Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bd139]

Looks like it ha been used for “lazy heatshrinking” 

(I do that occasionally when I can’t be bothered to plug the heat gun in)

[med6753]

More pron to make your day. The Siglent SD3055 DMM. Analog board on the right. Digital board on the left. Next pix is the linear supply. The filter caps for the power supply are some unknown Chinese brand. It looks well laid out with no bodges. And yes, there is a slight amount of the trademark Siglent rust on the edges of the metalwork.

What I don't like. There's apparently no way that I see for the user to calibrate this instrument himself. And the user manual is totally mute on the subject. I assume it's calibration procedure would be to connect to that white header near the fan and then invoke some hidden routine to put it into calibration mode and then load specific constants into memory. But without a service manual I'm purely guessing. From what I can find so far a service manual is not available to the unwashed masses like me. Only Siglent can do the cal. Tautech, can you shed some light on this? Am I right concerning this or is the calibration procedure available?

Yeah I know Siglent changed their western websites but the full documentation is not at all hard to find.....just go to the product page, then Resources for that product, then Documentation and then list with all the manuals is available for download.
I could just leave you do find them but nah, nice guy that I am. 
https://www.siglentamerica.com/resources/documents/digital-multimeter/#sdm3055-series

I figured you'd have the answer.  The Siglent USA site doesn't list all that documentation.

[mnementh]

Where did you get them?
Could not find them myself.

Thanks,

Frans

From my post here about a month ago: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/test-equipment-anonymous-(tea)-group-therapy-thread/msg1876742/#msg1876742


AliEx FTW!  ~$35 for all delivered; gives me (qty 12) 0.66m 13ga patch cords + ends to make 2 more in green. Once my 2nd & 3rd orders from Bang-em-good arrive.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/TL320-12pcs-lot-R-B-1-0meter-High-Quality-13AWG-flexible-silicone-test-leads-4mm-straight/32681958679.html

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/50pcs-5color-Gold-Plated-Retractable-4mm-Stackable-Plug-Soldering-Type/1781741357.html

Gawd, that iron needs a clean mnem !

Naaahhh... I'm abusing the 800° lead-free tip I got with the handle; using it with rosin flux and 60/40 solder. That is literally half a second after dipping the tip in flux and immediately making the solder joint. I like to work hot & fast; I don't care what the tip looks like, I care what the solder joint looks like. 

When you solder this way, all the crunk flows up to the hottest point, which is the flux burning away on the tip. Then you just wipe all the crap away on the Brillo and dip in the flux, ready for another joint again.

The MetCal makes this kind of soldering easy; the sleep stand keeps the tip about 250° or so, and it actually helps you get a good flow going without having to worry about burning up the tip. 

mnem
*Whistling a happy little tune as I solder away*

[tautech]

More pron to make your day. The Siglent SD3055 DMM. Analog board on the right. Digital board on the left. Next pix is the linear supply. The filter caps for the power supply are some unknown Chinese brand. It looks well laid out with no bodges. And yes, there is a slight amount of the trademark Siglent rust on the edges of the metalwork.

What I don't like. There's apparently no way that I see for the user to calibrate this instrument himself. And the user manual is totally mute on the subject. I assume it's calibration procedure would be to connect to that white header near the fan and then invoke some hidden routine to put it into calibration mode and then load specific constants into memory. But without a service manual I'm purely guessing. From what I can find so far a service manual is not available to the unwashed masses like me. Only Siglent can do the cal. Tautech, can you shed some light on this? Am I right concerning this or is the calibration procedure available?

Yeah I know Siglent changed their western websites but the full documentation is not at all hard to find.....just go to the product page, then Resources for that product, then Documentation and then list with all the manuals is available for download.
I could just leave you do find them but nah, nice guy that I am. 
https://www.siglentamerica.com/resources/documents/digital-multimeter/#sdm3055-series

I figured you'd have the answer.  The Siglent USA site doesn't list all that documentation.

How so ? 
Their shop is not as good for manuals as the main site but following the merry go round of links you can find what you need. Sure familiarity with where things are does help and initially I was against the new layout preferring the one the factory in Shenzhen has retained but you need to create an account to use it.   
However they are pretty kind with spam mails, just new products and annual refreshes of their product guide    that sort of thing.

