Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Berni]

And on the topic of TEA i finally fixed my HP 4145B Semiconductor analyzer (aka overengineered curve tracer). Ain't she a beute.

(Warning link contains Triax)
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/hp-4145b-semiconductor-analyzer-repair-with-photos-(display-garbage-dead-rom)/msg1743662/#msg1743662

[Specmaster]

I reckon I could get a 465 on a trailer

Que 1 heart attack 

[bd139]

Nah would be fine

Could escalate... 

[Specmaster]

Nah would be fine

Could escalate... 

If this is what you're thinking about there could be repercussions coming up real soon. 

[mnementh]

More power! 

Having a shit day here. Car is out of it (£1152 for DPF, clutch, EGR and a hose) which is BER territory, boiler appears to have packed in and my garden gate fell to bits. No TEA fun for me for a bit

Geez, thats a real shit day, I think you preempted it with your "Holly Shitballs" yesterday so it looks a Skoda Octavia could be rolling up outside your house anytime soon then, petrol (or for those over the pond, Gas) or diesel?

May just scrap it and do without for a bit and see what happens. I’ve got the cash for a new car but don’t want to spend it at the moment. Am considering buying a touring bicycle.

Random question - does anyone know of any guides for building 18650 based packs with BMS and charge management? I’ve got my hands on a stack of unused laptop batteries here which I am considering recycling a couple of radio packs.

There are oodles of premade complete BMS PCBs on fleaBay specifically for 18650 cells. They are the cell of choice for hobby solar/powerwall construction right now. Some are protection only, some are full charge control and OVP/OCP/ODP.

First thing you need to do is decide what neighborhood your operating voltage needs to be; remember 4.2V/cell idle voltage (so be sure your device can handle that max voltage), 3.6-3.8V/cell nominal output under load. Then determine max current draw under load... then look for that number of cells and current rating. Laptop cells are typically higher IR, so rated at 1C-2C for purposes of the sticker rating. However some are capable of higher C discharge; you need to look up the datasheet for each cell to see what mfr's max recommended draw is vs cycle lifetime.

PM me with some general numbers and I'll see what I can point you to real quick. I've built a few packs.

mnem
*tzzzt*

[nixiefreqq]

And on the topic of TEA i finally fixed my HP 4145B Semiconductor analyzer (aka overengineered curve tracer). Ain't she a beute.

(Warning link contains Triax)
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/hp-4145b-semiconductor-analyzer-repair-with-photos-(display-garbage-dead-rom)/msg1743662/#msg1743662

wow!  just...…..wow!

with an instrument like that -

women will want to know you, and men will wish they were you.

wow!

[factory]

I don't seem to find any bargains in the wrong categories these days though, best I had was this HP (Hernia Producer) digital recorder/clock combo listed under antiques a few years back in Austria.

Hernia producer (HP). Looks cool, though.

Yeah, that's beautiful.  I've had my eye out for one of those for a long time now...

-Pat

I bought it about 5 years ago, don't think I've seen another since, nor any of the digital recorders without the optional clock. I mention this as I suspect a parts donor for the recorder section maybe useful, especially as it's currently all seized up past the clutch and it's supposed to run quite fast so I'm expecting a lot of worn parts.

The clock uses a lot of solenoids so it's a little noisy (the case has some soundproofing sheets inside), but not as noisy as the motor for the recorder with runs continuously, also the whole thing uses about 250W due to all the vacuum bulbs used for the power supply & the 11 print comparators. Note this is option H01 which has 50Hz motors for both the clock timing and recorder section.

Re: the Hernia Producer comment, it weighs about the same as the 150A scope, but luckily unlike the scope can be separated into three easier to move chucks. Or unlucky for the couriers/posties that had to move the parcel from Austria to the UK, at least one of them very quickly decided it was too heavy as the case got damaged and plastic mounts for the recorder section got broken in shipping.

Here are some more pictures, it's beautiful inside too 

David

[factory]

I decided some time ago that I had more than enough power supplies, yet somehow I've managed to buy a tiny HP 721A recently and also found this nice Harrison 320V power supply for a price I just couldn't resist, just praying GSP don't stuff it up or lose it.

Cool. The price of old power supplies tends to be proportional to the voltage, even if the wattage is less. Those 300+V ones usually have a premium on them.

