Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) : Discussion and Group Therapy Thread

[bd139]

Thought I better drop this in here for the benefit of the folk who are not active on Discord. Have not been on the forum regularly for ages. Will be away from the community indefinitely due to a couple of things going on in the background. Basically there's a new bd140 on the scene (of the variety I am in no way letting escape) and we're buggering off on holiday together somewhere stupid (Kyrgyzstan). I also quit work and started a mathematics degree. Going to be no time for TE any time soon so I'm doing what I did in 2021 properly which is refocussing my life on other things: bd140, travelling, photography and education. Will be listing stuff on eBay shortly. If there's anything you want please let me know and we can come to an arrangement for a considerably less insane amount than the listed price

I'll pop in and say hello occasionally of course

[mnementh]

Get fucked and don't die, bd!

mnem
And don't forget to periodically count your kidneys...

[Specmaster]

Get fucked and don't die, bd!

mnem
And don't forget to periodically count your kidneys...

Well he'll do the former that's a given, but please god not the latter, hell no.

[Specmaster]

Thought I better drop this in here for the benefit of the folk who are not active on Discord. Have not been on the forum regularly for ages. Will be away from the community indefinitely due to a couple of things going on in the background. Basically there's a new bd140 on the scene (of the variety I am in no way letting escape) and we're buggering off on holiday together somewhere stupid (Kyrgyzstan). I also quit work and started a mathematics degree. Going to be no time for TE any time soon so I'm doing what I did in 2021 properly which is refocussing my life on other things: bd140, travelling, photography and education. Will be listing stuff on eBay shortly. If there's anything you want please let me know and we can come to an arrangement for a considerably less insane amount than the listed price

I'll pop in and say hello occasionally of course

What do I say to that news, firstly the new bd140 was not a surprise at all, we all kind of expected this, but a complete change of direction is a shock, but if that is what you have decided to do then so be it, go and do it. I'm not too sure whether the education bit refers to yourself with the mathematics degree, or whether it refers to others once you have passed the exams and got your degree, no doubt you will enlighten us all at some point?

And yes, please do keep in contact with us all from time to time, you have become an integral part of this community over the years and your regular input has been and will be missed for sure, you helped many of us during the time amongst us and will leave a big hole to fill for sure (not implying that you're in any way of the large variety, that's me and mnementh's dept I expect). Just be happy with what ever you end up doing, and don't be a bloody stranger.

[mnementh]

Get fucked and don't die, bd!

mnem
And don't forget to periodically count your kidneys...

Well he'll do the former that's a given, but please god not the latter, hell no.

It's a joke on one of our running things in Discord; from time to time I greet him with a "friendly soldier's curse" of "Fuck off & die, bd!"

mnem
I felt this was a good time to mix it up a bit.

[Specmaster]

Get fucked and don't die, bd!

mnem
And don't forget to periodically count your kidneys...

Well he'll do the former that's a given, but please god not the latter, hell no.

It's a joke on one of our running things in Discord; from time to time I greet him with a "friendly soldier's curse" of "Fuck off & die, bd!"

mnem
I felt this was a good time to mix it up a bit.

I was aware of that already, I've seen you say, indeed I think you said on the voice channel as well, you ole tinkerdwagon.

[bd139]

What do I say to that news, firstly the new bd140 was not a surprise at all, we all kind of expected this

If you met her you'd be surprised. Not my usual sort, apart from the German bit . I hope it lasts as she's a one in a thousand and I'm blessed to be with her.

, but a complete change of direction is a shock, but if that is what you have decided to do then so be it, go and do it. I'm not too sure whether the education bit refers to yourself with the mathematics degree, or whether it refers to others once you have passed the exams and got your degree, no doubt you will enlighten us all at some point?

Actually it's not really a change in direction. Background was electrical engineering (obviously) and I only ended up in software because the money was terrible doing EE work. I worked mostly for pollsters, finance and gaming which are all fairly mathematically heavy. I did all the weird jobs like modelling, designing risk calculation systems, large complex distributed processing systems and some of the heavier compsci tasks (parsers etc). The last place I worked for, where I pretty much had a tenured position as "resident dung roller", only because I pissed off enough people to get sidelined, was supposed to be a place I could slack off and do an OU mathematics degree and then do something completely different (TBD). That never materialised due to children, paying for a house, the infernal ex, the divorce and the amount of dung building up. The brain starts losing plasticity after 40 and I'm well past that so it's a ticking clock I'm not willing to sit on any longer.