Anyways, you got it now. 

Gawd, that iron needs a clean mnem !

Naaahhh... I'm abusing the 800° lead-free tip I got with the handle; using it with rosin flux and 60/40 solder. That is literally half a second after dipping the tip in flux and immediately making the solder joint. I like to work hot & fast; I don't care what the tip looks like, I care what the solder joint looks like. 

When you solder this way, all the crunk flows up to the hottest point, which is the flux burning away on the tip. Then you just wipe all the crap away on the Brillo and dip in the flux, ready for another joint again.

The MetCal makes this kind of soldering easy; the sleep stand keeps the tip about 250° or so, and it actually helps you get a good flow going without having to worry about burning up the tip. 

mnem
*Whistling a happy little tune as I solder away*

We know; you're a dwagon after all.....just a dirty one ! 

[mnementh]

Looks like it ha been used for “lazy heatshrinking” 

(I do that occasionally when I can’t be bothered to plug the heat gun in)

Oh for corn's sake... 

This is what it looks like when I wipe it off and put it to bed. Every once in a while I clean the crusties off the main body with steel wool; but on a 800° tip, it looks like crap in minutes anyways, and this tip survived Ifni know how long working in a factory environment in China before I bought it along with this used handle.

mnem
*Wheels up*

[Specmaster]

Looks like it ha been used for “lazy heatshrinking” 

(I do that occasionally when I can’t be bothered to plug the heat gun in)

I often do that as well, but I clean my iron afterwards.

[Specmaster]

What!!! 800^O, using it as a room heater as well then? 

[xrunner]

Watch out the solder police are staking out the TEA thread. 

[bd139]

Looks like it ha been used for “lazy heatshrinking” 

(I do that occasionally when I can’t be bothered to plug the heat gun in)

Oh for corn's sake... 

This is what it looks like when I wipe it off and put it to bed. Every once in a while I clean the crusties off the main body with steel wool; but on a 800° tip, it looks like crap in minutes anyways, and this tip survived Ifni know how long working in a factory environment in China before I bought it along with this used handle.

mnem
*Wheels up*

It’s pribably sesame oil. Looks like the outside of my frying pan 

I laugh but it’s perfrctly fine.

[bitseeker]

The landlord finally gave me the OK to move one of my cars into the newly finished garage. Along with that is all the carpentry tools, lumber, automotive tools and other assorted junk that was in the back bedroom closet has now been moved to the garage. That closet is now exclusively for TEA. The scope cart is now out of the bedroom but readily accessible when needed. Parts and other pending projects neatly tucked away. Now that I have all this additional space I need to think about how to fill it up. 

That's great news, med. Took a while, but now what will you do with all that space? Or more accurately, what goodies are you going to fill it with?

[Neomys Sapiens]

*Falling in love with my MetCal all over again*

Not even a Metcal deserves such abuse.
Irons and operators like that keep the solder police busy.
Hot irons, cold joints and big stinks.

[Neomys Sapiens]

This HP kit looks nice inside.
For comparison, my latest TEA addition: https://cb.wunderkis.de/wk/AC-Source-EAC/teardown/

Still have to figure out how to operate the thing, it doesn't have any controls, everything via RS232, no description or manual nor software available. Manufacturer has still to answer my email, wonder if they'll ever do. About the same time this thing was manufactured (1990 ... 2000), I've worked for a small company, the boss would have declined support for a long time out of production unit.

Well, I know where they are sited. If they don't answer, we can molest them personally.

[xrunner]

Arrived this PM -

[grizewald]

So, I'm waiting for this 7075 to warm up so I can see exactly how far off reality it is.

So far, it's been an hour and 20 minutes since I turned it on and I'm watching the internal reference voltage. It's been climbing, more and more slowly since I turned it on - as you'd expect.

Up until this time, the rate of change had been slowing from 1uV increase every 4 minutes to 1uV every 10 minutes. The last change was up one more uV after 12 minutes. I'd nearly said "OK, time to connect the voltage reference!".

