I've had one a short time. Going thru a process of learning how to use it and what it is good for.

Well today I wanted to use the COP Wand and instead of fumbling around trying to figure this out by myself, I decided to call TOM to ask.

All I wanted to know was what to click on...........aye. He directs me to his website to download "share my pc" which took about 3 minutes.  Clicked on share my pc when it was installed and give him the 4 digit code.

Now instead of just getting to talk to him, he is working my computer. I am using a small wireless laptop connected to a huge moniter ona cart. So I have 2 screens to see. A little one and a big one. He says he can see both.

He takes his time and walks me thru exactly how to use this probe and more. If you don't know what I'm talking about, it is like a metal stick with a plastic handle. The cable connects to the handle.

You can simply touch the stick to a coil and see what going on. If it is skipping due to a bad coil, fouled plug, or whatever, then all ya need is the magic stick.

If ya don't know what you are doing like me, he will tell you what to do or just do it for you. He seems to know how to tell you stuff so you can remember it.

Like a really good teacher he is. Normally when you call someone for help when you are working, you are bothering them and owe them a favor when it is over. I didn't get that from him. He wants you to call and get help. He says that comes with scope.

I been car doctoring for 32 years and this is first time buying something with this kind personal assistance when you need it. Normally you just struggle along til you figure it out. Or find a fellow mechanic to help you.

This is different.

--jake

Jake,

The times I have asked for help from Tom it has always been a good experience.  I really appreciate all the assistance over the years.  I am from the 212 days like some of the other guys.  

It really is amazing how Tom has helped me overcome my own stupidity on a few occasions.  :)

THANKS Tom.

I came here from his store and had a look. I was impressed with the effort to get people educated on scoping/car doctoring. It is what it is. A good thing and so needed.

I started this for the ones considering getting a scope from Tom like I just did. It is no mistake.

Getting the assistance is a nice part of it. I want to become a smart ass with the scope and it certainly possible when ya got a teacher as close as the phone.

He really seems to have the heart of a good teacher to me. I've seen teachers that are so so but I would say Tom can get down there real low with a beginner and is ok with it. He seems to have the right choice of words to help you remember like a good teacher would.

I am new to all of this so I guess all this like a first impression. I don't expect it to change and look forward to calling again. Perhaps in time, I can add value to the discussion. Right now, probably just in the way.

From what I have seen so far, the scope can be quick, put you on the problem quick and accurately. May even be the only way to find some things.

What Mitchell Ondemand5 has done is so good and this is too. I recommend both.

--Dr.Jake,sc

Thank you Jake, Sam.  

It was a pleasure working with youthe other day, Jake.  I'm sure we will spend some more time together as you grow into your PicoScope.

I'm glad you did your homework before your purchased your PicoScope.  So many either don't bother or are price shopping and fail to consider the added value in an Autonerdz PicoScope kit.  I can understand why.  You often hear all variety of marketing BS to sell you something.  And the typical business model today is to sell you something that requires training and technical support and then charge you for it.

I'm sure many respond to what we say we do here with after sales support with 'Yeah, right..sounds like BS to me'.  That's why we really appreciate it when someone who knows the experience comes forward and says it's for real.

It does really sound hard to believe:

We designed our program differently with all of the different ways we have to meet everyone's different learning styles and needs.

Want PicoScope training on CD?  Got that.
Want it online?  Got that.
Want it online in a group setting.  Got that.
Want individual tutoring?  Got that.
Want live face to face hands on classes?  Got that.
Want active professional forums instead of a dead forum?  Got that.
Want phone support?  Got that.
Want email support?  Got that.
Want a way to share your huge files?  Got that.

Most importantly...want all this to just be there so that you can enjoy an ongoing growth experience for as long as you want it?

See why I mean it all sounds like BS...I mean who would believe you could have all this included at no extra cost with your PicoScope kit purchase??  

Sure, you can pay a lot of money to attend a PicoScope class put on by another vendor but you can't learn or remember all you need to know from one class.  When the class is over, it's over.  With our program, PicoScope class can happen whenever you want it, in many different ways.

---

tom, this may be a rhetorical question, but i need to ask, may we redistribute that pdf file you posted?

Quote:

may we redistribute that pdf file you posted?

Yes, of course.  Thank you.  Feel free to link to these forums as well.   ;)

Tom, I would like to try to make some quicky videos on exactly how to do various things with you working the scope and me doing the under hood part. I am adding some 40 watt speakers and a 35.00 microphone to me cart today. I think the toughbook can handle pico, share my pc and skype audio at the same time. If it can't, I get something that will. Thats what we need from time to time. The whole thing shows what is possible to those looking in the window at it...aye. I likes making videos. Never really did any that wasn't silly but I guess I can change. The longer ones will put ya to sleep. Sorry. hehehe

Tom Roberts wrote on Jun 5^th, 2010 at 7:47am:

It was a pleasure working with youthe other day, Jake.I'm sure we will spend some more time together as you grow into your PicoScope

I don't have a hobby right now, so this can be it. The pico has been getting alot exposure on Mitchell. And the verus too. And other tools too. We talk about this stuff everyday and the oil spill. Mitchell lets us have a general discussion that I started. We can do more than write tips/ask questions. We have soap opera going all the time and a bunch of people is hung up on it. I get calls from all over country from people wanting to just hear me talk on the phone. Many will read it but not respond. They lurk and then get up some nerve to call. I even started a topic on signal diagnostics. We do show and tell on captures there. I don't do captures yet but it is coming. Everybody benefits and it adds value to Mitchell.

