Test equipment Query - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: redrooster
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 03, 2015, 07:26:44 am
content: Hooray I finally got myself registered here,I was beginning to think it was impossible? Anyway Im having some trouble fixing my Protek oscilloscope so a mate of mine who had bought some electronic gear at an auction said I could use any of that stuff? It came from the local secret U.S. spy base that everyone knows about and I have no idea if I can use any of it for an oscilloscope? So Im wondering if anyone here can tell me? This is some of the stuff that has an oscilloscope looking screen on it: HP 4957A Protocol analyser,Tektronix 1230 Logic analyser, HP Synth signal generator, HPIB 701, HPIB716? Could I use any of these as a scope?

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2015, 07:52:13 am
content: Quote from: redrooster on September 03, 2015, 07:26:44 amFirstly, what googling have you done for your scope and the problem.Secondly, try asking in the appropriate forum: "repair".Thirdly, what experience do you have?Finally, from the description of your problem, I think you'll find C3275 is faulty and should be replaced by a COG variant.

author: redrooster
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 04, 2015, 05:48:14 am
content: I was looking at what I thought were HPIB 701/716 instruments on a shelf from a distance and couldnt read them properly.So the proper ID for those two is! Anritsu Network/Spectrum Analyser 10mhz-30mhz and H.P.8757C Scalar Network Analyser.I obviously havent had any experience with this sort of stuff and would simply like to know if I can use any of it as an oscilloscope?I wasnt asking for help to fix my oscilloscope so why would I post in repair? It beggars belief that you can tell me whats wrong with my oscilloscope from my desciption? All I said was, I have a problem with my oscilloscope? This scope doesnt have a C3275 or anything near that?

author: torch
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2015, 06:30:07 am
content: Your second sentence did state you were having trouble fixing your scope. You asked if you could "use any of it for an oscilloscope" not if you could use any of itasan oscilloscope. I think the misunderstanding was quite understandable.And I bet your scope does have a C3275. I personally have no idea what that is, but when a long-time user in this forum says something like that it's usually because they've seen it before.Network analyzers and protocol analyzers are specialized equipment that won't really take the place of a general purpose oscilloscope. Signal generators are the anti-oscilloscope -- they write and scopes read.Come to think of it, you should try being a scope for a while.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2015, 08:32:42 am
content: Quote from: redrooster on September 04, 2015, 05:48:14 amRead torch's response.My response does not conflict with your description of your scope's problem - because you didn't give a description of the problem. Clearly, therefore, the details of the response are highly unlikely to be correct - that's the reason I chose an improbably high reference number. Incidentally, changing the type of a capacitor is likely to give results that are suboptimum in several respects, e.g. good luck finding a C0G to replace an electrolytic.

author: torch
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2015, 12:58:37 pm
content: Quote from: McCarthy on September 04, 2015, 08:57:50 amNo, I don't mind. I'm kind of flattered.(makes up for losing my bet about C3275)

author: PA0PBZ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2015, 01:23:54 pm
content: Quote from: tggzzz on September 03, 2015, 07:52:13 amGuys, give him a break. He wasnotasking for repair advice, he was just mentioning it...I hope that not all newbies will be treated like this

author: torch
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2015, 06:57:51 pm
content: I consider myself to be a neophyte when it comes to electronics. When I go looking for information, I start by searching and reading any relevant information that I (ie: google) can find to familiarize myself with the concepts. Only then will I approach a forum with questions to clarify what I didn't understand. I find that respecting the time of those I seek help from by doing a bit of my own research so I can ask intelligent questions -- is generally appreciated and I receive informative replies in exchange.The OP asked the identical question 4 days earlier in a different forum. I would have thought that to be sufficient time to at least read the Wikipedia articles on Signal Generators and Oscilloscopes. Had he come in and asked something like "I don't understand the difference between an oscilloscope and a network analyzer, can they be used for the some of the same things?" in the Beginners section, I think his reception would have been considerably different.The way the question was phrased, mentioning his scope was broken, asking if he could use any of some surplus gearforan oscilloscope, and specifically mentioning that some of the gear had similar screens, and asking that question in an area of the board frequented by people who regularly tear apart scopes for repair, parts and (I suspect) fun certainly gave me the impression that he wanted to repair his existing scope using parts salvaged from the surplus.So, my apologies if I sounded harsh. But I stand by my recommendation to try your own research first. I think the quality of replies you receive will be better for it.

author: PA0PBZ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2015, 07:15:19 pm
content: Quote from: torch on September 04, 2015, 06:57:51 pmIf someone pointed this out to him I would fully agree, but that is not what happened.QuoteI have not seen the other post, and I can forgive a newbie posting a question about test equipment in the test equipment section.QuoteClearly you understood his question different from what I was thinking. That happens and will happen again.QuoteI fully agree, so tell him and let's not react the way tggzzz did.

author: redrooster
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 05, 2015, 04:46:27 am
content: This site is a joke,Ive never heard so much wank in my life.How there are any members besides these trolls I dont know but Im not having anything more to do with this site because Id be embarassed to be associated with it! No goodbyes just Good Riddance.

author: George_Race
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 05, 2015, 11:52:51 am
content: Come on folks, these kind of exchanges just don't need to be on this forum!Most everyone here is extremely helpful and knowledgeable. It just takes a few times of this kind of a diatribe to chase otherwise loyal followers away!How about we get back to helping a newcomer, rather than to pick on their dialog with this kind of foolishness.Onward and upward, lets all have a great holiday weekend!

