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

[bitseeker]

Anyway back to TEA. I got this little beauty for work.
RS-RTC1002-scope.jpg

It's a bit like a updated HP 54622D, one of my favorites. Seems pretty good. Very small but it's in a tiny "workshop" in what is mainly a "showpiece" new office. No tatty boat anchors there.

Wait a second. Yes, it's cute, but despite having only two channels, they still went for combined vertical controls? I can think of a few reasons it ended up that way, but the Mint Mobile commercials come to mind: "that's not right."

2 + 8 channels actually
TBH having got used to it on other 'scopes i'm not bothered. Putting two sets of vertical controls would have ment smaller controls or/and using menus or second functions for more operations.

Yep, that's the main reason I figured it was done that way: avoid major front panel differences for two (analog) channels vs. four or more. In isolation, though, it's an odd design for so few (analog) channels.

[tggzzz]

I'd be quite happy to let wolves snack on the feral shits around here.

Population control isn't popular when you apply it to humans though.

Oh, I don't know. I suspect letting the entire content of London Zoo in through the doors of the Palace of Westminster would be hugely popular, especially if you televised it.

At least on Honourable [sic] Member (Matt Handcock) has left the Palace of Westminster and gone to somewhere akin to London Zoo - where he will be encouraged to eat ostrich anus for the TV viewers' enjoyment (and a ?£500k? fat fee).

Some people will vote to keep him on the show, so they can see him demeaning himself for longer. If his fee increases if he isn't voted out, I would prefer that he was voted out soonest.

David Attenborough, commentating: "And the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster is now cowering under the front bench on the opposition side. Has that indian tiger spotted him, or is he going to be slowly ripped to pieces by that small pack of brown hyenas?"

Too fast.

Staking out on an anthill with a 7 week supply of water would be more appropriate for some of them. Or a TV programme MC called Montresor who was channelling Edgar Allen Poe.

[bitseeker]

In case none of you are still monitoring groups.io, 25CPS has posted there today, and he may well pop on here sometime in the near future. He has unfortunately been involved in a RTA and is still in the recovery phase and not feeling like doing much at all. He is hoping to be able to get back on the bench soon and occupy his mind on his growing pile of gear to fix.

I told him that he could maybe spend sometime exploring the chat and repair projects etc on here, complete with plentiful photos, we are no longer under the constraints of the groups.io limitations and also that this is where all the action is happening these days.

Thanks for the update, Spec! I replied as well.

In other news: Mounty is in the house! He just signed up to our little test forum that has pretty much become our regular hangout it seems.

[tggzzz]

Some plastic X capacitors arrived this morning. Delivered by a neighbour because Royal Mail can't find the right door.
My Farnell G15-4 is now cured of it's smoking habit. Now I need to work on the constant current control.

Stop whining

I live in Foobaz Cross Rd. There is a nearby Foobaz Close that has only been there >80 years, but still isn't correctly on Gurgle maps, and Grugle compoounds the problems by overlaying the postcode for Foobaz Close on Foobaz Cross Rd.

The consequences aren't difficult to imagine. The worst misdelivery was when I returned home to find it surrounded by full-height scaffolding. The scaffolders were as amused as I was.

The worst of the problems have been mitigated by my suggesting that the owners of π Rayens Close, MyVille tell couriers their address is π Rayens Close, Opposite the Supermarket, MyVille.

[Cerebus]

At least on Honourable [sic] Member (Matt Handcock)

As a Privy Councillor he's actually styled "The Right Honourable". Bit of joke for a man whose surname has such an apposite alternative appellation.

[bd139]

I'd be quite happy to let wolves snack on the feral shits around here.

Population control isn't popular when you apply it to humans though.

Oh, I don't know. I suspect letting the entire content of London Zoo in through the doors of the Palace of Westminster would be hugely popular, especially if you televised it.

David Attenborough, commentating: "And the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster is now cowering under the front bench on the opposition side. Has that indian tiger spotted him, or is he going to be slowly ripped to pieces by that small pack of brown hyenas?"

Ok come on now the poor animals are depressed enough without involving politicians in their existence.

