I was looking for something else and this showed up:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=0751300436685&crid=21WX22FGW2XXG&sprefix=0751300436685%2Caps%2C262&ref=nb_sb_noss

Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
really cheap these days.

--

If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end with doubts,
but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.
Francis Bacon

John Larkin wrote:
> I was looking for something else and this showed up:
>
> https://www.amazon.com/s?k=0751300436685&crid=21WX22FGW2XXG&sprefix=0751300436685%2Caps%2C262&ref=nb_sb_noss
>
> Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
> really cheap these days.
>
>
>
>
Potentially pretty useful, especially in a tool bag.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal Consultant
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510

http://electrooptical.net
http://hobbs-eo.com

On Friday, December 17, 2021 at 1:15:36 PM UTC-8, John Larkin wrote:
> I was looking for something else and...
[ FNIRSI touchscreen o-scope ]
> Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
> really cheap these days.

There's two versions; that (#1013) has a touch-screen and the 1014 has knobs.
I'm uncertain I'd want to depend on the touch-screen version, but it certainly IS a nice compact form factor.

On Fri, 17 Dec 2021 16:32:48 -0500, Phil Hobbs
<pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> wrote:

>John Larkin wrote:
>> I was looking for something else and this showed up:
>>
>> https://www.amazon.com/s?k=0751300436685&crid=21WX22FGW2XXG&sprefix=0751300436685%2Caps%2C262&ref=nb_sb_noss
>>
>> Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
>> really cheap these days.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>Potentially pretty useful, especially in a tool bag.
>
>Cheers
>
>Phil Hobbs

I could keep one at home. Or in my car.

--

If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end with doubts,
but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.
Francis Bacon

On Friday, December 17, 2021 at 10:54:41 PM UTC, John Larkin wrote:
> On Fri, 17 Dec 2021 16:32:48 -0500, Phil Hobbs
> <pcdhSpamM...@electrooptical.net> wrote:
>
> >John Larkin wrote:
> >> I was looking for something else and this showed up:
> >>
> >> https://www.amazon.com/s?k=0751300436685&crid=21WX22FGW2XXG&sprefix=0751300436685%2Caps%2C262&ref=nb_sb_noss
> >>
> >> Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
> >> really cheap these days.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >Potentially pretty useful, especially in a tool bag.
> >
> >Cheers
> >
> >Phil Hobbs
> I could keep one at home. Or in my car.
> --
>
> If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end with doubts,
> but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.
> Francis Bacon

"Debugging Weapon"
finally, Amazon is selling weapons.
Kill those lousy oscillations.

On Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 8:15:36 AM UTC+11, John Larkin wrote:
> I was looking for something else and this showed up:
>
> https://www.amazon.com/s?k=0751300436685&crid=21WX22FGW2XXG&sprefix=0751300436685%2Caps%2C262&ref=nb_sb_noss
>
> Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
> really cheap these days.
>

** How about a VHF/ UHF SA for A$220 ?

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/174645368295?hash=item28a9acd5e7:g:vKgAAOSw7WJgUjkv

Thousands of uses......

...... Phil

On Fri, 17 Dec 2021 16:33:30 -0800 (PST), Phil Allison
<pallison49@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 8:15:36 AM UTC+11, John Larkin wrote:
>> I was looking for something else and this showed up:
>>
>> https://www.amazon.com/s?k=0751300436685&crid=21WX22FGW2XXG&sprefix=0751300436685%2Caps%2C262&ref=nb_sb_noss
>>
>> Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
>> really cheap these days.
>>
>
>** How about a VHF/ UHF SA for A$220 ?
>
>https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/174645368295?hash=item28a9acd5e7:g:vKgAAOSw7WJgUjkv
>
>Thousands of uses......
>
>
>..... Phil

Microwave frequency synthesizers can be had for literally 1/1000 of
what they cost 20 or 30 years ago.

