Test Equipment Anonymous

Specmaster wrote: ↑Mon Jan 30, 2023 11:51 pm I can liken it to a desire to have a car that that is both extremely comfortable, powerful, posh and silent so you go out and buy a Rolls Royce, when it is a known fact that a Jaguar XJ6 is just as comfortable, powerful, posh and silent but costs fraction of the price but people steer clear of it because it does not have the same perceived quality and longevity of the Rolls Royce.

Strictly, nowadays that's a choice between an overpriced BMW, or an overpriced Tata.

nixiefreqq wrote: ↑Tue Jan 31, 2023 2:21 pm YOU GUYS ALL MISSED THE POINT!

there is only one criteria for choosing any one meter over all others.

if you are in the fortress of solitude and a large rodent runs across your neat and tidy bench.......which meter will kill it in one shot?

we all know the answer to this question.

I have a 25 and a 27. Camels fear me.

Cerebus wrote: ↑Tue Jan 31, 2023 4:27 pm

Specmaster wrote: ↑Mon Jan 30, 2023 11:51 pm I can liken it to a desire to have a car that that is both extremely comfortable, powerful, posh and silent so you go out and buy a Rolls Royce, when it is a known fact that a Jaguar XJ6 is just as comfortable, powerful, posh and silent but costs fraction of the price but people steer clear of it because it does not have the same perceived quality and longevity of the Rolls Royce.

Strictly, nowadays that's a choice between an overpriced BMW, or an overpriced Tata.

Cerebus wrote: ↑Tue Jan 31, 2023 4:34 pm

nixiefreqq wrote: ↑Tue Jan 31, 2023 2:21 pm YOU GUYS ALL MISSED THE POINT!

there is only one criteria for choosing any one meter over all others.

if you are in the fortress of solitude and a large rodent runs across your neat and tidy bench.......which meter will kill it in one shot?

we all know the answer to this question.

I have a 25 and a 27. Camels fear me.

Hmm, got a 25 and 2 27s, I'm dangerous near camels

ok. it took a while for me to remember the camel joke (and that it involved two bricks).

yesterday swmbo was telling me about her childhood memories of living at duxford. apparently they were in family housing somewhere across the road from the flight line. all she could remember was that the kids used to play in some kind of excavation associated with new construction and that a kid threw a rock down into the hole and hit her in the head (maybe that explains why she took up with me)

isn't that one of places that spec goes to take pictures of flying machines? is it still an RAF base or was it converted for some other use?

nixiefreqq wrote: ↑Tue Jan 31, 2023 9:42 pm ok. it took a while for me to remember the camel joke (and that it involved two bricks).

yesterday swmbo was telling me about her childhood memories of living at duxford. apparently they were in family housing somewhere across the road from the flight line. all she could remember was that the kids used to play in some kind of excavation associated with new construction and that a kid threw a rock down into the hole and hit her in the head (maybe that explains why she took up with me)

isn't that one of places that spec goes to take pictures of flying machines? is it still an RAF base or was it converted for some other use?

Duxford used to be a RAF base years ago but is now part of the Imperial War Museum and is also home to a few aircraft restoration companies specialising in the restoration of historic warplanes and is home to the Sally B (B17), the Catalina and also The Fighter Collection which all take part in the many air shows held on site each year as well as taking part as guests in air shows all across the country.

It is still an active airfield during the week and is open to the public for visits albeit rather pricey but you can get in for free on days when there is no actual flying display taking place by joining as a Duxford IWM member, or as a member of the Sally B society or as my son and I do as a member of the Catalina Society (the cheapest solution) with a family membership which costs just £25 a year for 2 adults and 2 children and grants you access to the airfield and all the public areas of the various hangars and exhibition halls on the airfield.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duxford

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duxford_Aerodrome

Specmaster wrote: ↑Tue Jan 31, 2023 10:57 pm

nixiefreqq wrote: ↑Tue Jan 31, 2023 9:42 pm ok. it took a while for me to remember the camel joke (and that it involved two bricks).

yesterday swmbo was telling me about her childhood memories of living at duxford. apparently they were in family housing somewhere across the road from the flight line. all she could remember was that the kids used to play in some kind of excavation associated with new construction and that a kid threw a rock down into the hole and hit her in the head (maybe that explains why she took up with me)

isn't that one of places that spec goes to take pictures of flying machines? is it still an RAF base or was it converted for some other use?

