On Thu, 31 Dec 2015 13:46:01 -0500, "(PeteCresswell)"
wrote:

I "repaired" early digital-type equipment in the Air Force.

Quotes because it turned out that all we did was find the failed circuit
boards and replace them - leaving the actual repair work on the boards
to the old-timers.

In my checkered past, I once helped design two direction finders for
the USCG AN/SRD-21 and 22. After shipping a fair number of these
radios, I was given a tour of the local repair facility on Treasure
Island in SF Bay. Sitting pilled in one corner was about 50 radios,
in various stages of cannibalization. So much for spare parts.

We were told "Follow your nose".... and that proved to be the way almost
all of the time.... you could locate the board with the failed component
by smell and then visually verify after the board was pulled.

Yeah, I do the same. I would prefer an FLIR infrared imager, but the
nose will do for now. I also have a NIKKEN #1394 "air wellness air
quality monitor".
http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/crud/Nikken-AQM.jpg
It's a nephelmometer which uses light scattering to detect airborne
dust particles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephelometer
Overkill:
http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/aero/instrumentation/neph_desc.html
It's been useful for finding what is burning in the office and
locating the component producing the smoke. I've also used it to
chase down the source of a white dust in a customers air ducts.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558