And yes, please do keep in contact with us all from time to time, you have become an integral part of this community over the years and your regular input has been and will be missed for sure, you helped many of us during the time amongst us and will leave a big hole to fill for sure (not implying that you're in any way of the large variety, that's me and mnementh's dept I expect). Just be happy with what ever you end up doing, and don't be a bloody stranger.

Thanks for the kind words. I'll be back of course on and off. You're all a big part of my life and shall remain so, just my attention will be distracted somewhat

[tggzzz]

Thought I better drop this in here for the benefit of the folk who are not active on Discord. Have not been on the forum regularly for ages. Will be away from the community indefinitely due to a couple of things going on in the background. Basically there's a new bd140 on the scene (of the variety I am in no way letting escape) and we're buggering off on holiday together somewhere stupid (Kyrgyzstan). I also quit work and started a mathematics degree. Going to be no time for TE any time soon so I'm doing what I did in 2021 properly which is refocussing my life on other things: bd140, travelling, photography and education. Will be listing stuff on eBay shortly. If there's anything you want please let me know and we can come to an arrangement for a considerably less insane amount than the listed price

I'll pop in and say hello occasionally of course

Some people never learn, thus confirming your "brain loses plasticity after 40"

Kyrgyzstan? Tien Shan without China? Channelling Sven Hedin or Aurel Stein? Let us know when you get back - and leave computers, tablets and phones switched off!

Maths degree? Sounds fun. Not financially useful career-wise, unless you enjoy the company of mobsters in the gambling and financial industries. Go for it

Overall I have the same feelings as when sprocket left for uni: bittersweet. Bitter for us, sweet contemplating the future. (Saw sproglet today, and had the pleasure of her repeatedly giving me V-signs. I was taking some of her stuff that had been lingering in her room for a decade. Her room will become my new "lab")

Good luck. Have fun, safely.

[MED6753]

Thought I better drop this in here for the benefit of the folk who are not active on Discord. Have not been on the forum regularly for ages. Will be away from the community indefinitely due to a couple of things going on in the background. Basically there's a new bd140 on the scene (of the variety I am in no way letting escape) and we're buggering off on holiday together somewhere stupid (Kyrgyzstan). I also quit work and started a mathematics degree. Going to be no time for TE any time soon so I'm doing what I did in 2021 properly which is refocussing my life on other things: bd140, travelling, photography and education. Will be listing stuff on eBay shortly. If there's anything you want please let me know and we can come to an arrangement for a considerably less insane amount than the listed price

I'll pop in and say hello occasionally of course

I haven't been keeping up with things lately and I nearly missed this. Good luck with your new life direction. Takes a lot of courage to switch gears like that and say "fuck it" I'm gonna do this. And congrats to the new bd140. Hope it works out. I definitely found a Smurfette who's a keeper which is why I'm going thru the pain of moving all my crap.

Don't be a stranger.

[Zenith]

Actually it's not really a change in direction. Background was electrical engineering (obviously) and I only ended up in software because the money was terrible doing EE work. I worked mostly for pollsters, finance and gaming which are all fairly mathematically heavy. I did all the weird jobs like modelling, designing risk calculation systems, large complex distributed processing systems and some of the heavier compsci tasks (parsers etc). The last place I worked for, where I pretty much had a tenured position as "resident dung roller", only because I pissed off enough people to get sidelined, was supposed to be a place I could slack off and do an OU mathematics degree and then do something completely different (TBD). That never materialised due to children, paying for a house, the infernal ex, the divorce and the amount of dung building up. The brain starts losing plasticity after 40 and I'm well past that so it's a ticking clock I'm not willing to sit on any longer.

Interesting. You only live once and sometimes a change in direction is the only way to go.