Duxford used to be a RAF base years ago but is now part of the Imperial War Museum and is also home to a few aircraft restoration companies specialising in the restoration of historic warplanes and is home to the Sally B (B17), the Catalina and also The Fighter Collection which all take part in the many air shows held on site each year as well as taking part as guests in air shows all across the country.

It is still an active airfield during the week and is open to the public for visits albeit rather pricey but you can get in for free on days when there is no actual flying display taking place by joining as a Duxford IWM member, or as a member of the Sally B society or as my son and I do as a member of the Catalina Society (the cheapest solution) with a family membership which costs just £25 a year for 2 adults and 2 children and grants you access to the airfield and all the public areas of the various hangars and exhibition halls on the airfield.

I have fond memories of Duxford...

In the late 60s it was watching the filming of The Battle of Britain, with the orange Liberator used for cameras.

In the mid 80s I was driving towards Cambridge and had to pull over to the side of the road... until the Catalina had disappeared.

In the late naughties it was arriving at a Duxford flying display in a DC3, which parked near the B17. Fun flight.

nixiefreqq wrote: ↑Tue Jan 31, 2023 2:21 pm YOU GUYS ALL MISSED THE POINT!

there is only one criteria for choosing any one meter over all others.

if you are in the fortress of solitude and a large rodent runs across your neat and tidy bench.......which meter will kill it in one shot?



we all know the answer to this question.

And for larger varmints, just load it into a spud cannon.

mnem
I prepared EXPLOSIVE RUNES today.

Cerebus wrote: ↑Tue Jan 31, 2023 4:34 pm

nixiefreqq wrote: ↑Tue Jan 31, 2023 2:21 pm YOU GUYS ALL MISSED THE POINT!

there is only one criteria for choosing any one meter over all others.

if you are in the fortress of solitude and a large rodent runs across your neat and tidy bench.......which meter will kill it in one shot?

we all know the answer to this question.

I have a 25 and a 27. Camels fear me.

Somehow, I have managed to live over 50 trip around the sun, and never heard that camel joke before... while I was out Googling it, I stumbled across this groaner...

A woman, cranky because her husband was late coming home again, decided to leave a note, saying, "I've had enough and have left you. Don't bother coming after me.”

Then she hid under the bed to see his reaction.

After a short while, the husband comes home and she could hear him in the kitchen before he comes into the bedroom.

She could see him walk towards the dresser and pick up the note.

After a few minutes, he wrote something on it before picking up the phone and calling someone.

"She's finally gone...yeah I know, about bloody time, I'm coming to see you, put on that sexy French nightie.

I love you...can't wait to see you...we'll do all the naughty things you like."

He hung up, grabbed his keys and left.

She heard the car drive off as she came out from under the bed.

Seething with rage and with tears in her eyes she grabbed the note to see what he wrote...

"I can see your feet. We're outta bread; I'll be back in five minutes."

mnem
Oh when you're young and you wanna go "weeeee!" but you ain't got drugs yet...!
You hold on for your life...
Hold on to your little gonads... and strife...
Gonads & strife, gonads & strife, gonads & strife, gonads & strife...

nixiefreqq wrote: ↑Tue Jan 31, 2023 2:21 pm YOU GUYS ALL MISSED THE POINT!

there is only one criteria for choosing any one meter over all others.

if you are in the fortress of solitude and a large rodent runs across your neat and tidy bench.......which meter will kill it in one shot?

we all know the answer to this question.

Yes, but it is the wrong question.

