Free dual trace oscilloscope

[Pooh Bear]

There's also the Salivation Army. ;-P

Do they dribble a lot ?

Graham

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

You beat me to it. I'm sure the teacher could find a willing taker.

I was on the advisory board of a local vocational electronics course.
The students that wanted to be there were glad to have anything they
could get their hands on, and several hung around my shop to get some
hands on experience. They were very happy to get the older equipment I
didn't need, as well as to have access to my library of databooks.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

try freecycle.org, it REALLY works.

The one here doesn't work. The moderators have it under full
moderation, and any post asking for something they want doesn't get
posted. They insist that you can't give an item to the first person that
requests something you've posted, and you are not to give preference to
someone who actively gives things away because a few people that only
posted one item to give away complain that they can only check the list
every couple days and have never got anything. They threw 75% of the
members off the group and closed it. They claimed that Yahoo did it,
then only let their friends back on. Also one of the moderators sent me
a very nasty E-mail claiming that I was running a stall at a flea market
selling "The hundreds of things you've received over the last year and a
half." They claimed that i was asking for stuff in several other
groups, up to 100 miles away, and I can barely drive across town.

I am 100% disabled, I can barely walk and was only on the group for
less than two months. I gave away as much as I got, but they never let
one of my requests get posted, then she claimed that I had asked for and
received several hundred used computers. Then she told me her husband
worked for the sheriff's office and that i was under investigation for
fraud.

Freecycle is good in some places, but be very careful until you're
sure about the local group. The Ocala group was great, till they took
it over and destroyed it. I am still in E-mail contact with one member
and she lets me know what is going on.

 

[Ignoramus20852]

The one here doesn't work. The moderators have it under full
moderation, and any post asking for something they want doesn't get
posted. They insist that you can't give an item to the first person that
requests something you've posted, and you are not to give preference to
someone who actively gives things away because a few people that only
posted one item to give away complain that they can only check the list
every couple days and have never got anything. They threw 75% of the
members off the group and closed it. They claimed that Yahoo did it,
then only let their friends back on. Also one of the moderators sent me
a very nasty E-mail claiming that I was running a stall at a flea market
selling "The hundreds of things you've received over the last year and a
half." They claimed that i was asking for stuff in several other
groups, up to 100 miles away, and I can barely drive across town.

I am 100% disabled, I can barely walk and was only on the group for
less than two months. I gave away as much as I got, but they never let
one of my requests get posted, then she claimed that I had asked for and
received several hundred used computers. Then she told me her husband
worked for the sheriff's office and that i was under investigation for
fraud.

Freecycle is good in some places, but be very careful until you're
sure about the local group. The Ocala group was great, till they took
it over and destroyed it. I am still in E-mail contact with one member
and she lets me know what is going on.

Sounds quite outrageous. Some people are not born to be moderators.

i
--

 

[[email protected]]

RE:freecycle.org

Based on the suggestion in this thread, I used the one here in Columbus
& got quite a few replies. I was surprised, actually. I didn't have
toooo much trouble with the process, though it did seem a bit
"controlled". Had to "apply" for membership, including a "question"
box asking me to tell the moderator "a little bit about myself", which
I thought was a bit much. I just entered "I want to join the group";
apparently that was sufficient. Made 2 posts, 1st one offering the
unit, 2nd saying it had been taken. Subsequent communications with
people expressing interest were via email, so the group was not
involved/didn't interfere in my selection process. I gave the scope to
a guy who attends a local tech school. Don't recall who was first,
this person just seemed to me most "needy". It's MY item, it seems to
me I should be able to decide who I give it to, which I did. I could
have used this site earlier, I threw out a large amount of "invalid"
equipment which had belonged to my father (a hospital grade walker,
several canes, other similar items, probably would cost over $1000 to
replace in all). Tried several local Salvation Army/Goodwill type
places, also 2 churches, including one right across the street from me
which runs an adult daycare, they wouldn't even let me post the items
on their bulletin board in the daycare. Nobody even wanted to talk to
me, so I ended up throwing the stuff out. What a waste.

Thanks all who replied.

David

 

[Horatio Hornblower]

Hello Graham,


Sad. Those were especially good in winter as they heated the room nicely.



I have the impression Europe is beginning to regulate itself into
oblivion. WEEE and all that stuff. It'll kill a lot of small biz.

I wonder, has anybody ever been electrocuted by a scope? I mean not by
hooking up something wrong but by the scope itself.