--

If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end with doubts,
but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.
Francis Bacon

> >> Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
> >> really cheap these days.
> >>
> >** How about a VHF/ UHF SA for A$220 ?
> >
> >https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/174645368295?hash=item28a9acd5e7:g:vKgAAOSw7WJgUjkv
> >
> >Thousands of uses......
> >..... Phil
> Microwave frequency synthesizers can be had for literally 1/1000 of
> what they cost 20 or 30 years ago.
> If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end with doubts,
> but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.
> Francis Bacon

what is everyone's opinion about "USB scopes" and "USB SA", etc.
where the computer does all human interface & control, and
a little black box handles the in's & out's.
I think I like it since the laptop has UXGA resolution or better, way
beyond what these stand-alone pieces have.

On 12/17/21 9:10 PM, Rich S wrote:
>>>> Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
>>>> really cheap these days.
>>>>
>>> ** How about a VHF/ UHF SA for A$220 ?
>>>
>>> https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/174645368295?hash=item28a9acd5e7:g:vKgAAOSw7WJgUjkv
>>>
>>> Thousands of uses......
>>> ..... Phil
>> Microwave frequency synthesizers can be had for literally 1/1000 of
>> what they cost 20 or 30 years ago.
>> If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end with doubts,
>> but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.
>> Francis Bacon
>
> what is everyone's opinion about "USB scopes" and "USB SA", etc.
> where the computer does all human interface & control, and
> a little black box handles the in's & out's.
> I think I like it since the laptop has UXGA resolution or better, way
> beyond what these stand-alone pieces have.
>

If it requires bespoke drivers no thanks, next version of Windows comes
out (or maybe even the next update) and the drivers don't work anymore.

On Friday, December 17, 2021 at 6:33:43 PM UTC-8, bitrex wrote:
> On 12/17/21 9:10 PM, Rich S wrote:

> > what is everyone's opinion about "USB scopes" and "USB SA", etc.
> > where the computer does all human interface & control, and
> > a little black box handles the in's & out's.
> > I think I like it since the laptop has UXGA resolution or better, way
> > beyond what these stand-alone pieces have.
> >
> If it requires bespoke drivers no thanks, next version of Windows comes
> out (or maybe even the next update) and the drivers don't work anymore.

.... and the USB fails if the cable has the wrong ends; consider USB master A, USB3 A, or USB C, or USB micro for OTG
devices, on one end, and USB (slave) B, USB3 B, USB mini, USB micro, USB3 micro, USB C, Lightning, or iPod,
or charge-only connection at the other end.
Happiness is statistically unlikely, but USB octopus cables are some help. Don't get the charge-only kind...

Bluetooth oscilloscope actually IS a thing, with phone, tablet, or laptop display.

On Friday, December 17, 2021 at 6:00:08 PM UTC-4, whit3rd wrote:
> On Friday, December 17, 2021 at 1:15:36 PM UTC-8, John Larkin wrote:
> > I was looking for something else and...
> [ FNIRSI touchscreen o-scope ]
> > Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
> > really cheap these days.
> There's two versions; that (#1013) has a touch-screen and the 1014 has knobs.
> I'm uncertain I'd want to depend on the touch-screen version, but it certainly IS a nice compact form factor.

Better as an attached scope with a laptop as the front panel. Then you could actually see the screen without a magnifier. It would also save costs on the touch screen. I expect it would cost more for development of the PC software. All they do now is allow file access to screen captures, no data dumps.

I bought a Hantek attached unit once. A total piece of crap and the PC software wouldn't even run. Some fans hacked it and wrote software for it, but it's still a very low end unit, maybe 10 MHz, I forget. I got a refund without returning it because the delivery paper trail was messed up. Not that I care, the thing has just been sitting.

Lots of crap out there. I don't know if this device is any better. Often the triggering on these units is crap which is a very important feature.

--

Rick C.

- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

On Friday, December 17, 2021 at 10:10:34 PM UTC-4, Rich S wrote:
> > >> Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
> > >> really cheap these days.
> > >>
> > >** How about a VHF/ UHF SA for A$220 ?
> > >
> > >https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/174645368295?hash=item28a9acd5e7:g:vKgAAOSw7WJgUjkv
> > >
> > >Thousands of uses......
> > >..... Phil
> > Microwave frequency synthesizers can be had for literally 1/1000 of
> > what they cost 20 or 30 years ago.
> > If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end with doubts,
> > but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.
> > Francis Bacon
> what is everyone's opinion about "USB scopes" and "USB SA", etc.
> where the computer does all human interface & control, and
> a little black box handles the in's & out's.
> I think I like it since the laptop has UXGA resolution or better, way
> beyond what these stand-alone pieces have.

That's what I'd like. The only one I've found that was worth having is PicoScope. There MSO is around $1,500 though. Not such a bargain, but at least they work.

--

Rick C.

+ Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
+ Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

On a sunny day (Fri, 17 Dec 2021 18:10:31 -0800 (PST)) it happened Rich S
<richsulinengineer@gmail.com> wrote in
<eee32e67-f710-4a69-8330-400fe6cb4ab4n@googlegroups.com>:

>> >> Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
>> >> really cheap these days.
>> >>
>> >** How about a VHF/ UHF SA for A$220 ?
>> >
>> >https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/174645368295?hash=item28a9acd5e7:g:vKgAAOSw7WJgUjkv
>> >
>> >Thousands of uses......
>> >..... Phil
>> Microwave frequency synthesizers can be had for literally 1/1000 of
>> what they cost 20 or 30 years ago.
>> If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end with doubts,
>> but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.
>> Francis Bacon
>
>what is everyone's opinion about "USB scopes" and "USB SA", etc.
>where the computer does all human interface & control, and
>a little black box handles the in's & out's.
>I think I like it since the laptop has UXGA resolution or better, way
>beyond what these stand-alone pieces have.

I have several RTL_SDR USb sticks, accuray 1 ppm, range about 30 MHz to 1.8 GHz
cost abut 30$
https://www.ebay.com/itm/272411458376

There is plenty of software for it online, but wrote my own stuff:
http://panteltje.com/pub/xpsa_audio_sinc_filter_3.gif\old version from 2017,
more option have been added...

These new sticks have a software mod somewhere to go below 30 MHz, but have not needed / used it.
But these things are super cool, I plug it into the laptop and type
xpsa
http://panteltje.com/pub/xpsa-0.7.gif
7.5 cm antenna..

But again there is a lot of open source software online, some with more features, for these sticks
I just write what I need for fun.

Rich S wrote:
> On Friday, December 17, 2021 at 10:54:41 PM UTC, John Larkin wrote:
>> On Fri, 17 Dec 2021 16:32:48 -0500, Phil Hobbs
>> <pcdhSpamM...@electrooptical.net> wrote:
>>
>>> John Larkin wrote:
>>>> I was looking for something else and this showed up:
>>>>
>>>> https://www.amazon.com/s?k=0751300436685&crid=21WX22FGW2XXG&sprefix=0751300436685%2Caps%2C262&ref=nb_sb_noss
>>>>
>>>> Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
>>>> really cheap these days.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Potentially pretty useful, especially in a tool bag.
>>>
>>> Cheers
>>>
>>> Phil Hobbs
>> I could keep one at home. Or in my car.
>> --
>>
>> If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end with doubts,
>> but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.
>> Francis Bacon
>
> "Debugging Weapon"
> finally, Amazon is selling weapons.
> Kill those lousy oscillations.
>

Not with a 100 MHz scope! I did see one at 38 MHz a couple of months
ago, but it's more usually 300 MHz or above. (My current record is 14
GHz iirc.) It's pretty cool to be able to get magic 60 GHz transistors
for 20 cents.

I remember designing 70-MHz crystal oscillators with 2N5179s back in the
day, because 2N3904s were slightly too slow. (Yikes, that was 40 years
ago!)

