RoadTester Poll: What Are You Purchasing or Planning to Purchase in the Near Future?

Thank you very much! Excellent! In your threat FPC1500 roadtest-video you got a gift.

Best Regards

Gerald

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Hi Gerald,

I totally agree, the FPC1500 was an amazing RoadTest.

It isn't the first or second piece of test equipment that engineers need, but it has a lot of uses and has been reliable and quite feature-rich and fun to use over the past couple of years.

I don't know if people in general are still getting to grips with VNAs or not. since it's only been a few years that VNAs have become lower cost and combined with spectrum analyzers.

I created a 15-min video yesterday that walks through how it can be used for designing a circuit to match a filter for 50 ohm input/output impedance, without any theory, just practical. This is just one example of course.

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FPC1500 Spectrum Analyzer - Review Vector Network Analyzer (VNA): A Practical Getting-Started Guide for the General Reader Comment on NanoVNA - Antenna testing Comment on RoadTester Poll: What Are You Purchasing or Planning to Purchase in the Near Future?

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Like others here, I have ideas floating around all the time, most of which involve some level of reverse engineering. Like for instance, I found at the street corner a LED bar that has a processor and a RF chip that appears to control it.

When given 5V, it lights up red, but I am convinced there is some remote protocol to have it do something else. Having the tools to discover this would be nice, so that would be debuggers, programmers, logic analyzers...

But as I'm a hobbyist, the maker category has even more appeal to me, especially the 3D printer for very small series work, and the educational kits to use with the kids. They know how to solder and like it a lot, but they are always eager for new ideas, be it robotics, sensors, musical things...

I'm in the 'maker' category, if that includes 3D printers.

I have most of the test equipment I need (just bought a FLIR solar clamp meter to measure high currents in my PV projects) - though an LCR meter would be cool.

I have all the development tools, compilers, programmers, single board computers, displays, and sensors that I need for projects stretching well into 2022, but I'd like to get into 3D printing to make enclosures and mounting brackets for all bits and pieces that need to come together

It looks like I think alike Douglas dougw .

My thoughts constantly revolve around projects, or "improvements" of devices.

Well, then you need the components accordingly in order to be able to realize the projects.

Well, the right measuring devices should of course not be missing either.

But suddenly the bankrupt vulture is circling my wishes .. "too expensive", "why do you need it?" ,,, wishes are then suddenly no longer fulfilled.

I was very happy when I was able to take part in the road tests of the R&S FPC 1500 and the Keysight PSU E36313A, or the Eaton E4 PLC controller, or Eagle CAD, for example.

Also recently, winning the Tektronix TBS 1000C was also a boost for me. Sometimes I also train students.

Thank you very much Randall rscasny  !

The point is, I have older types of measuring equipment and I want to modernize my laboratory.

Because I actually have to modernize it so that I can offer my projects better.

So, it's an important factor in my business too.

E.g.

A MSO would be optimal for my work. Last week I received an offer from Tektronix for an MSO 4; Well, unfortunately that is far too expensive, but I need the measuring ranges, e.g. bus decoders for the serial interfaces.

Tektronix can pay dearly for everything, even if much of it is already implemented as a standard.

I am a fan of Tektronix and R&S.

-> To take part in a road test with an R&S MSO from the 4 series would be the big leap into the current world of technology.

Unfortunately, I was unable to participate in the R&S NGU401. Because such a measuring device allows me to measure non-conductive elements, as it is necessary to measure with wood in my projects.

I develop controls that are built into furniture.

That would take me light years forward.

Unfortunately, small companies like mine have little or no chance of getting involved in the market.

Appropriate tools for production, fabrication are also still in mind - hand tools such as crimping pliers are important for cable assembly.

The knowledge to be able to carry out these road tests successfully is there.

The first measuring device I worked with in my apprenticeship was in 1979, the Tektronix from the 7000 series at the time, the one with the plug-in units.

At the 2003 I bought one, but at 2016 the fuse was blown; -- the tube was broken. So now the TBS1000C helps me a bit. Thank you.

There are also the "small vegetable" electronic components in order to be able to carry out the project or the application, but precisely these large "boulders" of measuring devices are missing.

Yes, I would buy everything I need to manufacture and develop electronic assemblies.

Especially the small (hand)-tools, which can be quite expensive, and the right measuring devices to be able to work properly.

Best Regards

Gerald

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Oops, then yes "Maker" vote for me too.

I voted IoT, which is a more specific area of making for me right now

I don't believe the information on the web order resources reflect supply side management. I suspect this has advantages in that people will place order. The may not if they can't secure all the parts for the project.

My experience has been with distributors other than Newark. The web sites don't show limited stock, yet I get a message that an order is back ordered.

I do some work with schools and have experienced the same issue of securing components to plan classroom activities.

I appear to be in the same boat as others who have responded.

I have a list of semiconductors, connectors, motors, switches and other electronic sundries, all for maker type project work. Most of this stuff has been on order before and cancelled because of availability. I have resolved myself to placing the order and waiting out the myriad of back order notices I no doubt will receive hoping that the stock will arrive and be shipped.

I don't know if I am typical, but I think up new projects all the time and I order low-cost stuff every few days in anticipation of those projects. For bigger ticket items I will often try to find a work-around or wait until I can afford it or find it on sale. In these cases a road test would be most welcome. Fortunately I have won or scrounged enough instrumentation that I don't have a lot of pressing needs for test instrumentation. When I do need test instrumentation, I don't need high end instruments, just basic entry level stuff is more than adequate. High end stuff is nice, but implies a huge amount of work to road test.

Something like an LRC meter is an example of an instrument that I can never quite justify purchasing, but I always wanted one. In the mean time, I make do with what I have, which can pretty much cover off what I need. I could say the same about a frequency counter and a signal generator, even though I do have this functionality in some of my other instruments. Lets see, maybe a programmable load or an SMU - no way I can justify buying those instruments.

Another type of need is something like a Microchip PICkit or an Infineon MiniProg or some generic JTAG programmer - they always seem to be just beyond what I am willing to pay.

There are some fancy multi-output USB power supplies that a lot of members would be happy to road test.

As far as project material goes, I always need more of everything, but I am a bit choosey about which MCU I want to use, so a road test is unlikely to coincide. I always need more displays - LCDs & OLEDs & e-ink and I often consider them to be too expensive to justify, so I would look into road tests of displays. Even programmable LEDs are attractive as road test items due to the price of buying a lot of them.

For me the ideal road test is something I want or need but can't quite justify purchasing.

My current basket just contains a mix of test probes/grabbers. They get pricey since several are often required so I'm still deciding which ones are the most useful before I order any.

Any opinions would be appreciated! : )