Sorry Geoff I wasn't trying to lecture and my previous comments were made more in surprise that you didn't get any other biomeds' feedback - not to you directly but I can see how it reads so I apologise to you. I think the capacitor will sometimes be required, sometimes not - depending upon the type of ESU being tested, built-in alarm features and the leakage associated with leads and accessories.

Yes Col you are correct I am at fault and my comments were offhand. I am sorry.

Richard,

I am all for the exchange of information. It would be a shame if people stopped using this forum to ask for assistance because when you add this;

Quote
Surely the use of this method is common knowledge to anyone purporting to be a 'biomed' that has used any form of ESU tester.
Unquote.

to a post, I see it as sniping. Everything before it is valid and useful. Adding comments at the end I feel devalue the content.

Not only my opinion. My colleagues alerted me to the fact that 'Richard is off again'

regards

Colin

Maybe it is time for me to 'sling my hook' as they say.

Tara.

Come back Richard! What would my miserable life be worth without your daily wind-up? Keep up the good work, Mate, the "Brothers" need you!

I agree with Col. It would be a great shame if people stopped using the site to seek advice because they got shot down in flames for their apparent lack of knowledge.

It's not the people who know that they don't know who are dangerous. It's the ones who think that they do know.

Keep the questions coming and hopefully everyone can learn from the answers and the discussion that follows.

Spot on Roy Well said Mate. T.

Apparently my posting has been interpreted as a personal insult by a member of the site. I would like to point out that it is split into three paragraphs - which since they deal with different issues could have been put in three seperate postings - but I chose to include them in one.

P1) Col made a good point and I think sharing information and being able to ask questions are an important part of the EBME site. This should be encouraged and the people who have the courage to ask shouldn't be ridiculed.

P2) This is aimed at the people who ask the questions, not at anyone who has taken the time and trouble to reply ! Asking questions when your not sure is far safer than blundering on in ignorance. Some people see admitting you don't know as a weaknes - but it can take courage to ask what you know is probably a basic question. This forum should provide a simple route to a wide range of information - and opinion.

P3) Sometimes people ask questions you wish you had asked - because you realise you don't know the answer either - and the replies can be enlightening even if you believed you did understand the issue.

Keep the questions coming - and the discussion that usually follows. We can all learn from one another and hopefully that knowledge will make our hospitals a safer place and keep our equipment working for longer. The medical equipment that is

Spot on again Roy

I takes a good competent engineer to acknowledge his/her limitatations and ask for assistance when needed. We are all on the path of life long learning and will come across things that we are not sure about on a regular basis, this is all part of the learning process. Only a foolish or dangerous engineer will just plod along in silence and hope for the best.

Keep up the good work Roy