Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Cerebus]

To all TEA, between my 7A26 and 7A18 tektronix plug ins i have a missing vernier knob, a destroyed knob, and a cracked knob as well as a broken shaft. What i need exactly is two complete volts/div knob assemblies and the shaft.  The shaft i can replace for 8, or i could buy a 7A18 (that was not owned by the government) and appropriate the parts needed from it if i had to, though i wouldn't like it.

Anyone out there by any chance got these spare parts for a reasonable price? (IE LESS than 50 bucks for the set.) To save me from such drastic measures as butchering a 7A18 of course.

I'm just catching up on overnight's TEA posts, so if someone has already mentioned this ... nothing to see here.

There's a guy picked up a lot of NOS HP/Tek parts, including knobs and other hardware, posted over in Buy/Sell/Wanted. He's found some quite obscure parts for people so it's worth a look. He'll need Tek part numbers to know if he has them, he's not a Tek specialist himself.

[Cerebus]

Do it. I’ve done it to entire scopes numerous times. It only hurts the first time

Ford: "It's unpleasantly like being drunk."
Arthur: "What's unpleasant about being drunk?"
Ford: "Ask a glass of water."

[mnementh]

I agree with bd139, do it, I've also done the same thing. I take the view that its better to salvage 1 scope then to have 2 dead ones and that surely can't be wrong can it? Plus of course if you gut the carcass of the mule, you'll plenty of other spare parts for the one that you're fixing up that should hopefully keep yours alive a lot longer. 

I tend to agree except for one thing; very often, gutting a parts unit and storing the parts safely winds up taking up more space than the unit itself just stashed in a corner... 

I put my parts 2465 back together for just that reason. 


mnem
*Back to the bench*

Units stashed in the corner just adds more to the bonfire that SWMBO's can make use of when they want to crucify you, so remove the fuel and get less tongue bashing, whats squirreled away in boxes and tubs and anywhere else parts can be tucked out of sight has to be a good thing right 

Ah, yes; the SWMBO effect. I forget sometimes... I married an enabler, so that's not a problem. In all honesty, I'm harder on myself about my junk collecting than she has ever been. For my own sanity, much of my own automotive and RC hobbyist junk has been periodically sorted into 45 gallon totes in the garage for over a decade; even some of my TE has been similarly archived, though honestly it is usually allowed to graze at will around my office/workbench.

Cheers,


mnem
"This must be Thursday... I never could quite get the hang of Thursdays."

[Specmaster]

Sometimes I wonder if you realise just how lucky you are to have a SWMBO who is as accommodating as yours seems to be, does she get passionate about anything you like to do and when I say passionate NO I don't mean you know what. I mean does anything you do invoke a negative reaction with her at all? 

[bd139]

Indeed. Although my other half appears to have got used to it. The only thing I have to fear is retaliative purchases.

I've had 8 packages of crap delivered over the last few days and they're all hidden in the cupboard and they will come out at the weekend when she's out or it'll cost me some pointless vanity item which will be discarded after 3 months.

[Specmaster]

Indeed. Although my other half appears to have got used to it. The only thing I have to fear is retaliative purchases.

I've had 8 packages of crap delivered over the last few days and they're all hidden in the cupboard and they will come out at the weekend when she's out or it'll cost me some pointless vanity item which will be discarded after 3 months.

Haha, much like some of your oscilloscopes then 🤣

[djos]

Do it. I’ve done it to entire scopes numerous times. It only hurts the first time

Ford: "It's unpleasantly like being drunk."
Arthur: "What's unpleasant about being drunk?"
Ford: "Ask a glass of water."

I love Douglas Adams quotes, I was gutted when he died, such a brilliant mind lost forever. 

[Neomys Sapiens]

As I really need to tidy up my lab, I finally sorted screws and nuts for a few hours ... That would be much easier if there weren't sizes/threads that are very similar but just not the same, which has you try each of them, you can't just look and tell ...

Yes, separating M2.5 from the old M2.6 can be slightly tiring, as you need a long overlap to notice it's not really fitting. But all others? Ok, some 2.3 could look slightly fatter or slimmer and might go as M2 or 2.5, but not many.

Unless, of course...

[bd139]

Indeed. Although my other half appears to have got used to it. The only thing I have to fear is retaliative purchases.

I've had 8 packages of crap delivered over the last few days and they're all hidden in the cupboard and they will come out at the weekend when she's out or it'll cost me some pointless vanity item which will be discarded after 3 months.

