Author Topic: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread  (Read 14550826 times)

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Offline AF6LJ

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3000 on: October 19, 2017, 06:31:01 pm »
Yummy; it's nice to come home after walking eight miles to the Post Office and back and have my eyes greeted with HP and Keithley gear.
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Online Berni

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3001 on: October 19, 2017, 07:08:43 pm »
Glad you enjoyed. Then here is some more HP stuff too. This is what that Keithley you saw before was sitting on.

This is the HP 89410A DC-10MHz Vector Signal Analyzer



Its quite the boatanchor this one, all 25kg(55lb) of it. This one was showing a NV RAM self test failiure, but all it needed was a new memory battery (Lithium coin cell). Quite conveniently the CPU board that has it can be slid out the back of the unit without taking off the top cover. Same for a few other boards in that computer cage like GPIB/Serial card, Video card etc. From what i remember i found a Motorola 68000 in there.

It makes quite a clicking racket on boot as it goes trough its self test, switching what sounds like 10 relays trough a cycle that repeats about 3 or 4 times. Pretty loud fan in there while the thing still gets pretty hot as it uses 100s of W of power. So you get the full on boatanchor experience right here.

In return you get dual true DC to 10MHz spectrum analyzers and a DC to 10MHz signal source that can be used as a tracking generator, all on a full color raster CRT with VGA output on the back. The ports on it can be 50Ohm, 75Ohm or 1MOhm with AC or DC coupling (Much like a scope). The noise floor goes down to -140dBm and allows a RBW from 3MHz to 0.003Hz. If you also have the RF section (HP 89441A) for it that can make it go to 2600MHz. Or alternatively you can use a IF converter section that lets you tap it in to the IF section of a  HP 8566B (22GHz SA) to analyze modulation on radio signals higher up.

Quite a modern bit of kit with the HP badge still on it.
 

Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3002 on: October 19, 2017, 07:39:04 pm »
Glad you enjoyed. Then here is some more HP stuff too. This is what that Keithley you saw before was sitting on.

This is the HP 89410A DC-10MHz Vector Signal Analyzer



Its quite the boatanchor this one, all 25kg(55lb) of it. This one was showing a NV RAM self test failiure, but all it needed was a new memory battery (Lithium coin cell). Quite conveniently the CPU board that has it can be slid out the back of the unit without taking off the top cover. Same for a few other boards in that computer cage like GPIB/Serial card, Video card etc. From what i remember i found a Motorola 68000 in there.

It makes quite a clicking racket on boot as it goes trough its self test, switching what sounds like 10 relays trough a cycle that repeats about 3 or 4 times. Pretty loud fan in there while the thing still gets pretty hot as it uses 100s of W of power. So you get the full on boatanchor experience right here.

In return you get dual true DC to 10MHz spectrum analyzers and a DC to 10MHz signal source that can be used as a tracking generator, all on a full color raster CRT with VGA output on the back. The ports on it can be 50Ohm, 75Ohm or 1MOhm with AC or DC coupling (Much like a scope). The noise floor goes down to -140dBm and allows a RBW from 3MHz to 0.003Hz. If you also have the RF section (HP 89441A) for it that can make it go to 2600MHz. Or alternatively you can use a IF converter section that lets you tap it in to the IF section of a  HP 8566B (22GHz SA) to analyze modulation on radio signals higher up.

Quite a modern bit of kit with the HP badge still on it.
Thats way beyond my level but still a nice bit of hardcore porn, but then thats the real beauty of TEA and GAS, its not always about having the need for, nor the ability to use a piece of test gear, more about saving it from landfill, restoring and adding to a growing collection, amen. :-+
Who let Murphy in?

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Online Berni

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3003 on: October 19, 2017, 08:14:02 pm »

Thats way beyond my level but still a nice bit of hardcore porn, but then thats the real beauty of TEA and GAS, its not always about having the need for, nor the ability to use a piece of test gear, more about saving it from landfill, restoring and adding to a growing collection, amen. :-+

Well i happened to score it for about 250 bucks and is my only spectrum analyzer with a built in tracking generator so it can be quite useful for sweeping the frequency response of things. Its low noise floor and DC friendliness also means you can use it to characterize power supply noise or test audio ADCs/DACs with it.

The signal output port can even function as a arb waveform generator but getting the waveforms to it is not very convenient as its eater floppy of gpib. Tho there is a option for a base10 ethernet card. But i already got a old Tek waveform generator that does it nicely with a comprehensive built in waveform editor (But it takes a lot of electronics to get 1GS/s back in those days)

 

Offline Cerebus

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3004 on: October 19, 2017, 09:37:21 pm »
Well i happened to score it for about 250 bucks ...

Jammie bastard! *

* A common, friendly, British insult traditionally levelled at someone who has experienced uncommonly good luck. cf "(You) lucky sod!".
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 

Offline djos

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3005 on: October 19, 2017, 10:04:51 pm »
Yes I agree, I watched Daves vid and then went on Ebay and purchased this one, I must say its an extremely handy tool, makes light work of removing parts for testing, replacement or just harvesting, hand pumps and desoldering braid, forget it, get one of these, job done.