Yes it was unusually cheap, probably as it didn't have HP mentioned on the listing, then again I suspect it's faulty as the meter is at zero with the voltage switch selected & the control turned up a bit.
So I've gone for my usual procedure "if it ain't broke don't buy it" 

The HP 'B' version that was available in the UK recently sold for more than double what I paid for this one including shipping from the US.

There are a couple of cheap-ish Harrison 890A power supplies in the US at the moment, these are a bit bigger & heavier, have a 320V 600mA output but I can't see a current control, also only a 115V input for the mains transformer according to the manual.

David

[Berni]

I bought it about 5 years ago, don't think I've seen another since, nor any of the digital recorders without the optional clock. I mention this as I suspect a parts donor for the recorder section maybe useful, especially as it's currently all seized up past the clutch and it's supposed to run quite fast so I'm expecting a lot of worn parts.

The clock uses a lot of solenoids so it's a little noisy (the case has some soundproofing sheets inside), but not as noisy as the motor for the recorder with runs continuously, also the whole thing uses about 250W due to all the vacuum bulbs used for the power supply & the 11 print comparators. Note this is option H01 which has 50Hz motors for both the clock timing and recorder section.

Re: the Hernia Producer comment, it weighs about the same as the 150A scope, but luckily unlike the scope can be separated into three easier to move chucks. Or unlucky for the couriers/posties that had to move the parcel from Austria to the UK, at least one of them very quickly decided it was too heavy as the case got damaged and plastic mounts for the recorder section got broken in shipping.

Here are some more pictures, it's beautiful inside too 

David

Wow now that is a true electromechanical masterpiece inside. The wiring is so nicely colorful and meticulously managed.

[Cubdriver]

I don't seem to find any bargains in the wrong categories these days though, best I had was this HP (Hernia Producer) digital recorder/clock combo listed under antiques a few years back in Austria.

Hernia producer (HP). Looks cool, though.

Yeah, that's beautiful.  I've had my eye out for one of those for a long time now...

-Pat

I bought it about 5 years ago, don't think I've seen another since, nor any of the digital recorders without the optional clock. I mention this as I suspect a parts donor for the recorder section maybe useful, especially as it's currently all seized up past the clutch and it's supposed to run quite fast so I'm expecting a lot of worn parts.

The clock uses a lot of solenoids so it's a little noisy (the case has some soundproofing sheets inside), but not as noisy as the motor for the recorder with runs continuously, also the whole thing uses about 250W due to all the vacuum bulbs used for the power supply & the 11 print comparators. Note this is option H01 which has 50Hz motors for both the clock timing and recorder section.

Re: the Hernia Producer comment, it weighs about the same as the 150A scope, but luckily unlike the scope can be separated into three easier to move chucks. Or unlucky for the couriers/posties that had to move the parcel from Austria to the UK, at least one of them very quickly decided it was too heavy as the case got damaged and plastic mounts for the recorder section got broken in shipping.

Here are some more pictures, it's beautiful inside too 

David

I've never seen it other than as a picture in the catalog or occasionally as a photo on the net.  Stepper relays and vacuum tubes. Now I really want one!  It's a thing of beauty.

-Pat

[Specmaster]

Nah would be fine

Could escalate... 

If this is what you're thinking about there could be repercussions coming up real soon. 

Nah would be fine

Could escalate... 

It all started from this and it had a load more push buttons than yours 

[bitseeker]

And on the topic of TEA i finally fixed my HP 4145B Semiconductor analyzer (aka overengineered curve tracer). Ain't she a beute.

(Warning link contains Triax)
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/hp-4145b-semiconductor-analyzer-repair-with-photos-(display-garbage-dead-rom)/msg1743662/#msg1743662

A beauty, indeed! Congrats on reviving it.

Good one on the Triax warning.

[neo]

Just a quick question, if you lot were designing a bench for true boat anchors, as well as just a general work table, how much would you design it to hold without sagging?

Hypothetically for this question lets say that you got a barn full of wood in your back yard that needs used.

*EDIT* to add;
This is completely related, this is hypothetical table is for boat anchors!

[VK5RC]

Triax warning! Triax 'opportunity' for the 'need' to buy more test gear!

[Cerebus]

Just a quick question, if you lot were designing a bench for true boat anchors, as well as just a general work table, how much would you design it to hold without sagging?

Hypothetically for this question lets say that you got a barn full of wood in your back yard that needs used.

*EDIT* to add;
This is completely related, this is hypothetical table is for boat anchors!

Well, if I was building for boat anchors I'd first be thinking about 2" angle iron and some welding and only then think about timber to put on top of it. I think I'd be talking in the region of 100s of kg of load capacity for any surface.