I got a degree in mathematics at the age of 65. Sometimes it made me feel my age, especially Complex Analysis. I enjoyed the mathematics, but I hated exams. Any idea what you are going to do long term? When I got the degree I had lots of emails saying there were many openings for maths teachers and the prospects were bright. They find it hard to recruit maths teachers with a degree. Firstly, I had not the slightest intention of returning to employment, and secondly, the prospect of ending in the slammer for strangling a classroom of children, was not at all inviting. For the right person it could be a satisfying career.

Best wishes to you and your ultra-matched complementary part.

[Cerebus]

I got a degree in mathematics at the age of 65. Sometimes it made me feel my age, especially Complex Analysis.

It wasn't your age, it was the Complex Analysis. Whenever a complex analysis lecture was scheduled or an assignment deadline loomed a cloud of doom, desperation, and despair used to gather over my peers at university who were doing pure maths. Much gnashing of teeth and wails of "I don't understand!".

[mnementh]

I wonder just how warm those heat sinks get, they are too close to those caps for my liking.

Not at all in this application; CC is set ~6A, just enuf that the 28V to the T12 controller doesn't sag during cold startup. As it's a switcher, FETs spend very little time in linear mode; it's the big coil that generates most of the heat. And sings a little under load until I glued it down with silly-cone RTV...

mnem
*tsssssssssssst...*

[bd139]

Some people never learn, thus confirming your "brain loses plasticity after 40"

Kyrgyzstan? Tien Shan without China? Channelling Sven Hedin or Aurel Stein? Let us know when you get back - and leave computers, tablets and phones switched off!

Not quite Tien Shan! We're doing a day in Bishkek admiring the alluring Soviet hellscape and getting mugged at the local bazaar, then heading on a 6 hour drive to Naryn. Quick visit to Burana Tower ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burana_Tower ) then about 80km on intermodal foot and horseback for the next 5 days through the Sonkul River valley, Kokjerty Gorge, Nameless pass and partially up the Ak Tash Mountain area (weather permitting). Hope the weather is not shit because we're in tents for most of that. Next to Sonkul Lake, staying in yurts for a couple of nights and spending time with local people, learning about their customs and helping them where we can as a thank you for the guides. Then off to the Uzun Pass for the day, then 6 hours in a minivan on soviet dirt tracks back to Bishkek where we're finding something to eat that doesn't involve mutton or fermented horse milk .

As for computers and tablets they are banned. I've grabbed a no brand android phone to take with me and will stick a local SIM in it for occasional data access around the city (35 gig for £5 - bloody cheap). That, turned off as it's mostly going to be useless out there, the camera, a Casio F91W terrorist's watch and a GPS are the only technology that's coming.

Maths degree? Sounds fun. Not financially useful career-wise, unless you enjoy the company of mobsters in the gambling and financial industries. Go for it

Yes indeed. This has been on the books for a very long time (I first signed up for this in 2011 I think) but time has never allowed. Really I don't want to do what I am doing any longer. It's soul crushing, pointless and detrimental to my mental health and to society. I was going to buy a house but I'd have to work still. I might just do a mathematics degree and wing it.

Overall I have the same feelings as when sprocket left for uni: bittersweet. Bitter for us, sweet contemplating the future. (Saw sproglet today, and had the pleasure of her repeatedly giving me V-signs. I was taking some of her stuff that had been lingering in her room for a decade. Her room will become my new "lab")

Yes am there as well to some degree. I sympathise on that front too. Mine did not leave yet though but she will at some point.

Nice to know yours persistently insults you as well. Makes me feel better about mine

Good luck. Have fun, safely.

Thank you

I have a TE post to make yet however so I will do that in a bit

[bd139]

I haven't been keeping up with things lately and I nearly missed this. Good luck with your new life direction. Takes a lot of courage to switch gears like that and say "fuck it" I'm gonna do this. And congrats to the new bd140. Hope it works out. I definitely found a Smurfette who's a keeper which is why I'm going thru the pain of moving all my crap.

Don't be a stranger.