The right question was told to me by someone in British Telecom Research Labs in the late 70s.

They held a competition between the Avo salesman with an Avo8 and ?Fluke? salesman with a handheld DVM. Both performed equally well. Just as the results were becoming apparent the DVM salesman picked up his DVM, threw it across the room, picked it up and invited the Avo salesman to do the same before retesting.

mnementh wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 3:32 am

Cerebus wrote: ↑Tue Jan 31, 2023 4:34 pm

nixiefreqq wrote: ↑Tue Jan 31, 2023 2:21 pm YOU GUYS ALL MISSED THE POINT!

there is only one criteria for choosing any one meter over all others.

if you are in the fortress of solitude and a large rodent runs across your neat and tidy bench.......which meter will kill it in one shot?

we all know the answer to this question.

I have a 25 and a 27. Camels fear me.

Somehow, I have managed to live over 50 trip around the sun, and never heard that camel joke before... while I was out Googling it, I stumbled across this groaner...
A woman, cranky because her husband was late coming home again, decided to leave a note, saying, "I've had enough and have left you. Don't bother coming after me.”

Then she hid under the bed to see his reaction.

After a short while, the husband comes home and she could hear him in the kitchen before he comes into the bedroom.

She could see him walk towards the dresser and pick up the note.

After a few minutes, he wrote something on it before picking up the phone and calling someone.

"She's finally gone...yeah I know, about bloody time, I'm coming to see you, put on that sexy French nightie.

I love you...can't wait to see you...we'll do all the naughty things you like."

He hung up, grabbed his keys and left.

She heard the car drive off as she came out from under the bed.

Seething with rage and with tears in her eyes she grabbed the note to see what he wrote...

"I can see your feet. We're outta bread; I'll be back in five minutes."

Clearly not an engineer.

Every engineer should have a mistress so that he can tell the wife he is with the mistress, the mistress he is with the wife - while he goes to the lab and has some fun.

If it floats, flies or f**ks, it is cheaper to rent than buy.

(And for the record, I think Andrew Tate should be left in Romania without internet access)

tggzzz wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 8:27 am

nixiefreqq wrote: ↑Tue Jan 31, 2023 2:21 pm YOU GUYS ALL MISSED THE POINT!

there is only one criteria for choosing any one meter over all others.

if you are in the fortress of solitude and a large rodent runs across your neat and tidy bench.......which meter will kill it in one shot?

we all know the answer to this question.

Yes, but it is the wrong question.

The right question was told to me by someone in British Telecom Research Labs in the late 70s.

They held a competition between the Avo salesman with an Avo8 and ?Fluke? salesman with a handheld DVM. Both performed equally well. Just as the results were becoming apparent the DVM salesman picked up his DVM, threw it across the room, picked it up and invited the Avo salesman to do the same before retesting.

In 1977 the RS rep literally bounced a 8020A off the bench and caught it mid air. Work bought one and so did I.

Oh and BT had their own version of the 8021 complete with odd sockets that don't take standard leads

Robert wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 12:31 pm

tggzzz wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 8:27 am

nixiefreqq wrote: ↑Tue Jan 31, 2023 2:21 pm YOU GUYS ALL MISSED THE POINT!

there is only one criteria for choosing any one meter over all others.

if you are in the fortress of solitude and a large rodent runs across your neat and tidy bench.......which meter will kill it in one shot?

we all know the answer to this question.

Yes, but it is the wrong question.

The right question was told to me by someone in British Telecom Research Labs in the late 70s.

They held a competition between the Avo salesman with an Avo8 and ?Fluke? salesman with a handheld DVM. Both performed equally well. Just as the results were becoming apparent the DVM salesman picked up his DVM, threw it across the room, picked it up and invited the Avo salesman to do the same before retesting.

In 1977 the RS rep literally bounced a 8020A off the bench and caught it mid air. Work bought one and so did I.

I still have my Russian µ4315 which I bought while at university to replace a TMK200. It still works, but the red meter scales are almost invisible now.

