Test Equipment Anonymous

This weekend's "to-do" is supposed to be getting the Xmas tree up. Problem is, I need to put this huge flupping box away to have a place to put it, and it's too damned big to fit up the attic stairs or down the basement stairs.

mnem
FMOB...

mnementh wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 7:12 pm

This weekend's "to-do" is supposed to be getting the Xmas tree up. Problem is, I need to put this huge flupping box away to have a place to put it, and it's too damned big to fit up the attic stairs or down the basement stairs.

mnem
FMOB...

Keeping the box in case you move?

First time in 15 years I've had a Christmas tree or even decorated. No more Scrooge here.

MED6753 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 7:28 pm First time in 15 years I've had a Christmas tree or even decorated. No more Scrooge here.

A good woman in the house can do that.....

Wait until his cat fucks it up

bd139 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 9:04 pm Wait until his cat fucks it up

The cat has already been all over it.

mnementh wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 7:12 pm

This weekend's "to-do" is supposed to be getting the Xmas tree up. Problem is, I need to put this huge flupping box away to have a place to put it, and it's too damned big to fit up the attic stairs or down the basement stairs.

mnem
FMOB...

At least 2 weeks early, if you ask me. We usually decorate the (real) tree the 23d, late.

Our tradition used to be the tree goes up over Thanksgiving weekend, and all the family helps so we can reminisce over the various ornaments and holiday knick-knacks. Been a long time since we managed that...

mnem
how old are the kids again...?

MED6753 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 9:36 pm

bd139 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 9:04 pm Wait until his cat fucks it up

The cat has already been all over it.

Mike, you have zip ties, right?



(Just make sure your dykes are put away lest he get his paws on them)

-Pat

Well, you can't have too many multimeters, can you?
Today two Keithley 177 arrived. They should be working, but have to verify that. I suspect they are in a need for some love... Quite a lot yellowing on the case.

dl6lr wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 11:13 am Well, you can't have too many multimeters, can you?
Today two Keithley 177 arrived. They should be working, but have to verify that. I suspect they are in a need for some love... Quite a lot yellowing on the case.

Photos please when you're ready.

dl6lr wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 11:13 am Well, you can't have too many multimeters, can you?
Today two Keithley 177 arrived. They should be working, but have to verify that. I suspect they are in a need for some love... Quite a lot yellowing on the case.

I have four DMMs and four analogue multimeters, plus a couple of VTVMs and a couple of bench multimeters, one of which needs some serious TLC.

I'm not actively looking for more DMMs. I don't have a fear of waking up one day without a DMM to my name. I see them as like calculators. Some people are heavily into the calculator scene. I can see the attraction and admire their enthusiasm. I'm happy with five working calculators, which means when I need a calculator I can find one fairly easily.

Specmaster wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 11:27 am

dl6lr wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 11:13 am Well, you can't have too many multimeters, can you?
Today two Keithley 177 arrived. They should be working, but have to verify that. I suspect they are in a need for some love... Quite a lot yellowing on the case.

Photos please when you're ready.

Will do...

Cubdriver wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 3:17 am

MED6753 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 9:36 pm

bd139 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 9:04 pm Wait until his cat fucks it up

The cat has already been all over it.

Mike, you have zip ties, right?


(Just make sure your dykes are put away lest he get his paws on them)

-Pat

Like Paul the tree goes up over US Thanksgiving weekend (November 24 -26) and comes down on New Years. Of course Harley went nuts when It was first put up and it was a struggle to keep him out of it. But he seems to have lost interest in it and pretty much leaves it alone but I still find an occasional ornament on the floor. He likes to sleep next to it or under it which is OK as long as doesn't climb in it, which he has. Hasn't knocked it over.

dl6lr wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 11:13 am Well, you can't have too many multimeters, can you?
Today two Keithley 177 arrived. They should be working, but have to verify that. I suspect they are in a need for some love... Quite a lot yellowing on the case.

These are really great meters. Do you have the slightly odd GPIB board that takes up two addresses fitted to either of them?
I used to have several Keithleys from this era and the only one I kept was the 177 because it is brilliant and I don't have any other meters that could directly replace it. I would love to know why putting reasonably big displays on bench meters died out for a while until the colour LCD/OLED displays arrived.

Oh, Harley... come to the PC and have a little lesson...

mnem
balls.

synx508 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 6:14 pm These are really great meters. Do you have the slightly odd GPIB board that takes up two addresses fitted to either of them?

No, both doesn't have any interface. Strange but both have a sticker on top with INTERFACEABLES IEEE-488.

Standing guard...


-Pat

AVGresponding wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 7:30 pm Possibly because the fashion was for LCD and backlighting a large one evenly was difficult with the LEDs of the time, hence the CCFL backlighting in LCD scope screens of the era.

I think I can beat the 177 for late date big LED display though, the Black Star 4503 has big LED digits.