Happy for you knowing you found a keeper too. Hopefully this one will stick here long enough for us to move in together

[bd139]

Actually it's not really a change in direction. Background was electrical engineering (obviously) and I only ended up in software because the money was terrible doing EE work. I worked mostly for pollsters, finance and gaming which are all fairly mathematically heavy. I did all the weird jobs like modelling, designing risk calculation systems, large complex distributed processing systems and some of the heavier compsci tasks (parsers etc). The last place I worked for, where I pretty much had a tenured position as "resident dung roller", only because I pissed off enough people to get sidelined, was supposed to be a place I could slack off and do an OU mathematics degree and then do something completely different (TBD). That never materialised due to children, paying for a house, the infernal ex, the divorce and the amount of dung building up. The brain starts losing plasticity after 40 and I'm well past that so it's a ticking clock I'm not willing to sit on any longer.

Interesting. You only live once and sometimes a change in direction is the only way to go.

I got a degree in mathematics at the age of 65. Sometimes it made me feel my age, especially Complex Analysis. I enjoyed the mathematics, but I hated exams. Any idea what you are going to do long term? When I got the degree I had lots of emails saying there were many openings for maths teachers and the prospects were bright. They find it hard to recruit maths teachers with a degree. Firstly, I had not the slightest intention of returning to employment, and secondly, the prospect of ending in the slammer for strangling a classroom of children, was not at all inviting. For the right person it could be a satisfying career.

Best wishes to you and your ultra-matched complementary part.

That's good that you completed it at 65. I am impressed. Also there is hope for me yet

I seem to remember doing introductory complex analysis back in engineering. I also seem to remember being unconscious through most of it. There were applications in circuit analysis if I remember but I can't remember what. Most of the things I did in that space, to today, are vastly simplified approximations which were perfectly good enough to actually build working circuits.

On teaching, that would be interesting. I know a mathematics lecturer who seems poor but pretty happy. Lives on a canal boat and smokes a lot of weed. Also bd140 is a university lecturer. She got enough qualifications to avoid having to teach people who weren't mature enough to care.

Thank you

[bd139]

And now for some TE. A sad one this. The aforementioned EE who was donating his stuff to me a couple of years back has gone into a home now. His dementia is so bad that he is incapable of functioning now. If I ever get like that I would hope for death. Alas his house is being cleared and I've been deposited some boat anchors to dispose of. I will not be keeping any of them but will post them here for posterity...

IMG_4530.jpeg

IMG_4531.jpeg

[Specmaster]

Nice to know yours persistently insults you as well. Makes me feel better about mine

That seems to be pretty much par for the course these days, mine call me "The old goat," if I dared to say anything like to my parents, I'd have a swift clout around the lughole and I dare say you would have as well.

[Specmaster]

And now for some TE. A sad one this. The aforementioned EE who was donating his stuff to me a couple of years back has gone into a home now. His dementia is so bad that he is incapable of functioning now. If I ever get like that I would hope for death. Alas his house is being cleared and I've been deposited some boat anchors to dispose of. I will not be keeping any of them but will post them here for posterity...

IMG_4530.jpeg

IMG_4531.jpeg

Wow, there is some good stuff there for sure, that scanner for instance, looks like might be a YUPITERU MVT-7100 which has continuous coverage from 530khz ~ 1650MHz IIRC and is great for covering the AIR band, but does lack the modern Alpha tagging, That Heathkit meter is also a pretty reasonable piece of kit.

Sad to hear about it original owner though, I'd personally hate to get like myself.

[bd139]

And now for some TE. A sad one this. The aforementioned EE who was donating his stuff to me a couple of years back has gone into a home now. His dementia is so bad that he is incapable of functioning now. If I ever get like that I would hope for death. Alas his house is being cleared and I've been deposited some boat anchors to dispose of. I will not be keeping any of them but will post them here for posterity...

IMG_4530.jpeg

IMG_4531.jpeg

Wow, there is some good stuff there for sure, that scanner for instance, looks like might be a YUPITERU MVT-7100 which has continuous coverage from 530khz ~ 1650MHz IIRC and is great for covering the AIR band, but does lack the modern Alpha tagging, That Heathkit meter is also a pretty reasonable piece of kit.

Sad to hear about it original owner though, I'd personally hate to get like myself.

Don't know if the scanner works. It was my father's one he bought years ago and gave to this guy when he was bored with it. Probably got crusty batteries in it by now. I will check later.

Yeah the killer is the signal generator. 22Kg of valves

Just sold something on eBay. Bastard said "will pay you on 16th". Zero feedback. Like hell he will. Cancelled it, blocked him and will relist next free listing day.

