Test Equipment Anonymous

MED6753 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 15, 2023 12:18 am

Specmaster wrote: ↑Tue Nov 14, 2023 9:30 pm
Doesn't your mobile phone support a translation service via its camera?

Didn't know you could do that. How does it work?

Well on phone you take a high quality photo on the phone and then you go to your photo directory and select the photo and it offers me the following options Share, Edit, Lens or Delete and an option to copy text from the image. If I select copy text, it will find text on the image and then ask me if I want to translate it. Selecting yes, it asks for the language to translate from and too, and once selected, it superimposes the translated text on the photo.

This taken off my monitor, so if your phone supports this function, it will so much better quality to work with.

For the record, my phone is a Google Pixel 6A.

For example the writing above the CI-15 translates to Universal Oscilloscope, see attached photo.

The translate app that ships with it is better. Also allows you to download languages offline. Was very handy in Iceland.

bd139 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 15, 2023 6:24 pm The translate app that ships with it is better. Also allows you to download languages offline. Was very handy in Iceland.

That changed when they released the latest Android update and it became part of the camera/photo setup.

Specmaster wrote: ↑Wed Nov 15, 2023 9:41 pm

bd139 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 15, 2023 6:24 pm The translate app that ships with it is better. Also allows you to download languages offline. Was very handy in Iceland.

That changed when they released the latest Android update and it became part of the camera/photo setup.

Still got the Translate app on mine and it was only updated last night!

bd139 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 15, 2023 9:53 pm

Specmaster wrote: ↑Wed Nov 15, 2023 9:41 pm

bd139 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 15, 2023 6:24 pm The translate app that ships with it is better. Also allows you to download languages offline. Was very handy in Iceland.

That changed when they released the latest Android update and it became part of the camera/photo setup.

Still got the Translate app on mine and it was only updated last night!

I went searching on mine and found the original one as well, it seems that they have also now merged some of that into the photo directory, it works exactly the same. Just hope that Mike has the same on his phone, if not maybe we have sold another Pixel 6A for Google

What's that white stuff falling from the sky?

MED6753 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 21, 2023 8:10 pm What's that white stuff falling from the sky?

It could be manna from Heaven or it could be a winter wonderland forming before your very eyes.

My view is winter wouldn't be winter without a few inches of snow, and it's nice to see young kids play in it. It transforms everything.

However, once it's put in an appearance and entertained us for few days, I see no need for it to wear out its welcome.

Zenith wrote: ↑Tue Nov 21, 2023 11:41 pm

MED6753 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 21, 2023 8:10 pm What's that white stuff falling from the sky?

It could be manna from Heaven or it could be a winter wonderland forming before your very eyes.

My view is winter wouldn't be winter without a few inches of snow, and it's nice to see young kids play in it. It transforms everything.

However, once it's put in an appearance and entertained us for few days, I see no need for it to wear out its welcome.

Once the dandruff arrives, I would like it to stay.

Unfortunately here the temperature hovers above and below freezing, so it melts during the day forming a nice film, then freezes overnight forming a lethal skid pan. Plus the freeze-thaw cycle is effective at destroying hard materials.

I always had an unrealised fantasy about commuting to work. Either it was so close I could turn up on skis, or it was so far and outside controlled airspace that I could arrive by paraglider or microlight.

tggzzz wrote: ↑Wed Nov 22, 2023 12:32 am
Unfortunately here the temperature hovers above and below freezing, so it melts during the day forming a nice film, then freezes overnight forming a lethal skid pan.

Here too. I took a curve on a less used small road just a tad fast this morning. We skidded a fair bit but by letting go of pedals (basically a very slight engine braking on all four wheels, because AWD car) I was able to steer back on to track. We weren't without warning, there was a VW Caddy in a ditch in the first treacherous curve of our trip, so we knew what was in store. Main roads are wet and have good friction; it's the small ones that are dangerous.

mansaxel wrote: ↑Thu Nov 23, 2023 9:32 am

tggzzz wrote: ↑Wed Nov 22, 2023 12:32 am
Unfortunately here the temperature hovers above and below freezing, so it melts during the day forming a nice film, then freezes overnight forming a lethal skid pan.

Here too. I took a curve on a less used small road just a tad fast this morning. We skidded a fair bit but by letting go of pedals (basically a very slight engine braking on all four wheels, because AWD car) I was able to steer back on to track. We weren't without warning, there was a VW Caddy in a ditch in the first treacherous curve of our trip, so we knew what was in store. Main roads are wet and have good friction; it's the small ones that are dangerous.

My guess is that in Sweden that freeze-thaw mainly occurs when entering and exiting winter. Here it happens whenever we have wintry weather

My driveway is a 20% slope, as is one road from my house. In bad weather I have to be careful when walking out of the house, and I sometimes leave my car on the roadside 250m away.

I had a small test equipment pickup on the way home from work this evening. I saw a Simpson 390 online not far from home a few days ago and it was priced high but also mislabelled as an ohmmeter when it's actually a wattmeter. I figured I'd put in an offer on it but when I went to do it, I got an error message saying the ad had been taken down. I figured there was a chance it might have sold, but given the market for this sort of vintage gear isn't all that great it's possible but a long shot, or maybe the advertisement had been pulled so it could be relisted correctly. I did some searching around and it turns out that it was relisted with the same name and description but a lower price instead that was within a few dollars of the offer I was going to make. That was perfect. I messaged the seller and we made arrangements so I picked it up on the way home from work.







