Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[unseenninja]

Hi! I am a fellow TEA sufferer, with a focus on the voltnuttery side of things. A particularly deep 



I thought I should say hello!

Must be an ePay thing then.

I'm many times too far from Japan, or something like that.

I always thought it was some kind of error. But I also saw a lot of listings with free shipping from Japan. I Never tried to buy one though.

I was also surprised when I saw free shipping from Japan. I needed a programmable, high precision current source and I saw an Advantest R6144 in mint condition from a Japanese seller for a reasonable price a couple of months ago on eBay. It was sent with FedEx at no extra cost and it arrived very quickly. It works perfectly. I was charged import VAT and the FedEx service charge of course, but that was quick and painless.

So if there is something in Japan that interests you, these free shipping deals seem to be genuine. These free shipping deals make US sellers very expensive option now if you are in the EU. I noticed that shipping prices from the US seem to have nearly doubled recently.

I thought people might like to hear from someone who has taken advantage of free shipping from Japan. Just make sure that what you buy can be reconfigured for 230V operation if you are in Europe! It cannot be taken for granted.

[m k]

I've learned that ePay is money safe, checkout price is stone carved.

Over the zone border can be different.
ePay checkout price includes export part, but import part only if total price is low enough.
(for a moment it used to be easier)

selling price - VAT - toll - export - tax free - import - toll - VAT - you
(placing shipping costs is difficult)
(but paid it is before cargo moves)

With VAT number the first VAT may go away.
(country specific)

If you pay local VAT it must be visible somewhere.
You can also ask customs how the actual border crossing has happened, here the queue is around 10 months.

If you leave everything to forwarder be exact.
Importer (and exporter) is the justified VAT deductee and it's forwarder who fills the papers.

E,
a shipping example.
If you buy a car from far away and forget some nuances it's totally possible that you have a major problem when it arrives.
For example it can be in a container and unloading is on you, including the container.

[Kosmic]

Anybody want a Simpson 260 multimeter.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/126423684492



Always funny when they take a picture of a women with random product. Wonder if it's really working. That seller might know something I don't.

[Robert763]

So we have a local radio rally tomorrow so I sorted some stuff out and loaded SWMBO's car today.
Then from a casual comment to a frient tonight I found it's been cancelled  Waterlogged field aparently.
At least I didn't get up at 6AM and drive there to find no-one there that would have been 

[shakalnokturn]

Anybody want a Simpson 260 multimeter.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/126423684492

Always funny when they take a picture of a women with random product. Wonder if it's really working. That seller might know something I don't.

The top is cracked, it looks like a good candidate for a retro-lamp mod

As for the ladies, a smile always helps to sell... There must be a story behind it though. Wife and daughter: "Either your pile of old junk is going or we are!"

[factory]

So we have a local radio rally tomorrow so I sorted some stuff out and loaded SWMBO's car today.
Then from a casual comment to a frient tonight I found it's been cancelled  Waterlogged field aparently.
At least I didn't get up at 6AM and drive there to find no-one there that would have been 

Was this the one at Foxton near Cambridge? I vaguely remember a post about it on the vintage radio forum. Worse still I googled Foxton and it decided to show me one nearer to me in Leicestershire. 

I was surprized the sale (not electronic/radio related) I went to yesterday (to help my Dad) wasn't cancelled, at Woodford Northamptonshire, everything had been moved up the hill a bit though, very cold as a result. Of course no TE for sale, but I've ended up with more load resistors than I'll ever need. There seemed to be a lack of buyers in general.
If I wasn't completely knackered I would have gone to the sale at Blackpool today.

David

[Robert763]

Yes Cambridge repeater Group rallly. Only a small one. Not worth travelling any distance for.

[factory]

Yes too far for me, nearly 3 hours each way, more if the motorway is blocked with wreckage like yesterday. Norbreck Blackpool would have been nearer at nearly 2 hours, but looking at pictures of previous years there hasn't been much TE on offer, but this can vary depending on how many people are clearing relatives & their own equipment.

David

[Kosmic]

The top is cracked, it looks like a good candidate for a retro-lamp mod

As for the ladies, a smile always helps to sell... There must be a story behind it though. Wife and daughter: "Either your pile of old junk is going or we are!"

Talking about lamp...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/145713904720



Listed in "Test, Measurement". Seller mention that "Light Works" Pffiew I was scare for a second it was broken. I wonder if all the resistors are still inside though 

[PA0PBZ]

I wonder if all the resistors are still inside though 

How else would you dim the light bulb? 

[Kosmic]

I wonder if all the resistors are still inside though 

How else would you dim the light bulb? 

That would be a nice touch.

[factory]

A recent arrival was a HP 432C power meter, there are plenty of 432A about, some 432B but very few 432C, maybe the extra cost of the auto-ranging function put most buyers off at the time, or they had no reason to replace a 432A, or analog meters were preferred. 

I had a look inside, as the 432 series is known to contain two wet tantalum capacitors.





These have leaked in my 1969 432A, seems a shame to disturb this. 



Thankfully no signs of leakage in the 432C, they seem to have used a different brand in this one.



And a quick check with the calibrator for these power meters, seems to work OK on the higher ranges, but is drifting a bit on the lower ranges, exactly as described by the seller, it was very nicely packaged for a change too. 



David

[Robert763]

Smoking
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166726847359?

[Kosmic]

Smoking
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166726847359?

Surprisingly it's still starting.

[factory]

Very strange, the seller hasn't got anything else listed or sold with smoke damage. 

David

[factory]

A quick revisit to the HP 6920B, the output indicator lamp had stopped working once I performed the re-capicde, this part was missing when I acquired it, probably fell out & got run over by a tank.



I didn't have the correct lamp assembly, a random one marked 61 had been fitted by me, I had re-stuffed it with a lamp I had in my spares years ago, it worked but was always quite dim, after replacing the capacitors it wasn't lighting at all, turned out there isn't enough voltage to light that lamp any-more.



Some new #1738 lamps arrived from Mouser this morning, this is the part listed in the manual, a 2.7V lamp. I cleaned off the number by sanding & polishing it, I've restuffed the lamp assembly again with this one and now have a working & much brighter output indicator. 





David

[TERRA Operative]

Anyone got 3D files of the feet for a HP 427A?

I need to get some 3D printed....

[tautech]

Anyone got 3D files of the feet for a HP 427A?

I need to get some 3D printed....

Not listed here ?
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/replacement-knobs-feet-and-fittings-for-test-equipment/msg2255118/#msg2255118

[TERRA Operative]

Ah, found it here:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/replacement-knobs-feet-and-fittings-for-test-equipment/msg2350938/#msg2350938