Then, all of a sudden, the reference voltage dropped an entire 18uV in the space of one 10 second integration!

Now it's circling around a +/- 1.5uV range. If it stays that way, I guess I finally shook the cobwebs out of the internal reference! Looking at the address of the seller on Google maps leads me to believe that his stock is stored outside in shipping containers. I can see some rust spots on a metal can down in the analogue section, so who knows how long this meter has suffered cold and humidity in some rusty old shipping container?

If it is still holding the same range in another 15 minutes, I'll get a reference and some Vishay 0.005% resistors on it and see if, in Dave's words, I can say: winner, winner, chicken dinner!

[grizewald]

Welcome to my Winter Wonderland. Much too early for this shit. And it started snowing again. 

Bloody hell!

I'm in Stockholm, Sweden and it's still quite mild here - 10C - 50F today and no sign of snow on the horizon. I really hope that isn't coming over the Atlantic in my direction!

Enjoy your shovelling!

[bitseeker]

Here's what I woke up to on the bench this morning over my first cuppa coffee... kinda the inverse function thereof. Once the deed was done, I had to be elsewhere for a while.   

Maybe a better title would be Chaos Theory? Dinner Conversation? Politics?   

TEA with Spaghetti

[mnementh]

What!!! 800^O, using it as a room heater as well then? 

Ask MetCal about that; they set the temp of the tip, I don't get a choice. I didn't get to be choosy about the tip Xiao Nau tossed in for free with my used handle, either.  But I'll be damned if I'm gonna let it gather dust. 

*Falling in love with my MetCal all over again*

Not even a Metcal deserves such abuse. Irons and operators like that keep the solder police busy. Hot irons, cold joints and big stinks.

You won't find any cold joints in my work, thanks. Hot irons & big stink... well, as has been mentioned, I am a dwagon. Iron and brimstone are part of my natural diet. 

   Oh for corn's sake...     This is what it looks like when I wipe it off and put it to bed. Every once in a while I clean the crusties off the main body with steel wool; but on a 800° tip, it looks like crap in minutes anyways, and this tip survived Ifni know how long working in a factory environment in China before I bought it along with this used handle.

mnem
*Wheels up*

It’s probably sesame oil. Looks like the outside of my frying pan    I laugh but it’s perfectly fine.

LOL... I know you know better... but some people sayin' stuff like "cold solder joints"...? Them there's fightin' words!   

Welcome to my Winter Wonderland. Much too early for this shit. And it started snowing again. 

Looks like home... *Wistful sigh*   

mnem
I miss "weather".

[mnementh]

   Here's what I woke up to on the bench this morning over my first cuppa coffee... kinda the inverse function thereof. Once the deed was done, I had to be elsewhere for a while.   

Maybe a better title would be Chaos Theory? Dinner Conversation? Politics?   

TEA with Spaghetti

Alas, I've already done a piece titled "Electric Spaghetti with Motorballs"; I wouldn't want to be too derivative.

mnem
*Solder-ily*

[med6753]

Welcome to my Winter Wonderland. Much too early for this shit. And it started snowing again. 

Bloody hell!

I'm in Stockholm, Sweden and it's still quite mild here - 10C - 50F today and no sign of snow on the horizon. I really hope that isn't coming over the Atlantic in my direction!

Enjoy your shovelling!

We had a very "wet" Summer and early Autumn where it would rain at least once a week and that pattern appears to be continuing. But now that the temperature is falling below freezing the result is...the white stuff. And long range forecasts predict more of the same so it's going to be a long, and white, Winter. 

Shovelling? What's that?  I live in a small apartment complex and that's someone else's job.    I do have a snow shovel which I keep in the car for emergencies and I do occasionally help out cleaning up after a storm.

[med6753]

Welcome to my Winter Wonderland. Much too early for this shit. And it started snowing again. 

Looks like home... *Wistful sigh*   

mnem
I miss "weather".

I'll send you some. Check your mailbox. 

[bitseeker]

Yep, that's one thing I see that I don't like. I have only one other hp kit that is that long - hp 5316B freq. counter. I've been inside and don't completely see why they made it that loooooooong, seems like they could have made a two-tier PCB setup and it would have been a lot shorter. It doesn't fit on most shelves very well.

