Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!yale!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89!Carla.Campbell
From: Carla.Campbell@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Carla Campbell)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Talking Multimeter at Radio Shack!
Message-ID: <16164@bunker.UUCP>
Date: 4 Dec 90 16:13:33 GMT
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Index Number: 12248

[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

You've probably heard the old joke "How many blinks does it take to
change a lightbulb?" (Answer: "It depends on whether the light switch is
on or off")

Well, I've done some interesting, if involuntary electrical experiments,
myself, in times past in which I found that my body is an excellent
conducter, thank you very much.  Now there is a better way, thanks to
Radio Shack.

We were at our local Rat Shack the other day and I heard something
babbling to itself over on another counter.  When we went over to
investigate, it proved to be a talking multimeter.  It measures voltage,
ohms, amps and all that other good stuff and talks!  You simply place
the two probes on the points to be tested (easier said than done for
me-- I am none too coordinated, but I have no doubt that others here
could manage it quite handily), and then push a button on one of the
probes.  The measurement is taken and the result spoken... if you keep
pressing the button, the result is repeated as many times as you like.
It works for AC and DC, so would make a great way to test batteries to
see if they are fully charged.  I managed to test a double A battery
reliably enough to see if it was at half-power or dead or fully charged.
It also takes measurements of voltage small enough to be useful in
computer work.. and higher than anything _I_ will be sticking little
probes around. (several thousand volts is not my idea of a good way to
give myself a perm.)

They're convinient for the electricans and electrical engineer types who are
sighted, as well, in that it is easier if you don't have to look away
from the probes to check a reading.  The handy side-effect, though, is
that they are accessable-- you would just need to label the switches for
AC and DC and so on, but it is fully useable once you know what switches
do what.  They cost $100, but for some folks it might be worth that.

We're going to invest in one one of these days.. when one of us is rich
and infamous.

Just thought that might be interesting or useful information for
someone. If not, think of it as Rat Shack Trivia. I kind of think of
this and the talking clocks as Radio Shack's way of doing penance for
subjecting the world to Tandy computers. (No offense, Tandy!)

Cheers!

						 --Carla

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