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal Consultant
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510

http://electrooptical.net
http://hobbs-eo.com

On Sat, 18 Dec 2021 08:27:49 -0500, Phil Hobbs
<pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> wrote:

>Rich S wrote:
>> On Friday, December 17, 2021 at 10:54:41 PM UTC, John Larkin wrote:
>>> On Fri, 17 Dec 2021 16:32:48 -0500, Phil Hobbs
>>> <pcdhSpamM...@electrooptical.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>> John Larkin wrote:
>>>>> I was looking for something else and this showed up:
>>>>>
>>>>> https://www.amazon.com/s?k=0751300436685&crid=21WX22FGW2XXG&sprefix=0751300436685%2Caps%2C262&ref=nb_sb_noss
>>>>>
>>>>> Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
>>>>> really cheap these days.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Potentially pretty useful, especially in a tool bag.
>>>>
>>>> Cheers
>>>>
>>>> Phil Hobbs
>>> I could keep one at home. Or in my car.
>>> --
>>>
>>> If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end with doubts,
>>> but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.
>>> Francis Bacon
>>
>> "Debugging Weapon"
>> finally, Amazon is selling weapons.
>> Kill those lousy oscillations.
>>
>
>Not with a 100 MHz scope! I did see one at 38 MHz a couple of months
>ago, but it's more usually 300 MHz or above. (My current record is 14
>GHz iirc.) It's pretty cool to be able to get magic 60 GHz transistors
>for 20 cents.
>
>I remember designing 70-MHz crystal oscillators with 2N5179s back in the
>day, because 2N3904s were slightly too slow. (Yikes, that was 40 years
>ago!)
>
>Cheers
>
>Phil Hobbs

In my mis-spent youth I designed an RC emitter follower + 7414 schmitt
gate as a system power-on reset. The 2N2219 oscillated so hard at 100
MHz it never got the gate input high.

Transistors are so much better now!

--

I yam what I yam - Popeye

John Larkin wrote:
> On Fri, 17 Dec 2021 16:33:30 -0800 (PST), Phil Allison
> <pallison49@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 8:15:36 AM UTC+11, John Larkin wrote:
>>> I was looking for something else and this showed up:
>>>
>>> https://www.amazon.com/s?k=0751300436685&crid=21WX22FGW2XXG&sprefix=0751300436685%2Caps%2C262&ref=nb_sb_noss
>>>
>>> Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
>>> really cheap these days.
>>>
>>
>> ** How about a VHF/ UHF SA for A$220 ?
>>
>> https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/174645368295?hash=item28a9acd5e7:g:vKgAAOSw7WJgUjkv
>>
>> Thousands of uses......
>>
>>
>> ..... Phil
>
> Microwave frequency synthesizers can be had for literally 1/1000 of
> what they cost 20 or 30 years ago.
>

And with 1000x the close-in phase noise. :(

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal Consultant
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510

http://electrooptical.net
http://hobbs-eo.com

17.12.21 22:15, John Larkin wrote:
>I was looking for something else and this showed up:
>
>https://www.amazon.com/s?k=0751300436685&crid=21WX22FGW2XXG&sprefix=0751300436685%2Caps%2C262&ref=nb_sb_noss
>
>Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
>really cheap these days.
>
>
>
>
Looks very nice

You can buy a Picoscope 2000 for 125USD but then only 10MHz BW. You get protocol analysis for free along with potent FFT

Of course you then need to bring a laptop...

--
Klaus

Rich S wrote:
>>>> Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
>>>> really cheap these days.
>>>>
>>> ** How about a VHF/ UHF SA for A$220 ?
>>>
>>> https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/174645368295?hash=item28a9acd5e7:g:vKgAAOSw7WJgUjkv
>>>
>>> Thousands of uses......
>>> ..... Phil
>> Microwave frequency synthesizers can be had for literally 1/1000 of
>> what they cost 20 or 30 years ago.
>> If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end with doubts,
>> but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.
>> Francis Bacon
>
> what is everyone's opinion about "USB scopes" and "USB SA", etc.
> where the computer does all human interface & control, and
> a little black box handles the in's & out's.
> I think I like it since the laptop has UXGA resolution or better, way
> beyond what these stand-alone pieces have.
>

I'd way rather have a stack of boat anchors for the same money. My lab
has nearly $2M worth of top-of-the-line test gear (at list prices) that
I've paid probably $50k for over the years.