Side by side. That's when I finally realized they were different. It turns out the one I purchased today is actually a Simpson 390-2.

I checked the label on the boxes and the 390 is Catalogue #12480 and the 390-2 is Catalogue #12481. The other differences I noticed right off are that the 390's cord is two prong only and the instrument connections are spade lugs into screw terminals. The 390-2 has a three prong cord - and look closely at the picture at the vacant sockets - the same reverse banana plug sockets the later 260s have. This is the first time I've seen the reverse banana plug connectors used outside of the newer 260/270 VOMs.

I had a short play in the workshop tonight and set up a family photo of power measurement equipment:





This is a closer view of the newer digital stuff. The Extech draws 5.8 VA unloaded according to the Kill-A-Watt.







These little DM55-1 line voltmeters apparently don't draw enough to register on the Kill-A-Watt but the Extech is sensitive enough to measure it. The Kill-A-Watt draws a bit less than the Extech, coming in at 5.69 VA unloaded. Both have awful power factors.

Hey that Simpson has my name one it !
Give it back !

SWMBO decided she wanted a new TV for Christmas. sqWalid-Mart hit my feed with this BF deal next day; no lines, no BS, just pay $398 online and come next day to their curbside service sidelot, where two strong youths carried it out to the car. Which "it" was too big to close the door on, so had to be bungee'd shut.

mnem

I know someone who bought a Hisense TV and it was a steaming pile of shit. Hopefully you'll have better luck with yours.

Pay half, pay twice.

Unless it's Samsung. Then pay twice, get half and a load of ads and then half a TV 9 months down the line and half an attempt at customer service.

Glad I don't own a fucking television now. Bastard shite portals.

bd139 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28, 2023 4:47 pm Pay half, pay twice.

Unless it's Samsung. Then pay twice, get half and a load of ads and then half a TV 9 months down the line and half an attempt at customer service.

Glad I don't own a fucking television now. Bastard shite portals.

32 inch Samsung dumb flatscreen that must be at least 9 years old now and works perfectly. It's currently in storage as a backup in case Blondie's 50 inch takes a dump.

MED6753 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28, 2023 8:51 pm 32 inch Samsung dumb flatscreen that must be at least 9 years old now and works perfectly. It's currently in storage as a backup in case Blondie's 50 inch takes a dump.

I've still got half of ex bd140's Samsung in the cupboard. The main SMPS IC exploded. I haven't asked if she wants it back or not yet

talk about conspicuous consumption!

my mom says you should never put an empty box out on the curb for the trash guy........ lest the neighbors get jealous and the local hoods put your home on their list.

it would take a chain saw to hack that feckin' thing into small enough pieces to be discarded discreetly.

I haven't had a TV for over 25 years. The licence goons send letters frequently, which I throw away. They don't turn up here.

I see it when I visit friends and I'm shocked. I believe it to be a seductive force for evil and subtle coercion.

bd139 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28, 2023 4:47 pm Pay half, pay twice.

Unless it's Samsung. Then pay twice, get half and a load of ads and then half a TV 9 months down the line and half an attempt at customer service.

Glad I don't own a fucking television now. Bastard shite portals.

Not that worried aboot it. After the 55" onn had its LCD shit-fit at 10 months and MFR refunded 100% (then I hacked it and still using it a year later) SWMBO decided she wanted a new one without a handful of thin black lines halfway across the bottom of the screen. I personally couldn't care less, and will probably migrate it to the bedroom for myself.

I did spring $48 for the extended warranty, which includes accident coverage. Between that and the 2 year MFR warranty, I'm covered for 7 years on any failure our renters' insurance doesn't cover. For all of $450. I think that amortizes out pretty well.

The wife & kids like a big 4K screen for vidiot games. I like it for movies. We have 2 no-name (a TCL and an identical RCA rebrand) 40" 4K TVs around the house that are now 5+ years old; those were both ~$200.

All our TVs are either Roku TVs or have a Roku plugged into them. We do not watch commercial broadcast of any sort; we cut the cableTV cord 15 years ago and now we pay for and are quite selective in our content. I don't want my kids growing up thinking it is normal to be bludgeoned with screaming commercials every 11 minutes.

Fuck the theater. My living room is more comfortable, safer, and sadly, cleaner than any movie-house I've been inside in decades. Last time I went to see a movie, the entire complex looked like some apocalyptic horror scene out of Mad Max, the movie sucked pickled pirate balls, and we were down to one vehicle for a month because we got rearended waiting to turn into the ShitShow Sinemas' parking lot.

mnem
ploop.

The TV screens get larger and larger and the programming goes further down the toilet.

Yes, that's true if you watch TV programming. It by definition is the race to the bottom.

mnem
Just say "no, thank you."

For American TV, I agree.

For the TV company I work at, I respectfully disagree.

• No ads.
• No political affiliation.
• Strong rules on actual fair and balanced coverage.

Yes, we have programs on I can't care for. And I actually watch very little. But we try.