gear jealousy coping strategies? (support group) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: SArepairman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 10:19:09 am
content: So I am probably not the only one here that has the urge to try and roll armored cars (and go spend myself into a coma on agilent.com) every time I visit the forum.How do you guys do it? How do you sleep at night with your cen-tek meters ? does this nightmare ever end?

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 10:22:58 am
content: I find gear that is for parts that actually consist of mainly off the shelf parts and repair it even if it drives me half mad in the process,I'm currently in the process of fault finding a Motorola 68000 CPU board to revive a spectrum analyser, my previous project was a tek scope,

author: SArepairman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 10:53:24 am
content: next up is a spectrum analyzer repair support group

author: dr.diesel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 11:08:48 am
content: Quote from: SArepairman on July 31, 2013, 10:19:09 amWhen I can't sleep I visit the following to help pass the time:agilent.comrigolna.comteledynelecroy.comhameg.comtek.comNo reason to resist the obsession, it's only money.

author: 4to20Milliamps
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 11:27:54 am
content: Easy ways to support the habit without technically breaking the law:1)sell blood2) borrow from somebody and never bring it back3) take all your stuff to the store and use it there, tell the sales guy you still haven't decided if you want to buy it or not.4) Marry a woman who's father was a ham and has a whole bunch of equipment he doesn't mind giving you.

author: deephaven
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 11:51:23 am
content: This isn't going to help. I always get jealous when watching any of the videos from The Signal Path.

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 12:19:06 pm
content: Open a shop for T&M gear!

author: SArepairman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 12:29:42 pm
content: Quote from: deephaven on July 31, 2013, 11:51:23 amyea omg i hate that guyhere is like 5000 dollars of rf connectors, just laying here.

author: PA0PBZ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 12:35:02 pm
content: Quote from: SArepairman on July 31, 2013, 12:29:42 pm"Borrowed from the university" I told myself, now I feel much better

author: Christe4nM
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 01:58:30 pm
content: Oh no! Gear Acquisition Syndrome (G.A.S.) strikes again! Now not only (electrical) guitarist and their rig builders are susceptible, but electronics engineering must prepare themselves as well. All we now it that G.A.S. has evolved a specific diversion of its strains just for them.(Possibly powered by Agilent's biological engineering division?)

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 03:29:17 pm
content: Lately I have had a bad case of G.R.S (gear restoration syndrome) a less prevalent strain of G.A.S. I don't think there are any cures on the horizon

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 03:56:45 pm
content: Quote from: dr.diesel on July 31, 2013, 11:08:48 amWhen I can't sleep I visit the following to help pass the time:agilent.comrigolna.com only out of curiosityteledynelecroy.comHell no. the unmentionables ... ( there shoukd be a complete strikethrough , like total blackout so you cant read it )hameg.com out of nostalgiatek.comno way ...GRS is the way to go. The only 'new' gear i ever bought in my life was a hameg scope , a philips combiscope , a JBC soldering station, and a year ago the oled agilent multimeter. Everything else sits in the GRS category

author: FJV
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 04:35:44 pm
content: For what I do at the moment all the gear mentioned is overkill.The cheap multimeters based on the ICL 7106 (7107) are good enough.Once my skill level gets better, then maybe I'll go for some more expensive stuff.Which might take a few years, because there is plenty of entry level stuff to do out there.

author: dr.diesel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 04:42:19 pm
content: Quote from: free_electron on July 31, 2013, 03:56:45 pmNot even the slightest urge to take this apart?

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 05:25:16 pm
content: Quote from: dr.diesel on July 31, 2013, 04:42:19 pmtaking em apart i would do. Where's my box of hammers ? Anyong got a backhoe or a Abrams tank i can borrow ? Aim ! , Ready ? Fire ! There we go completely taken apart to the molecular level. The only good Lecroy scope is a non-function one. Keep those things away from me.