SDR-style spectrum analyzers are okay for spur chasing, but mostly
useless for the kind of RF stuff I do, which requires low phase noise.

USB things are great for portable use, of course, but AFAICT they tend
to be limited by their software.

The Ocean Optics spectrometers are the same way--the software is
infinitely flexible if you want to spend a week setting it up, but it's
a huge pain if you just want to turn it on and measure a spectrum.

Machines should do as they're damn well told.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal Consultant
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510

http://electrooptical.net
http://hobbs-eo.com

On Sat, 18 Dec 2021 11:51:12 -0500, Phil Hobbs
<pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> wrote:

>Rich S wrote:
>>>>> Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
>>>>> really cheap these days.
>>>>>
>>>> ** How about a VHF/ UHF SA for A$220 ?
>>>>
>>>> https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/174645368295?hash=item28a9acd5e7:g:vKgAAOSw7WJgUjkv
>>>>
>>>> Thousands of uses......
>>>> ..... Phil
>>> Microwave frequency synthesizers can be had for literally 1/1000 of
>>> what they cost 20 or 30 years ago.
>>> If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end with doubts,
>>> but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.
>>> Francis Bacon
>>
>> what is everyone's opinion about "USB scopes" and "USB SA", etc.
>> where the computer does all human interface & control, and
>> a little black box handles the in's & out's.
>> I think I like it since the laptop has UXGA resolution or better, way
>> beyond what these stand-alone pieces have.
>>
>
>I'd way rather have a stack of boat anchors for the same money. My lab
>has nearly $2M worth of top-of-the-line test gear (at list prices) that
>I've paid probably $50k for over the years.
>
>SDR-style spectrum analyzers are okay for spur chasing, but mostly
>useless for the kind of RF stuff I do, which requires low phase noise.
>
>USB things are great for portable use, of course, but AFAICT they tend
>to be limited by their software.
>
>The Ocean Optics spectrometers are the same way--the software is
>infinitely flexible if you want to spend a week setting it up, but it's
>a huge pain if you just want to turn it on and measure a spectrum.
>
>Machines should do as they're damn well told.
>
>Cheers
>
>Phil Hobbs

Like kitchen ranges and front doors. They should have knobs and not
quit working when you can't find your phone or when AWS crashes.

My neighbor has a fake LED fireplace with a remote. He's very proud of
it.

--

I yam what I yam - Popeye

On Sat, 18 Dec 2021 11:44:22 -0500, Phil Hobbs
<pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> wrote:

>John Larkin wrote:
>> On Fri, 17 Dec 2021 16:33:30 -0800 (PST), Phil Allison
>> <pallison49@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 8:15:36 AM UTC+11, John Larkin wrote:
>>>> I was looking for something else and this showed up:
>>>>
>>>> https://www.amazon.com/s?k=0751300436685&crid=21WX22FGW2XXG&sprefix=0751300436685%2Caps%2C262&ref=nb_sb_noss
>>>>
>>>> Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
>>>> really cheap these days.
>>>>
>>>
>>> ** How about a VHF/ UHF SA for A$220 ?
>>>
>>> https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/174645368295?hash=item28a9acd5e7:g:vKgAAOSw7WJgUjkv
>>>
>>> Thousands of uses......
>>>
>>>
>>> ..... Phil
>>
>> Microwave frequency synthesizers can be had for literally 1/1000 of
>> what they cost 20 or 30 years ago.
>>
>
>And with 1000x the close-in phase noise. :(
>
>Cheers
>
>Phil Hobbs

That's from the cheap XO. The $7 synth chips are really good...
picosecond jitter in my domain.