Yeah, I enjoyed the one on one training. What would be nice if I can get one I can't figer out and you can with the scope. Doesn't happen often but it does. It will be fun but I will be acting like it is not.
--jake

This is my newest playground right here. We will fill this up with the good stuff.

---

Tom, I come up with a formula everybody seems to like and it works.

I call it the MMT Procedure. (Mitchell Mass Test)

Mass Air should read on ya scan (tri-corder) 8g/s per litre per 1000 rpms at wot.

4.0L = 8 x 4 x 3 = 96g/s @ 3000 rpm @ wot
Of course you must consider the ex clogged and out of time.

We are thinking a turbo is more like about 10.5 instead of 8. That is still out for debate and research. Maybe you know sir.

Does the nerdees do this..?

jake, i found this chart years ago on aeswave but i found it inaccurate so i redid hours of math on it and formulated my own maf chart for my altitude of 3200 ft, this chart is right on in most cases, should use 4000 rpms line you'll notice i have the original and the one i did, mine i used their chart but whited out their values and wrote mine in

---

Looks like 7 is your number....aye. The air might be thinner higher on the ball. ya get tha reply on sa..? hehehe

you have to explain that #7 thing...i use a carburator calculation and times it by 1.77777 to get cfm to grams per second and times by 80% for ve in stock and another % value that i've forgotten to get my atmospheric #....i'll see if i can remember the calculation as it was 3 years ago when i did this chart    

Mass flow = 7 x litre x rpm/1000

If I suspect a bad mass, just do the arithmatic and go drive it. I can usually tell right there if it is ok.

TOM..................   Power output/management ona pico is the relationship of time and samples...........yes.?

You have plenty time but the samples is throttle. Getting the math in ya head is our problem.

Wonder if power/samples on the scope could be represented as a percentage of max..?

Even set it as such. One could run their scope at 50% which would equal a governor like ona tractor/helicopter.

Pico really doesn' have a memory/file size limit cause it will just spill over into a temp file in the hard drive.

The secondary signals are fast so one must be sure to have they foot on the pedal enough to get the real picture.............aye..?

At this time in the software, one must just know the numbers to understand where the gas pedal is...........yes.?

You must understand when samples/sec is enough...?
Or too much..?
The samples/sec would be like resolution of a picture in megapixels.?

I use .3 megapixels instead 10 to make pictures for Mitchell or whatever. Still makes a good picture but not a huge picture. About all cameras can be turned up or down. Just like pico can be turned up or down.

With pico you can turn it down too much and get a messed up picture...yes?  I'm trying to get some understanding going before making many laps with the pico. I want to be able to run it like I raced my 4 wheeler. Hope this doesn't sound too stupid but one must find a way to do complicated in simple terms to be good at something.

---Dr.jake

Dr. Brandon,   when test driving to read the flow, you never get the exact number but if the mass is off enough for the customer to feel it and complain, the numbers will be so far from right, it is easy to predict that the mass needs replacing or cleaned. Even for a 4.0L using 7 or 8 at 3000rpms, it is still in the 90's. When ya drive, you can usually tell when it going thru 1st and 2nd gear if it will make it to the 90's or not. Many people on Mitchell including me was not doing this until recently when DR. McGreasybob Von Spoonervich showed us that chart. I didn't want to memorize all those numbers or have to keep up with a chart. Just made a head formula. Greasybob is our wiggly line expert on Mitchell and I want his job. Guess that's why I have a pico...........aye. Be getting by w/o it. Now that got one, I wants to be a SA wiiidit. Get side ways, do burn-outs, fly it up-side down. That will take some understanding and probably gonna hit tree or two. hehehehe I always do.........aye.

When trying to get the 4 wheeler to work, couldn;t find anyone

that could help me cause nobody is heavy as I am. But I finally figured it out. Started winning races. And did it for 8 years. Handling is everything. Power is necessary, but w/o handling would just get you hurt. I got hurt. I got my feelings hurt too.

Once got the deal in my head, then made others fast. It worked. I made others win. They younger/more healthy. Both were #6 out of over a 100 4 wheelers in every race.  It's not that hard to do. Just gotta understand some stuff.

Jake,


Quote:

Power output/management ona pico is the relationship of time and samples...........yes.?

That would be true sample rate and would apply to any DSO.


Quote:

The secondary signals are fast so one must be sure to have they foot on the pedal enough to get the real picture.............aye..?

Yes, these should be sampled at at least 1 MHz.


Quote:

At this time in the software, one must just know the numbers to understand where the gas pedal is...........yes.?

Yes.  We do not get into these issues in the public areas.  If you would like to start this discussion in the Picogroup area we will provide more detail.

However, watching the 4000 power management tutorial while referring to the laminated sample rate chart included with your kit will provide you a good working understanding of where the clutch and the gas are so you launch instead of just doing a smoke show.   ;)

The 3000 scopes had no clutch and best results were to just put the pedal to the metal and forget about it.  Simple.  The 4000 series are so much more powerful and require a bit of futzing with to get the desired results.  It's not hard though and with a little practice it will become second nature.

Tom, I've seen voltage leak right out the cap on 3.0L nissans. It won't

do it unless a ground (victim) presents  itself.  Looks like it would be

smart to provide a ground to battery at the bnc on scope with any test

lead going under hood. Lightning could hit after tha attentuator...yes.?

Does anyone make long test lead that is banana on both ends.? I like

those large clips. I got them on my fluke. Work good...aye.  Thanks

for your time.  jake