I believe the longest one I have is also a 5316, but the A variety. It beat out my Fluke 8100A, even if you include the binding posts.

[med6753]

The landlord finally gave me the OK to move one of my cars into the newly finished garage. Along with that is all the carpentry tools, lumber, automotive tools and other assorted junk that was in the back bedroom closet has now been moved to the garage. That closet is now exclusively for TEA. The scope cart is now out of the bedroom but readily accessible when needed. Parts and other pending projects neatly tucked away. Now that I have all this additional space I need to think about how to fill it up. 

That's great news, med. Took a while, but now what will you do with all that space? Or more accurately, what goodies are you going to fill it with?

The possibilities are endless! 

[bitseeker]

The 10 Laws of TEA (and counting) :

1 )  TE will expand to fill all space available. And then some.
2 )  It's never "just a blown fuse."
3 )  That bodge will come back to bite you in the ass.
4 )  The availability of service documentation varies inversely with your current level of diagnostic frustration.
5 )  There's always more to fix than you first think.
6 )  Thou shalt use a probe prophylactic.
7 )  There is no substitute for exhaustive burn-in testing.
8 )  The TE you have on hand is never the TE you need to fix the TE you want.
9 )  Capacitors are Murphy's footsoldiers.
10) The adhesive used to apply a label is always stronger than the label itself.

Added to the OP.

[bitseeker]

   Here's what I woke up to on the bench this morning over my first cuppa coffee... kinda the inverse function thereof. Once the deed was done, I had to be elsewhere for a while.   

Maybe a better title would be Chaos Theory? Dinner Conversation? Politics?   

TEA with Spaghetti

Alas, I've already done a piece titled "Spaghetti with Motorballs"; I wouldn't want to be too derivative.

OK, TEA Mein, then.

[tggzzz]

So, I'm waiting for this 7075 to warm up so I can see exactly how far off reality it is.

So far, it's been an hour and 20 minutes since I turned it on and I'm watching the internal reference voltage. It's been climbing, more and more slowly since I turned it on - as you'd expect.

Up until this time, the rate of change had been slowing from 1uV increase every 4 minutes to 1uV every 10 minutes. The last change was up one more uV after 12 minutes. I'd nearly said "OK, time to connect the voltage reference!".

Then, all of a sudden, the reference voltage dropped an entire 18uV in the space of one 10 second integration!

Now it's circling around a +/- 1.5uV range. If it stays that way, I guess I finally shook the cobwebs out of the internal reference! Looking at the address of the seller on Google maps leads me to believe that his stock is stored outside in shipping containers. I can see some rust spots on a metal can down in the analogue section, so who knows how long this meter has suffered cold and humidity in some rusty old shipping container?

It is worth getting hold of the 7081 operating manual and having a look at section 3, "warm-up procedure after prolonged low-temperature storage". My 7081's stability certainly improved after self-cooking for several days.

Yes, they do take several hours to become vaguely stable. That's not surprising when you look at the reference element: a zener diode wrapped in a heating coil with a thermistor. If I want to do stability tests then I have the meters and references powered up for a day - I suspect modern equipment is much better in this respect.

The 18uV shift is ~2.5ppm. That's not entirely unprecedented: "popcorn noise" which is both +ve and -ve. I have yet to properly check both my new 7075s, but ISTR seeing something like that in one of them but not the other.

I have two Trancell 10V references. One exhibits popcorn noise, the other doesn't. I've attached a graph showing the worse popcorn noise:

• Source: external Trancell 10V reference
• Meter: 7081 (no measurable popcorn noise when measuring a Weston call)
• Horizontal: 1 sample every 52s
• Vertical: Volts, major division is 10uV or ppm
• Shows Trancell turnon transient and ~15uV/1.5ppm popcorn noise

If it is still holding the same range in another 15 minutes, I'll get a reference and some Vishay 0.005% resistors on it and see if, in Dave's words, I can say: winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Oh, so you're a quitter

And "get a reference" is a vast topic in its own right T'aint as easy as going out and buying one, unless you have lots of cash to spare plus (for some options) space and load-bearing capacity