Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[xrunner]

Quickly, please tell me something bad about the HP 3458A multimeter so I can refrain from bidding on it.

Need help, about to relapse.

You want somebody in this group to tell you something to help you refrain from bidding on it ...

Sorry I cannot help you. 

[modrobert]

Found something which holds me back a bit, for now, but still tempting. /me drools...

Also old units manufactured earlier than 2005, would have Dallas NVRAM batteries already near end of life, with risk of losing calibration data any day. So even if you buy meter for 1000$, you can be easily be held back by 2000-3000$ more to fix it and get calibrated.

[med6753]

Found something which holds me back a bit, for now, but still tempting. /me drools...

Also old units manufactured earlier than 2005, would have Dallas NVRAM batteries already near end of life, with risk of losing calibration data any day. So even if you buy meter for 1000$, you can be easily be held back by 2000-3000$ more to fix it and get calibrated.

As long as it hasn't already lost it's calibration data the Dallas NVRAM batteries can be backed up by an external source.

Keep trying! 

[xrunner]

Found something which holds me back a bit, for now, but still tempting. /me drools...

Also old units manufactured earlier than 2005, would have Dallas NVRAM batteries already near end of life, with risk of losing calibration data any day. So even if you buy meter for 1000$, you can be easily be held back by 2000-3000$ more to fix it and get calibrated.

Oh come on! 

Look, if it was a choice between buying your children food or buying this DMM, then you might - I repeat might - be able to use that as an excuse. But the one you gave ain't gonna cut it here buddy! 

[modrobert]

As long as it hasn't already lost it's calibration data the Dallas NVRAM batteries can be backed up by an external source.

Keep trying! 

Do you have any good link describing the procedure? I only found some destructive options when searching around which seemed to be more about getting old PCs past BIOS error, as in not caring about retaining the NVRAM data.

Oh come on! 

Look, if it was a choice between buying your children food or buying this DMM, then you might - I repeat might - be able to use that as an excuse. But the one you gave ain't gonna cut it here buddy! 

Hehe... It's a bit like going to the rehab program only to find a bunch of old heroin addicts high as kites and singing like whales.

[Vgkid]

When the A2D board starts throwing up errors, you might be out a few $K . It will most likely happen

[med6753]

As long as it hasn't already lost it's calibration data the Dallas NVRAM batteries can be backed up by an external source.

Keep trying! 

Do you have any good link describing the procedure? I only found some destructive options when searching around which seemed to be more about getting old PCs past BIOS error, as in not caring about retaining the NVRAM data.

Oops...I was thinking of memory devices that use an external battery as backup. My bad. But all is not lost. Check out the big Tek 2465 thread....

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/tektronix-2465b-oscilloscope-teardown/

The late 2465B also used the Dallas chip. That thread gave info on copying the data to a new chip.

[modrobert]

Oops...I was thinking of memory devices that use an external battery as backup. My bad. But all is not lost. Check out the big Tek 2465 thread....

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/tektronix-2465b-oscilloscope-teardown/

The late 2465B also used the Dallas chip. That thread gave info on copying the data to a new chip.

Thanks, will check.

When the A2D board starts throwing up errors, you might be out a few $K . It will most likely happen

That was helpful in the spirit of my first request, thanks.

[mtdoc]

Something old and something new, nothing borrowed, something blue..

My Tek A6302 current probe arrived ($180 shipped - yeah!) and I've been using it to play with my new R&S RTB2004.  I am in love with this scope!  It's way more scope that I need at this time but I could not pass up the promo package deal and I'm fortunate enough to be at a place in my life where I can afford to splurge if my addiction demands it.  The joys of finding vintage, high performance test gear for a good price is another joy and this current probe so far seems to be excellent.

[iainwhite]

That R&S does look good.
I now have a serious case of Equipment Envy. 

[xrunner]

Something old and something new, nothing borrowed, something blue..

Should have had a blue trace - cool scope!

It's way more scope that I need at this time but I could not pass up the promo package deal and I'm fortunate enough to be at a place in my life where I can afford to splurge if my addiction demands it.

That's the excuse I use most often! 

[Cubdriver]

Something old and something new, nothing borrowed, something blue..

My Tek A6302 current probe arrived ($180 shipped - yeah!) and I've been using it to play with my new R&S RTB2004.  I am in love with this scope!  It's way more scope that I need at this time but I could not pass up the promo package deal and I'm fortunate enough to be at a place in my life where I can afford to splurge if my addiction demands it.  The joys of finding vintage, high performance test gear for a good price is another joy and this current probe so far seems to be excellent.

Words to live by - it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.  Therefore, always err on the side of having it, just in case.   

-Pat

[mtdoc]

Something old and something new, nothing borrowed, something blue..

My Tek A6302 current probe arrived ($180 shipped - yeah!) and I've been using it to play with my new R&S RTB2004.  I am in love with this scope!  It's way more scope that I need at this time but I could not pass up the promo package deal and I'm fortunate enough to be at a place in my life where I can afford to splurge if my addiction demands it.  The joys of finding vintage, high performance test gear for a good price is another joy and this current probe so far seems to be excellent.

Words to live by - it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.  Therefore, always err on the side of having it, just in case.   

Yes, very true.  It also motivates me to learn more - my knowledge base needs to catch up to my test equipment!

Perhaps part of an TEA manifesto:

Though shalt always have more and better test equipment than one currently needs.    

[xrunner]

Let's play a game today -

Can you guess what is going on in this picture? 

[German_EE]

A cat?

[BravoV]

Electronic equipments queuing up in front of the big flame in fire place, and waiting to be burned ? 

[xrunner]

A cat?

Electronic equipments queuing up in front of the big flame in fire place, and waiting to be burned ? 

No & no! 

[AF6LJ]

A Cat Scan??

[SeanB]

Dust removal with compressed air, from the storage tank above the cat perch.

Or you are doing some CATII testing, using an Aardvark protocol.

[mtdoc]

Gluing the wood pieces with the things on top used as weight to press down and hold pieces in place.

[xrunner]

Gluing the wood pieces with the things on top used as weight to press down and hold pieces in place.

Getting warmer ...

[tautech]

Pressing flooring down ? 

[mtdoc]

Gluing the wood pieces with the things on top used as weight to press down and hold pieces in place.

Getting warmer ...

OK, then using the wood planks and weight on top to push down on wood floor pieces - perhaps warped or loose ones?

[Cubdriver]

Flattening warped plastic shelves?

-Pat

[rdl]

Yeah, I'm thinking some kind of floor repair. The wood blocks would help concentrate the weight in a smaller area, so maybe re-gluing some loose floor planks or something?