Haha, much like some of your oscilloscopes then 🤣

Hahaha well played

Talking of which I haven't bought a scope for a few weeks ... off to eBay

Do it. I’ve done it to entire scopes numerous times. It only hurts the first time

Ford: "It's unpleasantly like being drunk."
Arthur: "What's unpleasant about being drunk?"
Ford: "Ask a glass of water."

I love Douglas Adams quotes, I was gutted when he died, such a brilliant mind lost forever. 

Indeed. But he will live forever at the same time

Way off topic but this is my favourite:

[Specmaster]

Haha, I loved that story and I wonder just how many times that scene must have been played out on other occasions as well 

Edit:-
Just completed checking all of my better meters, all at the same time from a common voltage source and there's something strange about watching the last digit dance about back and forth by 1 and then it clicks into place that they all actually agree with each other and its the 3.5 digit displays that this happening to and looking at the 4.5 digit meters, the third DP is a 5 or 6 and the 3.5 meters are rounding up or down. So I'm feeling pretty happy with the results, safe in the knowledge that I can now use any of my meters and rely on the readings to be correct, aided by a transferable reference point.

Think to myself that I must tidy my bench tomorrow, its getting very cluttered again, time for a cull I think. 

[tggzzz]

Just completed checking all of my better meters, all at the same time from a common voltage source and there's something strange about watching the last digit dance about back and forth by 1 and then it clicks into place that they all actually agree with each other and its the 3.5 digit displays that this happening to and looking at the 4.5 digit meters, the third DP is a 5 or 6 and the 3.5 meters are rounding up or down. So I'm feeling pretty happy with the results, safe in the knowledge that I can now use any of my meters and rely on the readings to be correct, aided by a transferable reference point.

I've always found it easy to get my meters to agree with each other; all it needs is a screwdriver (and maybe an Allen key or two).

OTOH getting my meters to agree with other peoples' meters requires that I open my wallet and shut my eyes,

[neo]

Well i just bought a 7A18 for it's knobs, between that and this tv i just spent 60 bucks on trying to fix, as well as the 100+ dollars to digikey, i'm done for this month. 



Also, i just spent 30 bucks for a couple of knobs, i think i may have lost my mind.

[Specmaster]

Just completed checking all of my better meters, all at the same time from a common voltage source and there's something strange about watching the last digit dance about back and forth by 1 and then it clicks into place that they all actually agree with each other and its the 3.5 digit displays that this happening to and looking at the 4.5 digit meters, the third DP is a 5 or 6 and the 3.5 meters are rounding up or down. So I'm feeling pretty happy with the results, safe in the knowledge that I can now use any of my meters and rely on the readings to be correct, aided by a transferable reference point.

I've always found it easy to get my meters to agree with each other; all it needs is a screwdriver (and maybe an Allen key or two).

OTOH getting my meters to agree with other peoples' meters requires that I open my wallet and shut my eyes,

That's the point, by checking them all at the same time, I meant connecting them all up to the same voltage source as a group and I only needed to adjust 1 out of 12, a load were new acquisitions whose last MOD calibrations were at least about 10 years ago according to seals attached to them and they all agreed with my other meters apart from one of my older meters which I don't use very often. Apart that I don't need my  meters to agree with anyone else's, but I did check them against a known dc reference voltage and they were fine. I'm a hobbyist who likes to repair broadcast radios and therefore for the usage they get they are perfectly adequate even though the meters are around 30 years old they are capable of measuring a 12 volt supply rail, I really don't think that a transistor radio is bothered if its getting 9v or 9.1v, I certainly need to measure down to god knows how many decimal places of accuracy when radios are designed to operate over a wide voltage spectrum from about 10.5v down to around 6v as the battery nears depletion.

[mnementh]

Sometimes I wonder if you realise just how lucky you are to have a SWMBO who is as accommodating as yours seems to be, does she get passionate about anything you like to do and when I say passionate NO I don't mean you know what. I mean does anything you do invoke a negative reaction with her at all? 

Cursing in front of the children. Washing automobile parts in the dishwasher. Cooking for myself but not her. Not letting her steal all the covers. Smoking (Good thing for me; with her help, I've been clean for 15 years). Drinking to excess (I do it very rarely of my own accord; but if I make an ass of myself, she'll stew at me for days). Driving like her mother. Being late; I'm chronic in that regard. Not coming to bed. When I make snide comments during her uber-cheesy "B" grade superhero shows (I call them her telenovelas) and over her shoulder while she's reading her similarly cheesy supernatural romance novels.

