Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[xrunner]

Flattening warped plastic shelves?

-Pat

We have a winner! 

A few months ago I bought one of those plastic shelving units w/ 5 shelves. Although it will store heavy weights, the shelves are sagging a bit and I do not like that. I had been wondering how to make it stronger. I pulled one of the snap-on end pieces off to inspect a channel in the middle that goes all the way across. It sure looked about the size of a 1x2, and sure enough when I got a piece to check it the fit was almost perfect and tight. I don't know if that was by design, but I'm going to make good use of that channel.

I'm fixin to go to the hardware store and buy 1x2 boards to cut to length and shove in that channel. Then I will put a couple of screws underneath each channel into the wood to keep it tight. That should eliminate much of the sagging.

Oh and what am I doing in the picture? I'm trying to reverse the sag by stretching them in the opposite direction before re-assembly. Since it's obvious to any TEA member what some of the equipment is in the picture being used as weights, it's another visual reinforcement of the term "boat anchor". 

Oh and the little animal by the fireplace other than the cats is an armadillo - not an aardvark. Didn't ya'll know I live in Texas? 

[SeanB]

Don't do the screws, that will be a stress point in the plastic, and it will crack from there. Rather just rely on the large surface area and friction to hold it in there.

Can't be Texas, there are no guns on the mantel............

[rdl]

I was sort of on the right track, just upside down.

I think the channel is oriented the wrong way for stiffening with wood, though it will surely be better. You might look for small angle iron or even rectangular aluminum tubing. I think I've seen that kind of stuff at Home Depot.

[xrunner]

Don't do the screws, that will be a stress point in the plastic, and it will crack from there. Rather just rely on the large surface area and friction to hold it in there.

OK I'm going to go with you on this one. 

Can't be Texas, there are no guns on the mantel............

Well, there's no mantel so ... 

I was sort of on the right track, just upside down.

I think the channel is oriented the wrong way for stiffening with wood, though it will surely be better. You might look for small angle iron or even rectangular aluminum tubing. I think I've seen that kind of stuff at Home Depot.

Yea it would be better oriented the other way but it's going to be a lot better than air. 

[Berni]

Flattening warped plastic shelves?

-Pat

We have a winner! 

A few months ago I bought one of those plastic shelving units w/ 5 shelves. Although it will store heavy weights, the shelves are sagging a bit and I do not like that. I had been wondering how to make it stronger. I pulled one of the snap-on end pieces off to inspect a channel in the middle that goes all the way across. It sure looked about the size of a 1x2, and sure enough when I got a piece to check it the fit was almost perfect and tight. I don't know if that was by design, but I'm going to make good use of that channel.

I'm fixin to go to the hardware store and buy 1x2 boards to cut to length and shove in that channel. Then I will put a couple of screws underneath each channel into the wood to keep it tight. That should eliminate much of the sagging.

Oh and what am I doing in the picture? I'm trying to reverse the sag by stretching them in the opposite direction before re-assembly. Since it's obvious to any TEA member what some of the equipment is in the picture being used as weights, it's another visual reinforcement of the term "boat anchor". 

This just reinforces the fact that its better to buy old boatanchors rather than shiny new test grear. Sure it might not run at 20GS/s and have over 100M points of sample memory but it does do a great job at weighing things down. It keeps my rack nice and put where it is.

Then again once you get a high end enough scope they do become quite boat anchory...but at that point you have to sell your house to afford it so where are you gonna keep the new scope.

[Housedad]

OK, guys.  Here is your chance to "help" me out with my additction.  The withdrawel pains are too stong to withstand.  I have most of my bench set up and have been re-learning all the basics.  Anyway, I'll cut to the chase. 

What do you think would be more useful to me, a DER EE DE-5000 High Accuracy Handheld LCR Meter, or a zd-295 vacuum desoldering station?

I have money for only one of them.   I know they can both be so dang useful for repair, but I am lost in TEA confusion.  GAAA!

[Berni]

OK, guys.  Here is your chance to "help" me out with my additction.  The withdrawel pains are too stong to withstand.  I have most of my bench set up and have been re-learning all the basics.  Anyway, I'll cut to the chase. 

What do you think would be more useful to me, a DER EE DE-5000 High Accuracy Handheld LCR Meter, or a zd-295 vacuum desoldering station?

I have money for only one of them.   I know they can both be so dang useful for repair, but I am lost in TEA confusion.  GAAA!

I am guessing its for repairing old test gear. Id say a desoldering station is more valuable. The copper on old PCBs can be weak sometimes and sometimes boards also have internal layers. DIP chips are a huge pain to remove on those, caps are not that bad but still puts more stress that nececery on the PCB pads to "walk" it out by alternating between pins.

A precision LCR meter is not really that important of a tool for repair. You can get a cheap ESR tester to find bad caps. Or you can DIY your own by using a signal generator and oscilloscope together to send a test signal trough it.

[xrunner]

What do you think would be more useful to me, a DER EE DE-5000 High Accuracy Handheld LCR Meter, or a zd-295 vacuum desoldering station?

--> vacuum desoldering station <--

[rdl]

What's a zd-295? Google and ebay can't find it.

...
What do you think would be more useful to me, a DER EE DE-5000 High Accuracy Handheld LCR Meter, or a zd-295 vacuum desoldering station?

