Test Equipment Anonymous

Cubdriver wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 8:37 am I used to drive a Miata year round, and seeing clowns fly past in their 4WD SUVs on the highway made me roll my eyes. Yeah, with four wheel drive you can get moving easier than I can, but I have just as many brakes as you do and only about a third of the mass to stop or change direction.

"A 4-wheel drive is a practical device to make the tow truck have to unspool more winch wire since car goes farther out in the field"

But, since I got the present car, (Volvo V70 Classic 2007, AWD) and fitted it with new nice Nokian Hakkapelitta friction (studless M&S) tires, that slippin' and slidin' has been completely absent. I simply point the car where I want it, and it goes there. As I've parked and exit, I usually slip and end up on my butt. That's the power of AWD

tggzzz wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 9:41 am

Cubdriver wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 3:18 am

mnementh wrote: ↑Thu Jan 04, 2024 8:16 pm Sounds to me like they just have you fully conditioned to just accept your fuzzy little Stockholm Syndrome.

mnem
https://wtfnotebooks.com/blogs/notewort ... about-cats

Saw a video the other day about crows eating ticks off of wallabies in Australia. In the comments section, someone mentioned how intelligent crows are. Another told of crows he'd seen putting walnuts across the road so they'd be crushed by car tires, enabling them to easily get the nut meat. Finally, the ribbon to tie it all up - the comment was "Some animals are evolving to use humans as tools. Cats have been doing this for thousands of years." Submit to your feline masters, foolish humans!!

Crows can count up to 2.

Evidence comes from observing hides overlooking a field:

• one person goes into hide, crow don't come to field to eat
• one person leaves hide, crows come to the field
• two in, one out, crows don't come to field
• the second out, crows come to the field
• three in two out, crows come to the field

Some vegetables are apparently as intelligent as cats - they've used humans to spread them all over the world.

On crows and intelligence...
If we're on a day hike or something around Richmond Park I found out you can hand feed crows if you're gentle about it. I rather like them!

As for cats and vegetables, I think it could be rephrased that cats are as intelligent as vegetables.

bd139 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 11:52 am

tggzzz wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 9:41 am

Cubdriver wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 3:18 am

Saw a video the other day about crows eating ticks off of wallabies in Australia. In the comments section, someone mentioned how intelligent crows are. Another told of crows he'd seen putting walnuts across the road so they'd be crushed by car tires, enabling them to easily get the nut meat. Finally, the ribbon to tie it all up - the comment was "Some animals are evolving to use humans as tools. Cats have been doing this for thousands of years." Submit to your feline masters, foolish humans!!

Crows can count up to 2.

Evidence comes from observing hides overlooking a field:

• one person goes into hide, crow don't come to field to eat
• one person leaves hide, crows come to the field
• two in, one out, crows don't come to field
• the second out, crows come to the field
• three in two out, crows come to the field

Some vegetables are apparently as intelligent as cats - they've used humans to spread them all over the world.

On crows and intelligence...

If we're on a day hike or something around Richmond Park I found out you can hand feed crows if you're gentle about it. I rather like them!

As for cats and vegetables, I think it could be rephrased that cats are as intelligent as vegetables.

Some animals appear to like having fun.

Some people are as intelligent as vegetables
Worse: some are still employed

MED6753 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 04, 2024 11:09 pm IMHO I think this is a whole lot of "cry wolf" but we shall see.

I get similar weather warnings now from my Alexa smart speaker, had one yesterday for heavy rain likely to cause extensive flooding for the next 2 to 3 days as a result of the storm we are currently experiencing.

tggzzz wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 12:41 pm Some people are as intelligent as vegetables
Worse: some are still employed

Some vegetables are more intelligent than some people.

BU508A wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 1:18 pm

tggzzz wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 12:41 pm Some people are as intelligent as vegetables
Worse: some are still employed

Some vegetables are more intelligent than some people.

do we work for the same company?

bd139 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 4:27 pm

BU508A wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 1:18 pm

tggzzz wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 12:41 pm Some people are as intelligent as vegetables
Worse: some are still employed

Some vegetables are more intelligent than some people.

do we work for the same company?

I am the most intelligent person in my company.

BU508A wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 1:18 pm

tggzzz wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 12:41 pm Some people are as intelligent as vegetables
Worse: some are still employed

Some vegetables are more intelligent than some people.

Be more specific. Which vegetables and which people? How do you gauge the intelligence of either? Is it simply a vague way of saying there are some things you approve of?

Intelligent doesn't equate to good, well-meaning, kindly, wise and well-adjusted. There can be criminal geniuses and idiot savants.