[tggzzz]

Kyrgyzstan? Tien Shan without China? Channelling Sven Hedin or Aurel Stein? Let us know when you get back - and leave computers, tablets and phones switched off!

Not quite Tien Shan! We're doing a day in Bishkek admiring the alluring Soviet hellscape and getting mugged at the local bazaar, then heading on a 6 hour drive to Naryn.

Naryn is pretty damn close to the Heavenly Mountains And to the Eurasian pole of inaccessibility, that Nick Crane cycled to. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pole_of_inaccessibility

The Son-kul lake looks rather like a lake I've wanted to visit for 40 years: Lake Manasarovar and the "mountain at the centre of the world". I doubt I'll make it; 17kft is serious w.r.t. AMS.

Mind you, Son-kul is pretty high too. I've gone from 50m to 3300m in 6 hours. I was OK; daughter couldn't breathe enough to walk. (Fine the next day, though). Looks sufficiently tree-less for a Fenlander to feel there's "sufficient sky".

Maths degree? Sounds fun. Not financially useful career-wise, unless you enjoy the company of mobsters in the gambling and financial industries. Go for it

Yes indeed. This has been on the books for a very long time (I first signed up for this in 2011 I think) but time has never allowed. Really I don't want to do what I am doing any longer. It's soul crushing, pointless and detrimental to my mental health and to society. I was going to buy a house but I'd have to work still. I might just do a mathematics degree and wing it.

Wait a couple of years, and you'll be able to afford something nice outside London.

Your point about mental health and curating dung is well taken. I had a glimpse of it inside a fintech company for 18 months or so - and it was so demoralising I decided to retire! I don't know how you stuck it out for so long.

Overall I have the same feelings as when sprocket left for uni: bittersweet. Bitter for us, sweet contemplating the future. (Saw sproglet today, and had the pleasure of her repeatedly giving me V-signs. I was taking some of her stuff that had been lingering in her room for a decade. Her room will become my new "lab")

Yes am there as well to some degree. I sympathise on that front too. Mine did not leave yet though but she will at some point.

Nice to know yours persistently insults you as well. Makes me feel better about mine

Fairness obliges me to point out I was being rather scathing about her. I took some of her stuff (GCSE notes, that kind of thing) around ~15 days ago, and she was moaning that i'd taken more around. I "sympathised" along the lines that I hadn't expected her to prune her stuff in ~1/365 of the time it had been in my house.

[Specmaster]

As for computers and tablets they are banned. I've grabbed a no brand android phone to take with me and will stick a local SIM in it for occasional data access around the city (35 gig for £5 - bloody cheap). That, turned off as it's mostly going to be useless out there, the camera, a Casio F91W terrorist's watch and a GPS are the only technology that's coming.

Nah, forget that old terrorists watch , you need something much better out there in the wilderness, under canvas, in the pitch black that backlight on that old antiquated watch is going to be useless, you need the modern terrorists watch, the Casio W86.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfYkJ92dbXU

[bd139]

As for computers and tablets they are banned. I've grabbed a no brand android phone to take with me and will stick a local SIM in it for occasional data access around the city (35 gig for £5 - bloody cheap). That, turned off as it's mostly going to be useless out there, the camera, a Casio F91W terrorist's watch and a GPS are the only technology that's coming.

Nah, forget that old terrorists watch , you need something much better out there in the wilderness, under canvas, in the pitch black that backlight on that old antiquated watch is going to be useless, you need the modern terrorists watch, the Casio W86.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfYkJ92dbXU

EL backlight isn't really worth it. Firstly we're not travelling after sundown and if we were I've got a decent head torch. Secondly it's £6 more expensive which is several bottles of fermented horse milk and a whole packet of immodium worth of cash

[bd139]

Naryn is pretty damn close to the Heavenly Mountains And to the Eurasian pole of inaccessibility, that Nick Crane cycled to. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pole_of_inaccessibility

The Son-kul lake looks rather like a lake I've wanted to visit for 40 years: Lake Manasarovar and the "mountain at the centre of the world". I doubt I'll make it; 17kft is serious w.r.t. AMS.