Don't forget that you also need to account for the idiot and his friend who will at some point use it as a climbing frame while moving/installing something.

[neo]

Just a quick question, if you lot were designing a bench for true boat anchors, as well as just a general work table, how much would you design it to hold without sagging?

Hypothetically for this question lets say that you got a barn full of wood in your back yard that needs used.

*EDIT* to add;
This is completely related, this is hypothetical table is for boat anchors!

Well, if I was building for boat anchors I'd first be thinking about 2" angle iron and some welding and only then think about timber to put on top of it. I think I'd be talking in the region of 100s of kg of load capacity for any surface.

Don't forget that you also need to account for the idiot and his friend who will at some point use it as a climbing frame while moving/installing something.

so about 600 pounds then? Perfect the exact number i was shooting for. 

[Cubdriver]

Just a quick question, if you lot were designing a bench for true boat anchors, as well as just a general work table, how much would you design it to hold without sagging?

Hypothetically for this question lets say that you got a barn full of wood in your back yard that needs used.

*EDIT* to add;
This is completely related, this is hypothetical table is for boat anchors!

I would consider a typical boat anchor to be 19-21" wide (depending on whether it has rack ears or not; perhaps go with worst case at 19" wide), approximately the same depth, and 9" tall.  I'd give it an arbitrary weight of 55 lbs (25 kilos). 

Determine the area of the bench, and divide it by how many 19 X 19" square instruments will fit on it - round up to the next whole instrument footprint (remember, we're aiming for worst case here).  Call this value 'X'. Next, measure the height between the bench top and the ceiling.  Divide this by 9, rounding up to the nearest whole 9.  Call this 'Y'.  Multiply X and Y together to figure out the maximum number of instruments you could imaginably stack on the bench.  Now, multiply this result by 55 to get the maximum weight the bench should theoretically see, and add a bit of a fudge factor for safety - a bench full of boat anchors COULD conceivably crush you if it was to collapse.

-Pat

[mnementh]

In other News...



Ok had another "I'll be screwed if I'm paying for something" moment and made another adapter. It's Monday (I hate Mondays, so why not just pile on the misery) so this is a "was made from crap lying around" project.  I need to get CHIRP going as my new Baofeng UV-5R from Banggood just arrived and otherwise I'd have to wait for the cable to show up too, which is just stupid.

Some (l)user on the qrz forums knocked up a diagram using an FTDI that allows you to fart a TTL signal out and read back from the radio. Basically a SERVO cable with some soldering, but meh. I happen to have a dozen or so FTDIs in different flavors from every flight controller you can imagine, and plugs off some shitty headphones I didn't like and a power adapter I set fire to "accidentally on purpose" because it was noisy as hell and was a piece of shit if I ever did see one. So frankenserial it is.

A little while and some love-nips from my MetCal later and I have what looks like it'll work. I double, then triple-check the pinout against the diagram, then plug it in the USB and make sure the signed drivers from SiLabs install. I get a VCOM on port 4, so I fire up CHIRP and try to read from the radio and... NOTHING. Go back and check the wiring yet AGAIN. Nope... it's right. At first I'm like "Did I grab a eukered FTDI?", but no... I make it a habit to smash ANY dead serial adapter to bits with a hammer (took great pleasure in doing that to a dozen or so clone ones back when SiLabs bricked them all) so I'm NEVER tempted to try and use it again.

The cynic in me says " You know this is info from the intard-net. How much you wanna bet..." but I'm already swapping TX and RX, so he shuts up.

Try it again and winner, winner, chicken dinner. We have comms! My inner cynic crosses his arms and grins smugly, but he knows to keep his mouth shut while I'm trying to figure out new software. Of course later he'll nag me to death until I fix that effed-up diagram...

Turns out CHIRP was written by marginally sane people who actually put things together sensibly; once I figured out how the memory slot offset thing worked, I had all the default US FRS, Marine & NOAA channels stacked up, then I poked around to see what else I could fuck up... and whaddayooKNOW! A tiny 7-char + 7-char splash message!

Did I really have ANY choice about what to put there?!? 


mnem
Yes, this should feel uncomfortably familiar.

[bitseeker]

LOL, I didn't know you could put your own splash message in there.

[Berni]

I designed my bench to be pretty darn sturdy but that was before i had a bunch of real boatanchors so the equipment shelf behind it is only 45  cm deep. I did the Mathias Wendel test on it and it passed.