author: Dave
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 09:47:23 pm
content: Until the middle of July, I was convinced LeCroy scopes were the bee's knees. I currently have a summer job at company that has a couple of those rather high-specced LeCroy scopes. I have had the chance to work with them, and contrary to my previous belief, they are a real pain in the @ss. Windows XP based ones take forever to boot up (you literally have enough time to go grab a cup of coffee while it's booting), the controls are completely counter-intuitive, and the thing keeps crashing (some error b*tching about the lack of RAM).Their WaveRunner series should be renamed to WaveLimper, they are that painfully slow and jerky. The refresh rate is just awful.I'll take an Agilent or Tektronix over a LeCroy any day.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 11:40:00 pm
content: i have a 7Zi.. biggest pile of shit i have ever had to use. as soon as you start doing something it becomes a hoover vacuumcleaner as the cpu kicks in... they do all the heavy lifting on the built in PC .. which makes it slow and noisy...The front panel buttons fall off (te plastic has weakened over time so they don't fit properly on the encoders .. , the front panel sometimes crashes ( you have to pop it out and pop it back in. They made this front panel so you could pop it out and connect it with a USB cable. someone though this would be brilliant to have it right next to your board under test so you wouldn't have to reach over to the scope. It would be nice , if only they had used the crappiest autoradio-style connector imaginable ( remember the car radios with anti-theft where you would pop off the front panel. those stupid copper blade contacts is what they are using. They touch bare pads on the front panel pcb. If they at least had used pogo pins with a serious spring ... but no. And the mechanical tolerances are so lousy the whole thing jiggles and flaps... with a result that sometimes the bus is interrupted and the panel freezes. you need to unplug it, wait for windows to detect removal , then plug it back in and wait for detection...and there is the endless triggering - acquiring - calibrating cycle that plagues all the lecroys. bloody drifting converters.Another endless pest is the fact that Lecroy still cannot implement a correct proportional speed rotary encoder..Turn the encoder to scroll and it goes at turtles pace.. so you go a little bit faster and -wooft- you are not only completely off the screen, but 500 screens further in the blink of an eye.makes it bloody hard to scroll over a bit.. just when you get annoyed enough on the slow pace and you go just a tad faster you get a mega-dose of annoyance because it jumps way too far. and then you have to 'crawl' back...They should replace that 'oy' with 'ap'. It fits the machine better.

author: Corporate666
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 01, 2013, 03:39:22 am
content: One thing I do is I set a monthly budget for "fun purchases" and a list of stuff I'd like to buy... and then I always have something to look forward to.Honestly, I don't need anything more than a 16V 3A power supply, I don't really need a 'scope 99% of the time, I don't need a nice soldering station, or a nice signal generator, etc. But I want these things. So I allow myself an amount - could be $100/month, or $1,000/month, or $20/month... just put it aside as a "blow it on stuff I don't really need" fund. You'll always have something to look forward to, and over time, your stock of stuff will grow and grow.I also keep tabs on eBay for deals. I have a few of Agilent's really nice high end power supplies that I got well below market value. Sometimes it was listed wrong. Sometimes it was "don't know if it works - as is". Sometimes it was at local machine tool auctions where nobody was bidding on that stuff.

author: SArepairman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2013, 02:31:04 pm
content: gear restoration syndrome might result in death though.stupid spectrum analyzer will be my death

author: brainwash
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2013, 09:41:23 pm
content: Quote from: Dave on July 31, 2013, 09:47:23 pmAt one of my previous workplaces some college colleagues had a few of these in their room. I haven't heard at that time of LeCroy nor Agilent, but they also had a few tens of Fluke meters and Tek DSOs. Just to put things into perspective, each person (out of 100 or more) got at least one Fluke device and a LeCroy scope was shared between ~12 people. Tektronix DSOs were probably one for every 2 people.The soldering stations were Weller, nothing impressive, they were doing mostly engineering and design there.Anyway, people hated those big Windows XP based scopes because they took a lot of desk room which was at a premium. They were later relegated to a single desk and used remotely since for 99% of the tasks the Teks did just fine. Then they were finally relegated to another room (similar to basement storage) and used only remotely and then probably forgotten.For me the moral of the story was: if mostly gets in your way it has no place on your desk.I am also jealous on TheSignalPath but remind myself that those devices are mostly good for research or high-end design. I'm also worried about resell value for anything worth >1000$. A company (those with the money) would probably not buy off ebay. Most hobbyists do not wish to invest more than 1000$ in a single gear.So even if that siggen he got for 500$(?) and repaired is worth 3000$, I'd have a hard time believing he would be able to sell it for more than half that. By hard time I mean re-listing it for an entire year.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2013, 10:16:31 pm
content: I have serious test equipment jealousy issues, but the Signal Path stuff is just so far away from anything I could ever own and so useless for anything I do that I don't have that problem. It is really interesting to see all of it, though.

author: brainwash
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2013, 10:51:34 pm
content: I agree, watching The Signal Path is like watching Top Gear (UK). It should be changed to a different format: have three guys trying to debug the same defect with three different >10k gears. Something like a 30GHz transmitter.

author: Corporate666
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 01, 2013, 10:53:52 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on August 01, 2013, 10:16:31 pmNot to sound rude, but I really wonder what that guy's deal is? He's a member here, I think.I wonder if he's just really well off and indulges himself? Or is he 'sponsored' by Rigol? I tend to think so.. but maybe not. And as I recall he has a PhD in some field of electronics, so perhaps all the top shelf equipment is related to his work?Either way - I get a serious case of envy when I see his lab setup - phenomenal!

author: dr.diesel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2013, 11:08:46 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on August 01, 2013, 10:16:31 pmAgreed. I still use my TDS210, almost daily.Then again there are those occasions, I'd still love to have all of his shit!