[bd139]

At least on Honourable [sic] Member (Matt Handcock) has left the Palace of Westminster and gone to somewhere akin to London Zoo - where he will be encouraged to eat ostrich anus for the TV viewers' enjoyment (and a ?£500k? fat fee).

I would pay him that to try and eat a live ostrich's anus.

[tggzzz]

At least on Honourable [sic] Member (Matt Handcock) has left the Palace of Westminster and gone to somewhere akin to London Zoo - where he will be encouraged to eat ostrich anus for the TV viewers' enjoyment (and a ?£500k? fat fee).

I would pay him that to try and eat a live ostrich's anus.

The faster he fades into well-deserved obscurity, the better. If the ostrich hastens that by any means fair or fowl [sic], I've no objection.

[Zenith]

I believe a large part of what deer hunting about, is stalking them to within say 75 yards, to be completely confident of placing a shot in a vital area. Bringing one down at 1,000 yards with a .300 Weatherby magnum, would not win the ghillie's approval.

Certainly the greatest percentage are taken at close range( my closest 4yds) and certainly under 100 yds but the firearms, precision ammo and optics permit ordinary shooters to take deer regularly out to 600 yds in the right conditions.

Not having anything special in terms of rifles or optics but my max of 250yds was quite achievable and even a cheap projectile from a major brand gave excellent terminal performance at those ranges.

Today LR shooting is a science not pot luck.

It's simply not the way things are done old boy, although I gather you colonials and Antipodeans have unconventional views on these things. There are social standards to be considered. In some shooting circles, turn up with an SBS, even a cheap Spanish, and you are acceptable, but not as much as if you'd had a Birmingham, or better, a London gun. Turn up with an O/U and you are grudgingly accepted. Turn up with a matched pair, or better still a trio of sidelocks with gamekeepers to pass them to and reload them to hand them to you again to pop off, and you really have a place in society. Anything single-barrelled; folding, pumps, autos, bolt action, falling block, and you definitely wouldn't be invited back.

Whatever next? GPS assisted rounds to bring down a deer at 3000 yards? No doubt you'll be next arguing that the gentle art of fly fishing can easily be replaced by a stick of dynamite. And there was I thinking only the cads used spinners.

Stalking deer was really a thing in the age of bows, when broadhead arrowheads were the only effective way of bringing down a deer, but the drag was so excessive they were only effective at about 5 yards. They really stalked them.

[bd139]

Whatever next? GPS assisted rounds to bring down a deer at 3000 yards? No doubt you'll be next arguing that the gentle art of fly fishing can easily be replaced by a stick of dynamite. And there was I thinking only the cads used spinners.

Having been fishing "by camping gas bottle" I can assure you it's quite effective

Edit: Ms Deer looking a little shocked at the folk in this thread...



(Richmond Park last year)

Edit 2: hypothetical question. Would it not be more ethical to kill all of them in this park rather than have a selective cull yearly. The total loss of life would be considerably less aggregate over the years and the maintenance cost would be lower. Oh no wait they are a tourist attraction!

[Zenith]

And calcium carbide has certain possibilities, as does curare and electro-fishing. They are not sporting.

Shooting wood pigeons with a shotgun, is most excellently sporting.

[bd139]

And calcium carbide has certain possibilities, as does curare and electro-fishing. They are not sporting.

Shooting wood pigeons with a shotgun, is most excellently sporting.

Sporting is arbitrary.

[Zenith]

Sporting is arbitrary.

A great many things are arbitrary, subjective, or not easily defined. I choose to define shooting wood pigeons with a shotgun as most excellently sporting.

[bd139]

Sporting is arbitrary.

A great many things are arbitrary, subjective, or not easily defined. I choose to define shooting wood pigeons with a shotgun as most excellently sporting.

I think it's a cowardly game blasting the things for leisure. I used to catch them with my bare hands. The real skill was catching the same one again. Try that after blasting them. Now that's sporting!

Notably cheaper also and makes you look exactly the same level of tit.

Edit: don't try this with deer. It hurts from experience.

[tautech]

And calcium carbide has certain possibilities, as does curare and electro-fishing. They are not sporting.

Shooting wood pigeons with a shotgun, is most excellently sporting.

You'd get locked up for that here however shooting the common pigeon is quite legal however brandishing a shotgun in the cities where they need the most thinning out will also get you locked up.