...

[Housedad]

The Gods Have Spoken!!!!

This train will pull into the desoldering station.   

Now which one!!   The Aoyue 474A++ or the ZD-985?  I see that the Aoyue has a better rating on Amazon, but that doesn't really tell the reality.  Anything more expensive is out ofthe budget.

[Housedad]

What's a zd-295? Google and ebay can't find it.

...
What do you think would be more useful to me, a DER EE DE-5000 High Accuracy Handheld LCR Meter, or a zd-295 vacuum desoldering station?

...

OOPS.  Sorry about that.  I had meant to type ZD-985..  This typing with one hand sucks. 

[t_ryner]

Found this in the back of my chem class room (not mine  ). However, I believe you guys would be interested in whatever this is. 
- https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0T3gelonW2VeHFDd25GT3VLN0U

[bitseeker]

Neat! Does it still work?

[t_ryner]

Unfortunately we may never know. My HS is a split campus, and next year I will be going to the other campus. I have finals starting tomorrow through Friday and the last day on Tuesday next week, so there probably would not be time to mess with it. I assume it works, as it has no visible damage or dents and stuff. Would I be correct in guessing that this is an old oscilloscope?

[bitseeker]

Correct. Looks like just one channel. Some info in this forum post (pertinent info quoted below the link):

http://philcoradio.com/phorum/showthread.php?tid=16445&pid=123279

Frequency Response of Vertical Amplifier: From 15 cycles/see
to 100 Kc/sec, flat within ±1 db; 6 db down at 250 Kc/sec; usable
to 1 Me/sec.

Maximum Vertical Deflection Sensitivity: 30 Millivolts RMS/
inch.

Frequency Response of Horizontal Amplifier: From 15 cycles/
see to 20 Kc, flat within ±1 db; 6 db down at 100 Kc/sec.

Maximum Horizontal Deflection Sensitivity: 0.7 volt RMS/inch.
Z-Axis Sensitivity (Voltage Required to Extinguish Beam):
20 volts RMS.

Calibrating Voltage (at 117.5 VAC power source): 1 volt pop
±10%.

Maximum Input Voltage: 400 volts peak.

Input Resistance: 0.1 Meg (at atten. x 1); 0.5 Meg (at atten. x 100).

Input Capacitance: 40 uuf (at atten. x 1); 35 uuf (at atten. x 100).

Sawtooth Sweep Range: 15 cycles/see to 80 Kc/sec.

Power Consumption (at 117.5 volts AC): 50 watts ±10%.

[xrunner]

DC503A arrived the other day just got around to checking it out. Specs say up to 125 MHz but it's reading up to 170 MHz, off by 110 Hz (Agilent locked to GPSDO). For once I got one that seems to work, but then again I have nothing to fix this time either but we'll do a complete clean and cal on it anyway. I only paid $33 for this one! 

[GreyWoolfe]

The Gods Have Spoken!!!!

This train will pull into the desoldering station.   

Now which one!!   The Aoyue 474A++ or the ZD-985?  I see that the Aoyue has a better rating on Amazon, but that doesn't really tell the reality.  Anything more expensive is out ofthe budget.

I have the ZD-985 and like it.  replacement parts and even a replacement gun can be had from MCM electronics.

[VK5RC]

I also have a zd 985 - I like it also - great price. I have had a bit of solder and stuff stuck in the main suction tube (the bit that gets hot) so reeming it out with the wire on a regular basis seems important. The solder trap in the back of the handgun also needs to be cleaned pretty often (after every 10-20 joints) I think.
Bits seem easy to get hold of in AUS as well.

[xwarp]

I have an addiction to test equipment.........

I happened to pick up a really nice server rack that I have mounted my most used t.e. into.

Is it bad that I consider it a piece of furniture?

[Berni]

I have an addiction to test equipment.........

I happened to pick up a really nice server rack that I have mounted my most used t.e. into.

Is it bad that I consider it a piece of furniture?

If a dresser can be a piece of furniture why couldn't a 42U server rack be one. Sometimes i wish i had a bigger lab so i could put in another rack.

Oh and do take a photo of your fancy new rack once the equipment is in it.

[mtdoc]

My classic Tek scope probe acquisition affliction continues.  Just picked up an A6303 current probe for $150 shipped on eBay.

[bitseeker]

Is it bad that I consider it a piece of furniture?

Test equipment has many euphemisms here: furniture, space heater, boat anchor, counter weight/balance, etc. It's all good.

[pitagoras]

Is it bad that I consider it a piece of furniture?

Obviously https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wife_acceptance_factor applies here, and probably the answer to your question is YES.

[xrunner]

Hello all - should have checked in sooner but I've been pre-occupied with a thread in the repair area. An FG 502 function generator. Threw me some fits but we got her going. The only other test equipment I have in the queue is a DC 503A counter. Looks like it works though so that one will just be a cosmetic clean up and cal. Only other toy coming is an El-Cheapo pen tablet so I can more accurately draw on the old scanned-in schematics. Using a mouse for that is too sucky. 

After that - it'll be time to go back to Ebay and grab more. 

[Cubdriver]

LOL - I've managed to by and large stay away from the 'bay for the past few weeks.  Surprised I haven't gotten a wellness check from the UPS/FedEx guys...

-Pat