--

I yam what I yam - Popeye

On Sat, 18 Dec 2021 11:51:12 -0500, Phil Hobbs
<pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> wrote:

>Rich S wrote:
>>>>> Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
>>>>> really cheap these days.
>>>>>
>>>> ** How about a VHF/ UHF SA for A$220 ?
>>>>
>>>> https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/174645368295?hash=item28a9acd5e7:g:vKgAAOSw7WJgUjkv
>>>>
>>>> Thousands of uses......
>>>> ..... Phil
>>> Microwave frequency synthesizers can be had for literally 1/1000 of
>>> what they cost 20 or 30 years ago.
>>> If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end with doubts,
>>> but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.
>>> Francis Bacon
>>
>> what is everyone's opinion about "USB scopes" and "USB SA", etc.
>> where the computer does all human interface & control, and
>> a little black box handles the in's & out's.
>> I think I like it since the laptop has UXGA resolution or better, way
>> beyond what these stand-alone pieces have.
>>
>
>I'd way rather have a stack of boat anchors for the same money. My lab
>has nearly $2M worth of top-of-the-line test gear (at list prices) that
>I've paid probably $50k for over the years.
>
>SDR-style spectrum analyzers are okay for spur chasing, but mostly
>useless for the kind of RF stuff I do, which requires low phase noise.
>
>USB things are great for portable use, of course, but AFAICT they tend
>to be limited by their software.
>
>The Ocean Optics spectrometers are the same way--the software is
>infinitely flexible if you want to spend a week setting it up, but it's
>a huge pain if you just want to turn it on and measure a spectrum.
>
>Machines should do as they're damn well told.
>
>Cheers
>
>Phil Hobbs

Got a boat?

RL

In article <6v6srghgh40h1tfq0db7g942cjvbjleqda@4ax.com>,
jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com says...
>
> Like kitchen ranges and front doors. They should have knobs and not
> quit working when you can't find your phone or when AWS crashes.
>
> My neighbor has a fake LED fireplace with a remote. He's very proud of
> it.
>
>
>

I bought a house about 15 years ago with a fire place. Wanted to use it
mainly at Christmas with the whole family. I have only been able to use
it 2 times due to the weather being so hot Yesterday it was 70 deg.
Should be below 50 deg. About 45 years ago I had just gotten married
that summer. Christmas it was about 7 deg F.

I may have to look into the LEDs myself it this keeps up.

This is the middle of North Carolina.

jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com wrote:
> On Sat, 18 Dec 2021 08:27:49 -0500, Phil Hobbs
> <pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> wrote:
>
>> Rich S wrote:
>>> On Friday, December 17, 2021 at 10:54:41 PM UTC, John Larkin wrote:
>>>> On Fri, 17 Dec 2021 16:32:48 -0500, Phil Hobbs
>>>> <pcdhSpamM...@electrooptical.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> John Larkin wrote:
>>>>>> I was looking for something else and this showed up:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> https://www.amazon.com/s?k=0751300436685&crid=21WX22FGW2XXG&sprefix=0751300436685%2Caps%2C262&ref=nb_sb_noss
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
>>>>>> really cheap these days.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> Potentially pretty useful, especially in a tool bag.
>>>>>
>>>>> Cheers
>>>>>
>>>>> Phil Hobbs
>>>> I could keep one at home. Or in my car.
>>>> --
>>>>
>>>> If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end with doubts,
>>>> but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.
>>>> Francis Bacon
>>>
>>> "Debugging Weapon"
>>> finally, Amazon is selling weapons.
>>> Kill those lousy oscillations.
>>>
>>
>> Not with a 100 MHz scope! I did see one at 38 MHz a couple of months
>> ago, but it's more usually 300 MHz or above. (My current record is 14
>> GHz iirc.) It's pretty cool to be able to get magic 60 GHz transistors
>> for 20 cents.
>>
>> I remember designing 70-MHz crystal oscillators with 2N5179s back in the
>> day, because 2N3904s were slightly too slow. (Yikes, that was 40 years
>> ago!)
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>> Phil Hobbs
>
> In my mis-spent youth I designed an RC emitter follower + 7414 schmitt
> gate as a system power-on reset. The 2N2219 oscillated so hard at 100
> MHz it never got the gate input high.
>
> Transistors are so much better now!