It's simply not the way things are done old boy, although I gather you colonials and Antipodeans have unconventional views on these things. There are social standards to be considered. In some shooting circles, turn up with an SBS, even a cheap Spanish, and you are acceptable, but not as much as if you'd had a Birmingham, or better, a London gun. Turn up with an O/U and you are grudgingly accepted. Turn up with a matched pair, or better still a trio of sidelocks with gamekeepers to pass them to and reload them to hand them to you again to pop off, and you really have a place in society. Anything single-barrelled; folding, pumps, autos, bolt action, falling block, and you definitely wouldn't be invited back.

Oh yes I've certainly stuck this mentality before and over the decades done my very best to alter this outdated POV however there have been times when my grandfathers SBS Webly and Scott trap gun was the weapon of choice due to its impractically tight choking as it outshot all others in the party on a weekend on the Canada's.

No doubt you'll be next arguing that the gentle art of fly fishing can easily be replaced by a stick of dynamite. And there was I thinking only the cads used spinners.

No, very traditional here, so much so don't accept spinning for trout is acceptable however nymphing and wetlining generally cleans up spinning.

Stalking deer was really a thing in the age of bows, when broadhead arrowheads were the only effective way of bringing down a deer, but the drag was so excessive they were only effective at about 5 yards. They really stalked them.

Several centuries have passed in case you hadn't noticed since them times where in the states they even push out to 250yds with scoped sidearms and even 50yrs back here in NZ when deer were declared pests the cullers having their tallies limited by how much ammo they could lug into the bush for a 2 week stint ditched their 303's and went to the diminutive 222 so to be able to carry 3x the ammo as the 303.
Standards as you eloquently state determining what is acceptable or not would be spinning in their graves as every deer downed with a 50gr from a 222 was carefully placed/angled into the lungs so to miss the shoulder bones.
100's of 1000's of deer were taken in this manner over the span of a couple of decades and numbers were never the same however after a couple of very light hunting years resulting from Covid deer are plentiful again and many are returning to this wonderful sport and means to provide for the table.
That's how we Antipodeans do things these days old chap.

[Zenith]

Well of course it's cowardly, no part of my nature has ever involved being a hero.

Now to go along with your account, " I used to catch them with my bare hands", so you caught wood pigeons on the wing with your bare hands, so not even gloved hands. Some reports stretch credulity past its elastic limits.

[Zenith]

100's of 1000's of deer were taken in this manner over the span of a couple of decades and numbers were never the same however after a couple of very light hunting years resulting from Covid deer are plentiful again and many are returning to this wonderful sport and means to provide for the table.
That's how we Antipodeans do things these days old chap.

I fear we are at danger of straying off into a world which is alien, and even offensive, to many of our fellow TE addicts, as well as risking trespassing on the hospitality of our dear host. I intend to say no more on the matter, apart from that if I'm ever in NZ, I shall seek you out with the idea of having a beer or two and possibly firing a shot or two together.

[bd139]

Well of course it's cowardly, no part of my nature has ever involved being a hero.

Now to go along with your account, " I used to catch them with my bare hands", so you caught wood pigeons on the wing with your bare hands, so not even gloved hands. Some reports stretch credulity past its elastic limits.

Well I'm more of a ambassador to them. Hard to talk on the wing. It's pretty idiotic thing to do especially by throwing tiny refined rocks at them to make an unknown point. Most of them miss and land god knows where. Just have to sit very still and deploy your best bargaining tools and they will come to you.

[mnementh]

I would guess, if he caught them the same way as I caught pigeons on the farm as a yout' (much to the disgust of the matrons), it were more a matter of proper stalking on the ground and startling them such that they flew right at you when they attempted to flee.

And as he suggests, it is very difficult to do to the same bird more than once; they wise up to us tricksy little sproglets quite fast.

mnem
Of course, we would never admit we weren't as clever as we thought we were...

[mnementh]

Well of course it's cowardly, no part of my nature has ever involved being a hero.

Now to go along with your account, " I used to catch them with my bare hands", so you caught wood pigeons on the wing with your bare hands, so not even gloved hands. Some reports stretch credulity past its elastic limits.

