quote:

Originally posted by rustythevibeguy:


But I am perplexed.... CSI, if you monitor these boards, why would you take a unit (the 2120) which has a proven form factor that has been in use for 20 years or so (I've used it for 18 years), and change it. A little less weight and another 'Enter' button on the right, and it'd have been almost perfect. With it hung from a strap, and rested against my waist, I could access all the buttons with my left hand keeping my right hand free (like to hang on to keep from falling off whatever I'd climbed up on).

I know the innards had to change, but why the form factor?

I'm not CSI, but I would guess the idea on going with a wider box was to allow the larger display screen. My 2130 displays both spectra and waveforms (4 plots) as they are collected on two-channel points. On the 2120 screen, they would be really small.

I thought of another thing I don't like about the 2130. If you display the peak list from a spectra in orders, it only shows 1 decimal place. The 2120 went out 3 decimal places, seems like that would be an easy fix.

Rusty, when you fab up your mods to your 2130, be sure and post pics.

I used a 2130 all day yesterday running routes in a wire plant, and thought I'd share some thoughts vs the 2120. First, it is a little faster. My default collection takes 7 secs. with the 2120, but only 5 secs. with the 2130. Also, for some reason on my 2120 there is a considerable pause before the data collection starts if I use the SpeedVue or let the meter find the running speed. Not so on the 2130. All in all, the 2130 is actually a little faster, but 'seems' a lot faster.

The 2130 screen is a bigger, but since the 'key' descriptions take a chunk off of both sides, I'm not sure how much larger the 'viewable' screen is. The 2130 also seems lighter (weight)... I meant to actually measure both these parameters but forgot to before I sent the loaner back.

The 2130 key locations will take some getting used to. I like the dedicated key positions on the 2120. On the 2130 some of the keys are all over the place... there is too little consistency on where keys are located that do the same things (the up/down keys for example), depending on what program you're in. Again, this indicates to me that the 'designers' of this box have spent way too little time taking data in the field.

Some things I like a lot better... being able to use "locate running speed" and the SpeedVue from the same screen is great, but why not have both buttons on the left side of the screen.

Question: do most of you right-handed users carry the 2120/2130 on your left hip, using your left hand to operate the keys (and your right hand to hold or position you vibration pickup)? If we all tend to do that, then why not lay all the keys out accordingly. Since this is all 'software', there could be an option for left-handed users that would let them simply reverse the key assignments.

Bottom line, since I have 18 years of 2110/2120 usage under my belt and huge databases in CSI format, I just can't see jumping ship at this late stage (I only have about 10 working years left). So I am trading my 2120 in on a 2130.