Path: ...!feeds.phibee-telecom.net!news.mixmin.net!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Cursitor Doom Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design,sci.electronics.repair Subject: Re: Favourite Test Equipment Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2024 18:42:22 +0100 Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Lines: 38 Message-ID: References: <9k7j0jlnbhs8qfg5m17pium0835meean83@4ax.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Injection-Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2024 19:42:22 +0200 (CEST) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="72402197c520d2e3eac0674605690949"; logging-data="1164028"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1+yfB9DpysqAjtjs4+xS+u1vgVSPJZxvxc=" User-Agent: ForteAgent/8.00.32.1272 Cancel-Lock: sha1:I3jNRCjhE1KI3UbnYa7tevk44rQ= Bytes: 2855 On Wed, 10 Apr 2024 11:40:02 +1000, Trevor Wilson wrote: >On 1/04/2024 4:41 am, Cursitor Doom wrote: >> 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. > >**In my 55 years of servicing, I've only blown up one thing: A Micronta >DMM, which I connected to a laser power supply. I should not have done >it. Clear operator failure. Everything else works just fine. Even my >first multimeter. A Sanwa U-50D my dad gave me on my 14th birthday. >Still works fine. My first DMM. A cheap 'n cheerful SOAR. Works just >fine. My first Fluke meter. A 40 year old Fluke 85. Works fine. I've had >to clean the switch a few times. Otherwise, no problems. Ditto my other >15 or so meters. Same deal with my 'scopes. > >I don't know what your problem is. Test equipment, when treated properly >lasts a long time. To be fair, these "explosions" are typically capacitors: old, dried -out electrolytics in test gear that hasn't been used in a long time go bang when the power's switched on - as do old X2 safety caps. Those are the chief culprits IME.