Best Wishes

[Reloadron]

From my wife Kathy and Myself best wishes for a Happy and Prosperous New Year. Pretty cool as at 6 AM this morning my friends down under began their new year. Guessing my friends in the UK began the new year about 30 min ago and we are sitting here in the US EST Time Zone with 4.5 hours to go. Anyway, may the new year bring all my friends here all that is good.

Ron

 

[RichTheDude]

Happy new year everyone!

 

[Ian Rogers]

Me too.. Happy new year!!!!

 

[ericgibbs]

Happy New Year Ron, Kathy and all ETO members.

Eric

 

[throbscottle]

Hippy Moo Year everyone!

 

[Inquisitive]

Happy New Year everybody.

Best wishes in the upcoming year 2013!

 

[killivolt]

I guess I can still do this, it's New Years Day for pete sake.


Have a Happy New Year - ETO.

kv

 

[Reloadron]

Well here it is, 2013 and here I am. Hard to figure another year has passed.

Ron

 

[atferrari]

Well here it is, 2013 and here I am. Hard to figure another year has passed.

Ron

Who took it away, with so many projects still to complete?

Happy New Year to all!

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

I'm a little late, but the years are just Flying by just doing the normal stuff. Things appeared slow when you were 8 years old, but not anymore, but maybe that's not true for people 8 years old today. I don't know how the perception of time is to them.

What I do know is technology is advancing at an alarming rate and it's tough to keep up even on the surface. People are running Linux and they don;t even know it. Their Android smart phone, their TV, their router, their settop box, whatever.

Fixing stuff is harder and manufacturer support sometimes seems non-existant. Keithley, Tektronix, HP, Agilent, and Fluke have an entirely different mindset these days.

Electronics are nearly impossible to repair and even experiment with. Now, you can put components INSIDE the PCB.

Stuff that was conceptually impossible is suddenly is possible.

The US seems to becoming more tolerent with some things and less tolerant with others. Money seems to still rule and i wish the powers that be would "Do the right thing" so we don't have Space Shuttle Challenger disasters, Hurricane Sandy disasters, the Exxon spill. The risk could have been much lower to the point it was preventable. The powers that be said, "NO! it costs too much".

The politicians need to listen to the engineers.

The US Congress needs help though.

 

[3v0]

Well Said and some help on manuals

The grand days of support from these companies has been eroded by having to compete with products where support is non existent.

Over 7500 HP and Agilent factory repair manuals for test equipment have been placed online. I believe these were only formerly available to the field and factory service reps.

While you are there place an order for one the GHz scopes!

 

[Reloadron]

Well KISS I'll tell you. Tomorrow I go back to work after a most enjoyable 3 week holiday break. The wife and I actually discovered that being together for pretty much 3 weeks and we did not try to kill each other off. On a serious note we sat down and took a good look at where we are and where we want to be as to the future. We crunched some numbers and actually gave serious thought to retirement. The past 3 weeks and holidays have been great! Kathy recently turned 65 and I'll be 63 in about a month. I see maybe another year for me and that is the maximum. She wants to work till I retire.

Yeah, technology is evolving and Ron is getting tired of working to stay with or ahead of the curve. Beginning with valve (vacuum tube) theory to today has indeed been a hell of a ride and a good ride but this past year I have slightly cut back my billing hours at work and the coming year I'll reduce further. I like having more time for other hobbies and interest. Guess I am just wearing out with chasing the curve.

Ron