Path: ...!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Klaus Vestergaard Kragelund Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design,sci.electronics.repair Subject: Re: Favourite Test Equipment Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2024 11:55:40 +0200 Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Lines: 56 Message-ID: References: <9k7j0jlnbhs8qfg5m17pium0835meean83@4ax.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Injection-Date: Thu, 04 Apr 2024 09:55:40 +0200 (CEST) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="bb2ab9c8e4886b87e9cb88c7c100c587"; logging-data="616471"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX18WC+DLguebx7yZwZ6rGsd6eRO/MvP4ahs=" User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird Cancel-Lock: sha1:SjcDwGIe7vSeE6d+hus9LygpIH4= In-Reply-To: Content-Language: en-US Bytes: 4311 On 01-04-2024 09:01, Jan Panteltje wrote: > On a sunny day (Sun, 31 Mar 2024 18:41:18 +0100) it happened Cursitor Doom > wrote in <9k7j0jlnbhs8qfg5m17pium0835meean83@4ax.com>: > >> Hi all, >> >> I'm starting to get a bit fed up with having my test equipment blow up >> just when it's needed. This is the drawback with vintage gear; if it's >> not used frequently then it can go *bang* the next time you switch it >> on. It makes for good practice in repairing stuff, but wastes a lot of >> time which could be better spent doing other things. >> I think it's time I modernised my test gear. I was just wondering if >> anyone has any recommendations they can share. Is there a particular >> piece of test equipment you couldn't live without? Something you're >> particularly impressed with? I'd be interested to know so I can >> perhaps acquire said item and thereby reduce the number of explosions >> I experience. >> >> Thanks, >> >> CD. > > My 10 MHz Trio dual trace analog scope is from 1979 or there about, I blew up a channal once myself in the first week > when I accidently touched a booster diode in a TV I was repairing with it, fixed it locating the problem with the other channel. > Later I cracked the graticule when a soldering station fell on it from the table (scope stands on the ground) > Made a new graticule. > So, and still working perfectly, OK for all things I build with micros. > For RF to about 1.6 GHz I use RTL_SDR USB sticks and the spectrum analyzer I wrote. > and for AC DC measurements I have some made in China digital meters and an analog one. > also a Voltcraft clamp-on meter for current when you do not - or cannot interrupt things with the meter impedance. > Also have a Voltcraft soldering station. > Blew up one of my digital meters a while back (volts on the resistance scale) but fixed it again (replaced resistor). > Many other test equipment I designed and build, like amplifiers LF and RF, SWR meter, radiation meters, gamma spectrometer, > GHz stuff for satelite, transmitters low and very high power, what not, > a frequency converter to use the RTL-SDR sticks and so the spectrum analyzer on higher and lower frequencies. > Have a SARK100 SWR analyzer too. > Things last forever here... > Scope used on a regular basis.. > RTL-SDR stick 24/7. > Digital meters used every day. > Use my self designed lab power supply every day.. > What more do you need? > Learn to use the stuff, understand what's important, and that is it > When I started in electronics as a kid I did not even _have_ a meter, still stuff worked. > Build my own scope at some point back then when I somehow got the parts > Not much pocket mony as a kid. > UNDERSTAND your systems, what electrons do. > Showing of with boat anchors may impress people, especially the clueless... > But it does not help you one bit. > Anything with an accuracy better than 1 percent in most cases is just like apes screaming load trying to impress other apes. > Very true about specifically the 1% statement. Sidebar, at an earlier employment, we needed to equip a new lab. Guys wanted GHz scopes. When asked if the ever looked at edges faster than 1ns, no one did.