Keithley 2001 Meter went for Cal working, Arrived Dead

[smgvbest]

I understand that a user cal (comprehensive cal in the calibration guide) does not calibrate any AC reading beyond simple zero I believe.

I am merely stating I did the user calibration as I don't have the equipment to do a low level cal and for DCV/DCI/2WRES/4WRES and after doing so it preformed well which is what lead me to sending it off for the low level cal.

They sent me a sample cal data at my request and they do use the required equipment for a low level cal and provided all cal data for all ranges in the low level cal.

my apologies if I'm not stating this clearly.

[TiN]

No problems, just to make sure for other readers, to understand the difference.
It would be interesting to see data. K2001 can often be tricky to adjust to best uncertainty.

[smgvbest]

Good Point on for clarification
I will post cal data here when I have it

[smgvbest]

No problems, just to make sure for other readers, to understand the difference.
It would be interesting to see data. K2001 can often be tricky to adjust to best uncertainty.

@TiN

I was looking to build your Dual LM399 Ref and ordered the boards from OHSPARK but when I look at the schematic non of the CAP's have their values or package info.
is it somewhere else and I'm missing it???

[TiN]

Sorry for confusion. That design (LM399) is somewhat a draft, rather than finished project. I admit of never properly testing it to determine optimal caps/resistor values. So use your common sense. LM399 schematics is typical, covered on EEVBlog many times already.

[smgvbest]

@Tin,
I heard from them about the cal and they are doing the low level cal.

[Electro Detective]

Good news you're not up for a repair sting on top of the Cal 

LOL it appears we may have to install anti-static foam covered aluminum column PCB supports inside test gear shipped out from now on, and 24/7 internal web camera
so it gets to the Cal labs and returns in one piece 


FWIW: Courtesy 'trust no one'  gents tip to any tech ladies reading this, sending out gear to mostly ANYWHERE > consider using a male ID name on the items,  i.e. James Doe instead of Jayne Doe

They'll think twice before they try an 'overservice' service because clued gentlemen may challenge it 
...and may/can/WILL b!tchslap a BS vending deceiver harder    

[smgvbest]

So I got notified today the cal is complete and on it's way back to me.
They emailed me the cal results and I'm attaching below with some redaction done on the doc of course(just personal information)
total including return shipping & pre/post cal data was $180 

gist was it was received in-cal and left in-cal.

Once it's back in my home lab I'll be really happy and I'll have a good reference meter and a 7.5 digit at that
it will be good to compare some of my voltage references as well and precision resistors to see how the Keysight 34465A, HP 34401A and Rigol 3068A do compared now to the Keithley 2001

Overall at this point, Yeh, had drama at the start (hence this thread) but in the end after figuring out the issue thing went smooth and they've been great in communications.
I had allot of questions and they answered them quickly, usually within a few hours for email questions

[bitseeker]

Glad to hear everything went smoothly once they got that board seated back down. The quick communications is good to hear as well.

[Mr. Scram]

Would a knock like this meter received be enough to ruin crystal or reference ageing?

[Electro Detective]

It's hard to believe in 2018 delivery companies still deploy troglodytes and clueless inconsiderate knuckle draggers to perform sensitive equipment dropoffs (literally) 

I have resorted to packing items 'box within box' style, stringed up, with large clear  "TO" and "FROM" details in multiples

All that's left is Tracking and prayer...   

[bd139]

Delivery is a race to the bottom industry. They're working out creative new ways of not paying their stuff as much every minute of every day.

[mcinque]

Those shockwatch stickers rely on you being a company and being in a position to claim full value off the shipper

This is true, but the courier can't know exactly if there is a company behind.
And every time the package is moved noone would take in responsibility something visibly shocked.
I talked to couriers: no one would accept a visibly broken package on his truck because it would be his responsibility if the recipient refuse it.

As an end user, I'd trade them for the manufacturer not skimping on shock and vibration testing in the first place.

Indeed.

