How to stop people from stealing your oscilloscope probes - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Keysight DanielBogdanoff
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 10, 2017, 09:28:18 pm
content: I generally don't post our videos here, but I thought you all might enjoy it.https://youtu.be/BRhChyZs0vc

author: razberik
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2017, 09:42:55 pm
content: Lock them in locker or hide them in a place nobody knows about.Also, when new oscilloscope (or another piece of equipment arrives), try to unbox it first, grab valuable accessories and hide them. Nobody will ever miss them.Also applies to solder tips.

author: eugenenine
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2017, 09:59:49 pm
content: All yur probe R belong to us.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 10, 2017, 10:13:06 pm
content: As wire is thinner than both ends of the probe, put on them something like mini handcuffs attached to a steel wire fixed to the desk.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2017, 10:14:11 pm
content: Quote from: Keysight DanielBogdanoff on October 10, 2017, 09:28:18 pmQuote right too; thank you.QuoteI did; thank you.Tomorrow: how to prove 1=-1 without injudicious use of zero

author: borjam
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 10, 2017, 10:16:32 pm
content: Are Uranium or Thorium good electricity conductors? That would be scary for a lot of people!Hey, I'm sure I won the nice VNA you offered as an award to the best idea!

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2017, 10:17:07 pm
content: Someone I worked with used to put them in his underpants for a couple of minutes and explain this to everyone. Never got stolen.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2017, 11:16:39 pm
content: Leave probes connected to a box with this label on it

author: bjcuizon
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2017, 11:59:14 pm
content: Tie one end of a string to the probes then tape the knot (for more protection) and then tie the other end to something like a drawer handle so that they can't be pulled away. We used to tie a length of string to ball point pens and they never got lost.

author: texaspyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2017, 02:23:05 am
content: Two words... rattlesnake tank.

author: mnementh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2017, 02:32:43 am
content: I used to publicly and conspicuously lick mine and use them to pick my nose. Word spread quickly. };=)~~~~<mnemWet-naps are your friend.

author: Jay_Diddy_B
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2017, 02:55:37 am
content: Hi,Use a scope with the Tektronix VPI probe interface. These probes wont fit anything else.Jay_Diddy_B

author: D3f1ant
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2017, 03:46:44 am
content: Never lost a probe, but I do want to know where all the ground clips and hooks ends are.

author: BMack
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2017, 03:51:29 am
content: I keep them in my locked tool box at work. The drawer has a switched rigged up to a power supply, when the switch is triggered it shorts the main power cap to the handle. I did have it rigged up mechanically to release a paint can which was tied to the ceiling but that led to the infamous "Home Alone" safety meeting at work.

author: Tomorokoshi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2017, 04:39:20 am
content: My solution, which also applies to portable items like multimeters, is to buy so many of them that there is always one around. How much net sales is generated while searching for easily-purchased equipment? How much earlier is the completion date reached when trying to find out where something went?Of course, my solution has never been tried in practice. As if Management would buy equipment at a reasonable level.

author: Eric_S
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2017, 05:24:31 am
content: Quote from: Tomorokoshi on October 11, 2017, 04:39:20 amWe do that, all scopes have their probes in one of those bag/backpack things and if they get broken there's a central storage cabinet that is allways stocked with spares and also current/diff-probes for the times when those are needed.

author: FrankBuss
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 11, 2017, 05:28:12 am
content: You can buy a reasonable good pair of 100 MHz probes for like $10 delivered from eBay, I have some, working well. So the solution instead of buying the pricey original probes would be to buy a bunch of these probes., which are more than fine for like debugging I2C signals. You can still use the good ones if you need to see accurate waveforms of the higher speed signals. This will preserve the pricey ones as well, which tend to have internal cable breaks when used often and that's no fun with one of those really expensive differential probes.

author: Svuppe
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2017, 06:11:10 am
content: Quote from: wraper on October 10, 2017, 10:13:06 pmWe use the steel wire method at work, only we attach the other end to the scope. This way the probes always follow the scope.The result is that we still lose probes from time to time, but now we are sure to lose the scope as well.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2017, 06:59:20 am
content: Quote from: Tomorokoshi on October 11, 2017, 04:39:20 amI use that technique with my spectacles, successfully. When one breaks, I can usually create a frankenspec from multiple broken specs.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2017, 08:47:13 am
content: Huge thumbs up, totally trueBut I think you missed the obvious solution:

author: capt bullshot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2017, 09:08:08 am
content: Sometimes just beeing an asshole helps ...Just pull the stolen probe / multimeter / whatever out of the running setup without asking before, then duck and run.Do this once or twice, nobody steals your gear anymore ...

author: mnementh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2017, 02:28:36 pm
content: Quote from: BMack on October 11, 2017, 03:51:29 amWe do not speak of the Grillmaster incident.mnemOh... that's gonna leave a mark.

author: ralphrmartin
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2017, 05:04:55 pm
content: Your underpants method reminds me of the infamous "How do you stop people drinking your beer while you visit the toilet?" joke:I put an "I've spat in my beer" label on my beer. When I got back, I found another label saying "So have I".I'd hate a similar result for your probes...

author: mnementh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2017, 07:52:14 pm
content: Hence my PS..."Wet-naps are your friend."mnemFood for thought; thought from food.

author: khs
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2017, 08:51:15 pm
content: I would glue (or better solder) the BNC connector the probe is connected.

author: Rbastler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2017, 08:56:28 pm
content: Quote from: eugenenine on October 10, 2017, 09:59:49 pmBrings back memories playing Empire Earth.

author: Kleinstein
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2017, 09:25:58 pm
content: Quote from: Tomorokoshi on October 11, 2017, 04:39:20 amI tried this with ball pens and yardsticks - it did not really work, diffusion was too fast, especially with pens. Never got anywhere near saturation.I never had a problem with probe diffusion to high. With tools that do sometimes move to other rooms, it is a good idea to label / mark them. A color code is easy to see, so you know which screwdriver is not supposed to be there. Color coded probes (e.g. at the Scopes end) sound like very feasible - can be handy for a single user too.More special probes might need an individual label anyway - so you know the limits and maybe cal state. For the standard probes (e.g. 1:10) there should always be a spare or two as they sometimes brake.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 12, 2017, 06:05:20 am
content: Pfft, simple, work behind a locked door like I do.I do hope that fearsome guard dog is being given lots of cuddles and treats, to keep it sweet of course...

author: mnementh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2017, 05:19:04 pm
content: Quote from: khs on October 11, 2017, 08:51:15 pmA 'scope you can't change probes on isn't a 'scope at all... it becomes a single-purpose commodity display device.Quote from: CJay on October 12, 2017, 06:05:20 amAn EE left to its own devices behind locked doors... this will not end well. Can you say"Major Litigation"Boys & Girls?!?mnemMay Ifni have mercy on you and yours...