"Winter Storm Watch" has now become an official "Winter Storm Warning". I'm still not convinced but if it does indeed prove correct pictures from the balcony Sunday morning.

And if it does indeed snow it should be interesting listening to the scanner as the locals have forgotten how to safely drive in the mess.

MED6753 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 9:14 pm "Winter Storm Watch" has now become an official "Winter Storm Warning". I'm still not convinced but if it does indeed prove correct pictures from the balcony Sunday morning.

And if it does indeed snow it should be interesting listening to the scanner as the locals have forgotten how to safely drive in the mess.

Well winter can be expected to bring snow, and if serious snow doesn't happen that often, and if you are not geared up for it, it will cause problems. The less likely it is, the less likely you are to be able to cope.

More importantly, how is Blondie getting on? I hope all is going well.

tggzzz wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 12:41 pm

bd139 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 11:52 am

tggzzz wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 9:41 am

Crows can count up to 2.

Evidence comes from observing hides overlooking a field:

• one person goes into hide, crow don't come to field to eat
• one person leaves hide, crows come to the field
• two in, one out, crows don't come to field
• the second out, crows come to the field
• three in two out, crows come to the field

Some vegetables are apparently as intelligent as cats - they've used humans to spread them all over the world.

On crows and intelligence...

If we're on a day hike or something around Richmond Park I found out you can hand feed crows if you're gentle about it. I rather like them!

As for cats and vegetables, I think it could be rephrased that cats are as intelligent as vegetables.

Some animals appear to like having fun.

Some people are as intelligent as vegetables
Worse: some are still employed

Probably by Boeing.......

Got the snowblower dug out of the shed, in the garage, and topped off/test started just before dinner. When I went for gas and salt, stores were like the COVID "TP Frenzy" days.

There were no casualties, but a number of humans were very nearly glared and/or eyerolled to death...

Weather service is now calling for a minimum of 6 inches/15cm across the state, with some regions getting up to 12 inches/30cm.

Looks like we may get all that snow we missed last year all at once, right now.

mnem
I fucking hate it when I'm right...

It's been coming down here since about 7:00 pm, though nothing too hard thus far.



Looks like about an inch so far.

-Pat

mnementh wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07, 2024 3:10 am
There were no casualties, but a number of humans were very nearly glared and/or eyerolled to death...

LMAO, its so easy for a dwagon Come to think of it, you didn't really need the gas and salt, you have natural built-in snow clearing capabilities

As a matter of interest, did you take that photo on your phone or a camera, and do you know what the shutter speed was? I love the way the snowflakes have been captured falling like that.

Specmaster wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07, 2024 12:25 pm

mnementh wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07, 2024 3:10 am
There were no casualties, but a number of humans were very nearly glared and/or eyerolled to death...

LMAO, its so easy for a dwagon Come to think of it, you didn't really need the gas and salt, you have natural built-in snow clearing capabilities

Yes indeed. You should be able to weld with a dwagon. Turning the left ear controls the gas and turning the right ear the oxygen.

For once the forecast was accurate. Approx 9 inches (23cm) of the white stuff and as of 11 AM local time still coming down. Should end this afternoon.

Zenith wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 10:34 pm

More importantly, how is Blondie getting on? I hope all is going well.

Her recovery is proving to be very slow and somewhat frustrating. This season's flu is very serious and just hangs on for almost 2 weeks or more. But she is resting and I do see some slow daily progress.

MED6753 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07, 2024 4:35 pm

Zenith wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 10:34 pm

More importantly, how is Blondie getting on? I hope all is going well.

Her recovery is proving to be very slow and somewhat frustrating. This season's flu is very serious and just hangs on for almost 2 weeks or more. But she is resting and I do see some slow daily progress.

Mike, that is good news, lets all keep our fingers crossed and hope that she continues to make progress.

Flu is indeed a big thing over here at the moment, but even bigger is that Covid is making a comeback and the place where 2 of my sons are working appears rampant with it and 2 make matters worse, the bosses are insisting on people with it to still to go into work. My eldest had it all over Christmas and he usually takes his brother (who still lives with me) to work 3 days a week, leaving me to take him the other 2 days. That has meant that I have been taking him and collecting him daily for the last week as the eldest is still testing positive, thats another 250 miles a week onto my mileage.

Not sure what is happening tomorrow yet as he is taking test tonight.

PS. What is the thing in the top right of the photo, is that some sort of bird feeder hanging there?

MED6753 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07, 2024 4:35 pm

Zenith wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 10:34 pm

More importantly, how is Blondie getting on? I hope all is going well.

Her recovery is proving to be very slow and somewhat frustrating. This season's flu is very serious and just hangs on for almost 2 weeks or more. But she is resting and I do see some slow daily progress.

