second is the main one with Firefox and it's 3 windows and 60 tabs open at all times. third and last is kept clear and I switch to it when I want a clean desktop for temporary stuff. Look at a file I just downloaded, whatever, without having to disturb/minimize all the windows that are opened in the second/main desktop.

[bd139]

The problem I have with the larger screens (TV or computer) is motion sickness, can't play modern games on this 24" monitor for very long at all, same with watching the large TV at my brothers place, the deliberate shaky camera shit in some films & TV programmes doesn't help. 

David

The jerky camera stuff annoys me too. I mean can't anyone filming this crap afford a gimball 

No problems with motion sickness here, yet. I can still go a few rounds on Quake Live. The only problem I have had is visual fatigue on some monitors, particularly cheap IPS panels. Increasing pixel density, contrast ratio and refresh rate completely eliminated that, but it cost me a couple of kidneys in the process.