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2013, 02:59:48 am
content: Quote from: 4to20Milliamps on July 31, 2013, 11:27:54 amThat's a trust fund baby, and is willing to pay for your habit.

author: Legit-Design
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2013, 03:56:45 am
content: Quote from: Corporate666 on August 01, 2013, 10:53:52 pmhttp://youtu.be/YicXUy_khgk?t=26m18sat 26m18sHe says he works at the Bell labs, he walks by the room every morning, where transistors and darlington transistors, by Darlington himself, were invented.His videos are really cool, but he is not as entertaining as Dave.

author: Alexei.Polkhanov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2013, 04:07:42 am
content: Quote from: dr.diesel on July 31, 2013, 11:08:48 amEE porn sites? Well, this guy promise to make my oscilloscope bigger

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2013, 04:20:30 am
content: Quote from: 4to20Milliamps on July 31, 2013, 11:27:54 amBefore doing any of that, look into more sane things to do first like get rid of cable TV, switch to a prepaid cell phone plan (or the cheapest plan that would work if you actually use it a lot), downgrade to a cheaper Internet plan, etc. In particular, you'll probably find that not having cable TV gives you more time to actually work on stuff. (Conversely, if you're having a lot of fun working on your stuff, why would you need or even have time for cable TV?)I mostly do power electronics stuff (and a bunch of microcontrollers and some FPGA, but those don't need much beyond a PC and some debugging adapters), so I haven't really found a real need for any RF gear. I do need an isolated probe for my scope (for stuff too big to use an affordable isolation transformer), but I have plans to build one. Don't need any real accuracy in measurements, so any good multimeter works for me.BTW, the software type has it the easiest - the only real gear they need is a computer, and even a really good one is very affordable nowadays.

author: SArepairman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2013, 04:47:45 am
content: Quote from: c4757p on August 01, 2013, 10:16:31 pmI want to see your face when you tell yourself these lies.Like you would not want to make some sick terahertz transmitter

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2013, 05:18:37 am
content: Quote from: Corporate666 on August 01, 2013, 10:53:52 pmHe is "sponsored. He once admitted it. In the past I poked him a bit once, because he was going on my tits with all his shameless advertising for himself "Look at my shiny gear, and I have a PhD."QuoteThere is one simple way to avoid gear envy syndrome:Just refuse to play.Ok, it is not so simple (see above, some people at least still manage to go on my tits). But it works. I refuse to play. Repeat after me:I refuse to play.This is one of the reasons you typically don't find any postings from me about recent projects, or about recent gear acquisition, repair or sales. I refuse to play. There are no photos of my lab in the "show your workbench" thread, no photos in the "show your favorite power supply", etc. I refuse to play. What I do as a hobby*I do for me, not to engage in public a penis size contest. I refuse to play.Repeat after me:I refuse to play.* Work is anyhow another game. I won't even be allowed to take any photos or post a project description.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2013, 05:34:12 am
content: Quote from: SArepairman on August 02, 2013, 04:47:45 amI would. But I would need alotmore education before I could get past the power switch. It's a goal, I guess..... I do love RF. My feelings are more "I must work hard so someday I will be able to make this stuff do something useful" than "I want this in my living room". Now, lower-end test gear? I wantall the multimeters and oscilloscopes.Quote from: Bored@Work on August 02, 2013, 05:18:37 amFine for you, but don't act like it makes you any better. It's not a "public penis size contest". People aren't (usually) trying to one-up each other, they just like having others with whom to discuss a common interest.Quote from: Legit-Design on August 02, 2013, 03:56:45 amNo offense to Dave, but I'll definitely admit to getting a little more excited for his videos than Dave's. Probably just because it's more related to my personal areas of interest, though.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2013, 05:46:35 am
content: Quote from: c4757p on August 02, 2013, 05:34:12 amIt makes my life better. Something I care much more about than what people think about me.QuoteActually, for many here it is. And they get rather upset if you don't admire their gear.

