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Member's Forum What is your most treasured tool or instrument?
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  • Replies 22 replies
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  • treasured tool
  • favorite instrument
Related

What is your most treasured tool or instrument?

dougw
dougw over 2 years ago

Its Friday - time for a little fun discussion.

Is your favorite tool your needle nose pliers or your microscope? Your DVM or your breadboard? Your 3D printer or your oscilloscope? Your power supply or your computer?

Or does your orderly mind balk at comparing apples and oranges?

I can kick it off with the candidate that pops into my mind at this moment - my Mitutoyo calipers:

image

Add a picture below

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  • cstanton
    cstanton over 2 years ago +6
    Do you have a favorite memory to go with it? Perhaps when it's really saved your day? For me I think my tool is a little unconventional. I always carry a simple penknife with corkscrew and some other…
  • javagoza
    javagoza over 2 years ago +4
    I have to say that currently my preferred tool is an Android mobile with wifi, NFC, BLE, cameras, USB for serial terminal emulation and lot of sensors and calculator apps. It does not have a SIM so it…
  • dougw
    dougw over 2 years ago in reply to cstanton +3
    I posted a previous blog about a magic tool that saved the day .... /challenges-projects/project14/portable-electronics-kit/b/blog/posts/the-magic-tool-kit
  • javagoza
    javagoza over 2 years ago

    I have to say that currently my preferred tool is an Android mobile with wifi, NFC, BLE, cameras, USB for serial terminal emulation and lot of sensors and calculator apps. It does not have a SIM so it does not work as a telephone but if I need to make a conference by teams or Skype with Wi-Fi, it is ready there. It's a bit embarrassing because I never use a smartphone, many years ago I went back to dumb phones for my daily life, and I always complain about smartphones. Every day I find a new use for that mobile.

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  • cstanton
    cstanton over 2 years ago

    Do you have a favorite memory to go with it? Perhaps when it's really saved your day?

    For me I think my tool is a little unconventional.

    I always carry a simple penknife with corkscrew and some other tools, tooth pick, and tweezers. It always comes in handy, and it's hilarious to get it out when someone's trying to get into a parcel or packaging and needs to cut the tape and I suddenly have the right tool for the job. It's your typical victorinox swiss army knife. It's also one of the only types of knives that has an exception to be typically permitted to be carried in the UK because it's a foldable blade <= 3 inches in length.

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  • beacon_dave
    beacon_dave over 2 years ago in reply to cstanton

    Same here actually. Have had the same one (Classic SD) on a key ring for about 40 years now and has saved the day many a time (including a bride on her wedding day). I had to replace the spring in the scissors a few years back and surprised that they were still available. 

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  • dougw
    dougw over 2 years ago in reply to cstanton

    I posted a previous blog about a magic tool that saved the day ....

    /challenges-projects/project14/portable-electronics-kit/b/blog/posts/the-magic-tool-kit

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  • beacon_dave
    beacon_dave over 2 years ago in reply to dougw

    Mine was attending to more of a 'soft wear' issue... Blush 

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  • rsjawale24
    rsjawale24 over 2 years ago

    For me it has to be this bench power supply

    image

    Prior to having this power supply I used to use 9V batteries which always performed poorly or use some power adapters and I almost always had to rely on voltage regulator ICs to get the desired voltage output.

    This bench power supply has made my life easier and helped me build many projects. I can get desired voltages, set current limit, and even generate dual voltage supply needed for differential amplifiers and opamps..

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  • dougw
    dougw over 2 years ago in reply to rsjawale24

    That Keysight is currently my main bench supply as well - extremely useful.

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  • dougw
    dougw over 2 years ago in reply to cstanton

    Knives are special. I think we could do a whole discussion about everyone's favorite knife - I'm sure we all have one. (Mine you have to see in person to understand how cool it is)

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  • dougw
    dougw over 2 years ago in reply to javagoza

    Mobile devices really are becoming the Swiss Army Knives of electronics - they have such an incredible array of features.

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  • dougw
    dougw over 2 years ago in reply to beacon_dave

    That needs an explanation.....Sunglasses... or maybe not.

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