Absolutely, I've got the same one twinned with a soldering station and it's great - I've even found that it beats wick for cleaning up SMD pads, I just drop a dash of fresh rosin core solder onto each pad, then suction it up and voila, beautiful clean, flat shiny, tinned pads in no time at all!

Offline bitseekerTopic starter

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3006 on: October 20, 2017, 12:10:09 am »
Well i happened to score it for about 250 bucks and is my only spectrum analyzer with a built in tracking generator so it can be quite useful for sweeping the frequency response of things. Its low noise floor and DC friendliness also means you can use it to characterize power supply noise or test audio ADCs/DACs with it.

That's a nice score, Berni! And nice job on getting that 617 working — a convoluted power situation, indeed.
TEA is the way. | TEA Time channel
 

Offline orin

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3007 on: October 20, 2017, 05:11:20 am »
6. stumble over an ebay auction for a 3335A without options in germany with defective sweep out
7. casually bid on it
8. now I own a HP 3335A
9. added HP3335A to my repair queue  :palm:

Will it be worth the 211,- Euros? I hope so, it's in reasonable shape with feet on it.


Reading service manuals is kind of dangerous, am just looking over the one for the HP 3335A..   :scared:  :-DD

edit: fixed the image link.


Ah, a 3335A - very nice attenuator in there.  You'll want an 8568[A/B] or 8566[A/B] just to justify having the 3335A :)  The 3335A is specified for adjusting the log amps on those SAs.

 

Offline WastelandTek

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3008 on: October 20, 2017, 06:07:58 pm »
Anybody here think of a rational use for these...or should I consider them harvestable?

I'm new here, but I tend to be pretty gregarious, so if I'm out of my lane please call me out.
 

Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3009 on: October 20, 2017, 06:14:01 pm »
I'm sure all those HP fan boys would take em of your hands for a consideration  :-DD
Who let Murphy in?

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Offline WastelandTek

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3010 on: October 20, 2017, 06:20:41 pm »
I'm sure all those HP fan boys would take em of your hands for a consideration  :-DD

Kind of hoping so.  This is 1960s stuff, with very low bandwidth.  I hate scrapping stuff, but I just can't justify the space here.
I'm new here, but I tend to be pretty gregarious, so if I'm out of my lane please call me out.
 

Offline bitseekerTopic starter

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3011 on: October 20, 2017, 06:44:07 pm »
WastelandTek, it's helpful to add your country in your profile so folks have a sense for things such as, in this case, potential shipping costs when they see your country's flag in your posts.

Those two units look to be in great condition and would work nicely for audio. The 353A patch panel is often found in a three-instrument enclosure between a 200-series oscillator and 400-series AC voltmeter.
TEA is the way. | TEA Time channel
 

Offline URI

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3012 on: October 20, 2017, 06:47:24 pm »
Oh what is this?
I've got three emails that announce delivery of items i bought recently. I caught myself having a guilty conscience about that and at the same time noticed thoughts creeping up how to hide that from my wife. There's still no abbreviation for that..
The last instrument (3437A) is still residing (and being serviced) on the floor of our living room because I temporarily ran out of space at my workbench. :scared:
She'll have to cope with it somehow. I hope that doesn't hurt me too much.  :-DD

The seller of the 3335A is really fast and the Agilent 8110A from across the pond is now in germany ..  :)

edit: Just received the announcement of the desoldering station being delivered tomorrow, too. *gulp*
« Last Edit: October 20, 2017, 06:51:54 pm by URI »
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Offline Mr. Scram

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3013 on: October 20, 2017, 06:50:56 pm »
I find Isopropyl wipes get almost anything off plastic and rubber cases.
I've finally got my hands on some 70% isopropyl, as I was out and every shop seems to be too, but no dice. I don't know how carefully strapping a meter into a soft case and putting it aside can leave marks, but they are on there and aren't coming off.

All the rubbing and scrubbing seems to have lightened the marks, but also affected the surrounding area with some very minor scuffing. It seems stupid to spend as much as another cheaper but properly nice meter would cost on some spare parts, but it seems I'm going that way. I just can't stand this.
 

Offline Cubdriver

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3014 on: October 20, 2017, 07:13:48 pm »
Oh what is this?
I've got three emails that announce delivery of items i bought recently. I caught myself having a guilty conscience about that and at the same time noticed thoughts creeping up how to hide that from my wife. There's still no abbreviation for that..
The last instrument (3437A) is still residing (and being serviced) on the floor of our living room because I temporarily ran out of space at my workbench. :scared:
She'll have to cope with it somehow. I hope that doesn't hurt me too much.  :-DD

The seller of the 3335A is really fast and the Agilent 8110A from across the pond is now in germany ..  :)

edit: Just received the announcement of the desoldering station being delivered tomorrow, too. *gulp*

URI, I think you need to revise your signature.  At the gates of TEA?   :-DD 

No, you're waaaaay past them, and they're rapidly becoming smaller in your rear view mirror.   Can you even still see them?  (Maybe if you squint really hard?)  >:D >:D >:D

-Pat
If it jams, force it.  If it breaks, you needed a new one anyway...
 