[Bashstreet]

Sorry I should say lost. Hermes won the prize of most likely to fuck up your stuff. I think UPS won he least likely.

I cannot agree more.

If you in U.K AVOID hermes what ever it costs.

I bough some vintage computer equipment and it took 18 days to arrive (Sender bough 48 hour delivery) 
After endless attempts to track it down it finally arrived.
It was littered with puncture marks and dents like it had been used as football by chisel wielding maniac.
It is miracle no damage was done to the equipment...

Hermes.. Avoid at all costs..

[bd139]

I meant to post this before actually. This is my original content about Hermes...

[Kleinstein]

Some packages get quite a hit on transport. A drop from something like 1 m would not be so unusual and may not be visible from the outside if landing flat.

There is a small chance a large (e.g. like 1 MHz) crystal could be damaged on such a hit. For a DC reference I would not expect that much change. There might be an effect on parts flapping around in the breeze - like standing TO220's or long wire THT resistors. So in a DMM I would be more worried about the display and shunts than the LM399. Also MLCC damage due to board bending could be a problem.

From the pictures the K2001 construction does not look that bad. There are retainers at at least 3 points.  For the shown damage it takes quite a hit.

For shipping it sometimes helps if the box does not look too robust from the outside. 

[Mr. Scram]

Some packages get quite a hit on transport. A drop from something like 1 m would not be so unusual and may not be visible from the outside if landing flat.

There is a small chance a large (e.g. like 1 MHz) crystal could be damaged on such a hit. For a DC reference I would not expect that much change. There might be an effect on parts flapping around in the breeze - like standing TO220's or long wire THT resistors. So in a DMM I would be more worried about the display and shunts than the LM399. Also MLCC damage due to board bending could be a problem.

From the pictures the K2001 construction does not look that bad. There are retainers at at least 3 points.  For the shown damage it takes quite a hit.

For shipping it sometimes helps if the box does not look too robust from the outside. 

What about "resetting" ageing? I think that can occur before actual perceptible damage appears.

[PA0PBZ]

Going a bit off-topic here but I don't think it deserves its own thread:

I was thinking about the word 'replace' and bitseekers question if the board was reseated or swapped with another one… Well, isn't re-place saying it was placed again? I know, if I say replace I also mean that it was swapped for another one but suddenly it seems strange? So why do we use replace if we mean swapped?

That's all, I will let myself out now.

[glarsson]

Also move vs. remove.

[Specmaster]

Going a bit off-topic here but I don't think it deserves its own thread:

I was thinking about the word 'replace' and bitseekers question if the board was reseated or swapped with another one… Well, isn't re-place saying it was placed again? I know, if I say replace I also mean that it was swapped for another one but suddenly it seems strange? So why do we use replace if we mean swapped?

That's all, I will let myself out now.

No, I think replace and swap are not quite the same thing. Replace means replace the existing with another that was either laying around or purchased as a new replacement, but swapping to my mind is taking a board out of another unit and swapping the boards over to see if the same problem remains, or does the problem move to the other unit with the suspect board fitted?

Does that make sense or should I let myself out 

[PA0PBZ]

Oh, this is going to get complicated 

Place = put in place, so replace is put in place again?

*disclaimer: not native English 

[coromonadalix]

place or not replace that's the question  loll

[Specmaster]

Its complicated because language is in itself complicated, words can take on new meanings in certain conditions and I think its has to be contextual based to grasp an idea of what and how the word is being used. I think we need to leave it right there or as you rightly said, it's "going to get complicated" over what??

[Mr. Scram]

It seems replacing can mean both. Swapping is more explicitly changing one part for another. Maybe reattaching is more accurate for "placing once more"?

[Specmaster]

I meant to post this before actually. This is my original content about Hermes...

Hermes certainly have it in for you don't they? I don't have too much of a problem with them these days but they do have a very high turnover of staff and thats because most of them are self employed and the conditions that are forced to accept are basically crap and none of us would accept what they have to put up with in order to try and support their families.