Nearly - when I was a student engineer I tested Thyristor convertors with
the earth lead off teh scope. This was 415V 3 phase if I remember right
going in. The earth had to be left off to avoid a short and the scope
chassis was then live! . First time I left it on and fused all the lights in
the building!
I have also heard of similar cases where the old scope was on a trolley with
castors. The rubber on them was melting!

HH

 

[Rich Grise]

Nearly - when I was a student engineer I tested Thyristor convertors with
the earth lead off teh scope. This was 415V 3 phase if I remember right
going in. The earth had to be left off to avoid a short and the scope
chassis was then live! . First time I left it on and fused all the lights in
the building!

This doesn't count. It wasn't anything about the scope that electrocuted
the idiot, it was the stupid operator and inherently lethal setup.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[GregS]

That reminds me of a story. I onced pushed a button, and a something like a 1000
amp breaker shut down a whole satelite tracking station. I think it was daytime at least.
Well the button turned on a big motor which ran the Y axis of a 65 foot dish. The motor
had some kind of short, which then shorted out the first breaker box, which
then tripped the main breaker a couple miles away.

I'll never forget the feeling!

greg

 

[clyde]

That reminds me of a story. I onced pushed a button, and a something like
a 1000
amp breaker shut down a whole satelite tracking station. I think it was
daytime at least.
Well the button turned on a big motor which ran the Y axis of a 65 foot
dish. The motor
had some kind of short, which then shorted out the first breaker box,
which
then tripped the main breaker a couple miles away.

I'll never forget the feeling!

greg

I shut down a country! I was working for NASA on a 'Cable & Wireless' site
in Botswanna installing a shuttle voice link.

Had a motor-generator unit to convert 50Hz to 60Hz for our equipment. Darn
thing wouldn't start. I found that one relay in the starter box wasn't
pulling in. Got a broomstick and pushed it in.

It only took the Brits 20 minutes to get the station back up. There may
have been a trembling upper lip in the vicinity but never a bad word in my
hearing. Thanks Chris!

Turned out the entire start-up sequence was important - no skipping a step.

 

[Henry]

I would love to have it and am not too far away near Pittsburgh. However, I
am broke (actually on welfare and foodstamps at the moment) So I can not
come get it or even pay for shipping. Sad, I hope it goes to someone.

Henry

 

[Winfield Hill]

Henry wrote...

I would love to have it and am not too far away near Pittsburgh.
However, I am broke (actually on welfare and foodstamps at the
moment) So I can not come get it or even pay for shipping. ...

What would you like to do with it?

 

[Paul Burridge]

Henry wrote...

What would you like to do with it?

It's an old 10Mhz scope and this guy is broke. it's winter and maybe
he wants to use it as a heater?
I bought 3 scopes last week just for the hell of it. I must post pix
when I get around to it. Should give everyone a laugh.

 

[Rich Grise]

I would love to have it and am not too far away near Pittsburgh. However, I
am broke (actually on welfare and foodstamps at the moment) So I can not
come get it or even pay for shipping. Sad, I hope it goes to someone.

Henry

I went to apply for welfare and food stamps once, and it was such an
incredible pain in the ass that I just went panhandling. One interesting
thing about the welfare office (located just a few miles southeast of
downtown LA, I don't remember which principality it was in), was that
the only people in the whole joint, out of about 300, that actually looked
needy were me and the other white guy.

So, I decided to go into performance art - I'm not really a bum, I just
play one on the street. ;P

Cheers!
Rich

 

[Rich Grise]

Henry wrote...

What would you like to do with it?

Diagnose dumpster TVs and computers, of course.

Geez, you monied people just have no clue, have you?

Humph!
Rich

 

[Henry]

I went to apply for welfare and food stamps once, and it was such an
incredible pain in the ass that I just went panhandling. One interesting
thing about the welfare office (located just a few miles southeast of
downtown LA, I don't remember which principality it was in), was that
the only people in the whole joint, out of about 300, that actually looked
needy were me and the other white guy.

So, I decided to go into performance art - I'm not really a bum, I just
play one on the street. ;P

Cheers!
Rich

I have only sought out publinc assistance twice in my life. The first was
short lived as I soon found work. But that was in the city. Out here most of
the towns have closed up store fronts on almost every block.

Anyway public assistance in a quagmire of rules, regulations, and catch-22
traps. Working part time I sorta oscillate between being eligable and not,
for help. And if you miss a form or deadline, its like a game board where
you have to start from the beginning again. If someone wasnt already
suicidal, going through the process could easily make them so. The only
people who really benefit are those who know how to work the system. I dont.
*shrug*

Henry