Do it. I’ve done it to entire scopes numerous times. It only hurts the first time

Ford: "It's unpleasantly like being drunk."
Arthur: "What's unpleasant about being drunk?"
Ford: "Ask a glass of water."

I love Douglas Adams quotes, I was gutted when he died, such a brilliant mind lost forever. 

I felt the same; he was one of the most naturally funny people who ever lived. I was heartbroken over all the amazing insights and oddball humor we would all miss out on because of his premature demise; there was a similar hole in my world to when John Lennon was killed for months afterwards.

I was lucky enough as a small child to be in the studio audience with my mother for Carol Burnett as a child; she did her infamous Tarzan yell during the patter between sets and I sat bolt upright with a look on my face like I'd been electrocuted. She stopped her monologue, looked right at me, and said "That is simply the most amazing look you have on your face... May I have it?" Instantly she was just like a member of the family; I blushed and stuttered something like "Uhhh.. .sure..." and she tugged her ear and winked, and right back to the monologue. It wasn't until two scenes later that I understood what she was on about; she ended the set with the punchline and MY LOOK; then came the wink and the RECORDING lights went out and it was all over.


mnem
When we separated to dress and then go with our families to our wedding, my beloved wife kissed me for luck. She stepped close, and while holding my juevos tenderly in one hand she looked deep into my eyes, then she sighed and whispered these words I will never forget:

"If you are one minute late to the procession I will grind these into a fine paste; in front of my mother and yours."

[BravoV]

Will you be tempted to snatch -> This for $200 ?  In the TEA realm of course.

[mnementh]

3Ghz for 200 clams? Does it have an STD or is it merely possessed by Satan?

[EDIT]

Wait... I see it has a port for probe power... does it it use a remote probe that costs gizillions of dollars like the HP 436/437/438, etc?

[/EDIT]


mnem
*YOINK!*

[Cerebus]

mnem
*YOINK!*

Yabba dabba do!

[AF6LJ]

3Ghz for 200 clams? Does it have an STD or is it merely possessed by Satan?

[EDIT]

Wait... I see it has a port for probe power... does it it use a remote probe that costs gizillions of dollars like the HP 436/437/438, etc?

[/EDIT]


mnem
*YOINK!*

Will you be tempted to snatch -> This for $200 ?  In the TEA realm of course.

If it is like my LG 2720 finding a manual maybe problematic.

[BravoV]

3Ghz for 200 clams? Does it have an STD or is it merely possessed by Satan?

I guess so .... 

Wait... I see it has a port for probe power... does it it use a remote probe that costs gizillions of dollars like the HP 436/437/438, etc?

Again, no further details given yet, only the main unit and a printed manual. 

[BravoV]

If it is like my LG 2720 finding a manual maybe problematic.

Yeah, google doesn't give anything regarding the manual.

Tell me abit bout your 2720 ? Any precautions maybe ?

[BravoV]

Will you be tempted to snatch -> This for $200 ?  In the TEA realm of course.

The marketing brochure -> http://www.measuretronix.com/files/nex-1/Nex1-NS.pdf

[mnementh]

3Ghz for 200 clams? Does it have an STD or is it merely possessed by Satan?

I guess so .... 

Wait... I see it has a port for probe power... does it it use a remote probe that costs gizillions of dollars like the HP 436/437/438, etc?

Again, no further details given yet, only the main unit and a printed manual. 

Who am I kidding? As long as it isn't a gutted shell or spits fire when you plug it in, even if it has ALL OF THE ABOVE it's probably STILL a steal.


mnem
Steal this post script.

[AF6LJ]

If it is like my LG 2720 finding a manual maybe problematic.

Yeah, google doesn't give anything regarding the manual.

Tell me abit bout your 2720 ? Any precautions maybe ?

Nothing special..
9KHZ to 2.7GHZ..
It does have a problem; it passes cal but reads 15DB low in amplitude.
I haven't tore into it yet however I did run my signal generator into the front end and nearly 100% reflected power when looking down the input with a directional coupler. I suspect the input switch is gone.
That would most likely be one of those FET switches. I haven't made a great effort in finding some analyzer similar enough that a manual even close would be a benefit. 

[beanflying]

Rare occasion. Actually going to make/breadboard something on a clean bench for the first time since 

Homemade TEA with 'special ICs' oscillators and maybe LED'S

[tautech]

Rare occasion. Actually going to make/breadboard something on a clean bench for the first time since 

Homemade TEA with 'special ICs' oscillators and maybe LED'S

What do you think of that magnifying visor Bean ?
Is that the one with ~6 lenses ?