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From: Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com>
Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design,sci.electronics.repair
Subject: Re: Favourite Test Equipment
Date: Sun, 07 Apr 2024 18:23:38 +0100
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On Sun, 07 Apr 2024 09:40:03 -0700, John Larkin <jl@997PotHill.com>
wrote:

>On Sun, 07 Apr 2024 09:50:50 +0100, Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com>
>wrote:
>
>>On Sat, 06 Apr 2024 14:48:38 -0700, John Larkin <jl@997PotHill.com>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>On Sat, 06 Apr 2024 22:21:45 +0100, Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com>
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>>On Fri, 05 Apr 2024 10:15:43 -0700, john larkin <jl@650pot.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On Fri, 05 Apr 2024 17:33:12 +0100, Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com>
>>>>>wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On Fri, 05 Apr 2024 07:49:30 GMT, Jan Panteltje <alien@comet.invalid>
>>>>>>wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On a sunny day (Thu, 4 Apr 2024 11:56:23 -0000 (UTC)) it happened Phil Hobbs
>>>>>>><pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> wrote in
>>>>>>><uum4h6$kmdl$1@dont-email.me>:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Klaus Vestergaard Kragelund <klauskvik@hotmail.com> 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
>>>>>>>>>> <cd@notformail.com> 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! 
>
>But he *was* a crabby old man. That's no big deal. He probably would
>have enjoyed the description. He died bravely.
>
>There was
>>something about you he clearly didn't much like. 
>
>There was some teasing involved. We got along fine in emails.
>
>No idea why, since
>>you've never come across as anything but well-mannered and helpful as
>>far as I can tell.
>
>I can be crabby too, but that's a common hazard on an unmoderated
>public forum.
>
>>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
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