Path: ...!weretis.net!feeder8.news.weretis.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: Sun, 07 Apr 2024 09:50:50 +0100 Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Lines: 164 Message-ID: References: <9k7j0jlnbhs8qfg5m17pium0835meean83@4ax.com> <7r901j139ac3124qmpu7gcthadb9ura30g@4ax.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Injection-Date: Sun, 07 Apr 2024 08:50:52 +0200 (CEST) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="047d140331540669533227d2fbe449a7"; logging-data="2838139"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX19SEMnS5Yyn1QCz1Dsg4B1gcdgQL7gwYhg=" User-Agent: ForteAgent/8.00.32.1272 Cancel-Lock: sha1:1y/ffWAwy0tjwSnxZCgqYsKmnB0= Bytes: 9535 On Sat, 06 Apr 2024 14:48:38 -0700, John Larkin wrote: >On Sat, 06 Apr 2024 22:21:45 +0100, Cursitor Doom >wrote: > >>On Fri, 05 Apr 2024 10:15:43 -0700, john larkin wrote: >> >>>On Fri, 05 Apr 2024 17:33:12 +0100, Cursitor Doom >>>wrote: >>> >>>>On Fri, 05 Apr 2024 07:49:30 GMT, Jan Panteltje >>>>wrote: >>>> >>>>>On a sunny day (Thu, 4 Apr 2024 11:56:23 -0000 (UTC)) it happened Phil Hobbs >>>>> wrote in >>>>>: >>>>> >>>>>>Klaus Vestergaard Kragelund wrote: >>>>>>> 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 channel 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. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>It’s true that there are a lot of relatively undemanding jobs in >>>>>>electronics. You can get on fine with a 200-MHz scope if all you’re doing >>>>>>is PIC and Pi and ham radio and analog TV. >>>>> >>>>>Bull, >>>>>I have been using my Trio 10 MHz dual channel for digital TV too >>>>>see >>>>> https://panteltje.nl/panteltje/raspberry_pi_dvb-s_transmitter/ >>>>>GHz output.. >>>>> >>>>>Its is about UNDERSTANDING the systems >>>>>You cannot repair a TV set in a short time if you do not UNDERSTAND every part of the circuit and its function, the whole system >>>>>neither with a 10 MHz or with a 10 GHz scope. >>>>>Fault finding had been my job most of the time, sometimes with 'the show must go on' >>>>>or rocket must launch or whatever. >>>>> >>>>>In an environment a million times more complex than your back-room with boat anchors. >>>>>And always delivered.. unlike some that dropped out or broke down. >>>>>It is indeed about what is between the ears as you mentioned. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>>It’s also true that you can often make do with what you have—the most >>>>>>important test instrument is the one between your ears. >>>>>> >>>>>>In the before times, doctors were much better with stethoscopes than they >>>>>>are now. >>>>>> >>>>>>But I’d sure prefer a cardiologist who could use tomography and ultrasound >>>>>>over the best stethoscope guy. >>>>> >>>>>Only useful if you can read the screens, these days they train AI to find cancer in the scans..... >>>>>Yes I worked in an Uni hospital too. >>>>>How many people die each year because of medical errors? >>>>> https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/22/medical-errors-third-leading-cause-of-death-in-america.html >>>>>Remember Jim Thompson stating 'they are giving me ... but I had a warning I was not supposed to get that' >>>>>Few days later he was dead. >>>> >>>>Jim had pancreatic cancer, which is notoriously tricky to diagnose due >>>>to the misleading symptoms it gives rise to. >>> >>>He talked constantly about wine. That can kill your pancreas. >>> >>>There are people who drink bottles per day. >> >>Oh yes, he loved his wine alright. As I recall, you sent him several >>cases of the stuff over the years. But no amount of peace offerings >>could placate Jim if he felt you'd disrespected him. Anyway, all >>credit to you for at least trying to heal the rift, even if it came to >>naught. > >I think I sent him two bottles of Frog's Tooth, not cases. > >I get the Frog's Tooth free. The vintner is also our sales rep for >pick+place gear, and he throws in a bottle or a case with every big >order. > >JT was a little touchy at times (never me!) but we didn't actually >have a rift. I think that serious electronics designers always get >along pretty well. Circuit design is a sport that we play. > >I miss JT. He was fun. I often drive on Thompkins Street and it >reminds me of him. I think the passage of time has mellowed your recollections, John. Shortly after he died, you called him a crabby old man! There was something about you he clearly didn't much like. No idea why, since you've never come across as anything but well-mannered and helpful as far as I can tell. Jim gave me a hell of a rough time when I first arrived here back in '96. He didn't suffer fools gladly and boy did he let me know when he believed I was one. But that did me a huge favour. He did have a point inasmuch as my fundamental electronics knowledge needed a lot of remedial attention. So he forced me to sit down and go back through all the stuff I should have known before I came here and I became much better for it. And when I finally did, he praised me for it. Praise from Jim was praise indeed! He was a GIANT of this group and I miss him terribly, too.