Offline URI

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3015 on: October 20, 2017, 07:35:51 pm »
Oh what is this?
I've got three emails that announce delivery of items i bought recently. I caught myself having a guilty conscience about that and at the same time noticed thoughts creeping up how to hide that from my wife. There's still no abbreviation for that..
The last instrument (3437A) is still residing (and being serviced) on the floor of our living room because I temporarily ran out of space at my workbench. :scared:
She'll have to cope with it somehow. I hope that doesn't hurt me too much.  :-DD

The seller of the 3335A is really fast and the Agilent 8110A from across the pond is now in germany ..  :)

edit: Just received the announcement of the desoldering station being delivered tomorrow, too. *gulp*

URI, I think you need to revise your signature.  At the gates of TEA?   :-DD 

No, you're waaaaay past them, and they're rapidly becoming smaller in your rear view mirror.   Can you even still see them?  (Maybe if you squint really hard?)  >:D >:D >:D

-Pat

I have binoculars and if they are becoming too small I take out my little 30x30 telescope .  :-DD

Changed the signature.  :popcorn:
A life without TEA is possible but pointless.
 

Offline URI

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3016 on: October 20, 2017, 08:53:17 pm »
For practical bench work* I acquired an Oltronix B300D Power Supply today:



The offer was too tempting.. :palm:

It's time too end the phase being off and to start going to work again. Being off with just one arm broken (and being capable to use the other arm for ebay) is just becoming too expensive. |O
And I don't know how much longer my wife tolerates packages to be delivered on a daily basis.   :scared:   :-DD

*- having ones hands in electronic equipment or on bare circuit boards doesn’t require gear with GPIB.
A life without TEA is possible but pointless.
 

Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3017 on: October 20, 2017, 08:59:55 pm »
I reschedule my deliveries for when she is out :)
 

Offline URI

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3018 on: October 20, 2017, 09:20:08 pm »
I reschedule my deliveries for when she is out :)

Sounds good indeed.
Problem on my side is: We're both employed and I'm longer hours at work than she is.  :-//
A life without TEA is possible but pointless.
 

Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3019 on: October 20, 2017, 09:27:41 pm »
Have them delivered to work and then you can bring them home and sneak them indoors when the coast is clear. One thing crosses my mind with all these acquisitions is that I'm sure the national reserves at The Deutsche Bundesbank must be dwindling rapidly  :-DD :-DD
Who let Murphy in?

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Offline Cubdriver

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3020 on: October 20, 2017, 09:57:57 pm »
I reschedule my deliveries for when she is out :)

Sounds good indeed.
Problem on my side is: We're both employed and I'm longer hours at work than she is.  :-//

When I was married, I got the stuff delivered to work.  (Mainly because someone would be there to receive it, but keeping things on the down low from SWMBO was an added benefit...)

-Pat
If it jams, force it.  If it breaks, you needed a new one anyway...
 

Offline bitseekerTopic starter

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3021 on: October 20, 2017, 10:55:23 pm »
I've got three emails that announce delivery of items i bought recently. I caught myself having a guilty conscience about that and at the same time noticed thoughts creeping up how to hide that from my wife. There's still no abbreviation for that..

That's an opportunity for you to make one. ;D

e.g.,

SECRET: Surreptitious Enjoyment from Covert Receipt of Ebay Transactions
TEA is the way. | TEA Time channel
 
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Offline Specmaster

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3022 on: October 20, 2017, 11:02:36 pm »
I've got three emails that announce delivery of items i bought recently. I caught myself having a guilty conscience about that and at the same time noticed thoughts creeping up how to hide that from my wife. There's still no abbreviation for that..

That's an opportunity for you to make one. ;D

e.g.,

SECRET: Surreptitious Enjoyment from Covert Receipt of Ebay Transactions
Love it  :-DD
Who let Murphy in?

Brymen-Fluke-HP-Thurlby-Thander-Tek-Extech-Black Star-GW-Avo-Kyoritsu-Amprobe-ITT-Robin-TTi
 

Offline bitseekerTopic starter

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3023 on: October 20, 2017, 11:17:03 pm »
Added to the glossary.

Actually, I think I'll optimize it slightly to get rid of the prepositions: Surreptitiously Enjoying Covertly Received Ebay Transactions :-+
« Last Edit: October 20, 2017, 11:19:55 pm by bitseeker »
TEA is the way. | TEA Time channel
 

Offline bd139

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Re: Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread
« Reply #3024 on: October 20, 2017, 11:19:27 pm »
Bad timing fail for me in that department. My HP supply is due to arrive on Monday. She’s out tomorrow and in all day on Monday and I’m out.
 


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