Mind you, Son-kul is pretty high too. I've gone from 50m to 3300m in 6 hours. I was OK; daughter couldn't breathe enough to walk. (Fine the next day, though). Looks sufficiently tree-less for a Fenlander to feel there's "sufficient sky".

Please don't show me more places to go at the moment. The bucket list is getting somewhat larger than is feasibly possible . More seriously I appreciate the information and experiences

Our base camp is 2600m with 24 hours to acclimatise. Average trip is around 3000m with one hard day of 3610m (optional - will see how I feel). Our ML has medication, O2 and exit plan on hand and we're all pretty fit people. Also we have horses which are better at that anyway

Wait a couple of years, and you'll be able to afford something nice outside London.

Kids are still at school. In 5 years that's going to be different though so I'm inclined to make my escape then, hopefully not alone. Not sure what life will bring yet. Not making plans yet.

Your point about mental health and curating dung is well taken. I had a glimpse of it inside a fintech company for 18 months or so - and it was so demoralising I decided to retire! I don't know how you stuck it out for so long.

Wise move. I think Stockholm Syndrome is the reason here.

Fairness obliges me to point out I was being rather scathing about her. I took some of her stuff (GCSE notes, that kind of thing) around ~15 days ago, and she was moaning that i'd taken more around. I "sympathised" along the lines that I hadn't expected her to prune her stuff in ~1/365 of the time it had been in my house.

Hahahaha. My mother's house still had my schoolwork and Lego in it when she died. I've got a Lego 6990 monorail in the cupboard I need to build, check and sell at some point. I suspect it'll be handed down to one of the children at some point at this rate.

[tggzzz]

Naryn is pretty damn close to the Heavenly Mountains And to the Eurasian pole of inaccessibility, that Nick Crane cycled to. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pole_of_inaccessibility

The Son-kul lake looks rather like a lake I've wanted to visit for 40 years: Lake Manasarovar and the "mountain at the centre of the world". I doubt I'll make it; 17kft is serious w.r.t. AMS.

Mind you, Son-kul is pretty high too. I've gone from 50m to 3300m in 6 hours. I was OK; daughter couldn't breathe enough to walk. (Fine the next day, though). Looks sufficiently tree-less for a Fenlander to feel there's "sufficient sky".

Please don't show me more places to go at the moment. The bucket list is getting somewhat larger than is feasibly possible . More seriously I appreciate the information and experiences

Our base camp is 2600m with 24 hours to acclimatise. Average trip is around 3000m with one hard day of 3610m (optional - will see how I feel). Our ML has medication, O2 and exit plan on hand and we're all pretty fit people. Also we have horses which are better at that anyway

More useful <insert Muttley sound> examples of altitude.

Inspired by a skiing holiday, I returned here and walked from 1600 to the Pisciadù Hütte (2700m) in the centre of the picture in one day (despite being 2/3 stories tall, it smaller than the resolution!). Zoom out and look to the right to see the top of the pass. I had a slightly disturbed first night sleep.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@46.55826 ... 56!5m1!1e4

The whole area is so stunning that a couple of years later I returned for a 3 week solo walking holiday. Without any tuition or experience, I went back by this very well known and travelled path. This is a truly excellent use of Google's photo sphere; use all degrees of freedom
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@46.53965 ... 32!5m1!1e4

Do it before you get too old. Having said that, it is somewhat embarrassing to be overtaken by grannies walking up.

My mother's house still had my schoolwork and Lego in it when she died. I've got a Lego 6990 monorail in the cupboard I need to build, check and sell at some point. I suspect it'll be handed down to one of the children at some point at this rate.

Lego is entirely justified. I still have my Triang-Hornby trains and a Mamod steam engine, and a few other strange knick-knacks.

I have a couple of O-Level notebooks, taking up ~0 space. Also most of my university notes (40cm) and some textbooks. Daughters GSCE notes were about that, but then there's A-Level and university notes.

Anyway, do have fun. Sounds like the best form of holiday, where you find out things about your companions and yourself. I suspect I my skin has a green tinge.

[mnementh]

http://www.tri-ang.co.uk

*claws way back to the surface after an hour deep-diving site and ring*

mnem
Oy... and I thought our Lionel nuts were extra-nutty...