In fact, all the Keithley 19x-series do... though they are also fat bastard double-height jobbies.

I really need to get around to the planned LED backlighting for my Keithley 197, I'm sure I'd use it more then.

Another meter you can add to the list with big LEDs is the Thurlby1905a, it has the same size LEDs as the BlackStar 4503

Cubdriver wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 9:13 pm Standing guard...


-Pat

Harley is the first cat I've seen who is not afraid of the vacuum. He drives Blondie nuts when she tries to vacuum. He grabs the cord and refuses to get out of the way.

mnementh wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 8:23 pm

Oh, Harley... come to the PC and have a little lesson...

mnem
balls.

He already knows all 3 moves. No additional lessons needed.

Specmaster wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 11:04 pm

AVGresponding wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 7:30 pm Possibly because the fashion was for LCD and backlighting a large one evenly was difficult with the LEDs of the time, hence the CCFL backlighting in LCD scope screens of the era.

I think I can beat the 177 for late date big LED display though, the Black Star 4503 has big LED digits.

In fact, all the Keithley 19x-series do... though they are also fat bastard double-height jobbies.

I really need to get around to the planned LED backlighting for my Keithley 197, I'm sure I'd use it more then.

Another meter you can add to the list with big LEDs is the Thurlby1905a, it has the same size LEDs as the BlackStar 4503

Interestingly both the Keithley and the Thurlby were rebadged as Racal models. The 4003 and 4009 respectively. I have one of each. The Keithley 178 was the Racal 4002.

Specmaster wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 11:04 pm

AVGresponding wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 7:30 pm Possibly because the fashion was for LCD and backlighting a large one evenly was difficult with the LEDs of the time, hence the CCFL backlighting in LCD scope screens of the era.

I think I can beat the 177 for late date big LED display though, the Black Star 4503 has big LED digits.

In fact, all the Keithley 19x-series do... though they are also fat bastard double-height jobbies.

I really need to get around to the planned LED backlighting for my Keithley 197, I'm sure I'd use it more then.

Another meter you can add to the list with big LEDs is the Thurlby1905a, it has the same size LEDs as the BlackStar 4503

It also has the horrid membrane keyboard. I'm glad I sold mine, and also my 1906, which is a much better meter but still has a near incomprehensible menu system. I'm not selling my 4503; it's my go-to bench meter when I don't need digits.

AVGresponding wrote: ↑Tue Dec 12, 2023 11:24 am

Specmaster wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 11:04 pm

AVGresponding wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 7:30 pm Possibly because the fashion was for LCD and backlighting a large one evenly was difficult with the LEDs of the time, hence the CCFL backlighting in LCD scope screens of the era.

I think I can beat the 177 for late date big LED display though, the Black Star 4503 has big LED digits.

In fact, all the Keithley 19x-series do... though they are also fat bastard double-height jobbies.

I really need to get around to the planned LED backlighting for my Keithley 197, I'm sure I'd use it more then.

Another meter you can add to the list with big LEDs is the Thurlby1905a, it has the same size LEDs as the BlackStar 4503

It also has the horrid membrane keyboard. I'm glad I sold mine, and also my 1906, which is a much better meter but still has a near incomprehensible menu system. I'm not selling my 4503; it's my go-to bench meter when I don't need digits.

I don't use my membrane keyboard much at all, but it all works just fine, as does my 1906, but like you I don't find the menu system intuitive at all, but then few things in life are, its more a case of what is your meter that you go to first which tends to the one that you learn more about how to drive it well, and that for me is the 1906, but I don't need the extra functions very often, so not a major issue to me. I do love the 4503 as well, and the thing that stops me using it as much as I would love to is, just like the 1905a it has the flipping power switch at the rear, unlike my Flukes, 1906 and HP 3466A have it in the sensible location, on the front panel.

Cubdriver wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 9:13 pm Standing guard...


-Pat

Sadly, my elderly cat, Bindi has done the "wandering off to find somewhere to die" thing that old cats are wont to do.
Millie, the girl dog, was looking everywhere for her the other day, with a puzzled look on her little furry face!

We are now left with a bundle of cat treats & food, but no cat, & as I am too old for another cat, we found a home for the goodies with an acquaintance who, at time of writing has no less than five cats (two are supposedly temporary, but I know how such things work).

Anyway, the other day, my daughter set up the Christmas tree, complete with decorations & all looked nice, but yesterday, the two dogs, who seem to have appointed themselves "first responders", heard something & came steaming out, "full lights & sirens mode", bumped the small low table the tree sat on with either a tail, or their bums, & "crash!" down came the tree.
All that goes to show that you don't need a cat to wreak tree havoc---woofas do it quite well.

I expected broken glass from the ornaments everywhere, but only one was smashed.

Standing it up, it was obviously a bit unstable & needed some sort of heavy objects to stabilise it.
No bricks to hand, so a few technical books did the trick.