fav piece of equipment

Thread Starter

Neil Groves

Joined Sep 14, 2011
125
What is your favorite piece of equipment to use?

in fact i have two, first off is my oscilloscope which since buying it a while back, i don't know how i ever managed without it, it's a basic CRT 2 channel 30Mhz one but i have done some small signal projects that simply could not have been done without it, tracing the signal through the circuit and locating the hotspots was fab.

My second fav has to be my little pocket sized Analogue multimeter, i loved setting it on the Ω range and watching the needle fly across the face of the meter as it showed me where i hadn't completely broke the copper track on my strip board with the twist drill, or worse still, had forgotten to make a break at all where i needed to, the digi meter just doesn't give me the same satisfaction for some reason.

My problem is that i get right near the end of construction and rush it so i can get power into the thing and see it work lol

Neil.
 

Lundwall_Paul

Joined Oct 18, 2011
236
Number one on my wish list would be TEK 3054B oscilloscope (can't afford it).
I do enjoy my Fluke 187.

Neil What model scope do you have? I am in the market for something with an affordable price.
 

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
Number one on my wish list would be TEK 3054B oscilloscope (can't afford it).
I do enjoy my Fluke 187.

Neil What model scope do you have? I am in the market for something with an affordable price.
For starting out, and even through mid range work with electronics, over 100Mhz scope isn't needed.

Something like This is under $1k and still provides 4 channels, is lightweight, and is packed with features.

This is near state of the art, 350Mhz for $1600

Though I'd suggest something simpler, though still extremely modern featured with fast sampling, only not Tek, Tek is like Fluke, 50% of the price is for the name.
2 channel 100Mhz for $600
Or, wait for 10 years, and the $16,000 scope you want will be in the $2,000 range, and that entire time you won't have ANY scope.
 

Thread Starter

Neil Groves

Joined Sep 14, 2011
125
Number one on my wish list would be TEK 3054B oscilloscope (can't afford it).
I do enjoy my Fluke 187.

Neil What model scope do you have? I am in the market for something with an affordable price.
Hi Paul, i bought the B&K 2020, CRT, 2 channels, 30Mhz at $359 from fry's electronics, a nice little scope for me since i only play with small experimental circuits and audio stuff.

Neil.
 

Thread Starter

Neil Groves

Joined Sep 14, 2011
125
i used to like the desoldering gun at work, great for desoldering ic's and the like from earth planes, i use braid at home though. those desolder pumps are a pain in the butt, you fire the plunger and the work piece flys off the bench lol

Neil.
 

BillB3857

Joined Feb 28, 2009
2,570
i used to like the desoldering gun at work, great for desoldering ic's and the like from earth planes, i use braid at home though. those desolder pumps are a pain in the butt, you fire the plunger and the work piece flys off the bench lol

Neil.

What plunger? Mine is a pistol grip with an electric vac pump in the housing. Just heat the joint, pull the trigger and WHAMMO... Clear hole! Too bad Marlin P Jones (MPJA) doesn't have them any more.
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
In order of how much I use them:
thumbs
computer
fluke 189 multimeter
wirefox stripper/cutter
soldering station
hammer
drill press
Tektronix 2430A
mig welder
oxy/acetylene torch
hatchet
belt grinder
coal forge

wish list:
CNC machine and/or end mill
lathe
tig welder
 

Thread Starter

Neil Groves

Joined Sep 14, 2011
125
the desolder pump is that long tube you hold in your hand, push the plunger down with your thumb against spring tension then hit the release button over your molton solder joint, sucking the solder into the tube, sometimes jamming the mechanism....horrible things.

Neil.
 

bloguetronica

Joined Apr 27, 2007
1,541
My scope, definitely. It is a great tool for debugging and already helped me many times. :) Next comes my voltmeter and then my soldering irons and desoldering pump.
 
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