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From: John Larkin <jl@997PotHill.com>
Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design,sci.electronics.repair
Subject: Re: Favourite Test Equipment
Date: Sun, 07 Apr 2024 11:11:51 -0700
Organization: Highland Tech
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On Sun, 07 Apr 2024 18:23:38 +0100, Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com>
wrote:

>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.
>>
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