Well I'm more of a ambassador to them. Hard to talk on the wing. It's pretty idiotic thing to do especially by throwing tiny refined rocks at them to make an unknown point. Most of them miss and land god knows where. Just have to sit very still and deploy your best bargaining tools and they will come to you.

Oh, I employed similar tactics for catching bluegills in the pond out back of the house as a yout'. Well-played!

mnem
tricksy little sproglets indeed!

[tautech]

100's of 1000's of deer were taken in this manner over the span of a couple of decades and numbers were never the same however after a couple of very light hunting years resulting from Covid deer are plentiful again and many are returning to this wonderful sport and means to provide for the table.
That's how we Antipodeans do things these days old chap.

I fear we are at danger of straying off into a world which is alien, and even offensive, to many of our fellow TE addicts, as well as risking trespassing on the hospitality of our dear host. I intend to say no more on the matter, apart from that if I'm ever in NZ, I shall seek you out with the idea of having a beer or two and possibly firing a shot or two together.

Please do.
Another handle I use on a shooting forum is Homerange, for good reason.

Bitseeker is also a gun supporter so little worry about our host and most others here are mature enough to know and accept what goes on outside their sphere of interest.
We all have interests and hobbies outside of TE.

[vk6zgo]

At least on Honourable [sic] Member (Matt Handcock)

As a Privy Councillor he's actually styled "The Right Honourable". Bit of joke for a man whose surname has such an apposite alternative appellation.

Yes, I often wondered --If Mr Carpenter did woodwork, & Mr Thatcher thatched roofs, just what Mr Handcock did?

[bitseeker]

I fear we are at danger of straying off into a world which is alien, and even offensive, to many of our fellow TE addicts, as well as risking trespassing on the hospitality of our dear host.

Bitseeker is also a gun supporter so little worry about our host and most others here are mature enough to know and accept what goes on outside their sphere of interest.

I don't recall posting a position either way on the topic. I'm certainly not going to lose my mind over it, but I appreciate Zenith's kindly raising the flag so others don't get too annoyed.

[Peter_O]

I'm definitely not a wilderness or hunting guy. I've just come here for the TEA stuff mainly,
(which is running in full color over here and somewhat dimmed only at the eevblog place, which many of us had expected to come.)
But I'm far from getting annoyed of the wilderness and hunting stuff.
(Fortunately it's in the constitution and understanding of this new old TEA home, that full color TEA stuff and a lifely community needs somewhat broader excurses as an habitat. I appreciate that.)

Friend of mine went to US for a business trip and vacation. While he was off to business, his wife and kids were driving a rented car over some country roads. They hit a a deer in the dusk and were lucky. Not so much the deer and the car. They got a new car. Two days later they managed to repeat the exact course of action. This comes when we central europe city guys are going 'wild'.

[Specmaster]

Sporting is arbitrary.

A great many things are arbitrary, subjective, or not easily defined. I choose to define shooting wood pigeons with a shotgun as most excellently sporting.

I think it's a cowardly game blasting the things for leisure. I used to catch them with my bare hands. The real skill was catching the same one again. Try that after blasting them. Now that's sporting!

Notably cheaper also and makes you look exactly the same level of tit.

Edit: don't try this with deer. It hurts from experience.

This took me back to when I was in junior school and my Dad knew someone who kept racing pigeons and discovered that he had a few birds that he was going to kill as they no good at racing, so my Dad rescued them and brought them home for me to have. One of these birds had a deformed top half of his beak, it just kept growing and would curl round his bottom part of his beak forming a hook making feeding very difficult for him. We had to catch him now and then and trim this top beak back, anyway he became so used to being handled that after a while, if I went into the garden where they were flying around, this pigeon would if I held out my arm, land on it and even allow me to feed him by hand. This progressed to him landing on my shoulder and would even stay there while I walked in the house, quietly cooing in my ear. You know I don't think that he even once shit on me or in the house, which if the door was open, and I was inside, he would even fly in or walk in, looking for me.

Then one day, our neighbour decided to light a huge bonfire in her garden, which got out of control and set the pigeon aloft alight while I was at school, unfortunately the pigeons had been let out yet, and it was burnt to the ground, killing all the pigeons