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2013, 05:48:50 am
content: Quote from: Bored@Work on August 02, 2013, 05:18:37 amReally, I feel sorry for you. ..sigh...A bunch of people hanging around each other with same interest either just a really lame ee wannabe like me, or a true pro / experienced guru is called "social activity". Yes, sometimes that includes penis contests which happened naturally as part of .. again .. this type of "social activities", but it doesn't mean you should avoid the club like a plague.Really curious what are you doing here anyway ? As a venting hole ?

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2013, 05:53:02 am
content: It's good for you if it makes your life better, but the way you said that made it sound like you turn your nose up at people whodolike to talk about their hobby. I still suspect you do.Quote from: Bored@Work on August 02, 2013, 05:46:35 amBullshit. Maybe a few people here and there have done it, but it's hardly the baseline.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2013, 05:56:06 am
content: Quote from: BravoV on August 02, 2013, 05:48:50 amThat'swhat this is!? I was trying to go on here toescapesocial activity! Screw you all, I'm going somewhere where Idon'thave to interact with humans! I think I'll go cuddle an oscilloscope or something...

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2013, 05:58:04 am
content: Quote from: BravoV on August 02, 2013, 05:48:50 amNo need to, I am fine, thanks.QuoteEntertain myself, in the way I like it. The way I like it is the important part here.You know, the world is full of people who try to shove their stuff under your nose. Their latest shiny car, their new super-size TV, even their trophy wife. And I know they get terribly upset if you just shrug and say so what, instead of trying to show of your own stuff in an attempt to get even, or at least showing some envy. I have learned that it doesn't matter if they are upset or not, and they are for sure not the kind I seek any non-cursory social activities with.

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2013, 06:05:41 am
content: Quote from: c4757p on August 02, 2013, 05:56:06 amI'm guessing my sig below must be your personal favorite.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2013, 06:05:49 am
content: Quote from: Bored@Work on August 02, 2013, 05:58:04 amI dub thee Sherlock, for the groundbreaking discovery that people who want to show you something get pissed if you rudely brush them off.No shit,Sherlock.QuoteSure, you could try to get even, or show them envy. Orinterest. Interest would work just fine. Jesus Christ, what happened to make you so cynical?

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2013, 06:09:04 am
content: Quote from: BravoV on August 02, 2013, 06:05:41 amTook me a while to notice the right-aligned one...

author: Corporate666
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 02, 2013, 07:27:46 am
content: Quote from: Bored@Work on August 02, 2013, 05:18:37 amWell, I don't consider envying someone else's gear collection to be a bad thing that should be avoided. When I say I envy, I don't mean I am jealous or angry that he has stuff I would like to have... I am enthusiastic for his success. I love seeing people doing well for themselves, or indulging in what makes them happy. It's great. It's part of what makes Dave's videos great - his enthusiasm. It's only a bad thing when someone else's 'stuff' makes you upset. I don't see why anyone would get upset about what someone else has... we all have our passions. I bet I own a shitload more test gear than Bill GatesHe'd probably envy my passion for electronics, but I doubt he'd get upset about it

author: vk3yedotcom
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2013, 09:58:54 am
content: As an antidote to breeding unused test gear or coveting same, repeat the following mantras:'Test gear is only a means to an end, and not an end in itself''It's not the test gear you own that counts but what you do with it''A torch globe on test leads can shed much light as a voltage indicator''A $10 multimeter can do 80% of a $100 multimeter which can do 80% of a $1000 instrument'Also the following, from Drol NivlekWhen you cannot measure what you are speaking about and cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge of it is of a meager and blissful kind and it shall do no harm. Whereas when you can express it in numbers, your know something about it. While it may be the beginning of knowledge, it can cause interminable worry and may do harm.

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2013, 12:08:23 pm
content: Quote from: vk3yedotcom on August 02, 2013, 09:58:54 amEven if I didn't use the test gear I collect, I get great enjoyment and a fair amount of education from restoring and calibrating it even if that is all I did with it. I would consider it a hobby like car restoration. Just because I limit my collecting to what I consider useful, I am not going to criticize those who have 50 multimeters.Quote from: vk3yedotcom on August 02, 2013, 09:58:54 amI have to admit that I enjoy doing any task with high quality tools. A super sharp hollow ground kitchen knife is a pleasure to use compared to a dollar store version. If using a bench dmm just because it makes me happy and eliminates a bunch of uncertainties is a crime, them I am guiltyQuote from: Bored@Work on August 02, 2013, 05:18:37 amIf postinghowthings were restored or how they perform or what has better specs falls into that category then I am guilty. I find it all fun and educational.