That TMK200 meter I had never heard of before, I have 2 of the TMK500 and a TMK700 meter, one of the TMK500 I have had since I was 18, so that is now 55 years old and still as good as new. Anyway the 200 set my juices flowing so I went looking for info on it and discovered that it is very similar to the 500 as can be seen in these photos. The 500 goes upto 1,000V AC&DC and also has a buzzer for continuity testing as well as 12A range. The 500 was I think unusual as it had a non-standard 30K/volt rating on DC but where most other meters were at best 4K/V and surprisingly AVO Mk8 and MK9 had varying values, 3Vac was .1K/V, 10Vac range was 1K/V and 30Vac upwards was only 2K/V which may account why Joe Smith was so impressed by the accuracy of the TMK against his Brymen 869 in his test in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H6YKvnOQyw

Specmaster wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 4:38 pm That TMK200 meter I had never heard of before, I have 2 of the TMK500 and a TMK700 meter, one of the TMK500 I have had since I was 18, so that is now 55 years old and still as good as new. Anyway the 200 set my juices flowing so I went looking for info on it and discovered that it is very similar to the 500 as can be seen in these photos. The 500 goes upto 1,000V AC&DC and also has a buzzer for continuity testing as well as 12A range. The 500 was I think unusual as it had a standard 20K/volt rating on DC but where most other meters were at best 4K/V and surprisingly AVO Mk8 and MK9 had varying values, 3Vac was .1K/V, 10Vac range was 1K/V and 30Vac upwards was only 2K/V which may account why Joe Smith was so impressed by the accuracy of the TMK against his Brymen 869 in his test in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H6YKvnOQyw

tmk200.jpgtmk500.jpg

Yup. A red zero control and no 12A socket.

I expect we bought it to assemble the Heathkit AR2000 viewtopic.php?p=955#p955 Probably decided the TMK200 was sufficient.

It ended up with a damaged movement, and was disposed of.

tggzzz wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 1:44 pm I still have my Russian µ4315 which I bought while at university to replace a TMK200. It still works, but the red meter scales are almost invisible now.

With the exchange of Capitalism for Communism in Russia according to the champions of the former they should have changed to gold, but all you get instead if a faded red that nevertheless does exactly the same thing, in the same way, in the same place. [Is there a 'sardonic joke' smiley?]

Robert wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 12:37 pm Oh and BT had their own version of the 8021 complete with odd sockets that don't take standard leads
BT-fluke.jpg

The behaviour of a company that expects their employees to steal from them and therefore makes their tools and similar sufficiently unique that they are either useless or immediately identifiable. The only other area of endeavour where I have seen that pursued so thoroughly is the police - draw your own conclusions.

Cerebus wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 7:20 pm [Is there a 'sardonic joke' smiley?]

If there is, I wouldn't recognise/understand it

I'd need a Rosetta stone, and would probably find that too irritating to use.

Cerebus wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 7:23 pm

Robert wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 12:37 pm Oh and BT had their own version of the 8021 complete with odd sockets that don't take standard leads
BT-fluke.jpg

The behaviour of a company that expects their employees to steal from them and therefore makes their tools and similar sufficiently unique that they are either useless or immediately identifiable. The only other area of endeavour where I have seen that pursued so thoroughly is the police - draw your own conclusions.

In the 19th century and earlier, when candles were used in mines, they were died green to stop them being nicked.

In the 70s, the lightbulbs in factories were Edison Screw which was basically unknown in houses.

Before the war GPO valves were often standard valves but had odd heater voltages making them useless outside the GPO.

I remember seeing bog roll with "Government Property" printed on every sheet.

Is any of this distrustful, or is it just removing temptation from weak people?

