SeanL
New Member
I actually managed to make it through 4 years of ECE without being told about proper grounding of an oscilloscope... Maybe because the ones in the lab were all isolated so there was no need for when we were in school. But still, a quick lecture would have been really nice. I always assumed they were isolated and learned the hard way recently at my first job! They also failed to give a lecture on ground loops. Two BASIC things that would not even take a whole 30 minutes to lecture on...
Once I had a little camp fire at my desk. An Assembly house got some smt electrolytic caps reversed and I am just glad I was able to blow it out. Another time a benchtop supply (new, btw) suddenly went off like someone lit 3 or 4 firecrackers and the factory smoke came out. After that I always wear my goggles on the first power test! When soldering, too. Molten solder flicks off of a stiff wire pretty easily...
Once I had a little camp fire at my desk. An Assembly house got some smt electrolytic caps reversed and I am just glad I was able to blow it out. Another time a benchtop supply (new, btw) suddenly went off like someone lit 3 or 4 firecrackers and the factory smoke came out. After that I always wear my goggles on the first power test! When soldering, too. Molten solder flicks off of a stiff wire pretty easily...
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