Of course a CK722 would probably have worked too. ;)
(plus the base leakage would have lengthened the TC).

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal Consultant
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510

http://electrooptical.net
http://hobbs-eo.com

> > Kill those lousy oscillations.
> >
> Not with a 100 MHz scope! I did see one at 38 MHz a couple of months
> ago, but it's more usually 300 MHz or above. (My current record is 14
> GHz iirc.) It's pretty cool to be able to get magic 60 GHz transistors
> for 20 cents.
>
> I remember designing 70-MHz crystal oscillators with 2N5179s back in the
> day, because 2N3904s were slightly too slow. (Yikes, that was 40 years
> ago!)
> Cheers
> Phil Hobbs
>
> --
> Dr Philip C D Hobbs
> Principal Consultant
> ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics
> Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
> Briarcliff Manor NY 10510
> http://electrooptical.net
> http://hobbs-eo.com

ahem, well, some of us are still using low f_T devices... B-|
even tho', that was purely my attempt at being snarky.

On Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 5:38:35 PM UTC, jla...@highlandsniptechnology.com wrote:
> On Sat, 18 Dec 2021 11:51:12 -0500, Phil Hobbs
> <pcdhSpamM...@electrooptical.net> wrote:
>
> >Rich S wrote:
> >>>>> Amazing. Someone could set up a garage lab and do some serious stuff
> >>>>> really cheap these days.
> >>>>>
> >>>> ** How about a VHF/ UHF SA for A$220 ?
> >>>>
> >>>> https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/174645368295?hash=item28a9acd5e7:g:vKgAAOSw7WJgUjkv
> >>>>
> >>>> Thousands of uses......
> >>>> ..... Phil
> >>> Microwave frequency synthesizers can be had for literally 1/1000 of
> >>> what they cost 20 or 30 years ago.
> >>> If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end with doubts,
> >>> but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.
> >>> Francis Bacon
> >>
> >> what is everyone's opinion about "USB scopes" and "USB SA", etc.
> >> where the computer does all human interface & control, and
> >> a little black box handles the in's & out's.
> >> I think I like it since the laptop has UXGA resolution or better, way
> >> beyond what these stand-alone pieces have.
> >>
> >
> >I'd way rather have a stack of boat anchors for the same money. My lab
> >has nearly $2M worth of top-of-the-line test gear (at list prices) that
> >I've paid probably $50k for over the years.
> >
> >SDR-style spectrum analyzers are okay for spur chasing, but mostly
> >useless for the kind of RF stuff I do, which requires low phase noise.
> >
> >USB things are great for portable use, of course, but AFAICT they tend
> >to be limited by their software.
> >
> >The Ocean Optics spectrometers are the same way--the software is
> >infinitely flexible if you want to spend a week setting it up, but it's
> >a huge pain if you just want to turn it on and measure a spectrum.
> >
> >Machines should do as they're damn well told.
> >
> >Cheers
> >
> >Phil Hobbs
> Like kitchen ranges and front doors. They should have knobs and not
> quit working when you can't find your phone or when AWS crashes.
>
> My neighbor has a fake LED fireplace with a remote. He's very proud of
> it.
> --
>
> I yam what I yam - Popeye

Our facilities staff setup a fake "den" in one part of the building.
The fake fireplace hosts a flat panel TV, to tightly conform to the space.
The fire video running on continuous loop (they originally used a DVD
player; sometime later, realized a USB thumb drive would do better...)
...At least the TV can be repurposed someday... if it doesnt die first.