Zenith wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 9:08 pm

Cerebus wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 7:23 pm

Robert wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 12:37 pm Oh and BT had their own version of the 8021 complete with odd sockets that don't take standard leads
BT-fluke.jpg

The behaviour of a company that expects their employees to steal from them and therefore makes their tools and similar sufficiently unique that they are either useless or immediately identifiable. The only other area of endeavour where I have seen that pursued so thoroughly is the police - draw your own conclusions.

In the 19th century and earlier, when candles were used in mines, they were died green to stop them being nicked.

In the 70s, the lightbulbs in factories were Edison Screw which was basically unknown in houses.

Before the war GPO valves were often standard valves but had odd heater voltages making them useless outside the GPO.

I remember seeing bog roll with "Government Property" printed on every sheet.

Is any of this distrustful, or is it just removing temptation from weak people?

Well, to my mind it's really the bosses assuming that everyone else has the same low morals as they have and so automatically assume that their stuff will be stolen because that's just what they would do if given the opportunity to do so.

Zenith wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 9:08 pm

Cerebus wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 7:23 pm

Robert wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 12:37 pm Oh and BT had their own version of the 8021 complete with odd sockets that don't take standard leads
BT-fluke.jpg

The behaviour of a company that expects their employees to steal from them and therefore makes their tools and similar sufficiently unique that they are either useless or immediately identifiable. The only other area of endeavour where I have seen that pursued so thoroughly is the police - draw your own conclusions.

In the 19th century and earlier, when candles were used in mines, they were died green to stop them being nicked.

In the 70s, the lightbulbs in factories were Edison Screw which was basically unknown in houses.

Before the war GPO valves were often standard valves but had odd heater voltages making them useless outside the GPO.

I remember seeing bog roll with "Government Property" printed on every sheet.

Is any of this distrustful, or is it just removing temptation from weak people?

Well, we both know the Bill 'n' Dave story about Bill unlocking lab stores with a boltcutter and leaving a note asking that it should not be locked in future.

But that's a reflection of the difference between Douglas McGregor's "Theory X" companies and "Theory Y" companies.

Or, as specmaster points out, a reflection of klepotcrats assuming everyone is like themselves.

tggzzz wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 8:27 am

nixiefreqq wrote: ↑Tue Jan 31, 2023 2:21 pm YOU GUYS ALL MISSED THE POINT!

there is only one criteria for choosing any one meter over all others.

if you are in the fortress of solitude and a large rodent runs across your neat and tidy bench.......which meter will kill it in one shot?

we all know the answer to this question.

Yes, but it is the wrong question.

The right question was told to me by someone in British Telecom Research Labs in the late 70s.

They held a competition between the Avo salesman with an Avo8 and ?Fluke? salesman with a handheld DVM. Both performed equally well. Just as the results were becoming apparent the DVM salesman picked up his DVM, threw it across the room, picked it up and invited the Avo salesman to do the same before retesting.

If it was an early Fluke handheld, & hit the right way, half of those silly pushbuttons would have flown off.
I think that was why Telecom Aust bought Beckmans for their first lot of handheld DMMs.
I tell you one thing, though, I'd much rather have a Fluke fall on my foot than an AVO8!

Zenith wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 9:08 pm

Cerebus wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 7:23 pm

Robert wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 12:37 pm Oh and BT had their own version of the 8021 complete with odd sockets that don't take standard leads
BT-fluke.jpg

The behaviour of a company that expects their employees to steal from them and therefore makes their tools and similar sufficiently unique that they are either useless or immediately identifiable. The only other area of endeavour where I have seen that pursued so thoroughly is the police - draw your own conclusions.

In the 19th century and earlier, when candles were used in mines, they were died green to stop them being nicked.

In the 70s, the lightbulbs in factories were Edison Screw which was basically unknown in houses.

Before the war GPO valves were often standard valves but had odd heater voltages making them useless outside the GPO.

I remember seeing bog roll with "Government Property" printed on every sheet.

Is any of this distrustful, or is it just removing temptation from weak people?

The dunny rolls the old Oz "PMG's Dept" bought were so hard on the bum, nobody would have dreamt of stealing them.