Not such good news as I would have liked you to be able to report, but progress in the right direction.

I know from my own experience, that a severe bout of flu on its own can knock you about badly, and take a time to recover from fully.

Zenith wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07, 2024 2:06 pm

Specmaster wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07, 2024 12:25 pm

mnementh wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07, 2024 3:10 am
There were no casualties, but a number of humans were very nearly glared and/or eyerolled to death...

LMAO, its so easy for a dwagon Come to think of it, you didn't really need the gas and salt, you have natural built-in snow clearing capabilities

Yes indeed. You should be able to weld with a dwagon. Turning the left ear controls the gas and turning the right ear the oxygen.

Shhhh!!! we consider this proprietary technology; we don't want it spread all over the intardnet.

I posted this in the DisCord while we were engaged in battle. Just a little too close to home.




mnem
Also, fuck that neighbor and that GWS card. Roll his burning corpse down the driveway; get it cleared too.

Specmaster wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07, 2024 12:25 pm

mnementh wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07, 2024 3:10 am
There were no casualties, but a number of humans were very nearly glared and/or eyerolled to death...

LMAO, its so easy for a dwagon Come to think of it, you didn't really need the gas and salt, you have natural built-in snow clearing capabilities

As a matter of interest, did you take that photo on your phone or a camera, and do you know what the shutter speed was? I love the way the snowflakes have been captured falling like that.

I stuck my phone out the bedroom window; AUTO everything with flash. I had to take several shots to get one where the scene was visible and the falling flakes weren't all you could see.




This was the carnage that greeted me yesterday morning when I opened up the garage. I am glad we fought the shed to get that snowblower up to the garage; it took two sorties (one in the morning, the second late afternoon once the snow stopped) to get the cars usable. I'd have died of a heart attack trying to clear that with shovels.




This was shot during the first sortie; just a few inches.

FitBit sez I walked 5 miles yesterday and almost 3 miles day before that; all of it in our driveway and sidewalks. I've barely managed a mile/1000-1200 steps a day for over a month since my knee blew out.


mnem

effing owww. . .

MED6753 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07, 2024 4:35 pm

Zenith wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 10:34 pm

More importantly, how is Blondie getting on? I hope all is going well.

Her recovery is proving to be very slow and somewhat frustrating. This season's flu is very serious and just hangs on for almost 2 weeks or more. But she is resting and I do see some slow daily progress.

Yes, the severe bronchitis and sinus part lasts a week or more... after that another couple weeks of coughing fits and hacking goo up from your lungs. It took a month out of our lives as it went through our entire household just before and during Thanksgiving; I was actually pretty terrified for several days once my dad caught it. We're all somewhat close to normal now; maybe a wee bit more tired overall. That may still be lingering effects of lost sleep, or just the fact a couple winters have passed since any of us were last anything close to that sick.

Any of you who caught this... did your doc prescribe Bronkosol and a cheap drug-store nebulizer? I know ours did for a similar deep-chest flu back when we lived in San Antonio... in retrospect, very surprised our current doc did not this time.

Best to both of you Mike! Take your time getting back to normal; normal is highly overrated anyways.

mnem

I had a Kijiji pickup on the way home from work yesterday:



It's a power supply, yes, but it's not a DC bench power supply like the others I have.



It's a 750 VA adjustable frequency, adjustable voltage AC power supply.

I picked this up for several reasons. The 400 Hz preset is obviously perfect for aircraft and military equipment that requires it. The 50 Hz preset solves the problem a regular step-up transformer can't with 220 V 50 Hz electronics that are frequency dependent like any tape recorders or record players that would run fast on 60 Hz power. The lower adjustable range from 20-200 Hz solves the 25 Hz problem (see username) and possible 66.6 Hz problem for antiques that predate frequency standardization here or came from any of the railways that had 25 Hz electrifications.

This power supply weighs a ton. The 750 VA implies a healthy sized transformer and the momentum was enough for one of the corners to leave a nasty looking gouge on the back door when I grazed it by accident on the way into the house. I need to finish wrestling it downstairs and then the plan is to take a power bar, chop the plug off and wire it into the output of this power supply so I can have a dedicated variable frequency, variable voltage power strip mounted on the test bench available for anything that needs it.

Nice!
And the 750VA transformer has to work at 20Hz. That means 3 times the core material compared to a 60Hz one. There are core materials that are better for low frequencies but they tend to be too lossy at the high end for this application.
The modern ones are switch mode fith filtering so much smaller and lighter. There can be test issues though as most aircraft still have rotaing iron generator and they behave differently. The test standards have not caught up (yet).

Robert.

mnem
mmmm... juicy.