test equipment / Re: Z80 / Z84C Swap (Doh!)

[Dave G4UGM]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Eric Smith
> Sent: 18 August 2015 06:52
> To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: Re: test equipment / Re: Z80 / Z84C Swap (Doh!)
> 
> I wrote:
> > If a person has any reasonable business justification
> 
> On Mon, Aug 17, 2015 at 2:11 PM, Noel Chiappa <jnc at mercury.lcs.mit.edu>
> wrote:
> > But a lot of the people here don't; they're purely hobbyists. So
> > spending $1K on a piece of test equipment just isn't realistic for them.
> 

Then some tasks become non-realistic. So I don't have a spectrum analyser, so realistically I can't  test home-brew Ham Band HF (3-30Mhz) Power Amplifiers. 

Of course budget limits what all of us can do. I am not Paul Allen and I can't afford to run a Mainframe. 


> That's why I suggested the info was for those with a reasonable business
> justification. I'd be rather hard-pressed to come up with money for test
> equipment if it wasn't going to be used for paying work.
> 

Sometimes a "business judgement" isn't about pure reward. I only ride a small motor cycle but I spent around $1000  on boots, gloves, over trousers, jacket and helmet, for when I fall off...

> My main point was that the prices of reasonably decent test equipment,
> even brand new, have come down a lot in the last decade.  Still possibly out
> of reach of many hobbyists, though.

I think for most vintage computing requirements the cost of a suitable scope is attainable. I can't see any need to spend more than $250 on such a device, and as I say for many tasks a bottom end model is fine. The models with the 16-channel logic analyser  look very good. Really excellent DVM's can now be had for $20-$30. I don't think the prices have ever been better. If you don't have a decent scope try talking to your local Ham Club, Hack Space or FabLab.

http://www.arrl.org/find-a-club

https://wiki.hackerspaces.org/List_of_Hacker_Spaces

http://www.fablab.com/

The FabLabs all have good Scopes, most hack spaces will have usuable scopes, often older and donated, and many Ham Clubs will have some sort of test equipment...

Dave Wade
G4UGM




Dave Wade