For the real boatancors that are 60 cm deep and up i came to a better solurion. I bought a used U42 Compaq server rack on caster wheels for a good deal.  It holds lots of gear and makes it much easier to move. If i need to get at the back of gear you just pull the rack away from the wall and simply walk behind it.

There is only one problem... Its full and i need somewhere to put my newly fixed HP 4145B. It weighs like over 50 pounda so the less i have to move it the better.

[Ero-Shan]

And on the topic of TEA i finally fixed my HP 4145B Semiconductor analyzer (aka overengineered curve tracer). Ain't she a beute.

(Warning link contains Triax)
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/hp-4145b-semiconductor-analyzer-repair-with-photos-(display-garbage-dead-rom)/msg1743662/#msg1743662

Great job! Now I wish I had one, too.

[bitseeker]

It's really cool, isn't it? Can it overlay or otherwise compare curves for two or more components for matching purposes?

[Berni]

And on the topic of TEA i finally fixed my HP 4145B Semiconductor analyzer (aka overengineered curve tracer). Ain't she a beute.

(Warning link contains Triax)
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/hp-4145b-semiconductor-analyzer-repair-with-photos-(display-garbage-dead-rom)/msg1743662/#msg1743662

Great job! Now I wish I had one, too.

And you can:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Agilent-4145A-Semiconductor-Parameter-Analyzer-Powers-On-Self-Test-Pass-Parts/273208953622?epid=1600555742&hash=item3f9c85cb16%3Ag%3AoU0AAOSwDDxa4hxx&_sop=15&_sacat=0&_nkw=agilent+4145&_from=R40&rt=nc&LH_TitleDesc=0
hint hint wink wink. You probably don't even need to fix it like i did.

Tho you might also end up spending an additional 200 bucks for triax cables for it.

It's really cool, isn't it? Can it overlay or otherwise compare curves for two or more components for matching purposes?

I need to play with the menus a bit more to figure out how to do that (I think its reasonable to expect it can do it). It has the usual non intuitive user interface that one expects to find on old HP gear.

[bd139]

In other News...



Ok had another "I'll be screwed if I'm paying for something" moment and made another adapter. It's Monday (I hate Mondays, so why not just pile on the misery) so this is a "was made from crap lying around" project.  I need to get CHIRP going as my new Baofeng UV-5R from Banggood just arrived and otherwise I'd have to wait for the cable to show up too, which is just stupid.

Some (l)user on the qrz forums knocked up a diagram using an FTDI that allows you to fart a TTL signal out and read back from the radio. Basically a SERVO cable with some soldering, but meh. I happen to have a dozen or so FTDIs in different flavors from every flight controller you can imagine, and plugs off some shitty headphones I didn't like and a power adapter I set fire to "accidentally on purpose" because it was noisy as hell and was a piece of shit if I ever did see one. So frankenserial it is.

A little while and some love-nips from my MetCal later and I have what looks like it'll work. I double, then triple-check the pinout against the diagram, then plug it in the USB and make sure the signed drivers from SiLabs install. I get a VCOM on port 4, so I fire up CHIRP and try to read from the radio and... NOTHING. Go back and check the wiring yet AGAIN. Nope... it's right. At first I'm like "Did I grab a eukered FTDI?", but no... I make it a habit to smash ANY dead serial adapter to bits with a hammer (took great pleasure in doing that to a dozen or so clone ones back when SiLabs bricked them all) so I'm NEVER tempted to try and use it again.

The cynic in me says " You know this is info from the intard-net. How much you wanna bet..." but I'm already swapping TX and RX, so he shuts up.

Try it again and winner, winner, chicken dinner. We have comms! My inner cynic crosses his arms and grins smugly, but he knows to keep his mouth shut while I'm trying to figure out new software. Of course later he'll nag me to death until I fix that effed-up diagram...

Turns out CHIRP was written by marginally sane people who actually put things together sensibly; once I figured out how the memory slot offset thing worked, I had all the default US FRS, Marine & NOAA channels stacked up, then I poked around to see what else I could fuck up... and whaddayooKNOW! A tiny 7-char + 7-char splash message!

Did I really have ANY choice about what to put there?!? 


mnem
Yes, this should feel uncomfortably familiar.

Splash message was the first thing I set up on mine 

That's probably much better than the official serial cable as well which requires you to pretty much dry hump it in or it barely works

[Specmaster]

Ooh that smarts and it chaffs