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 05, 2015, 12:40:13 pm
content: Helping a newcomer is fine, but maybe there's an intelligence/sense threshold below which effort is counterproductive?Speaking as someone who some members find pretty annoying, at least I can string a sentence together, (usually) know when someone is taking the piss, and (almost) never deliberately troll.QuoteSeriously, troll detected. Either that or someone with an IQ so low the registration process could actually be a difficult obstacle, and electronics would be a Darwin Award waiting to happen.

author: torch
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 05, 2015, 01:35:48 pm
content: I don't think he was a troll. He did post the identical question on another board a few days earlier and the response sent him here. I think he honestly wanted to know if he could use a function generator or network analyzer as an oscilloscope.Therefore I can't rule out option B.

author: Docholiday
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 05, 2015, 10:37:36 pm
content: He was not a troll but this group treated him like one. By the way his grammar is correct. Some of you have zero command of the English (US) language. His question was specific and did not need to be posted under repair section of this forum.This is an international board with members world wide, culture, religion, customs and on and on. But some of us must behave in a manner as a child, wait I take that back a child would have better manners. You behave like morrons. Whats wrong with you people mommy did not let you suckle on her breast or did daddy ignore you all your life.I am sure you were not born with all this intelligence about electronics and started like he did. Asking questions, but yet we find it amusing to ridicule and embarass him so much that he elected to leave this forum entirely.For those of you that find enjoyment to antagonise, provoke and bully people with less knowledge than you, I can tell you that your a coward and pussy.

author: DimitriP
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 05, 2015, 11:22:43 pm
content: Quote from: Docholiday on September 05, 2015, 10:37:36 pmHey neighbor...There are questions that open Pandora's box, and answers that open a can of worms.The question wasn't quite as good as you seem to think.And the answers not quite as bad.At least here we didn't pass the buck like the other forum did

author: Docholiday
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 05, 2015, 11:45:52 pm
content: He had a topic, introduction, transiton, and his question. That is pretty clear to me. But that is not the issue! It is how he was treated. This board is about learning , sharing, getting help, thats what this board is about or should be about. Other boards have a strict policy about respect and that my friend is what its all about RESPECT. It would have been just as easy to give him points about posting, where, how, and helped him. But that is not what happend several members found it easier to ridicule him, thus the bullying begins.Lets see them treat their significant others like they did to the OP and see what happens - not going to be a pretty sight.My pet peeve is I do not like people that antagonise and provoke others in a weaker position in any manner male or female. To me they are bullys and most that continue this type of life style early in life end up as criminals. I spent 17 years going after these types of criminals, arresting them, interogating them, and prosecuting them. In the end they all coward and cry when they realize - Hey your going to prison!Opening Pandora's box or a box of worms is no excuse to treat the OP or anybody or anyone else for that matter.

author: Rycroft
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 06, 2015, 05:10:52 am
content: For those of you that find enjoyment to antagonise, provoke and bully people with less knowledge than you, I can tell you that your a coward and pussy.+1

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 06, 2015, 08:49:34 am
content: Quote from: Docholiday on September 05, 2015, 11:45:52 pmWhen you were doing all that arresting & stuff,if a member of your own group had asked silly questions that someone in that group should have known the answers to,did youalwaystreat them with the utmost respect?If you can truly answer "Yes",then you are truly a paragon of virtue!That said,a simple "No!" would have been the best answer to the OP.

author: torch
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 06, 2015, 09:42:58 am
content: Quote from: Docholiday on September 05, 2015, 11:45:52 pmYes. Absolutely. And I think if you look at things with an unbiased view, you will see that he was quite disrespectful:1. He could have answered his initial question himself with a modicum of research using common sources like Wikipedia. Failing to do any initial research on your own is disrespectful of the people you are asking help from, in my opinion.2. He was asked some follow-up questions to try and help narrow the scope (no pun intended) of the problem. His response to that confirmed the lack of research (he hadn't even gotten close enough to read model numbers of the equipment he was asking about) in a series of questions that seemed rather belligerent to me (eg: "it beggars belief").3. Once his question was clarified, I answered it in what I thought was a humorous manner, but may have been a bit snide in the way I phrased it. I apologized for that tone, and rephrased a fuller explanation in what I believe to be a polite manner. His third and final post not only failed to recognize that his question had been answered, or the apology, or the advise, or the remonstrations of those speaking in his defense, it dismissed it all as "so much wank". Now, I wasn't sure what exactly what "wank" is, but a moment doing my own research at thefreedictionary.com revealed it is"chiefly British vulgar slang"-- ie: he was swearing at us, which is the ultimate form of written disrespect.

author: Docholiday
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 06, 2015, 11:51:07 am
content: When you were doing all that arresting & stuff,if a member of your own group had asked silly questions that someone in that group should have known the answers to,did youalwaystreat them with the utmost respect?If you can truly answer "Yes",then you are truly a paragon of virtue!That said,a simple "No!" would have been the best answer to the OP.I was brought up as a child by both mother and father to have and show respect for one another. This was also taught in school and practiced in both.There are no silly or stupid questions we learn by asking questions and our learning is refinforced by our errors or mistakes however you like to call itAll my life when a person ever started to laugh at somebody for what they asked or did their behaviour was immediately corrected. Even when I entered the military, the process of respect was taught as a way of life in the military and afterwards in the public sector.Perhaps this is what we as a society have forgotten how to respect one another...My father always said to me to be a true gentleman a man's man. Then be respectful as it empowers a true man. I practice this to this day with men and women.

author: Docholiday
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 06, 2015, 11:55:50 am
content: Quote from: torch on September 06, 2015, 09:42:58 amA pefect example of stacking arguments...